bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges developing an electronic patient-reported outcome measurement for palliative home care: A qualitative interview and focus group study
Authors: Burner-Fritsch Isabel , Bolzani Anna , Hriskova Katerina , Kolmhuber Stefanie , Bausewein Claudia , Hodiamont Farina
Published: January 2023

Background:

Patient-reported outcome measures have the potential to improve outcomes, quality, and effectiveness of care. Digital use of patient-reported outcome measures could be an option to foster implementation in palliative care. The Palli-MONITOR study focused on developing and testing an electronic patient-reported outcome measure in specialised palliative home care. As part of this study, we examined setting-specific challenges for the development of the measure.

Aim:

We aimed to identify and explore challenges for the development of electronic patient-reported outcome measures as standardised assessment in specialised palliative home care.

Design:

Qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were thematically analysed using the framework method.

Setting/Participants:

Patients and professionals from five German palliative home care teams.

Results:

Patients described potential problems in using electronic questionnaires due to their deteriorating health. Answering the electronic questionnaire encouraged patients to reflect on their current palliative situation, which was partly perceived as burdensome. Identified concerns and questions regarding the future roll-out of electronic patient-reported outcome measurement addressed the process of receiving and using the provided information in clinical care routine. Challenging factors on organisational and structural level were the potential undermining of the established 24-h emergency call system and the potential use for patients.

Conclusions:

Our results provide a multifaceted picture of challenges developing electronic systems for patient-reported outcome measurement in palliative home care on the individual and organisational level. The study underpins the benefit of stakeholder involvement creating digital health innovations and emphasises the importance to therefore mind setting specific culture.
The central role of peripheral inflammation in ischemic stroke
Authors: Monsour Molly , Borlongan Cesar V
Published: January 2023

Stroke pathology and its treatments conventionally focus on the brain. Probing inflammation, a critical secondary cell death mechanism in stroke, has been largely relegated to the brain. To this end, peripheral inflammation has emerged as an equally potent contributor to the onset and progression of stroke secondary cell death. Here, we review novel concepts on peripheral organs displaying robust inflammatory response to stroke. These inflammation-plagued organs include the spleen, cervical lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, gastrointestinal system, and adrenal glands, likely converging their inflammatory effects through B and T-cells. Recognizing the significant impact of this systemic inflammation, we also discuss innovative stroke therapeutics directed at sequestration of peripheral inflammation. This review paper challenges the paradigm of a brain-centered disease pathology and treatment and offers a peripheral approach to our stroke understanding.
The Cultural Scene of Disasters: Conceptualizing the Field of Disasters and Popular Culture
Authors: Couch Stephen R.
Published: January 2023

This paper is a modest attempt to encourage serious social scientific consideration of disasters and popular culture. It considers three questions: (1) How should the field of disasters and popular culture he defined?; (2) Why should we study the popular culture of disasters?; and (3) What analytical framework(s) might be used? In answering the questions, I argue for an inclusive view of the field and for the inductive development of its definitions and boundaries. 1 offer what 1 think are some solid reasons to study the popular culture of disasters, contending that the field is both intellectually interesting and of practical importance. And I put forth elements of one possible framework with which we can study the popular culture of disasters, one which includes three levels of cultural analysis and several comparative dimensions. Following consideration of these questions, the paper discusses an interesting example of disaster popular culture— a compact disk of music played on board the Titanic— and suggests ways in which this example might be approached if it were to be studied in depth.
Catastrophe in Reel Life versus Real Life: Perpetuating Disaster Myth through Hollywood Films
Authors: Jerry T. Mitchell , Thomas Deborah S. K. , Hill Arleen A. , Cutter Susan L.
Published: January 2023

Hollywood productions continuously feature disasters and the human struggle against them. Recent entries from the disaster movie genre include films on tornadoes, volcanoes, and asteroids. This article is an exploration of how mass media, specifically the entertainment industry, conveys messages about disasters. For this paper, we examine eleven disaster films looking for five key disaster “myths “ as identified by Jones (1993) that perpetuate common misconceptions about hazards. Specifically, we research whether the entertainment industry passes along these myths; we also provide an update for earlier work conducted by Quarantelli (1985) and conclude that the message regarding hazards provided through these films is often mixed and inconsistent. Hollywood's fascination with the disaster genre, the validity of the science portrayed, and the language used to characterize the disaster are among the topics we explore between “reel” life and “real” life.
Do Disasters Affect Individuals’ Psycological Well-Being? An Over-Time Analysis of the Effect of Hurricane Floyd on Men and Women in Eastern North Carolina
Authors: Van Willigen Marieke
Published: January 2023

