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Toward a Better Nutritional Aiding in Disasters: Relying on Lessons Learned during the Bam Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2017

Mahmoud Nekouie Moghadam
Affiliation:
Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammadreza Amiresmaieli
Affiliation:
Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammad Hassibi
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Farideh Doostan
Affiliation:
Physiology Research Center, Department of Nutrition, School of Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Sajad Khosravi*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care Management, School of Public Health, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran
*
Correspondence: Department of Health Care Management School of Public Health Bam University of Medical Sciences Bam, Iran E-mail: khosravi.sajad@yahoo.com

Abstract

Introduction

Examining various problems in the aftermath of disasters is very important to the disaster victims. Managing and coordinating food supply and its distribution among the victims is one of the most important problems after an earthquake. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to recognize problems and experiences in the field of nutritional aiding during an earthquake.

Methods

This qualitative study was of phenomenological type. Using the purposive sampling method, 10 people who had experienced nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake (Iran; 2003) were interviewed. Colaizzi’s method of analysis was used to analyze interview data.

Results

The findings of this study identified four main categories and 19 sub-categories concerning challenges in the nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake. The main topics included managerial, aiding, infrastructural, and administrative problems.

Conclusions

The major problems in nutritional aiding include lack of prediction and development of a specific program of suitable nutritional pattern and nutritional assessment of the victims in critical conditions. Forming specialized teams, educating team members about nutrition, and making use of experts’ knowledge are the most important steps to resolve these problems in the critical conditions; these measures are the duties of the relevant authorities.

Nekouie MoghadamM, AmiresmaieliM, HassibiM, DoostanF, KhosraviS. Toward a Better Nutritional Aiding in Disasters: Relying on Lessons Learned during the Bam Earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):382–386.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2017 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: The authors have no disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

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