Response Efficacy Perception and Taking Action to Prepare for Disasters with Different Lead Time

Abstract

This study investigated how disaster types, namely those with shorter and longer warning lead times, contextualized individuals’ preparatory actions, especially those associated with their response efficacy perception (i.e., the belief that preparations are effective in risk reduction) and age. The working sample included 1,304 respondents from the 2017 US National Household Survey. Logistic regressions showed that individuals with higher levels of response efficacy perception were more likely to prepare after learning information about how to prepare. Respondents in areas prone to short lead-time disasters were less likely to prepare than those in areas exposed to longer lead-time disasters. Response efficacy perception was more important for taking action to prepare for short lead-time disasters, which was observed only among older adults but not among younger adults. These findings revealed the impacts of disaster types and response efficacy perception on disaster preparedness and older adults’ unique vulnerability and resilience, which could guide policymaking and interventions to promote national disaster preparedness tailored to regional peculiarities.