Studies find that psychological distress is common after disasters and that women experience more stress than do men. These studies have relied mainly on cross-sectional data, sometimes using case matching and respondent recall to infer causality. They have not directly assessed whether disasters cause psychological distress. Using data from a survey of two representative samples of community residents—one before the hurricane and one shortly afterwards—, I assess whether levels of well-being changed within the same community and if women and men were differentially impacted in this natural quasi-experiment. I find that levels of social support and the sense of purpose to one's life did decrease on average after the hurricane, although the sense of control did not. While women's well-being decreased on average after the hurricane, men's perceptions of social support and sense of having a purpose to their lives increased. Differential impacts on women were not explained by gender differences in social roles or socioeconomic status.
State Emergency Management Agencies’ Hazard Analysis Information on the Internet
Authors: Hwang Seong Nam , Sanderson William G. , Lindell Michael K.
Published: January 2023

This study examined hazard analysis information on state emergency management agencies’ (SEMAs’) Internet Web sites. The results showed that 3 of the 51 SEMAs in the United Stales did not have Web sites accessible to the public, and another 13 provided no hazard analysis information on their Web sites. Among those that da provide information about hazards, most address relatively few of the hazards to which their states are vulnerable. Moreover, there is poor correspondence of the hazard agents addressed on SEMA Web sites with either long-term vulnerability determined from hazard maps or recent impacts defined by federal major disaster declarations. This suggests that states are missing a major opportunity to educate local emergency managers and the public about the hazards to which they are vulnerable. Several recommendations are made for improving the content and format of hazard analysis information on SEMAs’ Web sites.
Why do People Sometimes Fail when Adapting to Danger? A Theoretical Discussion from a Psychological Perspecive
Authors: Wallenius Claes
Published: January 2023

During life-threatening danger, people may react in ways that decrease their chances of surviving or coping with the event. Several empirically demonstrated reactions have a potentially maladaptive effect on performance, due to limitations in our cognitive and emotional processing capacity or the activation of obsolete adaptation mechanisms. The possible psychological explanations for this are discussed in terms of assumptions derived from three major psychological paradigms: Darwinian, Freudian, and cognitive psychology. These theoretical models all illustrate useful concepts and assumptions, which do not logically exclude one another, necessary to understand more thoroughly how psychological adaptation occurs in danger situations. However, no theory alone explains the empirical findings, and the various theories should be integrated into a model that includes different levels of psychological function, from consciously controlled processes to emotional and automatic process.
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Natural Disaster Response: The Northwest Italy Floods of 1994 Compared to the U.S. Midwest Floods of 1993
Authors: Marincioni Fausto
Published: January 2023

The observation that similar types of natural disasters produce different reactions based on a particular culture and location demands a thorough and detailed analysis, because the reasons are likely to be numerous and complex. Although the economic situation, political organization, and technological infrastructure of communities are fundamental factors, they do not offer a complete explanation of people's behavior in the face of risk and disasters. This article uses a cross-cultural perspective to clarify the relationship between two cultures and their different patterns of response to extreme flood events. The research was carried out in two Western societies, the United States and Italy, both of which have similar socioeconomic characteristics, but distinctly different historical and. cultural traditions. The disasters studied were the Po River Valley floods of November 1994 in northwest Italy and the Mississippi River-Missouri River floods in the U.S. upper Midwest during the summer of 1993. These two extreme floods were analyzed with respect to the pattern of human response during the preparation, rescue, recovery, and reconstruction phases. The study includes both human-response and cross-cultural analyses. A questionnaire was employed to gauge the perception of the flood disasters by the Italian and American disaster managers. The cross-cultural analysis was performed using an etic-emic contrast. The results showed that the different human responses observed in the floods of northwestern Italy and of the United States Midwest were linked to basic differences in four cultural elements: (I) experience with floods, (2) socio-political traditions and organization, (3) level of integration within the community, and (4) perception of the physical environment.
Local Government Agencies’ Use of Hazard Analysis Information
Authors: Lindell Michael K. , Sanderson William G. , Hwang Seong Nam
Published: January 2023

