Change in Disaster-Prevention Consciousness Brought by Serious Damage from a Large Scale Disaster: Studying the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to test whether direct experience of a large-scale natural disaster enhanced disaster-prevention consciousness, using the disaster-prevention consciousness scale created by Shimazaki and Ozeki (2017). An online survey was conducted in February 2017 targeting those who lived in Kumamoto Prefecture, which was seriously damaged by the Kumamoto Earthquake. Participants were divided into two groups: a group of people who lived in 14 local towns where public employees of other local governments came to provide backup assistance after the Kumamoto Earthquake (heavily damaged group), and a group of people who did not live in these areas when the Kumamoto Earthquake occurred (damaged group). Results showed that interest in disasters, sense of danger in current disaster prevention, others orientation, and anxiety increased after large-scale natural disasters, irrespective of the extent of damage. Directly experiencing damage from the disaster enhanced imagination for damage situation.