Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program that provide knowledge and skills to copewith typhoon disaster for urban and rural residents in a county of Wenzhou city,and to explore new ideas and approaches for typhoonrelated health education.
Methods With multiple-stage random sampling technique,a questionnaire survey was carried outamong residents from 2 urban communities and 2 rural villages in Cangnan county,Wenzhou,to evaluate the intervention effect bycomparison of selected indicators before and after a one-year typhoon disaster education intervention program.
Results Afterthe intervention program,the overall consciousness of typhoon defense in the selected residents increased from the baseline 74.96% to 85.09%,and the total awareness rate of typhoon disaster related knowledge and skills increased from 73.94% to 83.88%(χ2=76.45and 317.63 respectively,P<0.01).In addition,compared with the urban residents' awareness rate which increased by 4.58%,therate in the rural residents increased by 15.15% and significant differences in the awareness rate between the urban and rural residentswere found both before and after the intervention (χ2=32.84 and 379.23 respectively,P<0.01).
Conclusion This interventionprogram proves effective in general,and the effect in rural villages is apparently better than that in urban communities.Healtheducation on typhoon disaster,therefore,should continue.