This study examined 97 Texas government agencies’ access to in formal ion about hazards in their communities. The data indicate that printed products are still used more extensively than Internet products, which suggests that the transition from print to electronic dissemination of hazard analysis information should not exceed local agencies’ ability to access the Internet. Moreover, land use planners (LUPs) consistently were found to use computer applications more than emergency management coordinators (EMCs). This suggests that federal and state agencies should consider facilitating EMCs’ access to hazard analysis information by utilizing the computer applications with which their target audience is most familiar. Moreover, EMCs are more likely to make use of sophisticated hazard modeling applications if they have successfully mastered more basic computer applications or if they have partnered with LUPs in their communities who have mastered the advanced computer applications.
Hurricane Preparedness: Improving Television Hurricane Watch and Warning Graphics
Authors: Saltier David N. , Marshall Amanda L.
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the effectiveness of hurricane watch and warning graphics currently used by television stations during a hurricane threat and new, enhanced graphics developed by the first author The participants were 378 persons (91 men, 287 women) in Charleston, South Carolina—an area that has had recent and repeated experience with hurricane threats. The hypothesis that participants viewing the enhanced graphics would have a better understanding of the time-frame associated with hurricane watch and warning advisories and of the actions to take, and would perceive the situation more seriously compared to those viewing the currently used graphics was supported. The new graphics may help increase preparedness and minimize property loss and exposure to life threat.
Lock and Load? Explaining Different Policies for Delivering Safety and Security in the Air
Authors: Bennett Simon A.
Published: January 2023

The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon generated significant social, economic, and political perturbations. The airline industry has been affected directly, with passenger numbers down and some airlines such as Midway in the United States and Sabena in Europe ceasing to exist. In an effort to restore confidence, the airlines, regulatory agencies, and governments on both sides of the Atlantic introduced “emergency” measures to increase public confidence in security. While cockpit incursion poses a risk to air safety (although it is not a novel phenomenon) other factors may also compromise safety (such as crew fatigue, flawed design, careless maintenance, and poor intra-crew communication and coordination [Bennett 2001a]). Both the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.) have done much work on improving this latter safety-related aspect of commercial air operations. Out of this work has emerged the discipline of cockpit or crew resource management (CRM). (Different nomenclatures may be used.) One of the preconditions for effective CRM is ease of access between the flight deck and cabin. In the U.K., the British Air Line Pilots ‘Association (BALPA) has voiced concern over the impact that locked and barred cockpit doors and new communication protocols will have on CRM. This has not been a major public concern of America's Air Line Pilots ‘Association (ALPA). This paper uses Kasperson's theory of risk amplification and Sprent's observations on risk attenuation to understand(a) how two organizations working in the same industry and representing the same grade of worker could generate different risk perceptions and (b) how the major pilots’ union of the country that did much of the early work on CRM (the United States) could de-emphasize it in post-September 11 debates on crew and passenger safety.
The Significance of the Gender Division of Labor in Assessing Disaster Impacts: A Case Study of Hurricane Mitch and Hillside Farmers in Honduras
Authors: Paolisso Michael , Ritchie Amanda , Ramirez Aleyda
Published: January 2023

To date, most disaster study and practice have not explicitly considered the different roles, needs, and experiences of women and men in response to disasters. Disaster research that does incorporate gender analysis often concludes that the needs, experiences, and contributions of men and women in disaster situations are distinct. In this paper, we present a case study analysis of the agricultural and domestic impacts of Hurricane Mitch among rural, hillside farmers in Honduras, disaggregated by gender. Our research incorporates empirical data from 68 households and reveals that men and women reported similar physical impacts, but that they evaluated these impacts differently depending on where the impact fell within the gender division of labor. Our main conclusion is that impact evaluation and disaster policy must include a consideration of disaster impacts as they are filtered through the actual and nor-motive gender division of labor, in order to determine the degree of priority or severity assigned to impacts.
Emergent Phenomena and Multiorganizational Coordination in Disasters: Lessons from the Research Literature
Authors: Drabek Thomas L. , McEntire David A.
Published: January 2023

Research on emergent behavior and response coordination has been a significant feature of the disaster studies literature. Through a detailed review of past and recent sociological research, the following paper summarizes what is known about multiorganizational coordination. After defining what we mean by emergence and coordination, a brief discussion follows about the process by which literature was selected for this review. The article then highlights the importance of coordination for response operations, explains why it is often problematic, and provides recommendations to improve multiorganizational collaboration in disasters. The article concludes with implications for the theory and practice of emergency management.
Vulnerability Reduction and Political Responsiveness: Explaining Executive Decisions in U.S. Disaster Policy during the Ford and Carter Administrations*
Authors: Daniels R. Steven , Clark-Daniels Carolyn L.
Published: January 2023

Decision-making by elected executives on disaster policy reflects comprehensive vulnerability management, political responsiveness to the media, political negotiation, and intergovernmental conflict. If vulnerability reduction is a significant influence, executive decisions should reflect political and social vulnerability and self-sufficiency. If political responsiveness influences disaster decisions, executive decisions should also reflect media coverage, proximity to elections, and decisions at other levels of government. The data set included 293 major disaster requests between 1974 and 1981. The analysis used multiple regression and logistic regression. Vulnerability reduction had an impact on aid decisions. Political responsiveness affected most decisions on disaster relief. The Ford administration was more sensitive to both responsiveness and vulnerability than the Carter administration. Overall, nationalization of disaster assistance has made the achievement of vulnerability management more difficult. The absence of minimum criteria has increased the discretion of executive choice.
Identifying Special-Needs Households that Need Assistance for Emergency Planning
Authors: Metz William C. , Hewett Paul L. , Muzzarelli Julie , Tanzinan Edward
Published: January 2023

State governments are increasingly requiring state and local emergency management offices to maintain lists of persons with special needs who may require assistance in disaster situations. In addition, federal courts are beginning to apply the Americans with Disabilities Act. to emergency planning. This study characterizes special-needs households that are located in the vicinity of a chemical weapons storage site in Alabama. For this study, a special-needs household is defined as a residence having at least one person with physical or mental problems, a transportation dependence, or a child who is home alone at limes and requires assistance from outside the family or current circle of relatives, friends, and neighbors to take specific protective actions. The special-needs households were identified throngh a myriad of collection methods, including random sampling, saturation mailing/self-registration, targeted distribution/self-registration, agency and support provider lists, and referrals. Attitudes toward specific protective actions and an assessment of the ability of the special-needs household to take those actions were also sought out. Approximately 9 percent of the community's households were identified as containing persons with special needs who require assistance during emergencies. The study also identified the highly perishable nature of special-needs population records maintained by emergency management agencies. During a data verification process conducted 3 months after the data collection effort concluded, almost half of the previously identified 3,294 individuals with special needs had their situation change or could not be reached for verification. Concurrently, 1,090 new persons with special needs identified themselves as needing assistance. Recommendations are made to the emergency planning community for addressing the support needs of special populations.
The Development of Municipal Emergency Management Planning in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Gabriel Paul
Published: January 2023

In Australia, local government plays an essential role in emergency management, although not a provider of emergency services. The role of supporting emergency services and the community both during and after emergencies has been a traditional role. Added to this is an increasing responsibility as the focal point for the conduct of local mitigation using risk analysis, prioritization, and treatment under the methodology of emergency risk management. This role is part of a shift in the emphasis of emergency management in Australia away from the strong focus on emergencies and the emergency services, towards an emphasis on the sustainability of the community and its life in the context of the risk of loss posed by natural and other hazards. Models of municipal emergency risk management planning are presented to assist municipalities to connect or even integrate their emergency management planning processes with other similar community safety activities such as crime and injury prevention.
Order Out of Chaos? A Critical Review of the Role of Central, Regional, and Local Government in Emergency Planning in London
Authors: Norman Sarah , Coles Eve
Published: January 2023

“Ministers have admitted that the chaos over the fuel crisis, flooding, foot-and-mouth and then the panic over September 11 have shown the United Kingdom's ability to respond to national emergencies is haphazard.”
Responding to Disasters: Diversity of Bureaucrats, Technocrats and Local People
Authors: Hilhorst Dorothea
Published: January 2023

The relations between disaster experts, governments, and local people have often been considered problematic in disaster situations. The idea that disasters caused by natural hazards are the ultimate terrain of experts and managers has been discredited by approaches focusing on the capacities and coping practices of local people, while the role of governments in the interplay between experts and local people is often left unclear. This paper reviews some recent insights into the complexity of these relations by introducing the notion of social domains of disaster responses. Social domains are areas of social life where ideas and practices concerning risk and disaster are exchanged, shared and more or less organized because of a certain proximity, physically or discursively, in the ways references are made to disaster and risk. The study of social domains allows one to focus on the everyday practices and movements of actors negotiating the conditions and effects of vulnerability and disaster. The paper first discusses how experts and local people are represented in different subsequent paradigms of disaster studies; elaborates on the importance of social domains for studying disaster response; after which the three domains of disaster science, governance and local people will be discussed.
The Sociology of Disaster: Definitions, Research Questions, & Measurements Continuation of the Discussion in a Post-September 11 Environment
Authors: Fischer Henry W.
Published: January 2023

