Knowledge regarding Earthquake Preparedness among Secondary Level Students in a Government School

Abstract

Introduction: An earthquake is the perceptible shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the sudden release of energy within the earth’s crust. Severe earthquakes can result in the collapse of buildings, causing substantial loss of life and property. Earthquake preparedness encompasses measures undertaken at the individual, organizational, and community levels to reduce the adverse effects of earthquakes. These measures include emergency planning, preparedness training, and regular earthquake drills designed to minimize injuries, fatalities, and property damage. Although natural disasters are unpredictable and unavoidable, their impacts can be reduced through adequate knowledge and preparedness practices. The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge regarding earthquake preparedness and its association with selected sociodemographic variables among secondary-level students in a government school.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted  at Shivapuri Secondary School in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Ethical  approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (IRC) of the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine (TU IOM) in February 2025 (IRC approval no. 539/2081–082). A single government school was purposively selected because it met the study criteria and provided an adequate number of eligible participants. A total enumerative sampling technique was used to include all eligible Grade 11 students. Of the 150 enrolled students, 20 were absent during data collection; therefore, data were collected from 130 participants. Complete enumeration was feasible because the study population was manageable. Data were collected using a self administered, structured, and pretested questionnaire. The respondents’ level of knowledge was assessed based on the total score obtained. Each correct response was assigned a score of 1, whereas each incorrect response was assigned a score of 0. The maximum possible score was 35. Knowledge levels were categorized using statistical percentiles as adequate (>75.0%), moderate (50.0%–75.0%), and inadequate (<50.0%). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were used to summarize the data, while the Chi-square test was used to examine the association between the level of knowledge and selected variables, including age and sex.

Results: This study reveals that while most of the students demonstrated a good understanding of earthquake basics, such as general safe actions like taking cover indoors (70%), drop, cover, and hold on (6.9%). Specifically, very few students knew to stay away from windows/glass (13.1%) inside, during an earthquake. Post-earthquake, knowledge was low for checking for aftershocks (20.0%) and carrying an ID card (9.2%). The results of the study showed that more than half (56.9%) of the respondents had inadequate knowledge and only (10.0%) had adequate knowledge regarding earthquake preparedness. There was no any statistically significant association (p=>0.05) between the level of knowledge with age, sex and parental education.

Conclusions: In this study, only a small proportion of students demonstrated adequate knowledge regarding earthquake preparedness. These findings highlight the need for school-based awareness-raising programs to improve students’ knowledge and preparedness for earthquakes.