
Health Behaviors of Pregnant Women in Disasters and The Problems They Experience
Chapter from the book:
Şimşek Küçükkelepçe,
D.
&
Nacar,
G.
(eds.)
2025.
Perinatal Period in Disasters: Challenges and Management Approaches.
Synopsis
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are affected by natural or human disasters. The effects of disasters are felt differently by society, and their effects also differ between women and men. Pregnant women are a disadvantaged group affected by disasters. The disaster experiences of pregnant women and the difficulties they experience after the disaster negatively affect the natural pregnancy process. It is stated that the problems and life behaviors experienced by pregnant women during the disaster may include deterioration in access to health services, increased risk of tobacco and other substance use, nutritional deficiencies and unhygienic food use, deterioration in physical activity, and stress and mental state changes. Regardless of the type, disasters create potential negative consequences and effects for pregnant women. The pregnancy period should be considered as a time when mothers and babies are sensitive and vulnerable to the harmful effects of natural disasters on health, and pregnant women should be given special importance in developing interventions.