Community change agents and disaster preparedness among women in coastal areas.

BACKGROUND: Enhancing disaster preparedness among women in vulnerable coastal regions is critical for reducing the impact of emergencies. Leveraging community members as change agents helps bridge knowledge gaps, shift attitudes, and improve emergency skills in resource-limited settings. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effectiveness of trained community change agents (CCAs) in improving disaster-related knowledge, attitudes, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills among women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study involved 414 women from four coastal villages in Tamil Nadu, with 206 in the experimental group and 208 in the control group. Community change agents were trained in disaster-related knowledge, attitudes, and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation skills using the Coastal Disaster Readiness Package (CDRP). They then provided similar training to women in their communities, focusing on home disaster preparedness. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. RESULTS: The results indicated that women trained by Community Change Agents exhibited significant enhancements in disaster preparedness knowledge score relative to the control group, from pre-test 7.52 ± 3.71 to at 6-month post-test 16.43 ± 3.67, reflecting a 44.6% knowledge score gain. In contrast, the control group showed a minimal increase from 7.75 ± 3.66 to 9.01 ± 4.80. Attitude ratings were enhanced by 39.4% in the experimental group compared to a mere 0.6% in the control group. The experimental group observed significant gains in skills, rising scores from 13.44 at one month to 15.35 at six months (mean difference = 1.91, F = 45.95, p = 0.001). The control group, on the other hand, did not see any noteworthy improvements. Correlation analysis showed that there were moderate positive relationships between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.52, p = 0.001), knowledge and skill (r = 0.54, p = 0.001), and attitude and skill (r = 0.49, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study concludes that trained community change agents significantly improved disaster-related knowledge, attitudes, and CPR skills among women in coastal areas. The intervention effectively bridged preparedness gaps in a vulnerable population. Empowering local agents proved to be a practical and impactful strategy for enhancing community resilience. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not Applicable.