Knowledge of and Attitude Toward Disaster Preparedness Among Secondary School Students in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundDisaster is any unexpected event that leads to significant harm exceeding the capacity of the affected community for coping. Unfortunately, disasters have increased during the last few years globally. Knowledge and attitude of people are the main steps for the success of disaster preparedness and management. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge and attitude about disaster preparedness among secondary school students in the western region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MethodologyA cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted on a sample of 726 secondary school students who were chosen from the western region of Saudi Arabia through a multistage sampling approach. The data were collected using a validated, self-administered, electronic questionnaire comprising 34 items. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). ResultsA total of 726 respondents were recruited in this study. The majority of the respondents were females (79.5%), and about half (53.9%) belonged to the 17-18-year age group. About half of the participants had a good understanding of disaster preparedness. The most common source of their information was social media (78.8%). Despite the majority of the study population showing a positive attitude toward disaster preparedness, only 34.2% of the respondents were previously involved in a disaster drill(s) or workshop(s). Students' knowledge of disaster preparedness was significantly associated with their gender (p < 0.001), father's and mother's education (p < 0.001 for each), father's occupation (p = 0.005), and average monthly income (p < 0.001). The average monthly income of parents was shown to be significantly correlated with attitude scores toward disaster management preparedness. ConclusionsThis study revealed that the perceived knowledge regarding disaster preparedness among secondary school students in the western region of Saudi Arabia was fair with a high level of positive attitude toward it. Educated parents, employed fathers, and high family income were associated with good knowledge of students. Disaster response training simulation for students is highly recommended to be involved in the curricula.

Examining the effectiveness of a training program on improving knowledge, functional skills, and attitude in natural disaster volunteers

“…As studies indicate, preparedness comes with higher knowledge and skills, which in turn help to cope with disasters ( 26 ). Trained volunteers can prove beneficial by transferring knowledge and experiences to local communities and improving public awareness concerning the management of various crises or disasters ( 27 ). Raising awareness and knowledge among volunteers improves their attitudes at times of crisis too ( 28 ).…”

Fire Disaster Preparedness and Life Safety Program for Preparatory School Students Mentored by Community Health Nursing Students

“…Or because it is not possible to conduct practical training due to the conditions of overcrowded classes, the crowded study schedule, the division of the school day into two periods, morning and evening, in addition to the fact that the evacuation plan needs to be prepared in advance in a deliberate manner. Divergent results were reported by Alkalash et al (2023) who found that 53.9% of the secondary school students had a good level of knowledge, and 95.9% of them showed a positive attitude toward disaster preparedness. Considering students' training on evacuation process (evacuation drills), slightly less than one third of students confessed that their schools did not train them.…”

“…In the same vein, study conduct in Kenya (Japheth, 2019) disclosed that 79.6% of secondary students confessed that their schools did not carry out fire safety. Likewise, Saudi study by Alkalash et al (2023) clarified that only 34.2% were already involved in a disaster drills or workshops in the school or city. Correspondingly, Musigapong and Phanprasit (2013), indicated that in their study only 18.8% of students who had practiced fire evacuation.…”

Nursing Students’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Disaster Preparedness: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…2. Knowledge about disaster preparedness: The questionnaire was (16 items) adapted from Alkalash et al11 "yes or no"…”