title: Salient Public Beliefs Underlying Disaster Preparedness Behaviors: A Theory-Based Qualitative Study.
abstract: Introduction Given the increasing importance of disaster preparedness in Tehran, the capital of Iran, interventions encouraging disaster preparedness behavior (DPB) are needed. This study was conducted to show how an elicitation method can be used to identify salient consequences, referents, and circumstances about DPB and provide recommendations for interventions and quantitative research.
  
  
  METHODS
  A theory-based qualitative study using a semi-structured elicitation questionnaire was conducted with 132 heads of households from 22 districts in Tehran, Iran. Following the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), six open-ended questions were used to record the opinion of people about DPB: advantages of engaging in DPB; disadvantages of doing so; people who approve; people who disapprove; things that make it easy; and things that make it difficult. Content analysis showed the categories of salient consequences, reference groups, and circumstances.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three most frequently mentioned advantages obtained from inhabitants of Tehran were health outcomes (eg, it helps us to save our lives, it provides basic needs, and it protects us until relief workers arrive); other salient advantages were mentioned (eg, helps family reunification). The main disadvantage was preparedness anxiety. Family members were the most frequently mentioned social referent when people were asked who might approve or disapprove of their DPB. The two main circumstances perceived to obstruct DPB included not having enough knowledge or enough time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this qualitative study suggest that interventions to encourage DPB among Tehran inhabitants should address: perceived consequences of DPB on health and other factors beyond health; barriers of not having enough knowledge and time perceived to hinder DPB; and social approval. More accurate research on salient beliefs with close-ended items developed from these open-ended data and with larger sample sizes of Tehran inhabitants is necessary. Research with other stakeholder groups is needed to understand their perceptions about DPB in creating the people's social environment. Najafi M , Ardalan A , Akbarisari A , Noorbala AA , Elmi H . Salient public beliefs underlying disaster preparedness behaviors: a theory-based qualitative study. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(2):124-133 .
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Disaster and Emergency Health,School of Public Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Disaster and Emergency Health,School of Public Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Health Management and Economics,School of Public Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarisari
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Psychiatry,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Noorbala
authors.affiliation: 5Consultant Psychologist,Azad University,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elmi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D004189:Disaster Planning; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords:  DPB disaster preparedness behaviors PRI public readiness index TPB Theory of Planned Behavior; beliefs; disaster; preparedness behaviors