Assessment of Knowledge, Emotion, and Attitude Levels of Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers on the Disaster Management and Pediatric First Aid.

Abstract

This study's aim is to assess the disaster management and pediatric first aid-related knowledge, emotion, and attitude levels of of kindergarten and elementary school teachers, as the professionals that are first to provide interventions in the case of a disaster to children ages 0-8, who are considered to be among the vulnerable groups in the context of a disaster. A total of 119 teachers working in the kindergarten and elementary schools located in the Gümüşhane province of Turkey were included in the study and were asked to fill in a questionnaire that comprises 3 sections. Data collection tools included a sociodemographic questionnaire, teachers' disaster management knowledge levels, and teachers' pediatric first-aid knowledge, emotion, and attitude levels. Analysis of the scores obtained by the teachers from the questionnaire revealed that the teachers, who participated in the study, had a high level of disaster management knowledge and a moderate-to-high level of pediatric first aid knowledge. It is suggested as a result of this study that the disaster risks and injuries or losses of life associated with disasters that may occur at schools may be reduced with disaster management and first-aid interventions.