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The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a disaster preparedness communication curriculum for public health graduate students' understanding and use of communication strategies for reaching vulnerable groups with preparedness messages.

A training module was piloted in a health communication seminar in 2008 (n=9 students) and 2009 (n=15 students). The interactive module included lectures, videos, case study discussions, and disaster plan and message development. Students gave presentations to a panel of risk communication specialists from the university and state health department.

Analysis of Likert‐type pre/post‐survey items showed significant improvement in students' knowledge about disaster communication and confidence regarding use of communication principles to develop clear messages (p<0.05). In response to open‐ended questions, students reported enjoying the “practical experience of developing messages” and learning the “importance of media and health professionals working together”.

This pilot evaluation involved a relatively small sample of students. Although students were assured that all survey responses would remain anonymous, social desirability may have played a role in their written responses.

The educational module appears to be effective in engaging public health students in disaster communication strategies for reaching vulnerable populations. Studying effective communication strategies well before a disaster situation occurs will help to anticipate community‐specific communication needs and reduce concern.

The instructional approach and content developed could be adapted for training health care and public health professionals to communicate effectively in planning for and responding to disaster situations.

The purpose of this paper is to assess how college students received and responded to H1N1 pandemic emergency preparedness information and to assess college students’ knowledge and attitudes towards H1N1 during the height of the H1N1 epidemic and corresponding public health response to the outbreak.

Using a case study approach, the researchers conducted five focus groups at a large Southeastern US university between October 20‐29, 2009.

In order to effectively communicate emergency preparedness information to college students, universities should rely on interpersonal communication and mediated communication from trusted sources. College students need to understand the health‐related emergency, the risk of the emergency, basic steps to avoid it, and only pertinent cues to action. Oversaturation of this information can lead college students to lessen their perceived importance of the disaster prevention information.

Focus groups were conducted during only two consecutive weeks of the H1N1 epidemic, and snowball sampling may have led to sample bias.

This research was conducted during the height of the H1N1 pandemic, and is the only study to date that explores college students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards H1N1.