Examination of disaster preparedness and risk perception levels of residents in Ordu province

This research aims to examine the disaster preparedness and risk perception levels of individuals residing in Ordu province and to contribute to the building of a disaster resistant society. The research was designed in a descriptive survey model and the current situation was described with qualitative data. The survey method was used as the data collection method, and 465 participants residing in Ordu province were reached between the last quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 package program. Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used for normality analysis. Mann Whitney U tests were used for differences between two groups, and Kruskal Wallis tests were used for differences between more than two groups. According to the findings of the study, the disaster preparedness scores of male participants are statistically significantly higher than the disaster preparedness scores of female participants (p<0.05). The statistically significant Disaster Preparedness score was highest in participants aged between 34 and 41 (p<0.05). According to education, the highest value of the Disaster Risk Perception score is in associate degree graduates, and the Disaster Preparedness score is highest in high school graduates, and the difference in the scores of both scales between education groups is statistically significant (p <0.05). While the Disaster Risk Perception score is at the highest level in those who have lived in Ordu for more than 20 years, the Disaster preparedness score is higher in those who have lived in Ordu for 11-20 years (p<0.05). In those who received disaster training, both the Disaster Risk Perception score and Disaster Preparedness score were statistically significantly higher than the participants who did not receive disaster training (p<0.05). The scores of both scales in participants who stated that they had a disaster plan were statistically significantly higher than in participants who stated that they did not have a disaster plan (p<0.05). Although the level of knowledge and awareness about disasters is generally low, the levels of preparation and knowledge are higher in those who receive disaster-related training. When the results obtained from the research were evaluated, it was seen that a large portion of the citizens living in Ordu province did not have sufficient information about disaster preparedness and risk perception. Disaster preparedness and risk management-based training can be organized to appeal to all parties of the society.