Training session implementation and students’ confidence in natural disaster preparedness
Abstract
Background: Georgia residents are at high risk of being impacted by natural disasters (ND), such as hurricanes and floods. Many people, including college students—an often overlooked population in disaster preparedness—are unaware of how to prepare and respond to ND. Methods: A ND preparedness and response (NDPR) training was created and offered to Georgia Southern University students from January to May 2024. The training aimed to promote awareness, education, and safety coordination to improve students’ ND response by providing evidence-based information through the United States National Library of Medicine. Students were recruited across nine colleges through their professor or college advisors. In addition to the training, students completed a survey consisting of demographics, students’ role in disasters, opinions of disaster education and a willingness to register for such courses, university policies governing emergency preparedness, disaster education implementation, and associated obstacles. Descriptive statistics were used to describe students’ characteristics and ND preparedness factors. Results: Among 186 participating students, the median age was 20 (IQR, 18-65), 66.85% were White, 88.52% were not Hispanic/Latino, and 43.55% felt confident in their ND preparedness. Being male (25%, p-value=0.0138), showing a willingness to take NDPR training (63.39%, 0.0128), having 4 or more instances of previous ND education (13.59%, 0.0139), accepting of both the practical and theoretical forms of NDPR training (70.43%, 0.0326), being confident in providing basic first aid (53.80%, <.0001), feeling responsible for themselves (94.62%, 0.0012), and an awareness of emergency procedures in university (29.73%, 0.0035) were characteristics of those who were more likely to be confident in their ND preparedness and assistance. Conclusion: Findings from this research is helpful in developing or improving universities’ ND preparedness and response strategies based on college students’ perspectives and experience.
Keywords
natural disaster, preparedness, training, college students
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Training session implementation and students’ confidence in natural disaster preparedness
Background: Georgia residents are at high risk of being impacted by natural disasters (ND), such as hurricanes and floods. Many people, including college students—an often overlooked population in disaster preparedness—are unaware of how to prepare and respond to ND. Methods: A ND preparedness and response (NDPR) training was created and offered to Georgia Southern University students from January to May 2024. The training aimed to promote awareness, education, and safety coordination to improve students’ ND response by providing evidence-based information through the United States National Library of Medicine. Students were recruited across nine colleges through their professor or college advisors. In addition to the training, students completed a survey consisting of demographics, students’ role in disasters, opinions of disaster education and a willingness to register for such courses, university policies governing emergency preparedness, disaster education implementation, and associated obstacles. Descriptive statistics were used to describe students’ characteristics and ND preparedness factors. Results: Among 186 participating students, the median age was 20 (IQR, 18-65), 66.85% were White, 88.52% were not Hispanic/Latino, and 43.55% felt confident in their ND preparedness. Being male (25%, p-value=0.0138), showing a willingness to take NDPR training (63.39%, 0.0128), having 4 or more instances of previous ND education (13.59%, 0.0139), accepting of both the practical and theoretical forms of NDPR training (70.43%, 0.0326), being confident in providing basic first aid (53.80%, <.0001), feeling responsible for themselves (94.62%, 0.0012), and an awareness of emergency procedures in university (29.73%, 0.0035) were characteristics of those who were more likely to be confident in their ND preparedness and assistance. Conclusion: Findings from this research is helpful in developing or improving universities’ ND preparedness and response strategies based on college students’ perspectives and experience.
