Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Sudip Bhattacharya
- . Amarjeet Singh 1
- . Jayanti Semwal
- . Roy Rillera Marzo 2
- . Neha Sharma, Manish Goyal 3
- . Shaili Vyas
- . Abhay Srivastava
1 Department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh
2 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Asia Metropolitan University, Malayasia, Masai, Johor, Malaysia
3 Department of Statistics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Disaster can occur at any time any place. Disaster preparedness plays an important
role to reduce the loss of a community/country. The aim of this interventional study was to ascertain
the impact of a video‑based educational intervention program on improvement in knowledge and
attitude of paramedical students in a hospital.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pre–post study (interventional study design) was conducted on
paramedic students. Our study period was 6 months which was divided into Phases I, II, and III. For
administrative purpose, we included all paramedical students, and our sample size was 119. The
baseline assessment of knowledge and attitude of paramedic students was done by a pretested
questionnaire (Observation 1) with having a baseline scoring. After that, intervention Phase 1 was
implemented, and later, end line observation (Observation 2) was made. Changes in knowledge and
attitude were observed by the score difference (Observation 2–Observation 1). Descriptive statistics
were calculated, and the mean of cumulative score was compared using the Wilcoxon signed‑rank
test. We applied Mann–Whitney U‑test for finding associations between dependent variables with
an independent variable using SPSS version 22 (IBM, Chicago, USA) software.
RESULTS: Our baseline results showed that most of our participants had average
knowledge (54.6%), followed by poor knowledge (24.4%). Approximately one‑fifth (21.0%) of the
participants had good knowledge regarding disaster preparedness. A significant improvement was
observed in cumulative score (P < 0.005). A significant difference was observed in knowledge and
attitude with respect to age and courses (P < 0.05). Forty percent of the students responded that
they would like to get trained by that mock drill, and 26.1% were interested in disaster preparedness
workshops in the future.
CONCLUSION: Our present study results indicate that the overall knowledge and attitude level of
the students was average and required improvement. A similar result was reported in some studies
conducted globally for the same purpose. All of our students perceived that training for disaster
preparedness is necessary for all health facilities, and it is important to have an emergency plan
and disaster management committee. Regarding training methods, most of our students liked our
interactive audiovisual method. However, their preferred methods were mock drill and workshops.
It can be arranged in the future for them.
Keywords
Available from: http://oxfordmedicine.com/view/10.1093/
med/9780199218707.001.0001/med‑9780199218707. [Last
accessed on 2019 Jan 16].
2. Kadri AM. IAPSM’s Textbook of Community Medicine. 1st ed.
New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2019. p. 1252.
3. Suryakantha AH. Community Medicine with Recent Advances.
5th ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2019.
p. 970.
4. Hiremath SS. Textbook of Preventive and Community Dentistry.
India: Elsevier; 2011. p. 571.
5. Uttarakhand Cloudburst: Latest News, Photos, Videos on
Uttarakhand Cloudburst. Available from: https://www.
ndtv.com/topic/uttarakhand‑cloudburst. [Last accessed on
2019 Jul 21].
6. Cyclone Fani Impact: Odisha seeks $14 bn for Reconstruction.
Bloomberg. Available from: https://www.thehindubusinessline.
com/news/cyclone-fani‑impact‑odisha‑seeks‑14‑bn‑for‑reconstr
uction/article27056159.ece. [Last accessed on 2019 Jul 21].
7. WHO. Preparedness. Available from: https://www.who.int/
environmental_health_emergencies/preparedness/en/. [Last
accessed on 2019 Jul 21].
8. Adenekan K. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Emergency
Health Workers toward Emergency Preparedness and
Management in Two Hospitals in Lagos. Available from: http://
www.jcsjournal.org/article.asp?issn=1595‑9587;year=2016;vo lume=13;issue=1;spage=23;epage=28;aulast=Adenekan. [Last
accessed on 2019 Jul 21].
9. Kiongo JG, Gichuhi JW, Osero JO, Yitambe A. State of Disaster
Preparedness Among Members of Staff at Kenyatta National
Hospital, Nairobi County, Kenya; 2015.
10. Douglas V. Developing disaster management modules: A
collaborative approach. Br J Nurs. 2007;16:526–529.
11. Su T, Han X, Chen F, Du Y, Zhang H, Yin J, et al. Knowledge
levels and training needs of disaster medicine among health
professionals, medical students, and local residents in Shanghai,
China. PLoS One 2013;8:e67041.
12. Ahayalimudin N, Ismail A, Saiboon IM. Disaster management:
A study on knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency nurse
and community health nurse. BMC Public Health 2012;12:A3.
13. Jouhari Z, Pirasteh A, Ghassemi GR, Bazrafkan L. The effects of
educational program on health volunteers’ knowledge regarding
their approach to earthquake in health centers in Tehran. J Adv
Med Educ Prof 2015;3:56‑61.
14. Bhattacharya S, Singh A, Prakas KH. Does stream of education
affect the knowledge and attitude regarding breastfeeding among
adolescent students? Indian J Community Health 2016;28:337‑43.
15. Bhattacharya S, Singh A. “Taste modification” – A new strategy
for reduction of salt intake among Indian population. Epidemiol
Int 2016; 1 (2): 44‑ 50.
16. Bhattacharya S, Singh A. ‘The more we change, the more we
remain the same’: Female feticide continues unabated in India.
BMJ Case Rep 2017;2017. pii: bcr‑2017‑220456.
17. Bhattacharya S, Thakur JS, Singh A. Knowledge attitude,
and practice regarding dietary salt intake among urban slum
population of North India. J Family Med Prim Care 2018;7:526‑30.