TRAUMA LEVELS OF EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS AFFECTED BY KAHRAMANMARAŞ CENTERED EARTHQUAKES AND THE EFFECT OF EXERCİSE ON THEIR COPE WITH TRAUMA

Abstract

The purpose of this study; The aim is to examine the trauma levels of earthquake victims affected by earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş and the effect of exercise on coping with trauma. A total of 208 individuals, including 130 women and 78 men, living in the impact area of the earthquake that took place in Kahramanmaraş in February 2023, voluntarily participated in the research. Mixed research method was used in this research. 'Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale' developed by Tanhan and Kayri (2013) and a 5-item interview form prepared by taking expert opinion were used as data collection tools. The qualitative data obtained was coded by the researcher. Quantitative data were examined using the SPSS 22 package program. In the analysis of the data, percentage and frequency were used for demographic variables, t-test was used for gender, loss of life, participation in sports activities before and after the earthquake, and ANOVA test was used for age, education level, damage status and place of residence variables. Additionally, Pearson Correlation test and Two-Stage Cluster Analysis tests were also used. As a result of the research, differences were observed in the variables of gender, age, place of residence, participation in sports activities before the earthquake and damage status. It was determined that the trauma scores of the individuals in the research group after the earthquake were quite high. A significant relationship was found between the sub-dimensions of the post-earthquake trauma level determination scale and the total score. In conclusion; It reveals that earthquakes have a traumatic effect on people and that this effect may vary depending on different factors. While it was observed that exercise had positive effects on coping with the trauma caused by the earthquake, it was observed that some participants could not continue their exercise activities after the earthquake and had difficulty in overcoming their post-earthquake trauma. These results show that access to exercise activities should be increased in order to reduce the effects of post-earthquake trauma and contribute to the recovery of earthquake victims.