Arnold School of Public Health

1
Arnold School of Public Health Department of
Health Services Policy and Management Columbia,
SC 29203
Impact of Disaster Preparedness and Management
Training on MPH Students Knowledge, Attitudes,
and Planned Public Health Practice Sudha
Xirasagar, MBBS, PhD, Sarah B. Laditka, PhD,
James N. Laditka, PhD, Carol B Cornman, RN, PA,
Courtney Davis, MHA, Jane V.E. Richter, DrPH,
Whiejong Han, PhD
Background and Study Objective Disaster
preparedness is a required core competency for
Master of Public Health students. We tested the
effectiveness of a hybrid training module,
combining informational lecture (Columbia Mailman
Center for Public Health Preparedness online
Basic Emergency Preparedness for Public Health
Workers), followed by an experiential role play
exercise on nursing home preparations for a
hurricane. We examined impacts on students
knowledge, attitude and planned practice of
disaster preparedness and management.

• Results

• Three key action points learned
• Role of Communication/ Incident Command System
  19 students
• Personal/family emergency plan 17 students
• Need for creativity and backup plans 9
  students
• New actions planned for self
• 36 of 43 indicated intent or completion of key
  elements of personal/ family disaster plan.

 

• Study Participants and Methods
• 43 MPH students (16 in fall 2005, 27 spring 2006)
  
• 2-part module in the core course on public health
  administration
• Pre test survey administered prior to module
• Post test survey and the 15-question, multiple
  choice quiz (Quiz source Columbia Mailman
  Center), after the module and student
  presentations
• Students score on the quiz and group
  presentation of a plan for nursing home hurricane
  preparations counted for students course grade
• Hypotheses 1. Post test scores of subjective
  measures of knowledge of preparedness, will be
  higher than pre test
• 2. Difference in pre and post test scores will be
  correlated with quiz scores
• Analysis
• Univariate statistics
• Pearsons correlations
• Paired sample t-tests

 
 
 
 
 
 
Conclusion The Basic Emergency Preparedness for
Public Health Workers module in combination with
an experiential group exercise is effective for
training MPH students in public health
preparedness.