Social and environmental determinants of disaster preparedness among U.S. adults

摘要

Background: Epidemiologic studies have identified several sociodemographic risk factors for disaster-related morbidity and mortality, including low socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic minority status. Disaster preparedness can improve an individual's ability to cope with the health effects of environmental disasters and public health emergencies. This study evaluated the relationship between sociodemographic, health, and environmental factors and disaster preparedness among U.S. adults. Methods: Data from the U.S. CDC's 2006-2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys were used to estimate the prevalence of four household preparedness items (3-day supply of water, 3-day supply of nonperishable food, a battery-operated radio with working batteries, a flashlight with working batteries). Multivariable logistic regression, accounting for the complex sampling design of the BRFSS, was used to evaluate associations between individual factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, income, employment status, chronic disease status, perceived health, urban-rural residence) and household preparedness. Results: The study sample consisted of 96,137 adults aged 18 years and older who responded to questions about household preparedness. Overall, 42% (95% CI=40, 44%) of the sample reported all four preparedness items. Older participants and those with at least some college or technical school education were more likely to be prepared. Women participants (OR = 0.71, 95% CI=0.67, 0.75), participants with fair or poor perceived health (OR = 0.81, 95% Cl=0.74, 0.88), and urban residents (OR = 0.91, 95% CI=0.85, 0.96) were less likely to report household preparedness. There were no differences between racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions: Our study identified subgroups with low levels of household preparedness. Further work is needed to identify and implement disaster preparedness interventions for these vulnerable populations.