Chronic Conditions and Household Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2006-2010

Introduction: Individuals with chronic conditions often experience exacerbation of those conditions and have specialized medical needs after a disaster. Less is known about the level of disaster preparedness of this particular population and the extent to which being prepared might have an impact on the risk of disease exacerbation. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between self-reported asthma, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes and levels of household disaster preparedness. Methods: Data were analyzed from 14 US states participating in the 2006-2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a large state-based telephone survey. Chi-square statistics and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, as compared to those without each condition, persons with cardiovascular disease (aPR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.17) and diabetes (aPR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05-1.22) were slightly more likely to have an evacuation plan and individuals with diabetes (aPR = 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05) and asthma (aPR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04) were slightly more likely to have a 3-day supply of prescription medication. There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence for all other preparedness measures (3-day supply of food and water, working radio and flashlight, willingness to leave during a mandatory evacuation) between those with and those without each chronic condition. Conclusion: Despite the increased morbidity and mortality associated with chronic conditions, persons with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma were generally not more prepared for natural or man-made disasters than those without each chronic condition.