Child With Special Health Care Needs, Disaster Preparedness, Health Education, Parents Who Have Special Needs Children
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to evaluate the effect of a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based disaster education program on general disaster preparedness beliefs and disaster preparedness levels among parents of children with special needs. Children with special healthcare and developmental needs are particularly vulnerable during disasters, and parental readiness plays a critical role in mitigating risks. The study is designed as a quasi-experimental (or randomized controlled) interventional trial with an intervention and a control group to determine whether structured, model-based training improves preparedness behaviors and disaster beliefs among parents.
Detailed description
This study is conducted between September 2026 and October 2026 at the Ozel Mavi Special Education and Rehabilitation Center in Diyarbakir, Turkey. The center consists of two separate service buildings within the same campus, providing individualized and group special education services for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, specific learning disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and speech/language impairments. Parents are recruited during their children's active educational sessions. Participants are allocated into intervention and control groups. The intervention group receives a structured, 5-week Health Belief Model-based disaster preparedness training program, while the control group receives routine follow-up (or standard institutional guidance). Outcome assessments include baseline (pre-test) measurements and post-intervention (post-test) evaluations conducted after the completion of the 5-week educational program. Primary outcomes measure participants' general disaster preparedness beliefs and objective disaster preparedness levels.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHealth Belief Model -Based Disaster Education
A 5-week structured disaster preparedness education program based on the Health Belief Model, covering disaster risks, preparedness behaviors, individual emergency planning, and safety measures tailored for parents of children with special needs.
Sponsors
Ataturk University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
rticipants are assigned to either an intervention group (Health Belief Model-based disaster education) or a control group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Being between 18 and 65 years of age * Being a parent or primary caregiver of a child with special health care needs * Having received no prior formal training or education on disaster preparedness * Having adequate communication skills to conduct interviews (e.g., having no severe hearing or speech impairments) * Volunteering to participate and providing written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Having a diagnosed mental/psychiatric disorder prior to or during the study period
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in General Disaster Preparedness Beliefs Scale Score | Baseline (pre-test) and 5 weeks after the intervention (post-test) | Assessed using the General Disaster Preparedness Beliefs Scale based on the Health Belief Model. Evaluates perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy regarding disaster preparedness. Higher scores indicate higher preparedness beliefs. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Disaster Preparedness Level Score | aseline (pre-test) and 5 weeks after the intervention (post-test) | Assessed using the Disaster Preparedness Scale to evaluate physical and cognitive preparedness behaviors, emergency planning, and safety precautions among parents. Higher scores indicate higher readiness levels. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTGulsum Asan, PhD Candidate
STUDY_DIRECTORSonay Bilgin, PhD,Assoc.Prof
Ataturk University
Outcome results
None listed