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Characterizing Emergency Supply Kit Possession in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 2020–2021

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2022

Amy Helene Schnall ,
Stephanie Kieszak ,
Arianna Hanchey ,
Harry Heiman ,
Tesfaye Bayleyegn ,
Johnni Daniel  and
Christine Stauber
Amy Helene Schnall*
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
Stephanie Kieszak
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
Arianna Hanchey
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
Harry Heiman
Affiliation:
National Center for Environmental Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Tesfaye Bayleyegn
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
Johnni Daniel
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
Christine Stauber
Affiliation:
National Center for Environmental Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Amy Helene Schnall, Email: GHU5@cdc.gov
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Abstract

Objective:

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, household members may experience lack of support services and isolation from one another. To address this, a common recommendation is to promote preparedness through the preparation of an emergency supply kit (ESK). The goal was to characterize ESK possession on a national level to help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guide next steps to better prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies at the community level.

Methods:

The authors analyzed data collected through Porter Novelli’s ConsumerStyles surveys in fall 2020 (n = 3625) and spring 2021 (n = 6455).

Results:

ESK ownership is lacking. Overall, while most respondents believed that an ESK would help their chance of survival, only a third have one. Age, gender, education level, and region of the country were significant predictors of kit ownership in a multivariate model. In addition, there was a significant association between level of preparedness and ESK ownership.

Conclusions:

These data are an essential starting point in characterizing ESK ownership and can be used to help tailor public messaging, inform work with partners to increase ESK ownership, and guide future research.

Keywords

disasterdisproportionately affected groupsemergency supply kit (ESK)national surveypreparedness
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e283
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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