Disaster researchers come from varied fields of inquiry, practice diverse methodologies, yet we embrace some of the same, perhaps dysfunctional, academic traditions. This paper aims to stimulate diverse reactions. It continues the conversation from the 1998 edited Quarantelli book, What is a Disaster? addressing questions such as “what is a disaster, what is the sociology of disaster, and what is it that disaster sociologists study? It will also begin to argue that it is indeed possible to measure disasters sociologically. An attempted disaster scale is offered. While it has long been argued that such a scale is untenable, it is argued herein that in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, an attempt to create such a scale is imperative. A conceptual, rather than a purely quantitative disaster scale is designed—one potentially useful to both researchers and practitioners. It differentiates between the disaster agent, or precipitating event, and the sociological focus, or social structure (and its adjustments). Scale, scope and (time) duration are applied to create ten disaster categories. The scale encompasses everyday emergencies, severe emergencies, six types of “disasters” (focusing on whether a community was partially or completely disrupted or distressed as well as focusing on community size), multiple simultaneous population center catastrophes, and societal annihilation—all forming a continuum ranging from disaster category 1 through 10.
Fear at Work, Fear at Home: Surveying the New Geography of Dread in America Post 9–11
Authors: Roberts J. Timmons , Em Moona
Published: January 2023

We set out to gauge how many workers in the United States felt their jobs were made more dangerous by the terrorist attacks of fall, 2001, and how they were coping with those fears. Dangerous and unheal thy jobs have long been the lot of less educated and poorer workers, but after 9–11 we believed new types of jobs might feel unsafe. We also wanted to know if recent security measures and precautions in workplaces had succeeded in reducing levels of fear. For the broader U.S. population we sought to map some of the main features in the new geography of fear. We conducted a random telephone survey of 399 U.S. residents in March, 2002. The study revealed that one in four workers believed their work became more dangerous after 9/11, and that one in three felt their work had become more stressful. The range of occupations and income levels in these groups suggests that 9/11 may have shifted risk up in the stratification system to what were previously considered “clean and safe “ white-collar jobs. Compared to other workers, those who believed their jobs became more dangerous after 9/11 significantly more often reported “trying not to think about terrorist attacks “and turning more to their religion. When asked how they coped with new fears, a majority of both groups reported showing their patriotism with flags and talking to others about it. Of all U.S. residents, nearly half (48%) believed their area was a likely target for future terrorist attach. This varied by region of the country. Large numbers reported concern over being in cities, near military facilities, and near nuclear plants or recreation facilities with large numbers of people. Younger Americans were more afraid than those over 65.
Social Capital: A Missing Link to Disaster Recovery
Authors: Nakagawa Yuko , Shaw Rajib
Published: January 2023

Post-disaster recovery processes should be considered as opportunities for development, by revitalizing the local economy and upgrading livelihoods and living conditions. Social capital, which is defined as a function of trust, social norms, participation, and network, can play an important role in recovery. This paper examines the role of social capital in the post earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in two cases: Kobe, Japan and Gujarat, India. The Kobe case study shows that the community with social capital and with a tradition of community activities can pro-actively participate in the reconstruction program, and thereby can make a successful and speedy recovery. A model for bonding, bridging and linking social capital was developed from the Kobe experience, and was applied to Gujarat in four different communities. It was observed that the community with social capital records the highest satisfaction rate for the new town planning and has the speediest recovery rate. The role of community leaders has been prominent in utilizing social capital in the recovery process, and facilitating collective decision-making. Thus, although the two case studies differ in socio-economic and cultural contexts, the communities’ social capital and leadership are found to be the most effective elements in both cases in enhancing collective actions and disaster recovery.
Vicarious Trauma in Aid Workers following the World Trade Center Attack in 2001
Authors: de Bocanegra Heike Thiel , Brickman Ellen , O'Sullivan Chris
Published: January 2023

This study investigated the prevalence of secondary trauma in volunteers who were involved in the emergency response after the World Trade Center (WTC) attack. Secondary or vicarious trauma is defined as therapists’ emotional reactions to their clients’ traumatic material. A total of 163 caseworkers, non-clinicians involved in addressing victims’ concrete needs, participated in a semi-structured phone interview that assessed their background and volunteer experience and a mailed survey that assessed their psychological status. Outcome data were the PTSD Checklist (PCL) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Responses identified two distinct categories of volunteers: volunteers from out of town tended to be older, more experienced in disaster relief work, and had less levels of exposure to the attack than volunteers from the New York area. Most volunteers found the experience rewarding and enriching. However, 7.4% of the sample met diagnostic criteria for PTSD and a fifth had BDI scores indicating moderate to severe depression. Prior trauma, exposure to the event, self-reported unmet needs, and beginning or increasing substance use after 9/11 were significantly associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms and depression. Post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms were negatively correlated with age. Having had previous disaster experience and living with a partner appeared to have a protective effect on mental health status. In conclusion, relief agencies should pay particular attention to providing support for volunteers with prior traumatic experiences. Furthermore, they should ensure ongoing support after the end of the relief work.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Disaster Management Organizations
Authors: Kirschenbaum Alan
Published: January 2023

