Risk Perception and Knowledge in Fire Risk Reduction in a Dong Minority Rural Village in China: A Health-EDRM Education Intervention Study

Fire is one of the major disasters in rural communities but evidence of the effectiveness of education interventions against fire risks is limited. This was a 2-year study assessed the effectiveness of face-to-face Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management(HealthEDRM) education interventions for raising fire risk reduction knowledge in a fire-prone rural ethnic minority community. The study was conducted in various pre-set time points of an intervention-based project in a Dongbased community in Nanjiang Village, Guizhou Province in 2015 and 2016 to increase knowledge among the villagers about how to reduce general-and electrical-fire risks. Pre-and post-intervention questionnaires were used to evaluate the effectiveness of increasing fire risk-related knowledge through these interventions, immediately after the 2015 and 2016 interventions, and 17 months after the 2015 intervention. The knowledge of using fire blanket,recalling the correct emergency telephone number,unplugging unused electrical appliances, and not using water to extinguish electrical fires had immediately improved after the interventions. Subjects demonstrated a better understanding that fire blankets can fight a blaze if used appropriately, and that knowledge was sustained for 17 months. The interventions were effective in improving fire prevention and response knowledge. Targeted interventions should be organized according to communities' culture, the evolution of economic prosperity and lifestyle practices.

Long-Term and Immediate Impacts of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management(Health-EDRM) Education Interventions in a Rural Chinese Earthquake-Prone Transitional Village

Ma'an Qiao Village, a Dai and Yi ethnic minority-based community in Sichuan Province, China sustained complete infrastructure devastation during the 2008 Panzhihua earthquake. Health emergency and disaster risk management(Health-EDRM) education intervention programs were implemented in 2010 and 2011. This serial cross-sectional survey study aimed to examine the immediate and long-term impacts of the Health-EDRM interventions in this remote rural community. The findings demonstrate knowledge improvement in areas of water and sanitation, food and nutrition, and disaster preparedness immediately after the Health-EDRM education interventions. Temporal stability of knowledge retention was observed in household hygiene and waste management and smoking beliefs in 2018, 7 years after the interventions.Other important findings include knowledge uptake pattern differences of oral rehydration solution(ORS) between earthquake-prone and flood-prone communities. Usage of Internet and mobile technology for accessing disaster-related information was found to be independent of gender and income. Overall, this study demonstrated the knowledge improvement through Health-EDRM education interventions in a remote rural community. Promoting behavioral changes through interventions to raise awareness has the potential to reduce health risks in transitional post-disaster settings. Future programs should aim to identify evidence-based practices and explore how technology can support Health-EDRM education among vulnerable subgroups.