Citation

Luht-Kallas K, Laanemaa E, Taukar M, Hatšaturjan A, Kapura J, Kibar T, Põld M. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 2023; 97: e104014.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.104014

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This research aims to assess the comprehensibility of SMS warnings in three languages and explore effective communication strategies for conveying vital information during emergencies. The study focuses on understanding the impact of linguistic elements on different language communities. The findings will contribute to the development of recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of warning communication through SMS. The study gathered feedback from a sample of 6909 participants, who were recruited through various media platforms, including Facebook. Participants provided their consent via LimeSurvey survey tool to protect their data. A test message was sent to 6597 participants nationwide, with feedback received from 5028 individuals. The results indicated that 96% of respondents read the message immediately upon noticing it. However, it is important to note that this self-selecting sampling method may not represent the general population, and therefore, extrapolation of the results or probability analyses cannot be conducted. The reliance on social media for participant recruitment resulted in an under-representation of non-internet and non-social media users, which may affect the perception of threats conveyed through notifications. The research was conducted in four stages: preparation, message delivery, feedback collection, and data analysis. The nationwide message was trilingual (Estonian, Russian in Latin characters, and English), while regional messages varied in script used and also the order of languages. The data was collected through LimeSurvey from November 29th to December 10th, 2022. This study sheds light on comprehensibility of trilingual SMS warnings and identifies areas for improvement. The findings provide valuable insights for improving crisis communication practices and optimising the effectiveness of SMS alerts in emergencies.

Language: en