title: Effectiveness of Community Participation in Earthquake Preparedness: A Community-Based Participatory Intervention Study of Tehran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based participatory intervention on earthquake preparedness in Tehran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This community-engaged research was conducted during 2011 to 2013. An intervention and a control neighborhood were chosen through systematic cluster sampling. In the intervention group 305 households and in the control group 314 households were sampled for pre- and post-assessment surveys. A participatory intervention was designed on the basis of consultation with the community advisory board and was implemented by trained volunteers. Changes in outcome variables in the intervention and control groups were detected in terms of knowledge, attitude, and practice. Pearson chi-square tests and covariance regression were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the frequency of earthquake experience in the intervention and control groups was 69.2% and 79.0%, respectively. Moreover, the mean difference scores in knowledge, attitude, and practice in the intervention and control groups before and after the intervention were significant (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A participatory intervention effectively improved disaster preparedness at a community level. To ensure sustainability, the participatory approach should be integrated into public health disaster planning.
authors.affiliation: 1Community Based Participatory Research Center,Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviours,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ensiyeh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
authors.affiliation: 1Community Based Participatory Research Center,Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviours,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Majdzadeh
authors.affiliation: 2Vice Chancellery of Research,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saberi Namin
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Epidemiology,Disaster & Emergency Health Academy,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, andHarvard Humanitarian Initiative,Harvard University,Cambridge,Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: 1Community Based Participatory Research Center,Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviours,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Behdad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majdzadeh
authors.affiliation: 4Vice Chancellery of Research,Bushehr University of Medical Sciences,Bushehr,Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seydali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: community participation; community-based participatory intervention; community-engaged research; earthquakes; emergency preparedness