Determination of maternal health needs of pregnant women after a destructive earthquake

Determination of Maternal Health Needs of Pregnant Women After a Destructive Earthquake This descriptive study was conducted to identify the maternal health needs of pregnant women following a devastating earthquake. The research took place between 15 August - 15 December 2023 among pregnant women impacted by the earthquake in the Hatay region. The study population consisted of pregnant women in Hatay, with a sample size calculated using simple random sampling aiming to reach at least 323 women who met the inclusion criteria. The study was completed with 346 pregnant woman. Participants included women who voluntarily joined the study, understood and spoke Turkish, were open to cooperation, had been experienced by the earthquake during pregnancy, and were in any trimester. Women with sensory impairments (vision or hearing loss), those who provided incomplete or inadequate information, and those with high-risk pregnancies were excluded. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a "Personal Information Form" and the "Maternal Health Needs Scale," and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0, with a significance threshold of 0.05. The average age of pregnant women is 29.64±5.14. It was determined that 75.1% of the pregnant women were working, and 66.2% had a middle-income level. The mean total score of the Maternal Health Needs Scale is 100.67±9.72. In the study, a statistically significant difference was found between the variables of the pregnant women's educational status, employment status, family type, health insurance status, number of living children, planning status of the current pregnancy and participation in the birth preparation class before the earthquake, and the total scores of the Maternal Health Needs Scale (p<0, 05). As a result of this research, it was determined that the maternal health needs of pregnant women are at a high level. Maternal health needs are higher for pregnant women who have a high level of education, work, live in a nuclear family, have social security, have fewer than three children, have an unplanned pregnancy, and attend a birth preparation class before the earthquake. In this regard, it is important to evaluate the maternal needs of pregnant women after natural disasters and prioritize them in disaster management strategies. Keywords: Earthquake, Maternal Health, Need and demand, Pregnancy