Knowledge, Attitude and Influencing Factors Toward Disaster Preparedness Among Healthcare Professionals in Health Centers of the Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2024. A Convergent parallel mixed-methods design

Abstract

Background: Ethiopia faces several disasters, including floods, droughts, conflicts, and epidemics of infectious diseases. Healthcare professionals play a central role in mitigating the health impact of disasters, and having knowledge and attitude on disaster preparedness is crucial. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence about healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward disaster preparedness. This study assessed healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitude, and influencing factors toward disaster preparedness in the Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed research approach was conducted from November 2023 to January 2024. A total of 510 healthcare professionals for the quantitative study and 10 key informants for the qualitative approach were included. Quantitative data were collected using an interview-administered questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically using Open Code software. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between factors and knowledge and attitudes of health professionals. Results: The study found that 253 (49.6%), 95% CI (45.3-54.1), of healthcare professionals had good knowledge and 297 (58.2%), 95% CI (54.3-62.5) had favorable attitudes towards disaster preparedness. Age 31-40 years (AOR: 2.55,95%CI:1.54-4.25), Higher educational status (AOR: 5.14,95% CI: 2.96-8.91), having five or more years of work experience (AOR: 5.44, 95% CI: 2.55-11.59), and prior disaster training (AOR: 4.93, 95% CI: 2.97-8.19) were significantly associated with good knowledge. Whereas Higher educational status (AOR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.95-5.37), having five or more years of work experience (AOR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.41- 5.50), previous disaster response experience (AOR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.50-3.91), and knowledge (AOR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.65-4.52) were significantly associated with a favorable attitude. The qualitative findings revealed barriers to HCPs' disaster preparedness, including training gaps and poor institutional support. Conclusions: The overall knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals regarding disaster preparedness were relatively low. To enhance HCPs' knowledge and attitude, it is recommended to provide adequate disaster training and strong organizational support including adequate staffing, sufficient budget allocation, and logistical support