title: Impact of disaster on women in Iran and implication for emergency nurses volunteering to provide urgent humanitarian aid relief: A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Men and women are equally affected by disasters, but they experience disaster in different ways. To provide new knowledge and promote women's involvement in all phases of the disaster management, we decided to capture the perspectives and experiences of the women themselves; and to explore the conditions affecting Iranian women after recent earthquake disasters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a qualitative content analysis. Twenty individuals were selected by purposeful sampling and data collected by in-depth, semi-structured interviews analysed qualitatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three main themes were evident reflecting women's status after disaster: individual impacts of disaster, women and family, and women in the community. Participants experienced the emotional impact of loss, disorganisation of livelihood and challenges due to physical injuries. Women experienced changes in family function due to separation and conflicts which created challenges and needed to be managed after the disaster. Their most urgent request was to be settled in their own permanent home. This motivated the women to help reconstruction efforts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clarification of women's need after a disaster can help to mainstream gender-sensitive approaches in planning response and recovery efforts.
authors.affiliation: Birjand Health Qualitative Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. Electronic address: Maryamnakhaee.mn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakhaei
authors.affiliation: University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: hamid.khankeh@ki.se.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Khankeh
authors.affiliation: Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: masoomi-gh@health.gov.ir.
authors.forename: Gholam Reza
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Masoumi
authors.affiliation: University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Mahmaimy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: ZPARSA@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Parsa-Yekta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: lisa.kurland@ki.se.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kurland
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: maaret.castren@sodersjukhuset.se.
authors.forename: Maaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064891:Disaster Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health; D014932:Women's Health Services; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Disaster; Special groups; Women