Survey study finds increased preparedness after compound disaster exposure in older adults, suggesting caregiving responsibilities strongly amplify protective actions.
Key Points
To determine whether exposure to compound disasters increases preparedness among older adults and whether caregiving responsibilities moderate this relationship.
Analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2022 and 2023 FEMA National Household Surveys (N = 4,075).
Conducted multivariable logistic regression to test the effects of compound disaster exposure and its interaction with caregiving status on disaster preparedness, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors.
Exposure to compound disasters significantly increased the likelihood of older adults being well-prepared for hazards.
Caregiving responsibilities substantially magnified the positive effect of compound disaster exposure on preparedness, an association that remained robust after adjusting for coping appraisal and information-seeking behavior.