This study proposes introducing the ‘client-stakeholder’ as a partner in measuring public sector disaster management effectiveness. Combining multiple constituency and goal attainment theories, an analysis was made of Israel's Home Front Command. Combining responses of key managers in this disaster agency along with those of a representative national sample of Israel's urban population, effectiveness was measured by matching stated organizational goals against the perception of their provision by client-stakeholders. Goal perceptions were found to substantially differ from and focus on only a small number of officially stated goals. The results suggest that a disaster organization's stated goals, upon which most measures of organizational effectiveness are based, are not necessarily those perceived or even used by its client-stakeholders to gauge effectiveness. In addition, factors contributing to these perceptions are not necessarily related to the organization or the services it provides. This stands in sharp contrast to traditional measures of organizational effectiveness based on internal performance measures and highlights the need to reevaluate the role of the client-stakeholder in measuring disaster management organizational effectiveness.
A Disaster, by Any Other Name
Authors: Murria Juan
Published: January 2023

My interest in words and their meaning, as well as the problems I have confronted with translation and interpretation in several languages in the fields of both engineering and disaster management for more than fifty years, have prompted me to research the etymology of the word disaster and its translation in languages other than English as well as its linguistic, etymological, cultural and social connotations. This paper does not pretend to be a learned treatise on the subject, nor does it concern itself with the sociological or disaster research and management definitions of disaster. In this paper I will only attempt to reflect my interest in words and the potential pitfalls of the translation processes.
National Security and Emergency Management after September 11
Authors: Ellemor Heidi , Barnett Jon
Published: January 2023

The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11 2001 have troubled the practice of security. There has been renewed emphasis on the need for a layered security strategy, and this has refocused attention on civil defense. As a consequence, emergency management institutions are increasingly being incorporated under the aegis of ‘national security’. This is resulting in the implementation of older command-and-control type models of emergency management at the expense of the prevention-oriented, preparedness and community based approaches that emerged after the end of the Cold War. The paper situates this recent convergence of security and emergency management in a discussion of the evolution of both policy fields since the end of WWII. It then explains the post- September 11 trend towards centralizing authority in emergency management in Australia, but with considerable reference to parallel developments in the United States. The paper argues that while this retrogressive shift seems inimical to contemporary advances in emergency management, an inclusive interpretation of security—as human security—could serve to reinforce the important developments made in the field of emergency management in the last decade.
Traditional Societies in the Face of Natural Hazards: The 1991 Mt. Pinatubo Eruption and the Aetas of the Philippines
Authors: Gaillard Jean-Christophe
Published: January 2023

This article explores the response of traditional societies in the face of natural hazards through the lens of the concept of resilience. Resilient societies are those able to overcome the damages brought by the occurrence of natural hazards, either through maintaining their pre-disaster social fabric, or through accepting marginal or larger change in order to survive. Citing the case of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines and its impact on the Aeta communities who have been living on the slopes of the volcano for centuries, it suggests that the capacity of resilience of traditional societies and the concurrent degree of cultural change rely on four factors, namely: the nature of the hazard, the pre-disaster socio-cultural context and capacity of resilience of the community, the geographical setting, and the rehabilitation policy set up by the authorities. These factors significantly vary in time and space, from one disaster to another. It is important to perceive their local variations to better anticipate the capability of traditional societies to overcome the damage brought by the occurrence of natural hazards and therefore predict eventual cultural change.
Mortality estimates among Liberian IDPs in Monrovia, 2000–2004
Authors: Doocy Shannon , Robinson Courtland , Burnham Gilbert
Published: January 2023

Liberia's civil war lasted more than fourteen years, ending in August 2003. During the conflict, nationally reported crude death rates increased from pre-conflict levels of the 1980s. However, fighting and insecurity precluded population-based assessments, and minimal information on conflict-related mortality is available. The present study estimated mortality among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the greater Monrovia area and was based on a sample of 378 households with 2,134 individuals over a recall period from the July 2000 invasion by rebel forces to September 2004. A crude mortality rate of 22/1,000/year (95 CI: 19–25) or 0.6/10,000/day (95 CI: 0.5–0.7) was found among Monrovia IDPs and excess mortality was estimated at 6/1,000/year (95% CI: 3–9). The most deaths occurred in 2003, with the death rate peaking during a cholera outbreak. Of 242 reported deaths, 60% (95 CI: 54–66) were attributed to illness and 33% (95 CI: 27–39) to violence.
Is Hazard Mitigation Being Incorporated into Post-Katrina Plans in Mississippi?*
Authors: Evans-Cowley Jennifer S. , Gough Meghan Zimmerman
Published: January 2023

