Health Dynamics
Vol 3, No 7 (2026): July 2026 (In progress)

Strengthening the Capacity of Village Communities in Handling Health Crises Due to Disasters Through Participatory Action Research: Results of Community Service in Ngelang [Accepted]

Sunarto Sunarto (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya)
Heru Santoso Wahito Nugroho (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya)
Suparji Suparji (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya)
Aries Prasetyo (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya)
Cantika Puteri Apriliana (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Jun 2026

Abstract

Ngelang Village in Kartoharjo District, Magetan Regency, has been designated a Disaster Resilient Village (Destana). However, its capacity to handle health crises remains limited, marked by weak coordination, the absence of an emergency command structure, and minimal training and simulation. The community service activity employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach and involved 34 participants. Needs identification resulted in four priorities: establishing a command structure, developing a contingency plan, updating health vulnerability data, and creating a risk and vulnerability map. Intensive training was conducted over four days, totaling 30 training hours (JPL). The average pre-test score of 77.07 increased to 86.4 in the post-test, but decreased to 81.03 after one month, indicating challenges in knowledge retention. Participation was high, with over 59% of responses in the excellent category. Weaknesses were still evident in discussion engagement and problem-identification skills. Reflection showed that material understanding and practical skills were in the moderate category, while engagement was relatively high. The PAR intervention was effective in increasing knowledge and participation; however, the sustainability of the results requires strengthening retention strategies. Active participant involvement is crucial, but improvements are needed in discussion and problem analysis. The village government is committed to allocating the village budget (APBDes) for evacuation facilities, outreach, and regular simulations. The Destana Forum has agreed to make the training a regular biennial program and establish collaborations with health and disaster management agencies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

hd

Publisher

Subject

Dentistry Health Professions Immunology & microbiology Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health

Description

Health Dynamics (ISSN: 3006-5518, online) is an open-access journal that publishes Original Research, Case Report, Literature Reviews, Short Communications, Commentary, Opinion, Book Review, Letter to Editor, and Scientific News in the areas of public health, medicine, dentistry, human nutrition, ...