Evaluation of Disaster Awareness Perception Level in Relation to Socio‐Demographic Factors of Public Food Service Staff: A Catering Example

ABSTRACT Rapid access to food and water in disaster‐affected areas is crucial for meeting individuals’ nutritional needs, and the uninterrupted operation of public food service is closely tied to the disaster awareness levels of staff. This study aimed to examine the disaster awareness perception level of public food service staff ( n = 223), and to evaluate these perceptions in relation to socio‐demographic factors. Data was collected using the Disaster Awareness Perception Scale, which consists of 36 items for disaster education awareness, pre‐disaster awareness, false disaster awareness, and post‐disaster awareness, along a socio‐demographic questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha for the scale was found 0.906. Participants 76.0% ( n = 169) showing good, 15.8% ( n = 35) moderate, and 8.2% ( n = 19) insufficient levels of disaster awareness. Statistically significant differences were found according to age, educational level, and length of employment in the same workplace ( p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed regarding gender, marital status, work seniority, prior disaster experience, service in disaster areas, or having relatives in disaster zones. Consequently, staff with low disaster awareness should be considered a group requiring additional support in disaster preparedness and response processes. It is recommended to provide awareness‐based and practice‐oriented training, clarify disaster‐related responsibilities in job descriptions, and increase the frequency of scenario‐based drills. These findings demonstrate that disaster education and preparedness programs will promote a balanced level of disaster awareness. This study expands the literature on crisis management and disaster awareness perception by highlighting a public food service population that has not been studied in Türkiye or even globally.