Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to identify factors associated with individual emergency preparedness behaviors which play an important role in effective emergency response.Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in China's Heilongjiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2017. Questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews, and 2,506 were valid for data analyses. A structural equation model was established to test the direct and indirect effects of the relevant factors on individual emergency preparedness behaviors.Results: Low levels of emergency preparedness were found: 28% of respondents reported being fully/partly prepared. The attitudes of the respondents toward emergency preparedness had the strongest association with emergency preparedness behaviors, with a total effect of 0.483. This was followed by self-efficacy (0.305) and training/exercise (0.295). Risk perception had the weakest effect (0.045) on emergency preparedness behaviors.Discussion: Improving attitudes of the public as well as their ability to prepare for emergency events is important for effective emergency management.
Highlights
This study aimed to identify factors associated with individual emergency preparedness behaviors which play an important role in effective emergency response
In line with the above theories, we developed a theoretical model (Figure 1) with the following hypotheses: [1] Individual emergency preparedness behaviors are associated with individual attitudes, self-efficacy, and training/exercise for emergency response
About 5.1% of households were fully prepared for emergency events, compared with 25.6% having no plan at all, 23% being partly prepared, and the rest intending or considering to take action (20.5% thinking about actions; 25.8% planning to start later)
Summary
This study aimed to identify factors associated with individual emergency preparedness behaviors which play an important role in effective emergency response. The world has witnessed a dramatic increase of life and economic loss arising from emergency events, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Wenchuan earthquake in China, and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa [1]. These emergency events have led to serious physical and mental health consequences for those who survived. Individual preparedness behaviors play an important role in an effective response [3, 4]. Individual households have to take action before any organized response kicks in, in order to minimize loss and damage [5]
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