Earthquake Preparedness Training and Nursing Students' Awareness, Literacy, and Attitudes

June 30, 2025 updated by: Sabahat Coşkun, Bilecik Seyh Edebali Universitesi

"Effect of Earthquake Preparedness and Awareness Training on the Preparedness, Earthquake Literacy, and Attitudes Toward Earthquakes of Nursing Students Studying in the First Earthquake Zone

Earthquakes are natural disasters with sudden and destructive effects, causing loss of life, injuries, psychological trauma, and economic losses. Turkey is located on active fault lines, and a significant portion of its population is at risk of earthquakes. Therefore, earthquake preparedness is critically important for public health.

Nursing students, as future healthcare professionals, must be prepared for disasters. Earthquake preparedness and awareness training enable students to act consciously before, during, and after an earthquake, contributing to their effective participation in disaster management. These training programs enhance earthquake literacy, supporting quick and accurate decision-making in high-risk situations.

This study is designed as a non-randomized, pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental study. Data will be collected using the Socio-Demographic Characteristics Form, "Individuals' Knowledge Scale on Readiness Levels Before and During Earthquakes, Individuals' Behavior Scale on Readiness Levels Before and During Earthquakes, Earthquake Literacy Scale, and Attitudes Toward Earthquake Scale." Assessments will be conducted before the intervention and again at the end of a 12-week period following the intervention.

This study aims to comprehensively examine the impact of earthquake preparedness and awareness training on nursing students studying in a high-risk seismic zone in Turkey. Specifically, it will evaluate the students' readiness levels before and during an earthquake, their earthquake literacy, and their attitudes toward earthquakes. By highlighting the significance of educational programs designed to enhance nursing students' knowledge, preparedness, and attitudes toward earthquakes, this research seeks to contribute to strengthening the role of healthcare professionals in disaster management.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Earthquakes are sudden and uncontrollable natural disasters that disrupt societal order, causing loss of life, injuries, severe psychological effects, and economic damage within a short period. Therefore, they are considered a significant public health issue that requires priority attention. Turkey is located on one of the world's most active fault lines, with nearly half of its landmass classified as a first-degree seismic zone. This situation increases the frequency of earthquakes and exposes a large portion of the population to seismic risk.

On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes struck Turkey, affecting 11 provinces and causing severe loss of life and property. These earthquakes resulted in thousands of fatalities and extensive destruction of homes and businesses. Despite advancements in technology, the precise timing of earthquakes remains unpredictable. However, estimates can be made, and appropriate precautions can significantly reduce the loss of life and property. Preventive measures and conscious interventions taken before an earthquake can help mitigate its devastating effects and protect human life. In this context, the preparedness of healthcare professionals, especially nursing students who represent the future of healthcare, is of utmost importance. As the largest professional group in healthcare, nursing students have the potential to play a crucial role in disaster response.

Being informed and prepared for earthquakes is essential for ensuring the safety of nursing students and protecting public health. Earthquake preparedness and awareness training aim to equip nursing students with the necessary skills to act correctly and effectively before, during, and after an earthquake. Such training enhances earthquake literacy, enabling students to make informed and swift decisions in high-risk situations. Strengthening education on disaster management and emergency healthcare services further supports nurses in taking conscious and effective action during disasters. Research highlights that disaster nursing and management education can reduce mortality, improve healthcare services, and decrease disaster-related costs.

Additionally, earthquake preparedness training positively influences nursing students' attitudes toward earthquakes, encouraging them to take an active role in disaster management. Studies show that individuals with earthquake awareness experience less panic and make more rational decisions during seismic events. Therefore, integrating earthquake preparedness and awareness training into nursing curricula is considered essential. In countries like Turkey, where a significant portion of the population is at risk of earthquakes, it is crucial to enhance the visibility of nurses in disaster response and align their professional roles with contemporary disaster nursing practices. International research indicates that disaster management education increases healthcare professionals' preparedness for emergencies, allowing them to serve their communities more effectively.

This study aims to examine the impact of earthquake preparedness and awareness training on the readiness, earthquake literacy, and attitudes of nursing students studying in a high-risk seismic zone. Implementing an effective training program is expected to enhance students' disaster preparedness levels and play a significant role in protecting public health. The findings of this study are anticipated to contribute to the development of nursing education curricula and the reinforcement of disaster preparedness training.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

95

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
      • Bilecik, Turkey, 11230
        • Bilecik Seyh Edebali University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Final-year nursing students
  • Students who regularly participate in earthquake preparedness and awareness training
  • Students who volunteer to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • -Students who do not regularly participate in earthquake preparedness and awareness training
  • Students who have a diploma or certification in disaster management have not been included.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who wish to withdraw from the study
  • Students who do not attend the training twice during the research process
  • Students who do not complete the follow-up period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group
Earthquake Preparedness and Awareness Training
Behavioral: Earthquake Preparedness and Awareness Training
Earthquake Preparedness and Awareness Training + standard education

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Earthquake Preparedness Levels Scale for Pre- and During-Earthquake (EPLPDE)
Time Frame: Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks
This scale was developed in 2023 and has undergone validity and reliability testing. It consists of two separate subscales, which allow for the evaluation of individuals' knowledge and behavior levels regarding preparedness before and during an earthquake. The scale measuring individuals' knowledge level about preparedness before and during an earthquake is answered with "Yes" or "No," with "Yes" receiving 1 point and "No" receiving 0 points. The scale consists of 21 items, with a total score range of 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate a higher level of knowledge regarding earthquake preparedness before and during the event. The scale measuring individuals' behavior level regarding preparedness before and during an earthquake is also answered with "Yes" or "No," where "Yes" receives 1 point and "No" receives 0 points. This subscale includes 18 items, with a score range of 0 to 18, where higher scores indicate a higher level of preparedness behavior before and during the earthquake
Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks
Earthquake Attitude Scale
Time Frame: Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks
This scale was developed in 2023 to assess individuals' attitudes toward earthquakes. It consists of 4 subscales: "Anxiety, Prevention, Neglect, and Fatalism Perception," and includes 41 items. Items 1-11 measure the prevention factor, items 12-32 measure the anxiety factor, items 33-38 measure the neglect factor, and items 39-41 measure the fatalism perception factor. The scale uses a 5-point Likert format (1: Strongly Disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4: Agree, 5: Strongly Agree). Scores range from 41 to 205. The reliability coefficient of the scale is 0.951.
Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks
Earthquake Literacy Scale
Time Frame: Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks
This scale was developed in 2023. It consists of 3 subscales: Cognitive, Behavioral, and Affective, with 26 items. Items 1-6 measure the cognitive subscale, items 7-17 measure the behavioral subscale, and items 18-26 measure the affective subscale. The scale uses a 5-point Likert format (1: Strongly Disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4: Agree, 5: Strongly Agree). The lowest possible score is 26, and the highest possible score is 130. A higher score on the scale indicates a higher level of earthquake literacy. The Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient is 0.896.
Assessments will be conducted at three time points: at baseline (before training), immediately after training, and at 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Bilecik Seyh Edebali Universitesi

Investigators

  • Study Director: SABAHAT COŞKUN, Doç.Dr., Bilecik Seyh Edebali University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 15, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 20, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 20, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 2, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 30, 2025

Last Verified

June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Bilecik18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will be shared upon request, in accordance with ethical guidelines and with participant consent.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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