Investigation of the General Health Status of Health Care Workers Involved in Disaster Relief in the Kermanshah Earthquake, in the West of Iran

In recent decades, natural disasters and their consequences on human societies have been increasing. Disasters can have negative impacts on the general health of individuals, especially health care workers involved in disaster relief.

This study aimed to investigate the general health status of health care workers involved in the Kermanshah earthquake in the west of Iran.

This cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted in 2019-2020 on health care workers (n=242) who were selected based on the convenience sampling method. The study instruments included the demographic characteristics form and the General Health Standard Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The data (descriptive and inferential statistics) were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22).

The mean±SD score obtained by the participants (using the questionnaire) was 26.43±12.18. Based on the results, the participants had a moderate condition in terms of the mean score of physical complaints, anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression, and a desirable condition in terms of the mean score of social dysfunction. There was a significant relationship between gender, work experience, and job category with the general health status of the participants (P<0.05).

Disasters can have negative consequences on the general health status of workers in the affected regions. The results of this study can be used to develop preventive and therapeutic interventional strategies to promote general health, especially the mental health of people working in the health care sector, to improve their quality of life and performance (in providing disaster relief services), especially during the crises such as earthquakes.