Once bitten, twice shy? Does the public adopt more disaster preparedness practices after experiencing more disasters?

Abstract

Pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness have been recommended as effective methods for reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience in the face of disasters. This study used representative data collected in China Taiwan to examine the factors that influence disaster preparedness. This research location is ideal to examine disaster-related topics because of the frequency of disasters and the higher disaster prevention awareness of the public. This study revealed the following results: (1) Disaster damage, rather than disaster experiences, significantly affects the public's disaster preparedness behaviors; (2) Risk perception is a significant mediating variable in the relationship between disaster damage and disaster preparedness; (3) The factors influencing disaster preparedness differ across binary and interval dimensions, where the former refers to whether the public adopts disaster preparedness behaviors, and the latter refers to the degree of the disaster preparedness behaviors. Specifically, trust in government significantly affects whether the public adopts disaster preparedness behaviors, while it does not impact the degree of those behaviors; (4) Younger, more educated respondents with higher family income, religious beliefs, and higher social capital are more likely to prepare for disasters. Future interventions may best be focused on older people, respondents with a child or elderly people in the family, and people with lower family income. These people are more vulnerable to disasters, and society would benefit from improving their willingness to prepare for them.