To examine innovative methods of seeking assistance during disasters and crises in vulnerable groups through a systematic review approach.

This study is a systematic review. The necessary data were obtained using relevant keywords from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Embase, ProQuest databases, and the Google Scholar search engine. The study was conducted without any time limitations and using the PRISMA protocol. The CASP tool was used for assessing the quality of the articles.

Of 6002 initial articles, 11 final articles were selected and included in the study. Most of the studies were from Australia, and the most frequently examined vulnerable groups were disabled people and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The basis for the methods and tools used in seeking assistance and managing disasters was the disaster risk reduction programs in communities, which utilized information systems, educational frameworks, communication platforms, and media tools to achieve the goals, considering specific environmental and cultural conditions.

Given the emergency nature of disasters, government commitment and support should be based on the allocation of special resources and the active participation of vulnerable individuals.

Following natural disasters nurses assume a critical role in the provision of primary health care services in container cities. This study aims to reveal the experiences of nurses who voluntarily provided primary health care services in the container city constructed after the earthquake.

This study was conducted using a qualitative study design, and reported following the COREQ guidelines. Interviews were conducted with 9 volunteer nurses between January 11-29, 2024. Study data were collected using a “Personal Information Form” and “Semi-Structured Questionnaire” via in-depth interview technique. Collected data were analyzed with a 6-step thematic analysis method.

Five main themes were featured in the study: “Factors affecting participation in volunteer activities,” “Scope of volunteer services,” “Challenges experienced in volunteer activities,” “Achievements of volunteer activities,” and “Suggestions for improving volunteer services.”

Volunteer nurses have experienced various gains, as well as difficulties, as a result of their container city experiences. Suggestions for improving disaster nursing are instructive in terms of strengthening disaster nursing.

The aims of this study were to field and pilot test the Korean version of the Household Emergency Preparedness Instrument (K-HEPI) and perform psychometric testing of the instrument’s reliability and validity.

The English to Korean translation followed a symmetrical translation approach utilizing a decentered process (i.e., both the source and target languages were considered equally important) focusing on the instruments remaining loyal to the content. After translation, the K-HEPI was field tested with 30 bilingual participants who all reported that the instructions were easy to understand and the items aligned closely with the original English version. The K-HEPI was then pilot tested with 399 Korean-speaking participants in a controlled, before-after study utilizing a disaster preparedness educational intervention.

Confirmatory factor analyses supported the K-HEPI retaining the factor structure of the original English version. The K-HEPI was also found to be psychometrically comparable to the original instrument.

The K-HEPI can validly and reliably assess the disaster preparedness of Korean-speaking populations, enabling clinicians, researchers, emergency management professionals, and policymakers to gather accurate data on disaster preparedness levels in Korean communities, identify gaps in preparedness, develop targeted interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of disaster preparedness interventions over time.

The overall objective of this study is to shed light on the disaster preparedness status of geriatric patients visiting tertiary hospitals in Istanbul while assessing the relationship between frailty scores, self-efficacy, and independence among geriatric patients.

This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Emergency Medicine Departments of 2 tertiary centers in Istanbul. In the survey, health and frailty status, demographics, and earthquake preparedness and planning were assessed. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), and PRISMA-7 score were administered. Contingency tables were constructed to examine the associations between frailty categories and categorical outcomes related to disaster preparedness, self-efficacy, and independence.

A small portion (5.4%) of patients had received earthquake preparedness training. Regarding emergency preparedness, 32.4% had easy access to a list of emergency contacts, and 32.1% knew the location of the emergency kit. A relationship was found between the presence of an earthquake preparedness kit and the CFS and TFI (P<0.005). All the self-efficacy and independence parameters needed during disasters were found to be significantly higher among frailer patients (P<0.005).

Inadequate disaster preparedness, characterized by low self-efficacy and high external dependence, are influenced by frailty. Enhancing disaster preparedness requires identifying and supporting frail individuals.

The objective of this scoping review is to identify the types of EMC provided by humanitarian organizations in response to sudden-onset disasters in Southeast Asia in the last 10 years.

We followed Arskey and O’Malley method and Joanna Briggs Institute guidance. Limited to online-based journal databases (PubMed, Embase, and ProQuest) and ReliefWeb and PreventionWeb for grey literature between 2014 and 2023. Study was performed from January-June 2024.

Finally, 33 studies were included covering 17 disasters (Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, and Myanmar). Fourteen disasters were caused by a single hazard: earthquakes (6, 35.3%), floods (4, 23,5%), cyclones (2, 11.8%), tsunamis (1, 5.9%), and volcanic eruptions, and 3 were multi-hazard: earthquakes and tsunamis (2, 11.8%) and flood and landslide (1, 5.9%). The main services provided were mental health and psychosocial support; assessment, resuscitation, and stabilization; referral and transfer; and health promotion and community engagement.

Humanitarian organizations should prioritize services to meet demands: mental health and psychosocial support; assessment, resuscitation, and stabilization; referral and transfer; and health promotion and community engagement. This can guide national governments in scaling up preparedness and response efforts, ensuring that demands are met at a local level but also aligned with international disaster response.

Widespread disasters can obstruct all external supports and isolate hospitals. This report aimed to extract key preparedness measures from 1 such hospital in Australia, which was flood-affected and cut off from surrounding supports.

Nine interviews with key personnel behind a flood-affected hospital’s evacuation and field hospital setup were conducted, and a narrative analysis of interview transcripts, meeting notes, and published accounts of hospital evacuation was conducted to highlight important preparedness measures for other hospitals.

Findings indicate hospitals should compile a comprehensive list of resources needed to set up a field hospital. The analysis highlighted the importance of effective patient communication and in-transit tracking for safe evacuation, and revealed that staff can be better prepared if trained to expect disruptions and initiate pre-evacuation discharges.

Increase in climate change-driven extreme weather events requires a proportional increase in hospitals’ abilities to respond and adapt. This report points to key measures that can prepare hospitals to move their patients to improvised makeshift field facilities, if no external support is available.

This study aimed to determine the health needs of individuals with non-communicable diseases affected by earthquakes.

The study employed a descriptive and cross-sectional design and was conducted in 3 of the 11 provinces affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes. Data were obtained using an introductory information form and a health needs information form. Percentages, averages, McNemar’s test, and classification and regression tree algorithm for decision tree analysis were used to evaluate the data.

Among the participants, 34.87% had hypertension, 27.95% had diabetes, and 14.12% had asthma. Compared to the pre-earthquake period, the participants’ needs for medication, transportation to hospital, disease-specific nutrition, and social support significantly increased after the earthquake (P<0.05). This study revealed that participants with faced challenges in accessing the medicines, hospitals, medical devices, and disease-specific nutrition required for disease management during the early post-earthquake period, experiencing delays or no access. Among the identified health needs, participants with hypertension and diabetes require access to healthy nutrition, while those with asthma have a heightened need for clean air.

Conducting health screenings in tent cities without requiring individual attendance at health tents and promptly identifying and addressing health needs in the early period are strongly recommended.

The study aimed to develop and validate a short scale of family resilience for disaster scenarios. The Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ-32) was adopted as the foundation for short version development.

The reliability and validity were evaluated using a sample of 1015 participants collected from a population-based cross-sectional study in Hong Kong. A confirmatory factor analysis was employed to scrutinize the factor structure of the short scale. Multivariate regression modeling was adopted to investigate the key determinants that enable families to overcome adversities and disasters.

The Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire Short Version (WFRQ-9) with 9 items demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, including good explanatory power, construct validity, and high internal reliability. The WFRQ-9 presented a robust factor structure, with a 2-layer 3-factor model yielding the best fit. Proactive disaster preparedness and emergency response behaviors, and ample living space increased WFRQ-9 score. Lower education level, residence in government-subsidized housing, and having disabled family members decreased WFRQ-9 score.

The validated WFRQ-9 can be used to measure family resilience in interventions aimed at improving disaster resilience. Moreover, it emphasizes the significance of fostering family resilience for improved adaptation in the face of escalating disaster risks to families and communities worldwide.

Mothers, particularly those who are breastfeeding, as well as their babies are often overlooked populations during natural disasters. Still, the ever-growing frequency and severity of natural disasters in the United States (US) have increased the likelihood that a breastfeeding family will experience a natural disaster. In 2019, 83% of all newborns received breastmilk, and 84% of Americans lived in an area that recently experienced a natural disaster. This scoping review aimed to identify ways to support breastfeeding women, infants, and young children during a natural disaster.

A search was performed using Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and CINHAL databases to identify articles published in the English language from September 2005—September 2023 according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Each article was chosen based on noted inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted per the pre-prepared protocol.

Ten articles were selected for the scoping review, examining key characteristics and recommendations. The authors of the included articles used varying approaches to present the information, and differing approaches to supporting breastfeeding during disasters were observed. Only 3 of the 10 articles were research studies, 3 were editorials, 2 were program descriptions or evaluations, 1 was an education article, and 1 was a report. All articles addressed women, pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and/or young children. All articles addressed hurricanes, and 1 article addressed 2 disasters: a winter storm and a hurricane.

Recommendations include the adoption of breastfeeding women, infants, and young children in disaster plans as a special population with unique needs, integration of breastfeeding support into disaster plans, and training disaster workers to support breastfeeding during disasters.