Evaluating Disaster Literacy Levels Among First Aid Trainers: The Case of Bursa Province

Objective: First aid trainers play a vital role in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, making it essential to understand the factors influencing their disaster literacy levels. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence the disaster literacy levels of first aid trainers. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 179 first aid trainers residing in Bursa, Turkey. Data were collected using a demographic information form and the Disaster Literacy Scale (DLS). Binary logistic regression was used to assess factors influencing DLS scores and subdimensions. Results: Of the participants, 66.5% were women, 25.7% were nurses, and 50.8% had more than 6 years of teaching experience. The average age was 39.22 ± 9.07, and the average DLS score was 36.39 ± 6.61. Subdimension scores of the DLS ranged from 35.4 ± 8.46 to 38.62 ± 6.66. In preparedness, males (OR=0.33, CI=0.15-0.75), emergency medical technicians (OR=3.18, CI=1.13-8.98), and other healthcare workers (OR=3.32, CI=1.16-9.55) showed lower proficiency. Participants with disaster training had higher knowledge in mitigation/prevention (OR=2.81, CI=1.27-6.22), preparedness (OR=2.37, CI=1.05-5.35), recovery/rehabilitation (OR=3.12, CI=1.39-7.05), and overall disaster literacy (OR=2.70, CI=1.22-6.01). NGO members had higher knowledge in mitigation/prevention (OR=2.64, CI=1.02-6.33), preparedness (OR=3.44, CI=1.30-9.11), and recovery/rehabilitation (OR=2.67, CI=1.04-6.88) compared to non-members. Conclusion: This study identifies key factors influencing the disaster literacy of first aid trainers, emphasizing the importance of disaster training and NGO membership in enhancing preparedness and response capabilities. Further studies are needed to improve disaster literacy levels among first aid trainers, especially in specific sub-dimensions. Targeted education programs are recommended to enhance disaster readiness.