Analysis of Factors Related to Disaster Preparedness in

Undergraduate Health Students

Sriyono Sriyono, Deni Yasmara

and Angger Pratama

Faculty of Nursing Universitas Airlangga, Kampus C Mulyorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia

Keywords: Preparedness, Disaster, Knowledge, Experience.

Abstract: When a community is unprepared for a disaster situation, the anticipated results are many fatalities and

economic loss. Such disasters include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, and avalanches. The

aim of the study was to analyze the factors related to disaster preparedness. The research design was

descriptive analytics, and the population of the research was undergraduate health students in Universitas

Airlangga, Surabaya (Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Public Health, and Faculty of Medicine) with 97 students

as a subject. The independent variables that were measured were an experience of encountering the disaster,

disaster education, and disaster knowledge, and the dependent variable that was measured was an application

of disaster preparedness. The data was collected by questionnaire and analyzed with chi square and

Spearman’s rho statistical. The results showed that knowledge level was not significant (p = 0.76), and

experience of encountering the disaster (p = 0.453) and disaster education (p = 0.381) also had no significant

result to disaster preparedness. The next study was better if measured another factor that result with disaster

preparedness on undergraduate health students.

1 BACKGROUND

Disaster is a series of events that threaten and disrupt

people’s lives caused by both natural/non-natural

factors and human factors and resulting in the

occurrence of casualties, environmental damage,

property loss, and psychological impact (Law No. 24

of 2007). One of the obstacles that are often

encountered in the effort to overcome health

problems in disaster areas is the unpreparedness of

health human resources in dealing with health

problems (MOH 2006).Indonesia is vulnerable to the

threat of geological disasters such as volcanic

eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. The

most common occurrences of disasters in Surabaya

are floods and fires. Several areas in the city of

Surabaya experience flooding of varying heights

ranging from 10 to 70 cm with the longest flood time

of about six hours. Another type of disaster is fire.

Fire events are a type of disaster that cannot be

predicted but can be prevented.

Every natural disaster must result in material and

immaterial loss to the surrounding community,

especially if people do not have knowledge about

natural disasters. People’s unpreparedness in

anticipating the disaster resulted in the great loss of

lives and economic losses in the event of natural

disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic

eruptions, floods, and landslides. This is where

responsibility and preparedness become key. The

main actor in saving lives and possessions is the

society itself.

A preliminary study conducted by researchers on

March 19, 2016, using the interview method with 30

students consisting of 10 students from Faculty of

Nursing, 10 students from Medicine Faculty, and 10

students from Public Health Faculty of Universitas

Airlangga obtained the result that nine (30%) people

know and claimed to be on standby if one day a

disaster occurred both on campus and in their

residence area because of having enough knowledge

about disaster. Of the rest of the students, three (10%)

people claimed not to know about disaster, and 18

(60%) people claimed they were not ready in case of

a sudden disaster because they do not have enough

supplies.

Dodon (2013) identified that the public knows

(34%) and knows enough (33%) of various

preparedness measures. Preparedness behavior of

communities before a disaster is at a low level. Low

levels indicate that the community has not been too

concerned with disaster risk reduction measures

Sriyono, S., Yasmara, D. and Pratama, A.

Analysis of Factors Related to Disaster Preparedness in Undergraduate Health Students.

DOI: 10.5220/0008323602630268

In Proceedings of the 9th International Nursing Conference (INC 2018), pages 263-268

ISBN: 978-989-758-336-0

263

before a disaster (Dodon 2013). Law no. 24 of 2007

on Disaster Management has regulated the

implementation of disaster management, which

includes pre-disaster, emergency response (during

disaster), and post disaster. For the situation in an area

where there is a potential for disaster (high disaster

vulnerability level) then at pre disaster stage, the

implementation of disaster management that needs to

be done includes preparedness, early warning, and

disaster mitigation (article 44). Responsibility for

disaster mitigation activities can take the form of

preparedness, measures that enable governments,

organizations, communities, and individuals to

respond quickly to a disaster situation (Rante et al.

2013). Preparedness is one part of the disaster

management process, and in today’s evolving disaster

management concept, improved preparedness is one

of the most important elements of proactive disaster

risk reduction activities before a disaster (LIPI 2006).

The health sector forms an important part of

disaster preparedness and response. The regulatory

and response mechanisms require careful planning

and should take into account the vulnerability of a

particular country or region, and health policies and

regulations on disasters, as well as the administrative

and technical organizations of their health sector

institutions. Such considerations should also include

coordination of mechanisms, development of

technical plans and programs, training and research,

and logistical and financial support. Although health

institutions can develop disaster preparedness plans,

each country is expected to have a clear policy on

disaster prevention and management.

