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Personal Disaster Preparedness: An Integrative Review of the Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2013

Sivan Kohn ,
Jennifer Lipkowitz Eaton ,
Saad Feroz ,
Andrea A. Bainbridge ,
Jordan Hoolachan  and
Daniel J. Barnett
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Abstract

Experts generally agree that individuals will require partial or complete self-sufficiency for at least the first 72 hours following a disaster. In the face of pervasive environmental and weather hazards, emerging biological threats, and growing population densities in urban areas, personal preparedness is critical. However, disaster planners and policymakers require further information to create meaningful improvements to this aspect of disaster preparedness. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the state of evidence concerning personal disaster preparedness. The purpose of this integrative review is to describe and analyze the professional literature as an intended basis for advancing the field of disaster management research and practice. Included in the review were 36 studies that met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The current evidence indicates that factors influencing preparedness attitudes and behaviors are complex and multifaceted, including demographic characteristics, trust in government efforts, previous exposure to a disaster, and number of dependents in a household. Furthermore, certain population groups, households, and individuals have different disaster preparedness needs and vulnerabilities. This constellation of findings has significant implications for community and national emergency planning and policymaking.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2012;6:217–231)

Keywords

disasterpreparednesshouseholdfamily
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , October 2012 , pp. 217 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2010

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