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This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Disaster Resilience Measuring Tool (DRMT-C19).
Methods
The research was a methodological, psychometric study. Standard translation processes were performed. Face validity and content validity were determined along with construct and convergent validity. To determine the final version of the questionnaire, 483 health care rescuers were selected using a consecutive sampling method. Other resilience-related questionnaires were used to assess concurrent validity. All quantitative data analyses were conducted using SPSS 22 and Jamovi 2.3.28 software.
Results
The content validity and reliability were indicated using Scale’s Content Validity Ratio (S-CVR) = 0.92 and Scale’s Content Validity Index (S-CVI) = 0.93. The comprehensiveness of the measurement tool = 0.875%. Cronbach’s α = 0.89 and the test re-test reliability using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) = 0.68 to 0.92. Exploratory factor analysis determined 4 factors which accounted for more than 58.54% of the variance among the items. Confirmatory factor analysis determined 12 factors. The concurrent validity between the DRMT-C19 and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was r = 0.604 (P ≤ 0.0001).
Conclusions
The DRMT-C19 has satisfactory psychometric properties and is a valid, reliable, and valuable tool for assessing resilience against disasters in Iran’s Persian-speaking health care rescuers.
Natural disasters are frequent occurrences worldwide and can influence fertility preferences. This study aimed to assess the impact of disaster preparedness training on the disaster readiness levels of women of reproductive age and their fertility and childbearing attitudes.
Methods
The study employed a classic experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group. The sample consisted of women of reproductive age in Turkey, determined through the G-Power 3.1.9.7 program, with intervention (n = 88) and control (n = 88) groups totaling 176 participants. Data were collected using a “Preliminary Evaluation Form,” “Descriptive Information Form,” “Disaster Preparedness Scale (DPS),” and “Attitudes Toward Fertility and Childbearing Scale (AFCS).”
Results
In the intervention group, the post-test scores significantly increased for the DPS and the AFCS sub-scale on the importance of fertility for the future (P<0.05).
Conclusions
The study found that disaster preparedness training provided to women of reproductive age improved their disaster readiness levels. Following the training, the women’s knowledge about physical protection during disasters, assistance in disasters, and disaster warnings and systems also increased. Additionally, the training enhanced the positive attitudes of these women toward childbearing.
Located on the North Anatolian Fault, Constantinople was frequently shaken by earthquakes over the course of its history. This book discusses religious responses to these events between the fourth and the tenth century AD. The church in Constantinople commemorated several earthquakes that struck the city, prescribing an elaborate liturgical rite celebrated annually for each occasion. These rituals were means by which city-dwellers created meaning from disaster and renegotiated their relationships to God and the land around them in the face of its most destabilizing ecological characteristic: seismicity. Mark Roosien argues that ritual and theological responses to earthquakes shaped Byzantine conceptions of God and the environment and transformed Constantinople's self-understanding as the capital of the oikoumene and center of divine action in history. The book enhances our understanding of Byzantine Christian religion and culture, and provides a new, interdisciplinary framework for understanding Byzantine views of the natural world.
In responding to a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear explosive (CBRNe) disaster, clinical leaders have important decision-making responsibilities which include implementing hospital disaster protocols or incident command systems, managing staffing, and allocating resources. Despite emergency care clinical leaders’ integral role, there is minimal literature regarding the strategies they may use during CBRNe disasters. The aim of this study was to explore emergency care clinical leaders’ strategies related to managing patients following a CBRNe disaster.
Methods
Focus groups across 5 tertiary hospitals and 1 rural hospital in Queensland, Australia. Thirty-six hospital clinical leaders from the 6 study sites crucial to hospital disaster response participated in 6 focus groups undertaken between February and May 2021 that explored strategies and decision making to optimize patient care following a CBRNe disaster.
Results
Analysis revealed the use of rehearsals, adopting new models of care, enacting current surge management processes, and applying organization lessons were facilitating strategies. Barriers to management were identified, including resource constraints and sites operating over capacity.
Conclusions
Enhanced education and training of clinical leaders, flexible models of care, and existing established processes and tested frameworks could strengthen a hospital’s response when managing patients following a CBRNe disaster.
The question of how should I live has special resonance in the Anthropocene, which threatens virtually everything we care about. This chapter answers this question by saying that I should live in a way that expresses my values, and that these values should be directed towards making the world better. In practice this means living car-free if possible, avoiding airplane travel, eating a plant-based diet, and having few, if any, children. In addition to living this way, we should try to change law and policy, and support individuals in their efforts to live in this way. Yet, no matter how much we may succeed, we will inevitably live with change and perhaps even disaster. These present threats to living a meaningful life, but they are also the elements from which meaning and joy must be forged.
Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs) pose significant challenges to health care systems, especially regarding emergency preparedness and response. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and burden of MCIs in Spain from 2014 to 2022, focusing on the type, frequency, and impact of these incidents on public health and emergency services.
Methods
A population-based retrospective observational study examined MCIs in Spain between January 2014 and December 2022. Data were collected from various emergency services. Incidents involving 4 or more victims requiring medical assistance and ambulance mobilization were included. The study categorized MCIs into 5 types: road traffic accidents, fires and explosions, chemical poisonings, maritime accidents, and others.
Results
A total of 1618 MCIs resulting in 8556 victims were identified, averaging 15 (95% CI, 11-19) incidents per month, with 79% due to road traffic accidents and 13% to fires and explosions, which also had the highest average of 7.6 victims per incident. Despite maritime accidents comprising only 1.9% of incidents, they had the highest fatality rate. MCIs were more frequent on weekends, in January and July, and between 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The average response time was 38 minutes, with 35% of victims sustaining severe injuries.
Conclusions
Despite a slight decrease in annual MCIs from 2014 to 2022 in Spain, the trend is not statistically significant. The study highlights the need for a national registry and standardized data collection to enhance emergency preparedness and response planning and facilitate the reduction of the MCI burden.
This introductory chapter, encyclopaedic in nature, covers the main aspects of catastrophe (CAT) risk from a qualitative perspective, offering an overview of what will be explored in quantitative terms in the subsequent chapters. It starts with the definition of the fundamental terms and concepts, such as peril, hazard, risk, uncertainty, probability, and CAT model. It then describes the historical development of catastrophe risk science, which was often influenced by the societal impact of some infamous catastrophes. The main periods are as follows: from ancient myths to medieval texts, mathematization (eighteenth and nineteenth centuries) and computerization (twentieth century). Finally, it provides an exhaustive list of perils categorized by their physical origin, including geophysical, hydrological, meteorological, climatological, biological, extraterrestrial, technological, and socio-economic perils. In total, 42 perils are covered, with historical examples and consequences for people and structures discussed for each one of them.
This chapter locates a shift in beginning in the seventh century in which the power to halt quakes began to move away from collective repentance and toward saintly intercession. First, it examines the seventh-century Life of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger, a Syrian pillar saint with ties to Constantinople. It focuses in particular on hymns recorded in the Life for earthquakes that purportedly caused them to cease when sung by the holy man. The chapter shows how seventh-century Byzantines could have constructed the role of the saintly intercessor when faced with natural disasters. Next, it analyzes changes in Constantinople’s earthquake commemoration rite in the eighth century, specifically the introduction of the Theotokos as the city’s chief protection against earthquakes. Eighth-century liturgical editors borrowed from the rites commemorating the enemy invasions of Constantinople in 623, 626, and 717–18, in which the Theotokos was remembered to play a prominent role in protecting the city. It shows how the earthquake commemoration liturgy no longer saw earthquakes as divine judgment against the sin of the city, but as outside threats to the city for which powerful heavenly intercessions were needed.
This chapter discusses how East Roman emperors utilized the theology of divine chastisement, particularly the efficacy accorded to repentance, to their advantage. During the earthquakes of 396 and 447, Emperors Arcadius and Theodosius II, respectively, led mass penitential rituals and performed public acts of humility until the quakes ceased. Such public acts of repentance posed a political risk to emperors since they could appear to confirm their responsibility for the disasters. However, imperial supporters like bishop Severian of Gabala and historian Socrates Scholasticus highlighted the quakes’ cessation rather than their cause, and located the power to halt quakes in the humble prayers of the rulers themselves rather than worshippers as a collective. In the aftermath of these earthquakes, authorities framed Roman emperors as “New Davids” – effective spiritual intercessors as well as military protectors – inaugurating a biblical typology for emperors that would continue throughout Byzantine history.
This chapter concerns Constantinople’s liturgical rite for the commemoration of earthquakes in its original, fifth-century form. Celebrated each year on the anniversary of certain quakes, worshippers ritually reenacted local earthquakes, performing a long, penitential procession that retraced the earthquake evacuation route. The rite was structured by biblical readings, hymns, and prayers that framed the people of Constantinople as the sinful, biblical people of God. In ritual performance, worshippers could envision quakes as manifestations of divine wrath against the sins of the city, and their collective repentance as effective in restoring stability to the earth and balance within the human-environment-divine relationship. After discussing the liturgical rite, its performance, and theology, the chapter locates the origins of its theology of divine chastisement in local homilies and ritual responses to earlier quakes, focusing in particular on the archbishop John Chrysostom’s Constantinopolitan homilies on earthquakes from the early fifth century.
This chapter examines the ways in which Byzantine political and ecclesiastical elites recast local earthquakes as divine blessing upon the city rather than manifestations of divine wrath as evinced in the liturgical commemoration rite. First, it examines a legend that arose in connection with the earthquake of 438 that framed it as a divine theophany. Following the divisive Council of Chalcedon in 451, ecclesiastical authorities in Constantinople’s imperial church used the legend against their miaphysite opponents to cast the quake as divine approval of Constantinople’s political and theological claims. Next, it turns to the earthquake of 557, which partially destroyed the famous church of Hagia Sophia built by the emperor Justinian in 537. Justinian rebuilt the church in 562 and held an elaborate ceremony complete with a liturgy of rededication for the church. This ceremony and its liturgy eschewed the theology of divine chastisement and framed the quake as a temporary setback, an opportunity for Justinian to display his prowess over the destructive effects of nature by rebuilding the church to be more magnificent than before.
This chapter describes how medieval Constantinople ceased to commemorate new local earthquakes on its liturgical calendar and instead crafted new ways of responding liturgically to seismicity. First it discusses new liturgical hymnography added to the commemoration rite for the quake of October 26, 740, and the establishment of that day as an annual “earthquake day” on which worshippers could reflect on natural disaster in the abstract, even as the hymns presented an incoherent set of conflicting theologies of earthquakes. It then examines how earthquakes from the distant past became potent ideological symbols in this period. It concludes with an examination of a prayer from the late eighth century created for use whenever earthquakes struck, a form of liturgical response that came to replace the practice of commemorating new quakes.
Focusing on the physics of the catastrophe process and addressed directly to advanced students, this innovative textbook quantifies dozens of perils, both natural and man-made, and covers the latest developments in catastrophe modelling. Combining basic statistics, applied physics, natural and environmental sciences, civil engineering, and psychology, the text remains at an introductory level, focusing on fundamental concepts for a comprehensive understanding of catastrophe phenomenology and risk quantification. A broad spectrum of perils are covered, including geophysical, hydrological, meteorological, climatological, biological, extraterrestrial, technological and socio-economic, as well as events caused by domino effects and global warming. Following industry standards, the text provides the necessary tools to develop a CAT model from hazard to loss assessment. Online resources include a CAT risk model starter-kit and a CAT risk modelling 'sandbox' with Python Jupyter tutorial. Every process, described by equations, (pseudo)codes and illustrations, is fully reproducible, allowing students to solidify knowledge through practice.
This study aims to identify midwives’ post-earthquake caregiving experiences.
Methods
A phenomenological study was undertaken in May-June 2023. The participants of the study consisted of 15midwives who were included in the study with the purposeful sampling method and volunteered to provide care during the earthquake. Data were collected by an in-depth interview method using a demographic information form and a semi-structured interview form. Thematic analysis was conducted on interview transcripts.
Results
The research identified 2main themes: difficulties in managing midwifery care and the psychological impact of the earthquake on midwives. Challenges included issues with disaster organization, management, and coordination; communication gaps; insufficient medical supplies; harsh environmental conditions; inability to fulfill basic needs; lack of disaster-related knowledge and experience among midwives; and the overall survival conditions of disaster victims. The disaster caused several psychological effects on midwives, including shock, surprise, sadness, confusion, feelings of inadequacy, insomnia upon returning from the disaster area, nightmares, difficulty adapting, guilt about returning, feelings of helplessness, and experiences of loss and mourning.
Conclusions
This study detailed midwives’ experiences during disasters, difficulties, and barriers to effective care. It is crucial to record midwives’ experiences during disasters and use this information and solutions to prepare for future disasters. Disaster preparedness training for midwives should be planned to increase physical and emotional resilience.
This study aimed to examine the effect of disaster preparedness literacy on individual disaster resilience and related factors. The universe of the research consists of individuals between the ages of 18-52. Software packages AMOS 23 and SPSS 26 were used to analyze the study’s data. Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test were used for non-parametric variables, whereas the T test and ANOVA were used for parametric variables. The associations between variables were investigated using correlation analysis and basic linear regression analysis. According to the findings, as disaster literacy increases, individual disaster resilience increases. The individual disaster resilience level of males was higher than that of females, the individual disaster resilience level of married individuals was higher than that of single individuals, and those who have experienced a disaster before have a higher level of individual disaster resilience than those who haven’t experienced a disaster. Males have higher levels of disaster literacy than females. Married individuals have higher disaster literacy levels than singles. As the age increases, the level of individual disaster resilience and disaster literacy increases. It is considered important to develop community-based disaster awareness training programs and strategies to increase individual disaster resilience.
The purpose of this study is to examine the national impact of workplace factors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on mental health experienced by non-physician healthcare workers (HCWs).
Methods
This study consisted of an online sample of non-physician HCWs across the United States, including nurses, medical assistants, and physician assistants. The survey consisted of 93 questions, which included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD-10) scale, questions about COVID-19 vaccination, sources of trusted information, and questions about work environment and training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate associations.
Results
In the final sample (N = 220), (81.8%) reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. Most respondents trusted the CDC’s information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease. Several workplace-related factors that occurred during the pandemic were associated with moderate to high levels of perceived stress, fatigue, and higher risk of developing depression. In particular, concerns about exposing others, experiencing discrimination related to their jobs, and caring for patients who died from COVID-19 were associated with increased perceived stress, depression, and fatigue.
Conclusions
The importance of planning by healthcare facilities should include planning for workplace factors associated with poor mental health among all HCWs.
There are numerous challenges for pet owners in developing countries before, during, and after disasters, comprising poor communication between pet owners and veterinarians for periodic pet check-ups, lack of necessary equipment, lack of proper disaster evacuation training, and a proper shelter to be considered for pets during periods of disasters. In the present letter, a variety of measures and recommendations have been provided, which can be kept in mind throughout the entire disaster management cycle to prevent pet loss.
Following a disaster, a pseudo-epidemic can occur due to redundant and duplicated data caused by infrastructure and information system disruptions. This study aims to investigate whether there have been improvements the post-disaster surveillance system in the comparison of diarrhea incidents between Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia.
Methods
We conducted an analysis of the epidemic-prone disease diarrhea before and during disasters, comparing the data with secondary data from the Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) and the District Health Information System V.02 (DHIS-2).
Results
In central Sulawesi in 2018 and Cianjur in 2022, we observed an upsurge in diarrhea cases in the first week after the disaster. Although diarrhea cases increased after the disaster, they remained within acceptable outbreak criteria. Multiplication and redundant data were detected in the DHIS-2 system in Central Sulawesi, likely leading to erroneous overreporting. Changes in surveillance officers and their personal experiences during the disaster contributed to data inconsistencies. As compared to Central Sulawesi, the DHIS-2 reporting form in Cianjur was simplified as an individual form to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Conclusions
Enhancing valid assessment and conducting thorough investigations are essential to improve surveillance protocols for epidemic-prone diseases following disasters.
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.
Methods:
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.
Results:
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.
Conclusions:
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.