Investigating and analyzing the effect of implementing the National Khadem program on changing the rate of household preparedness in disasters in Khorasan Razavi province

INTRODUCTION: Iran is one of the 10 most disaster-prone countries in the world and out of the 42 known types of disasters, at least 31 of them have occurred in this country. Recent disaster experiences have taught us that warnings must be taken seriously and preparedness is necessary. Family readiness is considered as one of the most important pillars of public readiness and community readiness. Achievement of this goal requires a thorough program and various packages to build the culture of preparedness and education is one of its most important parts. METHODS: The present cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 18100 families who participated in all the stages of training of the KHADEM National Program (Disaster Preparedness Program Serving Families and Communities) in Khorasan Razavi province. These families were selected based on the regional divisions of the implementation of the project and in the first stage, 18100 families were trained throughout the province. The participating families completed the Household Disaster Preparedness Index questionnaire before and after face-to-face training. FINDINGS: Assessment of the level of family readiness after the training showed an increase in this score. However, it was clear is that the distribution of the scores is not normal, and needs analysis and interpretation. CONCLUSION: The analysis of data and statistical model revealed that the training program was more effective in cities with a population of fewer than 50,000 people compared to cities with a population of more than 50,000 people.