Development of a psychological preparedness scale for elementary school students (C-PPDTS) and a preliminary evaluation of a disaster education program

Abstract Background Disaster risk reduction (DRR) education is essential to protecting children from increasingly severe hydrometeorological events. Traditional DRR education often relies on fear appeals that can induce overwhelming anxiety in children. Psychological preparedness—the ability to anticipate and manage one’s psychological responses to disaster threats—complements threat-focused instruction. However, no validated tool exists to assess it in middle childhood. We aimed to develop a psychological preparedness scale for Japanese elementary school students and conduct a preliminary evaluation of a hybrid DRR intervention. Methods In Study 1, 24 candidate items for the Child Version of the Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (C-PPDTS) were developed for typhoon threats and administered to 398 students in grades 4–6. We examined dimensionality with parallel analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis comparing competing models, and evaluated internal consistency and known-groups validity. In Study 2, 67 fourth-grade students participated in a 90-minute classroom intervention combining a video-based typhoon simulation (“Ametore”) with cognitive-behavioral psychoeducation. C-PPDTS score changes were evaluated with a paired-samples t -test in a single-group pre-post design. Results Exploratory and confirmatory analyses revealed an essentially unidimensional structure. After removing one redundant item, the 23-item one-factor model demonstrated good fit (CFI = 0.970, RMSEA = 0.066) and high internal consistency ( α = 0.96; ω = 0.97). Students who discussed disaster response with their families scored higher (d = 0.72), supporting known-groups validity. In Study 2, C-PPDTS scores increased significantly from pre- to post-test ( d = 0.42). Emotional ratings during the simulation showed a pattern consistent with the intended mechanism—decline toward the threat peak followed by recovery ( p < .001)—and program comprehension was high. Conclusions The C-PPDTS is a 23-item, essentially unidimensional measure of psychological preparedness in middle childhood with preliminary evidence of internal consistency and known-groups validity. Combining immersive threat simulation with coping-focused psychoeducation is a promising preliminary model for school-based disaster education. Given the single-group design, the observed change cannot be attributed to the intervention and requires confirmation in controlled trials. Trial registration Not applicable. Study 2 evaluated an educational program delivered within the regular school curriculum.