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The Effect of Health Workers’ Earthquake Anxiety Levels on Perceived Stress and Work-Family Conflict: A Study of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake in Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2025

Fedayi Yağar Open the ORCID record for Fedayi Yağar [Opens in a new window] ,
Ahmet Tunç Open the ORCID record for Ahmet Tunç [Opens in a new window] ,
Sema Dökme Yağar Open the ORCID record for Sema Dökme Yağar [Opens in a new window]  and
Emine Gerçek Open the ORCID record for Emine Gerçek [Opens in a new window]
Fedayi Yağar*
Affiliation:
Kahramanmaraş Sütcü Imam University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
Ahmet Tunç
Affiliation:
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Political Science and Public Administration, Çanakkale, Turkey
Sema Dökme Yağar
Affiliation:
Kahramanmaraş Sütcü Imam University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
Emine Gerçek
Affiliation:
Kahramanmaraş Sütcü Imam University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Fedayi Yağar; Email: fedayiyagar@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Objective

Health workers are one of the work groups that have the biggest role in overcoming the crises that occur with disasters. It is very critical for health care workers to be healthy, happy and productive both for overcoming crises with minimal damage and for a healthy society. This study aimed to examine the anxiety levels of health care workers after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake and to evaluate the effect of earthquake anxiety on the level of perceived stress and work-family conflict.

Methods

It is a cross-sectional study. The sample of this study, which was conducted approximately 9 months after the earthquake, consisted of 150 health care workers working in a private hospital in Gaziantep.

Results

It was observed that the post-earthquake anxiety levels of health care workers were above average. It has been found that earthquake anxiety significantly affects both perceived stress and the level of work-family conflict. Additionally, it was determined that the explanatory nature of the model increased by 4.5% with the inclusion of perceived stress and educational level on the effect of earthquake anxiety on work-family conflict.

Conclusions

More research is needed to evaluate the mental state of health care workers after the earthquake, to ensure positive development and to put forward appropriate strategies.

Keywords

anxietyearthquakeperceived stresswork-family conflict
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 19 , 2025 , e87
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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