Preparedness in anticipating disasters is

implemented through organization and by putting

into place appropriate and efficient measures (Law

No. 24 of 2007). Preparedness is grouped into four

parameters: knowledge and attitude, emergency

planning, warning system, and resource mobilization

(LIPI 2006). Elements of disaster preparedness

include personal, community, and national

knowledge, both within the government and private

sphere in relation to disaster mitigation and

vulnerability. Other important elements include

disaster education (efficiency and effectiveness),

impact of response to disaster, and development of

local response, such as an early warning system, as an

important part of disaster preparedness (Clust,

Human & Simpson 2007).

Disaster preparedness should be invested in

community life, especially adolescents because

adolescents are a part of the community that has an

important role in its life. One of the government’s

efforts to improve the security with regard to disaster

is to develop education on disaster risk in adolescents.

The program is intended to generate awareness and

preparedness of adolescents living in disaster prone

areas in the face of disasters through activities such as

disaster simulation training, the establishment of the

Youth Red Cross organization, and socialization

activities on disaster risks. The role of adolescents as

the younger generation in anticipating and handling

disaster situations is considered very important

(Purwoko 2015).

The cultivation of knowledge for disaster

preparedness is conducted through socialization or

disaster education and ensuring environmental safety

against disaster risk factors. In disaster education, the

level of individual readiness will be discussed for

later enhancement through the learning process

(Clust, Human & Simpson 2007). Individual

preparedness for disaster is also demonstrated by the

knowledge, skills, and abilities gained through

experiential learning from real-life experiences

(Clust, Human & Simpson 2007). There are several

stakeholders that are closely related to community

preparedness, ie individuals and households,

government agencies related to disaster management,

school communities, non-governmental

organizations (NGOs), community institutions,

professional groups, and private parties. Of the total

stakeholders, three stakeholders, ie households,

government, and the school community, were agreed

to be key stakeholders and others to be supporting

stakeholders in disaster preparedness (LIPI 2006).

In accordance with the definition of students

according to Indonesia Dictionary, students are

individuals who study in college.

Universitas Airlangga is one of the State Universities

located in the city of Surabaya with the characteristics

of students who come from various regions across

Indonesia, from urban to remote rural areas. With the

rapid development of health sciences, Universitas

Airlangga is determined to be a center of

development in this field. Of 14 faculties in the

campus of Universitas Airlangga, four of them are

faculties that are included in health science classes,

namely, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Public Health,

Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Dentistry. In the

writing of this thesis, the researchers focus on

undergraduate students who are included in the health

science class and have lessons about disaster, so the

preliminary study conducted by the researchers was

undertaken in three faculties who have lessons about

disaster, which are Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of

Medicine, and Health Faculty Society.

Several studies have been conducted regarding

disaster preparedness for students. Usher and Mayner

INC 2018 - The 9th International Nursing Conference: Nurses at The Forefront Transforming Care, Science and Research

264

(2011) examined the level of knowledge of nursing

students in Australia by involving 39 institutions of

higher education. The results concluded that almost

all respondents did not have adequate knowledge of

disaster preparedness because 63% of total

respondents had never received disaster-related

education at the university. The results of (Pangesti

and Dwi's 2012) study stated that the level of

knowledge about the risk of flood disaster for

students living in flood-prone areas is better than that

of students living in areas not prone to flooding.

Disaster preparedness is needed by students in

health science, so that health students can become

professional stakeholders in accordance with their

discipline, and so that they have adequate capability,

competence, and knowledge in handling disaster.

However, the lack of courses on disaster in general

has led to the majority of health students not being

ready and alert in the face of disaster (Dewi 2010).

The lack of knowledge of factors related to disaster

preparedness in undergraduate students of health

sciences at Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, is the

reason why the researchers conducted this study. The

approach in this study uses self-efficacy theory

according to Bandura, where knowledge, experience,

and individual characteristics interact to form an

adaptable behavior. In this study, the researchers

linked factors related to the knowledge, experience,

and characteristics of the individual with the

preparedness of the individual against the disaster.

2 METHODS

2.1 Study Design

The type of this research is quantitative descriptive

with a cross-sectional research design, which is only

studying the problem or the state of the object at the

time of the research to analyze the factors related to

disaster preparedness in the undergraduate students of

health science at Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya.

The process of collecting and measuring the variables

is done at the same time.

