Individual and community preparedness to disasters and pandemics in Idaho Falls: A cross sectional analysis

Abstract

Communities form an integral component of disaster and pandemic preparedness. This study aimed to explore disaster/pandemic preparedness—with a special focus on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—at the household and community level among residents within 50 miles of Idaho Falls. A structured online survey questionnaire was distributed, resulting in 924 responses from participants over 18 years of age. The results highlighted that 29 and 10 percent of participants were not prepared to deal with disasters and pandemics, respectively. Most participants trusted healthcare professionals (61 percent) for information about COVID-19, followed by scientists (46 percent) and local health departments (26 percent). The overall preparedness to disasters/pandemics at the community level was 50 percent. Males, participants older than 35 years, and participants with paid employment had higher odds of being prepared for disasters, whereas higher education was associated with higher preparedness for pandemics. This study highlights the need for better household and community disaster and pandemic preparedness.