Project Prep: Testing a stages of change model for household disaster preparedness among low income Latinos

In the past decade much attention has focused on improving disaster preparedness at the household level, however program evaluation has been lacking. Moreover only 40–50 % of households in the United States are disaster prepared, most incompletely, based on local and national surveys. In this intervention study, RDS sampling was used to select a sample (n = 187) of low income, Latino residents of Los Angeles County, who were then randomly assigned into two treatment conditions: 1)those who received household preparedness education through promotora led small group meetings (platicas), and 2)those who received preparedness education through print media (media). The conceptual framework used was Weinstein's Precaution Adoption Process, a stage model appropriate for risk communication. Outcomes are conceptualized as stages of decision making linked to having disaster supplies (food, water, medicine, etc) and a family communication plan. Quantitative results showed a significant shift over time from awareness to action and maintenance stages for both sets of outcomes in platica and the media groups, however the shift in stage was much more significant (p. <.0001) for a communication plan for the platica group than for the disaster supplies. One implication is that simple media based communications may be sufficient to encourage disadvantaged households to obtain disaster supplies, however adoption of the more complex family communication plan is better achieved with interpersonal education. As well the study shows the usefulness of this stage theory to explain adoption of new behaviors.