Influencing Factors of Urban Public Flood Emergency Evacuation Decision Behavior Based on Protection Motivation Theory: An Example from Jiaozuo City, China

Abstract

Public flood emergency evacuation is an important way to reduce casualties during a flood disaster. In this study, the influencing factors of urban public flood emergency evacuation decision behavior were studied using the protection motivation theory. The measurement index system of influencing factors of urban public flood emergency evacuation decision behavior was constructed from five dimensions (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy, response efficiency, and response cost) based on the protection motivation theory. The impacts of key influencing factors on flood emergency evacuation decision behavior were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that (1) the susceptibility assessment and severity assessment of the public in threat appraisal had positive impacts on the process of flood emergency evacuation decision behavior. The direct effects of susceptibility assessment and severity assessment of the public on flood emergency evacuation decision behavior were 0.27 and 0.23, respectively. (2) The self-efficacy assessment and response efficiency assessment in coping appraisal also had positive impacts on the flood emergency evacuation decision behavior; the response efficiency had the greatest impact on the flood emergency evacuation decision behavior, and the standard path coefficients from response efficiency assessment and self-efficacy assessment to flood emergency evacuation decision behavior were 0.37 and 0.17, respectively. (3) The response cost assessment in coping appraisal had negative impacts on the flood emergency evacuation decision behavior, and its standard coefficient was −0.18. Finally, some strategies were proposed to improve the urban public flood emergency evacuation capacity based on this study.