Improved Knowledge of Disaster Preparedness in Underrepresented Secondary Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nDisasters cause significant human and monetary destruction and society as a whole is underprepared to address them. Disaster preparedness education is not covered extensively enough for health professionals or for the general public.\n\n\nMETHODS\nA disaster preparedness education intervention was performed using a non-randomized controlled trial of a convenience sample with a pre- and post-intervention survey. The adapted Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ), a validated survey tool, was utilized. Participants came from a health professions educational enrichment program for students from under-resourced high schools in the Kansas City area.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe experimental group shows statistically significant improvement in knowledge of disaster topics post-intervention. Of 18 adapted EPIQ tool questions, 17 show statistically significant improvement in disaster knowledge post-intervention for the experimental group with significance set at p\u2009<\u2009.05 (range of significant p values .000-.017).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe education intervention was effective and cost-efficient. Disaster preparedness education should be included in THE secondary school curriculum.