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Disaster Management: Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, Willingness, and Preparedness among Nigerian Dentists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2019

Emeka Danielson Odai ,
Chinedu Clement Azodo  and
Kumar Gaurav Chhabra
Emeka Danielson Odai
Affiliation:
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Benin/University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City, Nigeria
Chinedu Clement Azodo*
Affiliation:
Department of Periodontics, University of Benin/University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria
Kumar Gaurav Chhabra
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Dentistry, MM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India
*
Correspondence: Chinedu Clement Azodo, Department of Periodontics, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

This study’s objective was to explore the disaster management knowledge, attitude, behavior, willingness, and assistance among Nigerian dentists.

Methods:

This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in Edo State (Nigeria) among selected Nigerian dentists that attended the Annual Scientific Conference of School of Dentistry, University of Benin (Benin City, Nigeria) between 2016 and 2017. The 54-item, modified Chhabra, et al disaster management questionnaire, which elicited information on demographic characteristics, disaster management knowledge, attitude, preparedness, and willingness, was the data collection tool.

Results:

A total of 126 dentists participated in the study, giving a 68.1% retrieval rate. The willingness to render assistance in the case of disaster among the participants was 95.2%. More than three-quarters (81.0%) reported that they had not received any disaster management training and 92.9% reported that they were not familiar with any government paper on response to disaster. The mean disaster management knowledge and attitude scores were 16.95 (SD = 0.40) and 34.62 (SD = 0.56), respectively. Disaster management knowledge had positive significant correlation with attitude and behavior. The disaster management attitude had positive significant correlation with behavior and negative significant correlation with preparedness. Disaster management behavior had positive significant correlation with preparedness and willingness to render assistance. Willingness to render assistance had significant correlation with preparedness.

Conclusion:

Data from this study revealed high-level of willingness to render assistance in disaster, high disaster management attitude, but with low disaster management knowledge, behavior, and preparedness. The significant correlation between knowledge, attitude, behavior, and preparedness implies that training will offer immense benefit.

Odai ED, Azodo CC, Chhabra KG. Disaster management: knowledge, attitude, behavior, willingness, and preparedness among Nigerian dentists. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):132–136

Keywords

dentistsdisaster managementdisaster preparednessworkforce planning
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 132 - 136
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

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