Disaster education boosts preparedness in Turkish women, randomized trial finds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of a structured disaster awareness education program on disaster preparedness among women in western Turkey. The study included 120 women aged 18-65 recruited from public education center courses, with 60 assigned to the disaster education group and 60 to a control group receiving nutrition education.
The intervention covered disaster types, preparedness strategies, emergency kits, evacuation plans, and basic first aid. The primary outcome was disaster awareness and preparedness, measured by the Disaster Preparedness Scale total score at four weeks after the intervention.
Results showed a significant and large effect of the disaster education program, with a partial η of 0.70 (p < 0.001), indicating that the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group. No adverse events, serious adverse events, or discontinuations were reported, and tolerability was not reported.
Limitations include lack of reporting on funding, conflicts of interest, and specific limitations of the study design. The follow-up was only four weeks, so longer-term retention of knowledge and skills is unknown. The study was conducted in a single region in Turkey, which may limit generalizability.
Clinically, this trial suggests that a brief, structured disaster education program can substantially improve short-term disaster preparedness among women in community settings. While promising, further research with longer follow-up and diverse populations is needed before widespread implementation.
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