Disaster preparedness perceptions and associated factors among final-year medical students in Hatay and Ordu, Türkiye

Following the February 2023 Türkiye earthquakes, disaster preparedness among healthcare professionals and medical students has become an important public health concern, particularly in disaster-prone settings where newly graduated physicians may be rapidly deployed to frontline healthcare services. However, evidence on disaster preparedness perceptions among medical students remains limited, especially in comparative settings involving regions with different levels of disaster exposure. This study aimed to assess disaster preparedness perception and associated factors among final-year medical students studying in two provinces of Türkiye with differing disaster risk profiles in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and May 2023 among final-year medical students from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University and Ordu University, Türkiye. Data were collected through a structured self-administered online questionnaire covering sociodemographic and disaster-related characteristics, an author-developed earthquake healthcare knowledge test, and the Disaster Preparedness Perception Scale of Personnel Working in Pre-Hospital Emergency Health Services (HASPAHA). Univariable analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed to identify factors independently associated with high perceived preparedness, which was defined using a median split.

A total of 188 students participated (109 in Hatay, 79 in Ordu). The mean disaster preparedness perception score was 101.5 ± 13.6 (scale range: 28-140), with significantly higher scores observed in Hatay compared to Ordu. In multivariable analysis, male sex (aOR=3.13) and studying in Hatay (aOR=2.11) were associated with high perceived preparedness. Willingness to volunteer in disaster healthcare services (aOR=3.99) and higher earthquake healthcare knowledge (aOR=2.95) were also significant associated factors.

Among final-year medical students, perceived preparedness was associated with regional disaster exposure context and motivational characteristics, alongside earthquake healthcare knowledge. To strengthen future physicians' preparedness, medical curricula could incorporate experiential disaster training, opportunities for voluntary participation in disaster response, and structured disaster preparedness education.