Gender-based emergency response and crisis management knowledge assessment: A cross-sectional study on Chinese tertiary student

Abstract

While disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been thoroughly examined, the significance of gender in Chinese university students' emergency response (ER) and crisis management (CM) knowledge remains questionable. Though the significance of DRR is becoming more widely recognized, more needs to be known about how male and female students see potential risks and respond to emergencies. Using Krathwohl's knowledge typology to give a structured analysis, this study investigates gender-specific differences in ER and CM knowledge to close this gap. These distinctions must be understood to create gender sensitive DRR approaches. Thereafter, this cross-sectional study assessed ER and CM knowledge in 388 university students in Jiangxi Province, China, using a self-structured questionnaire. In contrast to conventional ideas that propose distinct gender differences, our results show more subtle distinctions. Though general knowledge levels were comparable across each gender, certain distinctions surfaced, such as the fact that female students were better at addressing threats such as electrocution, while male students understood natural threats such as cyclones better. In addition, these variations were affected by family contexts and academic backgrounds. The results underscore the necessity of DRR programs that consider these gender-based differences to improve their efficacy. In response to emergencies, policymakers ought to adapt interventions to accommodate the unique strengths and requirements of each gender. To gain a comprehensive understanding of these disparities, future research should investigate supplementary variables, including cultural influences and socio-economic status, and implement longitudinal methodologies.