When Knowledge Increases Fear: The Moderating Role of Health Status on Disaster Risk Perception

Ensuring the social acceptance of disaster management policies and promoting the well-being of residents in safe environments requires consideration not only of objective risk levels but also of subjective risk perception. When individuals perceive hazards as uncontrollable, their anxiety tends to increase, highlighting the importance of training programs that strengthen coping capacity as a critical aspect of disaster management. Against this backdrop, this study examines the effect of coping capacity on disaster-related risk perception in South Korea. Despite rapid economic growth and improvements in living standards, South Korea continues to report lower life satisfaction than the OECD average, largely due to recurring natural and man-made disasters that amplify social anxiety. This study distinguishes between natural and man-made disasters to analyze the factors influencing risk perception and to explore requirements for more effective safety systems. Using pooled cross-sectional data from four waves of Statistics Korea’s Social Survey (2018–2024), the analysis applies a binary logistic model. The results show that coping knowledge reduces fear associated with risk perception, but its effect varies by health status, suggesting the need for risk education tailored to health conditions. In addition, differences by gender, education, income, and regional exposure indicate the necessity of prioritizing vulnerable groups in disaster management strategies. Furthermore, regional emergency response accessibility was found to mitigate perceived risk of natural disasters, highlighting the importance of improving accessibility to emergency services as a means of strengthening disaster response capacity.