Natural Disaster Preparedness Impact on Confidence Levels and Survey Differences in University Student's Responses: A Cross-Sectional and Pre- and Post-Test Study in Georgia, USA

Despite students' vulnerability to natural disasters, the literature addressing their preparedness in high-risk areas remains sparse. This study assessed natural disaster preparedness confidence and pre- and post-training differences among university students in Georgia, United States of America (USA). Pre- and post-surveys were applied to students who participated in a natural disaster preparedness and response (NDPR) training session. A cross-sectional study and bivariate analysis assessed students' confidence based on sociodemographic characteristics, natural disaster experience, NDPR training and implementation, as well as emergency awareness and drills. Pre- and post-test study and Wilcoxon signed-rank test assessed changes in student's views on the training content usefulness, its necessity, the need to implement it to incoming students, the feeling of empowerment, and the desire to discuss NDPR training with other people. Of 186 students, most were White, females, with a median age of 20. Only 44% were confident in their natural disaster preparedness and they were significantly more likely to be males, more willing to take additional no-cost NDPR training, had 4 or more instances of previous natural disaster education, preferred both practical and theoretical trainings, knew basic first aid, felt responsible for their safety, were aware of emergency procedures in university, and were open to collaboration in handling natural disaster emergencies. A small but generally positive change was produced after training completion. These findings identified potential to impact students' resilience and can be used to design more impactful training programmes.