Does Trust Help to Improve Residents’ Perceptions of the Efficacy of Disaster Preparedness? Evidence from Wenchuan and Lushan Earthquakes in Sichuan Province, China

Fengwan Zhang, Xueling Bao, Xin Deng, Wei Wang, Jiahao Song and Dingde Xu
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Fengwan Zhang: College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xueling Bao: College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xin Deng: College of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Wei Wang: College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Jiahao Song: College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Dingde Xu: College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Disaster preparation can reduce the impact of an earthquake on residents. Residents are more likely to undertake disaster preparedness if they perceive it to be effective. However, few studies have analyzed the influence of trust on this perception. This study surveyed 327 households in areas stricken by the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes to explore these issues. Trust was divided into government trust, emotional trust, and social trust, while the efficacy of disaster preparedness was divided into self-efficacy and response efficacy. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to explore the influence of trust on perceptions of the efficacy of disaster preparedness. The results show that: (1) government trust can directly increase perceived efficacy and indirectly increase self-efficacy via emotional trust; (2) emotional trust can directly increase self-efficacy; (3) social trust can directly reduce self-efficacy while indirectly increasing it by increasing emotional trust. This study deepens our understanding of the relationship between trust and perceptions of the efficacy of disaster preparedness. This study can provide inspiration to improve risk communication and construct systems of community-based disaster-prevention.

Keywords: trust; disaster preparedness; perceived efficacy; partial least squares structural equation model; earthquake-hit area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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