The impact of outbreak preparedness perceptions and preferred sources of information on perceptions of future outbreak readiness

Building community capacity for outbreak preparedness requires understanding modifiable factors that encourage individuals to act. The current study assesses three key interrelationships with likelihood to prepare for a future outbreak: perceived importance of preparation, perceived ability to prepare, and preferred sources of outbreak information. The study used data from a 2023 online panel survey of adults living in the United States with 4,184 responses weighted to reflect national demographics. Perceived importance of outbreak preparedness, perceived ability to prepare, and likelihood to take actions in a future outbreak were estimated using composite measures derived from survey questions. Preferred sources of outbreak information were measured by subtracting the number of more "informal sources sought," eg, social media, friends, and family, selected from the number of "formal sources sought," eg, governmental websites. Direct effects linear regression models identified that a greater perception of importance and ability were each associated with a greater likelihood to prepare, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and household income (p < 0.001). Likewise, a greater preference for more formal information sources was also associated with more future outbreak preparedness actions taken (p < 0.001). The relationship between perceived importance and perceived ability on the likelihood of preparing differed based on information source preferences (p < 0.05). For those with low perceived importance or ability to prepare and a stronger preference for informal information sources, their likelihood of preparing for a future outbreak is significantly lower than for those with formal information source preferences; however, as perceived importance or ability to prepare increases, this gap is closed. Results suggest that perceptions of self-efficacy, including ability and importance, are critical to preparing for a future outbreak and that information sources also play an important role. These results highlight that if we can build the perceived importance of and remove barriers to preparation, we can increase outbreak preparedness actions regardless of which information sources are most trusted by individuals.