2.2 Study Population, Sampling, and

Sample

The population were students of health sciences in

Universitas Airlangga. The population of this study

were 2,185 students of health sciences in Universitas

Airlangga with the details of 533 students of the

undergraduate nursing program, 855 students of the

medicine study program, and 817 students of the

Public Health study program.

The number of respondents in the sample is 97

people consisting of 24 respondents who were

undergraduate students of the nursing study program,

36 respondents who were undergraduates of the

medicine study program, and 37 respondents who

were undergraduate students of Public Health study

program.

2.3 Measurement

The instrument used as a data collection tool in this

study was a questionnaire that contained a list of

questions referring to the conceptual framework and

was prepared based on a literature review. The

questions on the questionnaire were filled in by

writing a cross mark (X) on one of the columns

provided in accordance with the respondents answer.

The data used in this study is the primary data.

3 RESULTS

Based on the demographic characteristics of

respondents is female, seen from data consisting of 66

(68.1%) respondents, who are women. Viewed in

terms of age, almost all respondents were aged

between 18 and 24 years, visible from data consisting

of 94 (94.9%) of respondents aged 18-24 years. In

terms of cluster sampling, a small percentage of

respondents were undergraduates in Public Health, 37

(38.1%) respondents; then 36 (37.1%) respondents

were students of medicine, and nursing students

totaled 24 (24.7%) of respondents. Judging from all

respondents who filled in the questionnaire, it is

known that 49 (49.4%) respondents were from non-

prone areas. This means the distribution of

respondents was almost evenly distributed in this

variable.

In this study the variables measured are the level of

knowledge on disaster, experience in the face of

disaster, and disaster preparedness applications.

Distribution of experience in the face of disaster

with people who had experienced disaster reaching

the number of respondents 54 people (56%) 43 people

(44%). Education on disasters with indicators 72

people (74%) and dominate in this variable. Disaster

preparedness application with positive indicator

reaches 50 respondents (52%), and disaster

preparedness application with negative indicator

reaches 47 people (48%), whic means that disaster

preparedness application has average value between

respondents with positive and negative indicator.

Based on the result of hypothesis test by using chi

Analysis of Factors Related to Disaster Preparedness in Undergraduate Health Students

265

square and Spearman’s rho statistic test, it can be seen

that the level of knowledge has an insignificant

relationship to the disaster preparedness with the

significance of p is -0.076. Education on disasters

with significance p value of 0.383 has an insignificant

relationship to disaster preparedness.

4 DISCUSSION

Based on data analysis about the relationship of

knowledge level with disaster preparedness, it is

known that the result obtained is not significant. The

un-indicated value indicates no relationship between

the respondents. knowledge level and disaster

preparedness. The results of this study contradict the

theory according to Allport in Notoatmodjo (2010),

which states that in determining the whole attitude,

knowledge, thoughts, beliefs, and emotions play an

important role. Knowledge or cognitive is a very

important domain in the formation of one’s actions

(Notoatmodjo 2005).

Differences in the level of knowledge in each

individual can be reviewed according to Bloom’s

cognitive domain taxonomy. Benjamin Bloom in

Aderson and Krathwohl (2001) states that knowledge

includes six levels of cognitive domains knowing,

understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and

evaluation. Each level of taxonomy shows the

competence of different individuals in understanding

and receiving information.

The higher the level of individual cognitive

domains, the higher the individual’s ability to process

and apply information or knowledge. Bloom’s

taxonomy also explains that each individual has

different cognitive levels due to various factors.

The researchers believe that respondents in this

study have variations in the level of different

cognitive domains with each other, so the

understanding of the concept of disaster varies. Each

individual will be different way to interpret attitude in

preparedness in the face of disaster, insignificant

value happened because majority of respondents have

enough value reach 54 people consisting of 26

respondents who have positive attitude and 28

respondents who have negative attitude. So if tested

statistically will yield insignificant value. This

happens as can be seen from the source of information

about the disaster. For the majority of respondents,

these are informal sources such as the internet

(30.9%) and newspapers (28.8%). Therefore, the

level of understanding of respondents in Bloom’s

taxonomy will have an effect because they do not get

valid knowledge from formal sources that can be

trusted such as lecture materials and disaster training,

so that will cause different interpretations.

Differences in interpretation between respondents

who received knowledge or information related to

disaster management will also affect their

preparedness in the face of disaster because of the

validity of the information or knowledge obtained by

respondents through informal sources reaching

59.7% cannot be accounted scientifically so that will

impact on variation level of respondent understanding

in answer questionnaire question.

