Differences between self-initiated and exogenous preparedness: A study on the stock of household emergency material during the COVID-19 in China

Abstract

Household emergency material preparedness is crucial for effective risk management and crisis response. Different motivations, such as self-initiated and exogenous, can lead to similar preparedness behaviors, which makes public preparedness behaviors to be unpredictable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been increasingly aware of the need for household emergency material preparedness, and governments have also advocated for crisis preparedness. Based on the theoretical framework of the protective action decision model, this study investigated 897 respondents in the Chinese mainland area to assess the determinants of residents' emergency material preparedness, distinguishing between self-initiated and exogenous preparedness. The results showed that: (1) The self-initiated emergency material preparedness was mainly influenced by perceived behavioral efficacy, perceived behavioral cost, and perceived personal protection responsibility. (2) The exogenous emergency material preparedness was mainly influenced by COVID-19 risk perception, perceived behavioral efficacy, and trust in government. (3) Perceived behavioral efficacy mediated the relationship between risk perception and the two types of preparedness behaviors investigated. These results can help the government improve communication aimed to foster household preparedness during a crisis.