Behavioural theories for disaster and emergency health preparedness
Citation: Ejeta LT, Ardalan A, Paton D. Application of behavioral theories to disaster and emergency health preparedness: A systematic review. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2015;1:7.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: The authors stated that no funding was obtained for this study.
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for studies that explored the application of behavioural theories to disaster and emergency preparedness. They restricted their searches to peer-reviewed articles published in English. The authors searched in November 2014 and found 33 articles, mostly from high-income countries.
What was found: Social Cognitive Theories, the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Extended Parallel Process Model were commonly used for threats from viruses, floods, and earthquakes. The Health Belief Model was used most widely, often in conjunction with other theories. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used with social cognitive theory to predict intention and behaviour, and was especially applicable to situations where individuals felt a lack of control. The Extended Parallel Process Model was used to assess preparedness and was useful to understand behaviour where risks were unknown. Social Cognitive Theories were most often used in earthquake preparedness in developed countries.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that more research was needed to analyse the impact of variables and constructs on outcomes. Because only three studies were based in Asia, future behavioural research should focus on countries in Asia, and on those that are at increased risk for disasters caused by natural hazards.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed some of their findings in the context of place of residence, age, and sex.
This summary was prepared by Briann Mensour, checked by Jawaria Karim, and finalized by William Summerskill.