Hurricane Katrina caused the worst hurricane damage ever seen on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Immediately following the hurricane, the Mississippi Governor's Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal provided teams of planners and designers to work with communities along the coast to prepare rebuilding plans. The initial plans have been followed up with further long-range planning. This paper examines the degree to which hazard mitigation has been incorporated into the long-range plans developed in the communities along the coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, 18 months after Katrina. It finds that hazard mitigation has been significantly integrated into some community plans, whereas in other cases it has been ignored. Although the literature suggests that immediate experience with a natural disaster should increase citizen and local government response to disaster mitigation, this study found that the degree of storm surge inundation did not have a significant impact on whether communities integrated hazard mitigation measures into their plans. The paper concludes by offering recommendations on how these communities can improve their plans relative to hazard mitigation measures as they move into their next phase of long-range planning.
Perceived Stakeholder Role Relationships and Adoption of Seismic Hazard Adjustments1
Authors: Arlikatti Sudha , Lindell Michael K. , Prater Carla S.
Published: January 2023

This study examined the relationships among perceived stakeholder characteristics, risk perceptions, respondent characteristics, and self-reported adoption of 16 seismic hazard adjustments by residents in areas of high and medium seismic risk. Seven stakeholder types, ranging from the federal government to the respondents themselves, were rated on three characteristics—seismic hazard knowledge, trustworthiness, and responsibility for taking action to protect households. Respondents rated their hazard knowledge as higher than that of peers, indicating optimistic bias. However, they also rated their hazard knowledge as lower than that of authorities and the news media—confirming that there are limits to optimistic bias. Partial correlation analyses indicated that perceived stakeholder characteristics influenced hazard adjustment by both central and peripheral routes to behavioral change. Paradoxically, respondents’ adoption of hazard adjustments was more strongly correlated with the perceived characteristics of peers, even though these were rated lower on hazard knowledge, trustworthiness, and protection responsibility. Although the effects were marginally significant, perceived stakeholder characteristics were related to respondents’ characteristics (location, gender, and ethnicity). This suggests risk communicators should consider tailoring their choice of sources as well as the content of their messages to different audience segments.
An Assessment of the Return-Entry Process for Hurricane Rita 2005
Authors: Siebeneck Laura K. , Cova Thomas J.
Published: January 2023

Return-entry is the movement of an evacuated population back to an area following the issuance of an all-clear message. This research examines the geographic, communication, and demographic factors that affect return-entry compliance rates using Hurricane Rita 2005 as a case study. Surveys were mailed to 1,200 households in a twelve county area comprising the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) return-entry plan. The results show that compliance with the Hurricane Rita return-entry plan was low, as 46.4% of respondents returned home on or after their scheduled return date, while only 23.2% returned on their exact scheduled return date. In addition, communication of the return-entry plan was relatively poor as 54.0% of evacuees reported receiving the all-clear message and 19.5% of respondents reported being aware of the TxDOT staggered return-entry plan. In regard to factors that affect the return process, a relationship was found between distance evacuated and return-entry date, in that the farther a household evacuates, the more likely it will return at a later date. A relationship was also found between scheduled return-entry date and compliance, as people scheduled to return to the zone that sustained damage (Day 3) had a higher rate of compliance than those evacuees who returned to the undamaged zone (Day 2). Finally, female respondents were more likely to comply with the return-entry orders than males respondents, and individuals of lower education levels were more likely to comply with return-entry orders than individuals of higher education levels.
Rising from the Rubble: Emergence of Place-Based Social Capital in Gölcük, Turkey*
Authors: Ganapati N. Emel
Published: January 2023

