Risk perception scores by dimension.

Influenza remains a global public health threat, yet limited evidence exists regarding public risk perception and social support dynamics in post-pandemic contexts. This study investigates the interplay between social support and influenza risk perception among residents in Chengdu, China, following the ease of COVID-19 restrictions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to March 2024 using convenience sampling (n = 708). Validated tools included the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and a researcher-developed Risk Perception Scale (RPS). Data were analyzed via Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlations using SAS 9.4 and SPSS 26.0. The results showed moderate median social support (37 points; 63.79% of maximum score) but alarmingly low risk perception (36 points; 40.0% of maximum score). Younger adults (40 years) demonstrated significantly higher risk perception than middle-aged groups (P P P P