title: Comparison of Two Successive Earthquake Awareness Campaigns in Israel: Improved Methodology or a Cumulative Effect?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An effective way to reduce casualties from earthquakes is to increase population preparedness. During 2011 to 2013, Israeli authorities executed 3 national-level earthquake awareness campaigns. We aimed to assess the impact of these campaigns on the populace and the ability of the campaigns to produce a cumulative effect throughout the study period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two surveys were conducted 2 weeks after the end of the first campaign and the third campaign in a similar randomly selected representative sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to the campaign proved to be a significant factor in increasing the knowledge of the respondents, giving a knowledge advantage of 1.5 times to respondents exposed to the campaign. However, the period of assessment proved to be an even more significant factor, with knowledge in 2013 being 2.3 times that in 2011. Additionally, a gap of up to 40% between the levels of trust and the perceived responsibility of respective authorities in the times of earthquake was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found an improvement in public knowledge regarding earthquake preparedness over the 3 years of the study. This may mean that an awareness campaign does not stand by itself, but should be part of an integrated long-term process in order to have a lasting effect on the population.
authors: 1Gertner Institute for Health Policy & Epidemiology,National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors: Gilead
authors: G
authors: Shenhar
authors: 1Gertner Institute for Health Policy & Epidemiology,National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Rozenfeld
authors: 1Gertner Institute for Health Policy & Epidemiology,National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Radomislensky
authors: 1Gertner Institute for Health Policy & Epidemiology,National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors: Kobi
authors: K
authors: Peleg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055866:Earthquakes; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: communication campaign; earthquake; policy making; preparedness; risk communication