Public Trust and Compliance for Disaster Management: Insights From COVID‐19 in Iran

ABSTRACT Effective government responses to disasters require communication of crucial information to the public. The effectiveness of communications is determined by factors like public trust in information sources, socio‐demographic characteristics and compliance with health requirements. This study explores statistical relationships among these factors in the under‐studied context of Iran's response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The cross‐sectional survey ( N = 384) assesses the degree to which age, gender, marital status, employment status and socioeconomic status associate with personal concern, trust in information sources and compliance. Factors associated with concern are marital status, gender, employment status and socioeconomic status. Factors associating with trust are marital status and education level. Factors associating with compliance are marital status, gender and education. Findings highlight the need for communication strategies to combat misinformation, promote trust and address diverse needs across demographic groups. The study contributes to empirical research about disaster management and supports equitable disaster response strategies.