Low-Income African Americans Perceptions of Trust IN Public Health for Disaster Preparedness and Response

Background/Purpose: Despite recent efforts to prepare our nation for disasters, much remains to be done to address the needs of special populations such as ethnic/racial minorities, persons with low incomes, and non English speaking groups. Perceived fairness is one of many factors affecting the preparedness of racial/ethnic minorities and low income populations and their responses to disasters (NAS, 2006). Public health studies have shown that African Americans are less likely to perceive fairness within the system, identifying greater levels of distrust of physicians, researchers, and the health care system compared with whites (Corbie Smith, Thomas, and St. George, 2002: Rose, et al. 2004). Method: Using a 4 item validated trust scale developed by Eisenman et al, the Morgan State University Why Culture Matters Disaster Studies Project conducted 2 studies to examine trust among nearly 600 low-income African Americans in Maryland. Results/Outcomes: Study findings reported that survey respondents lacked confidence in the local public health system and did not think the system would: 1) do a good job in protecting the health of the public; 2) respond fairly to their health needs, regardless of race/ethnicity, income, or other personal characteristics; or 3) provide honest information to the public. Conclusions: Social vulnerability is intricately tied to access to disaster preparedness information and resources. Consequently, lack of resources describing how to gain trust, communicate with, and engage low-income and minority populations in disaster preparedness activities is a major problem that needs to be addressed by disaster management researchers and practitioners.