Disaster Preparedness Among Populations in Shenzhen, China, With and Without Chronic Disease

This survey examined and compared the disaster perception and preparedness of 2421 residents with and without chronic disease in Shenzhen, China.

The participants were recruited and were asked to complete a survey in 2018.

Three types of disasters considered most likely to happen in Shenzhen were: typhoons (73.5% vs 74.9%), major transport accidents (61.5% vs 64.7%), and major fires (60.8% vs 63.0%). Only 5.9% and 5% of them, respectively, considered infectious diseases pandemics to be likely. There were significant differences between those with and without chronic disease in disaster preparedness, only a small percentage could be considered to have prepared for disaster (20.7% vs 14.5%). Logistic regression analyses showed that those aged 65 or older (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76), who had attained a Master's degree or higher (OR = 2.0), and with chronic disease (OR = 1.38) were more prepared for disasters.

Although participants with chronic disease were better prepared than those without, overall, Shenzhen residents were inadequately prepared for disasters and in need of public education.