Examination of disaster volunteers' physical activity levels and psychological resistance

This study aims to examine the physical activity levels and psychological resilience of disaster volunteers. Disasters are crises that threaten individuals' physical and mental health, disrupt social order, and challenge coping capacities. The active involvement of volunteers in disaster management enhances the effectiveness of post-disaster processes; however, the intense physical workload and psychological pressure they experience make it necessary to assess their physical activity and psychological resilience levels. In this context, the study investigates differences according to volunteers' demographic characteristics and draws inferences regarding their roles and performance in disaster processes. The research group consists of 330 disaster volunteers with varying demographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, education, and employment status. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)–Short Form was used to determine participants' physical activity levels, and the Psychological Resilience Scale (PRS) was used to measure their psychological resilience levels. According to the results, the physical activity levels of disaster volunteers were generally found to be moderate. There were no significant differences in physical activity levels based on gender, age, or education (p>0.05). In contrast, significant differences in psychological resilience were found according to marital status, sleep duration, and disaster training (p<0.05). Single volunteers had higher psychological resilience scores compared to married individuals, and those who had received disaster training demonstrated stronger scores in certain sub-dimensions of resilience. These findings indicate that for disaster volunteers to perform effectively in disaster management processes, they should be supported not only with technical knowledge and skills but also with physical and psychological competencies. Encouraging regular physical activity can help volunteers better cope with physical challenges in disaster settings, while training and support programs aimed at enhancing psychological resilience are crucial for stress management and sustainable performance during disaster response. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of training programs for disaster volunteers, the strengthening of psychosocial support mechanisms, and the improvement of the overall effectiveness of the volunteer system.