Assessment of Health Problems Among Survivors of the 2023 Turkey Earthquakes With Magnitudes 7.8 and 7.5 Using the Omaha System

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2026 Feb 4:20:e28. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2026.10308.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the health problems of individuals who survived the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake according to the Omaha System.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Adıyaman, Türkiye, and included 297 earthquake survivors. Data were collected using the Problem Classification Scheme of the Omaha System.

Results: The majority of individuals who survived the earthquake were women and had at least one chronic disease. Of the 42 problems listed in the Omaha Problem Classification Scheme, 38 were identified. Most of the identified problems were actual and individual-level issues. Income, Sanitation, Residence, Living/workplace safety, Communication with community resources, Communicable/infectious condition, and Nutrition problems were identified in all earthquake survivors.

Conclusions: The Omaha System provides nurses with pertinent data to organize health services and prioritize interventions in the post-disaster period. The problems identified highlight the urgent need to improve health and living conditions in temporary shelters.

Keywords: Omaha System; disaster; earthquake; health problems; nursing.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Earthquakes* / mortality
  • Earthquakes* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Survivors* / psychology
  • Survivors* / statistics & numerical data
  • Turkey / epidemiology