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BACKGROUND: Increasing the Nation’s preparedness for natural and manmade or intentional disasters is necessary to ensure effective response and recovery. An important aspect of disaster preparedness includes our capabilities for building resilience within the population. In behavioral and social science theory, resiliency predictors include risk communication, social capitol, adaptive capacity and coping behaviors, as measured by perceived ability to respond, react and recover from a disaster. Recognizing the roles of perceived preparedness and risk communication, in the event of a disaster, on actual preparedness can help improve efforts for resiliency building strategies within our communities and increase general preparedness.
METHODS: An analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2012 data (n= 16811) was conducted to identify influence of perceptions and type of risk communication on actual preparedness in Montana and Alabama. A multivariable logistic regression modeled the influence of population demographics, perceptions and risk communication on general preparedness.
RESULTS: Perceived preparedness was significantly associated with actual preparedness (p=<.001). Over 90% of individuals had a 3 day supply of food, water and prescriptions; however, only 31% of individuals thought they were well prepared for a disaster. Those who believed they were somewhat prepared were 2 times more likely not to be prepared than those who thought they were well prepared. Moreover, individuals whose perceived preparedness was poor were 6.5 times less likely to be prepared than those who were perceived to well prepared. Simple models showed that information source for communication during a disaster was significantly associated with actual preparedness (p= <.001), with radio as the most common source of information (40%). In adjusted risk communication models, after accounting for demographic factors, employment status (p= 0.04), and an unspecified information source (p= 0.03) significantly influenced preparedness.
CONCLUSIONS: In the emerging field of disaster epidemiology it is important to identify influences on ability to respond and recover to disaster, as well as determine strategies for building resilience within the community. Understanding the role of perceptions in behavioral response to threats can inform preparedness programs. These results are limited to Montana and Alabama because those were the only states captured in the BRFSS. This study points to the importance of state participation in surveillance activities to help inform state planners on their respective population’s preparedness levels and behaviors. Developing programs and policies that are informed by theoretical predictors of resilience and actual population behaviors can improve mitigation efforts for post-disaster sequelae.