Willingness of Saudi Health-care Students to Volunteer during Disasters: A Multicenter Study

Objectives: This study aims to measure health-care students' willingness to volunteer in disaster situations during the Hajj season. In addition, it provides an assessment of the barriers that may prevent them from volunteering, as well as their perceptions of the required skills to be able to volunteer and be a part of response teams. Materials and Methods: This multicenter study, using a convenience sample including 774 students from health colleges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was conducted between September 2019 and April 2020. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 21. The variables were expressed in percentages as appropriate. A Chi-squared test was used to determine the association between qualitative variables. Results: This study indicates that 95% of health-care students were willing to volunteer during disasters, especially in wound care, patient follow-up, and triage. Their lack of knowledge and skills was one of the obstacles that affected their willingness to volunteer (55.9%). Of the participants, 79.6% would volunteer during the Hajj season, but family agreement, long distance, and fear of cross-infections were the most significant barriers preventing them from volunteering. Students agreed that cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid skills should be acquired to render assistance. Conclusions: The willingness to volunteer during disasters is high among health-care students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, even though enormous barriers are preventing them from doing so.