Response Efficacy Perception and Taking Action to Prepare for Disasters with Different Lead Time
Publication: Natural Hazards Review
Volume 23, Issue 1
Abstract
This study investigated how disaster types, namely those with shorter and longer warning lead times, contextualized individuals’ preparatory actions, especially those associated with their response efficacy perception (i.e., the belief that preparations are effective in risk reduction) and age. The working sample included 1,304 respondents from the 2017 US National Household Survey. Logistic regressions showed that individuals with higher levels of response efficacy perception were more likely to prepare after learning information about how to prepare. Respondents in areas prone to short lead-time disasters were less likely to prepare than those in areas exposed to longer lead-time disasters. Response efficacy perception was more important for taking action to prepare for short lead-time disasters, which was observed only among older adults but not among younger adults. These findings revealed the impacts of disaster types and response efficacy perception on disaster preparedness and older adults’ unique vulnerability and resilience, which could guide policymaking and interventions to promote national disaster preparedness tailored to regional peculiarities.
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Data Availability Statement
All data used during the study are available in a repository online in accordance with further data retention policies (FEMA 2020).
Acknowledgments
This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation (CMMI 1839516).
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Natural Hazards Review
Volume 23 • Issue 1 • February 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jan 5, 2021
Accepted: Aug 23, 2021
Published online: Oct 12, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Mar 12, 2022
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Cited by
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