title: Community preparedness for emergency: a cross-sectional survey of residents in Heilongjiang of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article aims to identify factors that shape the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of community residents in China's Heilongjiang province towards emergency preparedness. Findings of such a study may provide evidence to support the development of effective public risk communication strategies and education campaigns.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional household questionnaire survey was conducted in Heilongjiang province in 2014. A stratified cluster sampling strategy was employed to select study participants. The questionnaires were administered using face-to-face interviews. 2800 questionnaires were completed, among which 2686 (95.9%) were considered valid for data analyses. A multivariate logistic regression model was adopted to identify the extent to which the independent variables were associated with emergency preparedness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fewer than 5% respondents were well prepared for emergency. Over half (52%) of poorly prepared respondents did not know what to do in emergency; women (OR=1.691), higher household income (OR ranging from 1.666 to 2.117), previous experience with emergency (OR=1.552), higher levels of knowledge about emergency (OR=2.192), risk awareness (OR=1.531), self-efficacy (OR=1.796), as well as positive attitudes towards emergency preparedness (OR=2.265) were significant predictors for emergency preparedness. Neither educational attainment nor exposure to awareness-raising entered into the logic regression model as a significant predictor for emergency preparedness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of emergency preparedness in Heilongjiang residents is very low, which is linked with poor knowledge and attitudes of the residents towards emergency preparedness. Future emergency awareness campaigns should be more focused and tailored to the needs of intended audience, taking into consideration of their usual source of information and knowledge in relation to emergency.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Weilan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Qunhong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Chaojie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Mingli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Libo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiaonan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D002681:China; D002959:Civil Defense / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011634:Public Health; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH