In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of women’s perceptions of psychological power related to gender roles on their disaster risk perceptions.

This cross-sectional and descriptive study was planned in a correlational design. The study was completed with 272 people who met the inclusion criteria. Data for the study were collected between February 21, 2024 and March 7, 2024. The Independent sample t test was used for the comparison of two independent groups and one way analysis of variance was used for the comparison of two or more unrelated groups. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between numerical variables.

Women who had previously experienced a disaster were found to have higher scores on the strength/advocacy, threat, anxiety, and disaster risk perception scale than those who had not. A moderate positive correlation was found between the increase in women’s perceptions of psychological power and their perceptions of threat, controllability, anxiety levels, and disaster risk perceptions, while a low negative correlation was found with their perceptions of fatalism.

It was concluded that women’s psychological strength affects disaster risk perception. Psychological empowerment of women is thought to be important in ensuring disaster resilience.

This systematic review aims to identify the theoretical-based frameworks and content of disaster training programs for nurses worldwide.

This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines across 5 databases: Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Studies were selected on disaster training programs for nurses and published within the past decade.

This systematic review analyzed 14 studies that utilized a variety of theoretical-based disaster nursing training programs. Among the theoretical frameworks identified, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) framework emerged as the most frequently applied, likely due to its global applicability and comprehensive approach in disaster training programs. In contrast, other frameworks—such as the Bioterrorism Guidelines and Infectious Disease Response Guidelines from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Malkina-Pykh Mixed Model, the World Health Organization (WHO) framework, and the National League for Nurses/Laerdal Simulation Model, and others—were each used only once.

These findings suggest the ICN framework’s potential to serve as a leading model for the development of future disaster training programs. Achieving an optimal balance of theory, practice, and evidence-based content is crucial for preparing nurses to respond effectively to disasters.

Wildfire smoke causes respiratory health concerns. The study estimates respiratory hospitalization risk from wildfires, determines distance to a hospital, and identifies concentrations of smoke-sensitive groups far from a hospital to facilitate public health and emergency preparedness in Oregon using spatial analysis.

Statistically significant environmental factors were identified with regression and used with wildfire and pollution concentrations to predict respiratory hospitalizations. A weighted overlay of the significant factors formed a statewide risk layer. Proximity to the hospital nearest to each Census block was determined by driving distance. Clusters of smoke-sensitive groups, determined by relevant Census demographics, were identified through a Hot Spot Analysis.

This process allowed for highlighting locations of smoke-sensitive groups in areas at high risk for respiratory hospitalization from wildfire smoke who were far from a hospital. The results allow local officials to identify the type and magnitude of needs they can expect in the event of a wildfire.

The results demonstrate a process to facilitate wildfire preparedness in Oregon. This process could be adapted to inform wildfire resilience strategies in other regions facing similar challenges, such as California. Understanding local needs allows officials to target communications more effectively, stage resources more efficiently, and identify gaps that can be addressed before a disaster strikes.

The aim was to deeply examine the opinions of volunteers who took part in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye on February 6, 2023, regarding the use of social media during the disaster period.

The study was designed as qualitative research. Because it was planned to examine the participant experiences in depth, the phenomenological design was employed in the study. Study data were collected from individuals who had earthquake experience through a semi-structured interview form between May 2023 and July 2023.

In line with the data obtained, 2 themes were created: “social media content and communication analysis” and “social media impact analysis and results.” It was found that for information seeking, information sharing, or interaction during disasters, Twitter (X), Instagram, and WhatsApp were the most preferred social media platforms, respectively. Participants mentioned that posts related to disaster during times of disasters have an impact on their emotions. It was determined that the proper use and correct management of social media tools in times of earthquakes affect coordination and relief efforts.

It was concluded that the type of content shared during earthquake times affects both disaster victims and other individuals of the society positively or negatively.

This systematic literature review explores the applications of social network platforms for disaster health care management and resiliency and investigates their potential to enhance decision-making and policy formulation for public health authorities during such events.

A comprehensive search across academic databases yielded 90 relevant studies. Utilizing qualitative and thematic analysis, the study identified the primary applications of social network data analytics during disasters, organizing them into 5 key themes: communication, information extraction, disaster Management, Situational Awareness, and Location Identification.

The findings highlight the potential of social networks as an additional tool to enhance decision-making and policymaking for public health authorities in disaster settings, providing a foundation for further research and innovative approaches in this field.

However, analyzing social network data has significant challenges due to the massive volume of information generated and the prevalence of misinformation. Moreover, it is important to point out that social network users do not represent individuals without access to technology, such as some elderly populations. Therefore, relying solely on social network data analytics is insufficient for effective disaster health care management. To ensure efficient disaster management and control, it is necessary to explore alternative sources of information and consider a comprehensive approach.

This study aimed to examine the effect of volunteers’ health behaviors and disaster preparedness on disaster attitudes.

The sample comprised 378 volunteers aged 18 to 30 who were affiliated with the largest volunteer network in a non-governmental organization in Turkey. In the study, data were collected with Descriptive Information Form, the Disaster Preparedness Scale, and the Disaster Attitude Scale.

The mean total score of the participants in the Disaster Attitude Scale was 3.06 ± 0.73 (1-5). The mean total scale score of the participants in the Disaster Preparedness Scale was 33.21 ± 8.02 (13-54). Notably, factors such as using alcohol, the status of general health checkups status, and scores on the physical protection and assistance subscales the Disaster Preparedness Scale were significantly associated with the Disaster Attitude Scale total score (P < 0.05).

In this study, regular general health check-ups, alcohol use in general, and physical protection and assistance sub-scales are critical determinants of volunteers’ attitudes toward disasters. The disaster volunteers, health professionals particularly nurses, should develop training programs to enhance volunteers’ disaster attitudes focusing on promoting disaster preparedness and positive health behaviors in both governmental and non-governmental organizations.

A useful way to prepare the public for disasters is to teach them where to get information. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability and appropriateness of the content of websites prepared for the public on disaster preparedness.

In September-October 2022, we evaluated 95 disaster preparedness websites (intended for the public) using the Ateşman Readability Index, JAMA criteria, DISCERN, and a new researcher-created content comparison form. Evaluation scores were compared according to information sources.

Of the websites included in the research, 45.2% represented government institutions (GIG), 38.0% non-profit organizations (NPOG), 8.4% municipal organizations (MOG), and 8.4% other organizations (OG). Those which scored above average on the websites were 36.8% on the content evaluation, 51.6% on the DISCERN scale, 53.7% on the Ateşman Readability Index, and 55.8% on the JAMA criteria. The content evaluation form showed that the scores of the websites belonging to the MOG were higher than the scores of the other websites. Others group websites also scored higher than altered websites on the JAMA criteria.

The study revealed that websites created to increase public knowledge on disaster preparedness are not good enough in terms of readability, quality, and content.

The aim of this study was to develop the Nurse Competency Assessment Scale in Disaster Management (NCASDM) and to conduct psychometric evaluation.

It is a scale development study. Research data were collected between January and May 2023. In the sample of the study, as stated in the literature, it was aimed to reach at least 10 times the number of draft scale items (n = 600). The psychometric properties of the scale were tested with 697 nurses working in four different hospitals. A three-stage structure was used in the analysis of data: (1) creating the item pool, (2) preliminary evaluation of items, (3) refining of the scale and evaluation of psychometric properties. The content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and temporal stability of the scale were evaluated according to the scale development guidelines.

The scale items were obtained from online, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews conducted with nurses who experienced disasters or worked in disasters. The content validity index of the scale was found to be 0.95. According to the exploratory factor analysis, it was found that the scale consisted of 43 items and two subscales, and the subscales explained 79.094% of the total variance. The compliance indices obtained as a result of confirmatory factor analysis were acceptable and at good levels.

The NCASDM was found to be a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement tool. It can be used to evaluate the competency of nurses related to disaster management.

This study was conducted to determine the relationships between nurses’ competency, motivation, and stress levels in disaster management, as well as to shed light on the establishment of effective disaster management programs.

In our research we used a correlational, descriptive, cross-sectional design. The sample of the study was composed of 498 nurses working in Turkey. The “Descriptive and Professional Characteristics and Disaster Experiences of Nurses” form, the “Competencies for Disaster Nursing Management Questionnaire,” the “Perceived Stress Scale,” and the “Nurses Job Motivation Scale” were used in data collection.

Nurses’ disaster management competency and motivation levels were found to be adequate, and their stress levels were found to be moderate. A weak positive correlation was found between disaster management competency and motivation, but a weak negative correlation was found between stress levels. Age, education level, experience level, training in disaster nursing, and knowledge of duties and responsibilities in disasters were associated with significant differences in terms of disaster competency and its dimensions, motivation, and stress levels.

The study found that nurses’ disaster experiences impacted their competency, feeling of preparedness, and stress and motivation levels, and motivation was found to be a predictor of increasing competency.

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents require meticulous preparedness, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study evaluated CBRN response operational flowcharts, tabletop training scenarios methods, and a health sector preparedness assessment tool specific to the MENA region.

An online Delphi survey engaging international disaster medicine experts was conducted. Content validity indices (CVIs) were used to validate the items. Consensus metrics, including interquartile ranges (IQRs) and Kendall’s W coefficient, were utilized to assess the panelists’ agreement levels. Advanced artificial intelligence computing methods, including sentiment analysis and machine-learning methods (t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding [t-SNE] and k-means), were used to cluster the consensus data.

Forty experts participated in this study. The item-level CVIs for the CBRN response flowcharts, preparedness assessment tool, and tabletop scenarios were 0.96, 0.85, and 0.84, respectively, indicating strong content validity. Consensus analysis demonstrated an IQR of 0 for most items and a strong Kendall’s W coefficient, indicating a high level of agreement among the panelists. The t-SNE and k-means identified four clusters with greater European response engagement.

This study validated essential CBRN preparedness and response tools using broad expert consensus, demonstrating their applicability across different geographic areas.

This study evaluates the Emergency Medical Service system and overall emergency preparedness by analyzing ambulance-transported patients during the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, focusing on those without earthquake-related injuries (medical emergencies and traumas not caused by earthquakes).

A retrospective, observational case series was conducted, involving patients aged 18 and above transported by ambulance between February 6 and March 6, 2023. Patient demographic characteristics, vital signs, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes were recorded. Predisposing factors for ambulance transportation including post-earthquake health facility issues, housing problems, hygiene, heating, and smoke exposure were meticulously analyzed.

The study included 1872 patients, with a 55.4% hospitalization rate and a 13.7% mortality rate. Cardiovascular emergencies were the primary reason for admission (28.9%). Patients from the hospital in the study’s location form Group 1, whereas those from other earthquake-affected provinces constitute Group 2. Significant predisposing factors for ambulance transportation included post-earthquake health facilities (P < 0.001), housing problems (P < 0.001), hygiene (P < 0.001), heating (P = 0.001), and smoke exposure (P < 0.001). In Group 2, pneumonia (P = 0.001), soft tissue infection (P = 0.002), sepsis (P = 0.004), carbon monoxide poisoning (P < 0.001), and diabetic emergencies (P = 0.013) were statistically significantly more frequent.

Analyzing post-earthquake ambulance-transported patients is vital to comprehend the demand for emergency health care and address post-disaster health care challenges.

It is of critical importance to determine the factors that contribute to nurses’ disaster preparedness. This study aimed to examine nurses’ perceptions of disaster preparedness and the factors affecting it.

This descriptive study was conducted with 464 nurses working in the East Marmara region of Türkiye. The data were collected online using the “Personal Information Form,” “The Scale of Perception of Disaster Preparedness on Nurses,” and the “Adult Motivation Scale.” Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors.

It was found that nurses possessed a high level of perceived disaster preparedness, influenced by individual disaster preparedness, status of receiving disaster-related training, willingness to respond in the case of a disaster, disaster plan awareness, experience with caring for disaster victims, extrinsic motivation, and general motivation.

The results of the study offer evidence that can be implemented by managers and educators to better prepare nurses for disasters. Hospital administrators and policy makers should consider the factors affecting nurses’ perception of disaster preparedness to develop solutions for such disasters.