Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T17:49:28.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Factors Related to Furniture Anchoring: A Method for Reducing Harm During Earthquakes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2013

Tomoko Haraoka ,
Shinya Hayasaka ,
Chiyoe Murata ,
Taiji Yamaoka  and
Toshiyuki Ojima
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

Fatalities and injuries during an earthquake can be reduced by taking preemptive measures before-hand, and furniture anchoring is an important safety measure for all residents. This study sought to clarify the factors associated with furniture anchoring within the home.

Methods

A self-administered mail survey was completed from July to August 2010 by 3500 men and women between the ages of 20 and 69 years who were chosen at random from an official government resident registry of 2 cities in Japan.

Results

Of the 1729 valid responses, 37.1% reported furniture anchoring. An association with furniture anchoring was observed for having viewed earthquake intensity maps or damage predictions (odds ratio [OR] 1.92, 95% C1 1.54-2.39), expressing concern about a future earthquake (OR 2.07, 95% C1 1.36-3.15), feelings of urgency (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.47-2.45), accuracy of the government disaster preparedness information (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.17-2.42), knowledge of the meaning of emergency earthquake warnings (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.12-2.48), and participation in voluntary disaster preparedness activities (OR 1.40, 95% C1 1.12-1.75).

Conclusions

Furniture anchoring was found to be associated with risk awareness, risk perception, disaster preparedness information provided by government to residents, knowledge of earthquakes, participation in voluntary disaster preparedness activities, nonwooden structures, and marital status. An increase in furniture anchoring is important and can be achieved through education and training in daily life. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:55-64)

Keywords

earthquakesfurniture anchoringrisk awarenessrisk perceptiongovernment disaster preparedness information
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 55 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan. 2009 White Paper on Fire Management [in Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Fire and Disaster Management Agency; 2009.Google Scholar
2.National Police Agency of Japan. About East Earthquake 2011 [in Japanese]. National Police Agency of Japan website. September 22, 2011. http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/index.htm. Accessed September 25, 2011.Google Scholar
3.Cabinet Office. Japanese Government. Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake lessons, information packet [in Japanese]. Cabinet Office, Japanese Government website. 2006. http://www.bousai.go.jp/1info/kyoukun/hanshin_awaji/data/detail/1-1-2.html. Accessed August 20, 2011.Google Scholar
4.Tokyo Fire Department. Overturning of furniture and falling prevention measures handbook [in Japanese]. Tokyo Fire Department website. August 2010. http://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/hp-bousaika/2008-1915-5/pdf/01.pdf. Accessed August 20, 2011.Google Scholar
5.Roces, MC, White, ME, Dayrit, MM, Durkin, ME. Risk factors for injuries due to the 1990 earthquake in Luzon, Philippines. Bull World Health Organ. 1992;70(4):509-514.Google Scholar
6.Peek-Asa, C, Ramirez, M, Seligson, H, Shoaf, K. Seismic, structural, and individual factors associated with earthquake related injury. Inj Prev. 2003;9(1):62-66.Google Scholar
7.National Research Council. Improving Risk Communication. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1989.Google Scholar
8.Rowan, KE. Why rules for risk communication are not enough: a problem-solving approach to risk communication. Risk Anal. 1994;14:365-374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Slovic, P. Perception of risk. Science. 1987;236(4799):280-285.Google Scholar
10.Slovic, P, Weber, E. Perception of risk posed by extreme events. Presented at Risk Management Strategies in an Uncertain World; April 12-13, 2002; New York, NY.Google Scholar
11. Japan Meteorological Agency. Basic knowledge of the Tokai Earthquake [in Japanese]. Japan Meteorological Agency website. http://www.seisvol.kishou.go.jp/eq/hantekai/index.html. Accessed August 21, 2011.Google Scholar
12.Cabinet Office. Japanese Government. 2009 White Paper on Disaster Management [in Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Cabinet Office, Japanese Government; 2009.Google Scholar
13.Cabinet Office. Japanese Government. Guidelines for evacuation assistance of the disaster assistance request [in Japanese]. Cabinet Office, Japanese Government website; 2006. http://www.bousai.go.jp/hinan_kentou/060328/hinanguide.pdf. Accessed August 22, 2011.Google Scholar
14.Erdik, M, Rashidov, T, Safak, E, Turdukulov, A. Assessment of seismic risk in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Soil Dyn Earthquake Eng. 2005;25:473-486.Google Scholar
15.Hirose, H, Ishizuka, T. Causal analysis of earthquake concern and preparing behavior in the North Izu Peninsula. Jpn Psychol Res. 1983;25:103-111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Duval, TS, Mulilis, JP. A person-relative-to-event (PrE) approach to negative threat appeals and earthquake preparedness: a field study. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1999;29:495-516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Douglas, P. Disaster preparedness: a social-cognitive perspective. Disaster Prev Manage. 2003;12:210-216.Google Scholar
18.Russell, LA, Goltz, JD, Bourque, LB. Preparedness and hazard mitigation actions before and after two earthquakes. Environ Behav. 1995;27:744-770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Lehman, DR, Taylor, SE. Date with an earthquake: coping with a probable, unpredictable disaster. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 1987;13:546-555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Lindell, MK, Prater, CS. Assessing community impacts of natural disasters. Nat Hazards Rev. 2003;4:176-185.Google Scholar
21.Tatano, H. Major characteristics of disaster risk and its management strategies. Tech Proc Soc. 2003;1:141-148.Google Scholar
22.Fujii, S. Risk perception and communication [in Japanese]. In: Earthquakes and Human. Tokyo, Japan: Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology; Urban Earthquake Engineering Series; 2007:54-95.Google Scholar
23.Peters, RG, Covello, VT, McCallum, DB. The determinants of trust and credibility in environmental risk communication: an empirical study. Risk Anal. 1997;17(1):43-54.Google Scholar
24.Auf der Heide, E. Communication with the public. In: Disaster Response. Principles of Preparation and Coordination. Atlanta, GA: Erik Aufde Heide; 1989: chap 9. http://coe-dmha.org/Media/Disaster_Response_Principals.pdf. Accessed February 12, 2012.Google Scholar
25.Emergency Management Office, Shizuoka Prefectural Government. 2009 Civil Survey of Tokai Earthquake. [in Japanese]. Shizuoka, Japan: Emergency Management Office, Shizuoka Prefectural Government; 2009.Google Scholar
26.Cabinet Office. Government of Japan FY 2002. Public opinion survey on disaster prevention. [in Japanese]. Cabinet Office, Japanese Government website. November 18, 2002. http://www8.cao.go.jp/survey/h14/bousai-h14/index.html. Accessed February 11, 2012.Google Scholar
27.Okada, N, Matsuda, Y. Risk communication strategy for disaster preparedness viewed as multilateral knowledge development. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics. 2005;1:640-647.Google Scholar
28.Sorensen, JH, Dombrowsky, WR. Results of the working group “risk communication for emergencies and disasters.” In: Jungermann H, Kasperson RE, Wiedimann PM, eds. Risk Communication. 1988.Google Scholar
29.Hashiue, K, Kikuchi, A, Fujii, S, Kitamura, R. The analysis of people's importance beliefs about administrative and self-help measures for disaster prevention. Proc Infrastruct Plann Res. 2003;20:337-345.Google Scholar
30.Matsuda, Y, Okada, N. Community diagnosis for sustainable disaster preparedness. J Nat Disaster Sci. 2006; 28:25-33.Google Scholar
31. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. Disaster Counter measure Basic Act [in Japanese]. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications website. May 2, 2011. http://www8.cao.go.jp/survey/h14/bousai-h14/index.html. Accessed August 22, 2011.Google Scholar
32. Fire and Disaster Management Agency FY 2011. A manual for voluntary disaster prevention organizations [in Japanese]. http://www.fdma.go.jp/html/life/bousai/bousai_2304-1.pdf. Accessed February 10, 2012.Google Scholar
33.Shaw, R, Shiwaku, K, Kobayashi, H, Kobayashi, M. Linking experience, education, perception and earthquake preparedness. Disaster Prevent Manage. 2004;13:39-49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34.Tanaka, K. The impact of disaster education on public preparation and mitigation for earthquake. Appl Geogr. 2005;25:201-225.Google Scholar
35.Dooley, D, Catalano, R, Mishra, S, Serxner, S. Earthquake preparedness: predictions in a community survey. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1992;22:451-470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. 2010 National population census [in Japanese]. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan website. September 5, 2011. http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2010/kouhou/useful/. Accessed August 22, 2011.Google Scholar
37.Cabinet Office. Japanese Government. 2010 White Paper on Disaster Management [in Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Cabinet Office, Japanese Government; 2010.Google Scholar