title: Using the Precaution Adoption Process model to describe a disaster preparedness intervention among low-income Latinos.
abstract: Only 40-50% of households in the United States are currently disaster prepared. In this intervention study, respondent-driven sampling was used to select a sample (n = 187) of low income, Latino residents of Los Angeles County, randomly assigned into two treatment conditions: (i) household preparedness education received through 'promotora' (community health worker) led small group meetings, and (ii) household preparedness education received through print media. Weinstein's Precaution Adoption Process, a stage model appropriate for risk communication guided the intervention. Outcomes are conceptualized as stages of decision making linked to having disaster supplies and creating a family communication plan. Quantitative results showed a significant shift over time from awareness to action and maintenance stages for disaster communication plans and supplies in both study arms; however, the shift in stage for a communication plan for those in the 'platica' study arm was (P < 0.0001) than for those in the media arm. For changes in stage linked to disaster supplies, people in both media and 'platica' study arms improved at the same rate. Simple media-based communications may be sufficient to encourage disadvantaged households to obtain disaster supplies; however, adoption of the more complex disaster family communication requires interpersonal education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, 650 South Charles E. Young Drive, PO Box 95-1772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095-1736, USA, Department of Medicine, VA, Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Glik
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Eisenman
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chi-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Asch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011203:Poverty