Although there is emerging literature on social capital and disasters, little is known about the impact of disasters on social capital formation. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature through a case study of the city of Gölcük in the aftermath of the August 17, 1999 earthquake, which resulted in an official death toll of 17,480 in Turkey. The case study suggests that disasters can redefine disaster victims’ attachment to the place (i.e., their city, neighborhood) and to their fellow residents (i.e., solidarity with other earthquake victims). Local leaders can play an important role in transforming these cognitive elements into structural components of social capital in the form of place-based networks during the disaster recovery process. In Gölcük, local leaders built on their pre-disaster civic and political experience to help disaster victims mobilize toward collective action after the earthquake. They also helped disaster victims find international and domestic donors to support the activities of their networks. Local leaders’ efforts to form the networks came forth despite the lack of enabling state institutions and policies, especially at the central government level. The paper concludes with lessons for policy makers on how they could contribute to place-based social capital formation in disaster stricken communities.
Modeling the Recall and Warning Process in the Foodborne Contamination Event: Perspectives from Disaster Warnings and Crisis Communication
Authors: Seeger Matthew W. , Novak Julie M.
Published: January 2023

Contaminated food and food contamination events occur frequently and constitute a major threat to the public. A food warning/recall is the primary method used by organizations to reduce the public's exposure when an unacceptable risk has been identified. This analysis examines the risk communication processes associated with the food warning/recall. We draw on the work of Teratanavat, Hooker and Salin (2002) and Teratanavat and Hooker (2004) regarding the dynamics of food recalls; Seeger, Sellnow, and Ulmer (2003) and Reynolds and Seeger (2005) regarding crisis communication; and Lindell and Perry (1992), Mileti and Sorensen (1990), and Mileti and Peek (2000) regarding public warning models to develop a four stage model of the communication processes associated with the food recall.
Displaced Single Mothers in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Resource Needs and Resource Acquisition
Authors: Tobin-Gurley Jennifer , Peek Lori , Loomis Jennifer
Published: January 2023

This research, which was conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, draws on 50 in-depth interviews with displaced single mothers and disaster relief providers in Colorado. Government agencies and charitable organizations offered various resources and services to Katrina evacuees, including food, clothing, emergency shelter, temporary housing, transportation, employment assistance, temporary childcare, school enrollment assistance, and health care. This study illustrates that there was close alignment between resources provided by disaster response organizations and resources needed by displaced single mothers. Yet, despite the considerable overlap, the single mothers in this study experienced many recovery-related difficulties associated with accessing available resources. In particular, single mothers 1) were often unaware of available resources; 2) experienced a conjunction of many different, pressing needs; 3) suffered a loss of their informal social safety net; 4) encountered numerous bureaucratic obstacles in accessing aid; and 5) often felt mistreated and stigmatized. These barriers to accessing resources heightened the vulnerability of single mother headed households.
Health System Preparedness for Hazards Associated with Mount Cameroon Eruptions: A Case Study of Bakingili Village
Authors: Atanga M.B.S. , vd Merve Anita , Njome M.S. , Kruger W. , Suh C.E.
Published: January 2023

Mount Cameroon, the only active volcano along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) and most active in equatorial West Africa, erupted seven times in the last century. The 1999 eruption prompted evacuation of over 600 inhabitants of Bakingili village on the south western slopes – the first in the history of this volcano. Besides destruction from flowing lava, associated health hazards resulted from fine ash and poisonous gases that accompanied explosions. This eruption revealed a lack of preparedness on the part of the communities and the Cameroonian administration to such phenomena, as a National Scientific Committee was only created following challenges from local scientists who began monitoring of the event only out of scientific curiosity. Consequently, the evacuation camp was not prepared for any emergency relief operations and there still remains a lot of mistrust between the community, local scientists and emergency managers. This study attempts to rebuild dialogue, respect and trust between these parties towards facilitating volcanic hazard education and planning for Mount Cameroon, especially, the health system preparedness. To achieve this, we used documentary evidence; focus group discussions; and data triangulation. Results show the need to adopt a combined ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approach by integrating community members in decision making bodies; integrating and promoting local traditional viewpoints/hazard perceptions; involving women, youth, church leaders and major entrepreneurs in disaster relief committees; and educating and training health workers, the political elite and government officials on how to take appropriate decisions to protect the populations in times of crisis.
National Disaster Medical Systems in the United States and Korea
Authors: Ahn Ji-Young , Ha Kyoo-Man , Park Sang-Hyun
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this paper is to suggest policy implications after identifying similarities and differences between the National Disaster Medical Systems (NDMSs) in the United States and those in Korea, with the ultimate goal of contributing to emergency management in both countries. The major tenet of the paper is that Korean hospitals should know the importance of their location and distance from the airports, and the U.S. government needs to let its non-residents acquire knowledge through adequate training. At the same time, the Korean government must manage the NDMS with a clearer national perspective, get more people involved in helping community activities, and establish a substantial reimbursement system in the NDMS, just as in the U.S.