Psychological Preparedness and Risk Perception for Predicting Earthquake Preparedness Behavior among University Students in Nepal

Understanding the drivers of earthquake preparedness behavior remains a critical challenge, particularly in contexts where awareness of earthquake risk is relatively high. This study examines the relative influence of risk perception and psychological preparedness in explaining earthquake preparedness behavior among university students aged 18 years or above in Nepal. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 447 students who provided valid responses, using a behavioral preparedness index and validated measures of psychological preparedness and risk perception. Measurement validity was established through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and hierarchical regression was used to assess the incremental explanatory power of key predictors. The results show that psychological preparedness is a significant predictor of earthquake preparedness behavior, whereas risk perception is not statistically significant. Furthermore, psychological preparedness explains additional variance beyond demographic factors and risk perception. These findings indicate that, in high-awareness contexts, preparedness behavior is driven less by perceived risk and more by individuals’ coping capacities and perceived ability to respond effectively. This study provides empirical evidence that risk perception was not a significant predictor in this sample and model and highlights the importance of incorporating psychological preparedness into disaster risk reduction frameworks.