According to Bandura’s (Hoy 2008) social theory of

cognitive one of them discuss about one's

understanding of a thing so make someone attitude

will have positive reinforcement; this is in line with

this research because data obtained shows that the

majority of respondents have level of knowledge less

so it does not have a significant relationship with

disaster preparedness. In the process of learning, self-

efficacy is needed both within the self and the

teachers themselves, which in turn leads to self-

regulated learning, which is the process of activating

and maintaining the thoughts, behaviors, and

emotions to achieve the goals (Santrock 2010).

Based on data analysis of disaster education

relationship with disaster preparedness, it is known

that the result obtained is not significant. The non-

significance value indicates the absence of correlation

between respondents’ education about disaster and

disaster preparedness. The results of this study

contradict the theory put forward by Caudill (2011),

which states that each work unit or agency is obliged

to facilitate residents with disaster education to ensure

that appropriate action will be taken during a disaster.

Each individual who inhabits the building must

understand the disaster risks. Disaster education can

be realized through an education curriculum, training,

and disaster simulation. In line with (Pangesti & Dwi

2012) which concluded that there was no significant

relationship between the experience of obtaining

disaster-related courses and disaster preparedness.

The researchers believe that each individual will

be different way to interpret attitude in preparedness

in the face of disaster; insignificant value happened

because at cross tabulation of research data in table

5.4 did not experience gap which is too massive so

that if tested statistically will yield insignificant

value. As Caudill (2011) points out, more

institutionally where each institution must have a

training program and a simulated disaster to minimize

disaster impacts in its institution, it will be different

from individuals where each individual has different

views on disaster preparedness so that each

individuals seeking disaster training will also be

INC 2018 - The 9th International Nursing Conference: Nurses at The Forefront Transforming Care, Science and Research

266

different. In terms of information, the data shows that

30.9% of respondents are more dominant in accessing

information about internet disaster, while those who

receive education about disaster through lecture

material is only 20.6%, so there is a tendency of

different interpretation related to disaster

management among respondents who get education

through formal (lecture material) and informal

(internet) sources.

According to Wang et al. (2008), disaster

management training standards for different people

also affect the attitude to disaster preparedness as it

relates to material relevance in disaster training, so it

could produce statistically meaningless results. Wang

et al. (2008) also revealed that the time span between

disaster research and education gained by multiple

respondents allows for varying levels of

understanding of questionnaire questions, which may

lead to statistically meaningless results.

Bandura in Woolfolk (2004) revealed that the more

often a person gets an education, the greater the self-

efficacy he gets. If education gets better than the level

of self-efficacy of a person, their self-efficacy will

increase, but if education gets worse. then the self-

efficacy of the person will decrease.

Based on data analysis of experience relationships

in the face of disaster with disaster preparedness in

mind, the results obtained are not significant. The

non-significance value indicates no relation between

experience in responding to disaster and disaster

preparedness. This is in contrast to Kapucu’s (2008)

study, which suggests that individuals who have

experience in dealing with disasters will adapt and

learn while engaged in disaster situations, so the

threat of disaster will be responded to seriously and

more effectively in the future. At the individual level,

the experience of disasters generally has a positive

impact on future disaster-related motivations.

In line with research (Dewi 2010), the proportion

of health human resources preparedness in the group

of respondents with a working experience ≤ 1 year of

23.4%. While in the group of respondents with a

working experience of 2-5 years proportion of 37.4%

and in the group of respondents. The researchers

believe that insignificant value occurs because It can

be seen in this study that the majority of respondents

experience in dealing with disasters is as a victim

(82.4%) of the disaster itself so that the interpretation

of preparedness in the face of disasters will be

different from the experience of the students when as

a helper or health worker.

Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy in Woolfolk (2004)

reveals that our direct experience becomes a powerful

source of efficacy information. The experience of

success becomes the greatest source of effectiveness

of the effect on individual self-efficacy levels based

on authentic experience. The experience of success

leads to increased individual self-efficacy, while

repeated failures result in decreased self-efficacy,

especially if failure occurs when the individual’s self-

efficacy has not really formed strongly. Failure can

also decrease the individual’s self-efficacy if the

failure does not reflect a lack of effort or influence

from outside circumstances.

5 CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of disaster has an insignificant

relationship with disaster preparedness in

undergraduate students of health science at

Universitas Airlangga Surabaya. Disaster education

has an insignificant relationship with disaster

preparedness in undergraduate students of health

sciences at Universitas Airlangga.

Experience in dealing with disaster has an

insignificant relationship with disaster preparedness

in undergraduate students of health sciences at

Universitas Airlangga.

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