Community readiness for a new tsunami warning system: quasi-experimental and benchmarking evaluation of a school education component |
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| Authors: | Kevin R Ronan Kylie Crellin and David M Johnston |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute for Health and Social Science Research, CQUniversity Australia, Bruce Hwy, Rockhampton, QLD, 4701, Australia;(2) Joint Centre for Disaster Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Abstract: | Youth preparedness for disasters is a growing area of research. However, studies to date have relied on cross-sectional, correlational
research designs. The current study replicated aspects of the one other study to date that has used a quasi-experimental strategy
to evaluate youth preparedness for disasters. This study evaluated whether children were more knowledgeable and prepared for
hazards generally but also in more specific relation to the rollout of a new tsunami warning system. Using a pretest–posttest
with benchmarking design, the study found that following a brief school education program, supplementing a larger community-wide
effort, children reported significant gains in preparedness indicators including increased knowledge as well as increases
in physical and psychosocial preparedness. Within group effect sizes compared favorably with those from the previous experimental
study in this area used to benchmark current intervention-produced findings and produced hints that combining school education
programs with larger community preparedness efforts can enhance preparedness. Given that this is only one of two experimentally-based
studies in an area of research largely dominated by cross-sectional designs, future research should consider the use of experimental
designs, including those that are pragmatic and fit with needs of the school. The current approach has limitations that need
to be considered. However, it also has some real advantages, including being used more extensively in fieldwork studies that
evaluate various types of interventions. Through increased use of experimental design strategies, researchers can then also
have increased confidence that educational programs are the source of increases in disaster resilience in youth and their
families. |
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