Hurricane Risk Perception among Older Adults
A Case Study of Sarasota County, Florida
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21738644 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chongmin Wang (0000-0003-3327-0958, Jacksonville State University), Chongming Wang (0000-0003-0088-8583, Jacksonville State Univ), Yao Zhou (0000-0001-6422-7528, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Natural Hazards Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1527-6988 • E-ISSN: 1527-6996 |
| Publisher | American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1061/nhrefo.nheng-2181 |
| OpenAlex | W4406150486 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 46 |
Despite a blossoming appreciation of risk perception in expanding academic understanding and steering policy decisions related to disaster management, older adults’ perception of natural hazards risks has received surprisingly little attention. To address the research gap, this study investigates older individuals’ hurricane risk perception and explores what factors influence the level of perceived risk. Data were collected using a mixed-mode survey from year-round residents aged 55 years and over (N=677) in a hurricane-prone community—Sarasota County, Florida. Analytical techniques consisted primarily of nonparametric tests to assess the impact of demographic, socioeconomic, affective, experiential, and geographic factors on risk perception. Results indicated an overall low level of perceived risk and revealed differences in risk perception based on gender, race, educational attainment, household income, living arrangement, subjective health status, and level of concern. There was no evidence for the effect of chronological age or subjective age on risk perception. Hazard proximity and hazard experience only influenced risk perception when self-perceived occupancy of risk zones and the nature of previous exposure were taken into account. The study provides insights into how and why older individuals perceive natural hazards risks differently, which has implications for future disaster studies as well as risk communication policies and practices. The study also reinforces the urgency and importance of more research and interventions with a focus on older adults in a society where the number and cost of disasters are on the rise and the older population continues to grow in size and diversity
Environmental health · Forensic engineering · Geography · Perception · Poison control · Suicide prevention · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Flood Risk Assessment and Management · Medicine · Psychology · Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research · Gerontology
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| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |