Creating Emergency Prepared Households—What Really Are the Determinants of Household Emergency Preparedness?

Abstract

We draw on social capital and social vulnerability explanations to investigate the determinants of household emergency preparedness using data from the 2008 General Social Survey (GSS) and multivariate ordinal logistic regression. We develop an ordinal‐level scale for household emergency preparedness. We also create indices for individual social capital and risk perception, which correlate with higher levels of household emergency preparedness. We show that race and gender per se do not make households more or less prepared for emergencies because these variables are proxies for socioeconomic inequalities in society. Our study provides insights into household emergency preparedness and direction for policymaking.