Cross-Sectional Study Protocol on Community Disaster Resilience in Selangor Flood-Prone Communities During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Future floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Communities must arm themselves with information and skills to overcome these disasters and limit their impact. Moreover, the Coronavirus-19 infection doubled as the transmission was thought to occur when evacuation facilities were overrun and crowded. Despite government and agency assistance, the aftermath of a flood disaster leaves victims susceptible to the impacts. Resilience is essential when battling flooding or a pandemic. Thus, this study aims to determine the community disaster resilience score and its associated factors in Selangor flood-prone communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey will be conducted with a sample size of 574 residents living in flood-prone areas. A validated self-administered questionnaire will be distributed in liaison with community leaders using paper and online. The questionnaire includes respondents’ demographic, flood disaster preparedness, general disaster preparedness belief, and community disaster resilience. The associations and predictors between the independent and dependent variables will be examined using bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression with a < 0.05 significance level. Discussion: Insights from this research will help communities better prepare for and recover from disasters. A more robust resilience approach requires focusing on predictors and recruiting those factors to assist health authorities in promoting flood disaster preparedness and resilience practices in the community. Researchers may comprehend the health behaviour of a community to build disaster preparedness and resilience as well as a health intervention.