Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2022

Journal Title

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

ISSN

1660-4601

DOI

10.3390/ijerph20010401

Abstract

By 2050, one in five Americans will be 65 years and older. The growing proportion of older adults in the U.S. population has implications for many aspects of health including disaster preparedness. This study assessed correlates of disaster preparedness among community-dwelling minority older adults and explored unique differences for African American and Hispanic older adults. An electronic survey was disseminated to older minority adults 55+, between November 2020 and January 2021 (n = 522). An empirical framework was used to contextualize 12 disaster-related activities into survival and planning actions. Multivariate logistic regression models were stratified by race/ethnicity to examine the correlates of survival and planning actions in African American and Hispanic older adults, separately. We found that approximately 6 in 10 older minority adults did not perceive themselves to be disaster prepared. Medicare coverage was positively associated with survival and planning actions. Income level and prior experience with disaster were related to survival actions in the African American population. In conclusion, recognizing the gaps in disaster-preparedness in elderly minority communities can inform culturally sensitive interventions to improve disaster preparedness and recovery.

First Page

1

Last Page

13

Num Pages

13

Volume Number

20

Issue Number

1

Publisher

MDPI

Rights

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

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PDF

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