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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Alice Hausman, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health, Temple University, 1700 North Broad, Room 304, Philadelphia, PA 19122, 215-204-8726, hausman@temple.edu, Michael Hagen, PhD, Institute for Public Affairs, Temple University, 1601 N Broad St, Room 105, Philadelphia, PA 19122, and Brenda Seals, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health, Temple University, 1700 N. Broad St., Room 304, Philadelphia, PA 19122.

Purpose: This paper assesses the impact on preparedness practice and attitudes of witnessing from a distance the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Methods: This paper presents the results of a random-digit dialed telephone survey of a representative sample of Philadelphia region residents (n=1500) conducted in the autumn of 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina. Results are compared to a similar survey completed one year earlier. Results: Preliminary results show little change in the public's level of preparedness or attitudes towards being prepared after Hurricane Katrina. While previous studies have shown that prior disaster experience is positively associated with higher levels of preparedness, witnessing the devastating effects from afar is not associated with more preparedness. After Katrina, people reported lower levels of confidence in their own preparedness for an emergency than measured in the 2004 survey. Between 2004 and 2005, the percentage in the region who were very or somewhat confident that they are prepared for a natural disaster or terrorism event fell from 69 to 53. As might be expected, confidence in government's ability to handle a major emergency also was reduced, from 71 percent in 2004 to 43 percent in 2005. In 2005, respondents reported less confidence in the federal government's ability as compared to the ability of state and local government. Conclusions: Social marketing campaigns to increase public preparedness need to convey actual risk in order to stimulate a positive response. Efforts to increase public compliance need to address sagging confidence in government, especially the federal government.

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