Knowledge and practice of emergency preparedness by Lagos residents

Background: Since no one can predict when an emergency will occur, it is necessary to be prepared. Taking personal responsibility in preparing for and responding to emergency situations is an effective means of curbing damages.Methods: This study was a cross sectional study where pretested semi structured questionnaires were administered to 395 respondents selected using a multistage sampling technique.Results: The majority 209 (52.9%) of the respondents were males. The mean age was 30± 7 with the majority (55.4%) of the respondents less than 40yrs of age. Two third 264 (66.8%) of the respondents were aware of emergency preparedness. The most common emergency situation experienced by respondents was fire (61.3%). Most of respondents had good knowledge 351 (88.9%) and positive attitude 373 (94.4%). Overall, the majority 230 (58.3%) of the respondents had poor practice of emergency preparedness. Factors associated with the practice of emergency preparedness were age of respondents (p=0.001) and education (p= 0.001).Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude of respondents towards emergency preparedness was good, while the actual preparation for emergencies was poor. There is a need for public enlightenment to mitigate disaster and further enhance the community preparedness for emergencies.Keywords : Knowledge, Communiity, Emergency Preparednes