title: Attitudinal Determinants of Local Public Health Workers' Participation in Hurricane Sandy Recovery Activities.
abstract: Local health departments play a critical role in short-, intermediate-, and long-term recovery activities after a public health emergency. However, research has not explored attitudinal determinants of health department workers' participation in the recovery phase following a disaster. Accordingly, this qualitative investigation aims to understand perceived facilitators and barriers to performing recovery-related activities following Hurricane Sandy among local health department workers. In January 2014, 2 focus groups were conducted in geographically representative clusters of local health departments affected by Hurricane Sandy (1 cluster in Maryland and 1 cluster in New Jersey). Focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to qualitatively assess attitudes toward Hurricane Sandy recovery activities. This analysis identified 5 major thematic categories as facilitators and barriers to participation in recovery activities: training, safety, family preparedness, policies and planning, and efficacy. Systems that support engagement of health department personnel in recovery activities may endeavor to develop and communicate intra- and interjurisdictional policies that minimize barriers in these areas. Development and implementation of evidence-informed curricular interventions that explain recovery roles may also increase local health department worker motivation to participate in recovery activities.
authors.forename: Nicole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Errett
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garrity
authors.forename: Lainie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rutkow
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Kandra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strauss-Riggs
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barnett
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D009515:New Jersey; D015980:Public Health Practice; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy