Investigation of mothers' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on technology use and nutritional behaviors of children staying in temporary housing

Aim: This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of mothers living in container settlements regarding their children's nutritional habits and technology use. Material and Method: The population of this cross-sectional study consists of mothers with children residing in Malet 1-2, Teknokent, Mabek, and Yeni Hayat Container Cities, which receive health services under the responsibility of Community Health Centers affiliated with the Battalgazi and Yeşilyurt District Health Directorates in Malatya city center following the disaster. The sample size was calculated as 176 participants with a 95% confidence level and 80% power. The data collection tool is a three-part questionnaire. The first part includes socio-demographic information of the mothers and children, the second part utilizes the BSATÖ, and the third part utilizes the TKETÖ. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis Variance Analysis were employed for statistical analysis. Results: The study determined that the vast majority of mothers (93.2%) owned a smartphone and that technology use increased in 49.4% of mothers and 59.7% of children following the disaster. While no significant relationship was found between maternal age, educational level, occupation, family type, or income and the behavioral sub-dimension of the TKETÖ; it was found that the use of technology for work, social media, and WhatsApp, as well as the increase in technology use post-disaster, were associated with behavioral attitudes. BSATÖ total scores did not show significant differences across most sociodemographic and lifestyle variables; however, it was determined that mothers who consumed snacks had higher attitude scores regarding the nutritional process. Conclusion: The findings indicate that children's technology use and nutritional behaviors in container settlements after an earthquake are associated with mothers' technology use habits and feeding attitudes. Therefore, planning family-based, multidisciplinary support and education programs that address both nutrition and technology literacy together is considered essential in the post-disaster period. Keyword: Mothers, Nutritional behavior, Preschool children, Technology use, Temporary housing.