Public health-specific personal disaster preparedness training: An academic-practice collaboration

Sivan Kohn, MPH; Natalie Semon, MSEd; Haley K. Hedlin, PhD; Carol B. Thompson, MS, MBA; Felicity Marum, MHS; Sebra Jenkins, RN; Catherine C. Slemp, MD, MPH; Daniel J. Barnett, MD, MPH

doi:10.5055/jem.2014.0162

Authors

Sivan Kohn, MPH
Natalie Semon, MSEd
Haley K. Hedlin, PhD
Carol B. Thompson, MS, MBA
Felicity Marum, MHS
Sebra Jenkins, RN
Catherine C. Slemp, MD, MPH
Daniel J. Barnett, MD, MPH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2014.0162

Keywords:

disaster, personal, preparedness, public health, Extended Parallel Process Model

Abstract

Objectives: To measure the following three relevant outcomes of a personal preparedness curriculum for public health workers: 1) the extent of change (increase) in knowledge about personal preparedness activities and knowledge about tools for conducting personal preparedness activities; 2) the extent of change (increase) in preparedness activities performed post-training and/or confidence in conducting these tasks; and 3) an understanding of how to improve levels of personal preparedness using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) framework.

Design: Cross-sectional preinterventional and postinterventional survey using a convenience sample. Setting: During 2010, three face-to-face workshops were conducted in three locations in West Virginia.

Participants: One hundred thirty-one participants (baseline survey); 69 participants (1-year resurvey)—representing West Virginia local health department (LHD) and State Health Department employees.

Interventions: A 3-hour interactive, public health-specific, face-to-face workshop on personal disaster preparedness.

Main outcome measure(s): Change in 1) knowledge about, and tools for, personal preparedness activities; 2) preparedness activities performed post-training and/or confidence in conducting these activities; and 3) the relationship of EPPM categories to personal preparedness activities.

Results: One year postworkshop, 77 percent of respondents reported having personal emergency kits (40 percent at baseline) and 67 percent reported having preparedness plans (38 percent at baseline) suggesting some participants assembled supply kits and plans postworkshop. Within the context of EPPM, respondents in high-threat categories agreed more often than respondents in low-threat categories that severe personal impacts were likely to result from a moderate flood. Compared to respondents categorized as low efficacy, respondents in high-efficacy categories perceived confidence in their knowledge and an impact of their response on their job success at higher rates.

Conclusions: Personal disaster preparedness trainings for the LHD workforce can yield gains in relevant preparedness behaviors and attitudes but may require longitudinal reinforcement. The EPPM can offer a useful threat and efficacy-based lens to understand relevant perceptions surrounding personal disaster preparedness behaviors among LHD employees.

Author Biographies

Sivan Kohn, MPH

Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Public Health Preparedness Programs, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

Natalie Semon, MSEd

Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Public Health Preparedness Programs, Baltimore, Maryland

Haley K. Hedlin, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts

Carol B. Thompson, MS, MBA

Assistant Scientist/Assistant Director, Johns Hopkins Biostatistics Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Felicity Marum, MHS

Associate Director, Public Health Preparedness Programs, Research Associate, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

Sebra Jenkins, RN

Responder Health & Safety Consultant/Health & Medical Volunteer Contact, WV Center for Threat Preparedness, Charleston, West Virginia

Catherine C. Slemp, MD, MPH

Independent Consultant, Milton, West Virginia

Daniel J. Barnett, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

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