Disaster Assignment Essay

taking into account the different responses from all the respondents. That emanated from the fact that presentation of open-ended questions regarding the issues under investigations attracted different views from an individual’s perception from all the 14 respondents. As the research consider every respondent’s views crucial towards arriving at a well-supported conclusive finding, the use of qualitative method of data collection and analysis proved crucial.

Research Findings

Of all the 14 respondents interviewed during the research in relation to infant feeding, all were directly impacted by the occurrence of the earthquake. Furthermore, thirteen of the respondent’s homes had faced complete collapse of their houses during the earthquake or their houses were left uninhabitable after the earthquake struck. At the time the respondents were interviewed, India and Nepal were facing a fuel issue with all the respondents showing their concern regarding the on-going fuel crisis as the winter season was fast approaching. Despite most of the residents in the camp failing to portray that they experienced psychological trauma after the earthquake, some statements from most residents in the camp signified that they suffered from physical trauma (DeYoung). These statements comprise of a general aspect from most of the camp residents that it was better perishing during the earthquake as opposed to survive without homes and a means of making an income. Furthermore, most of the residents were on the view that the government of Nepal had neglected the earthquake survivors. In respect to the issue of infant feeding, the cultural norm that considers breastfeeding as a primary choice among communities in Nepal was reflected. While majority of the respondents chose breastfeeding their babies, they equally expressed a perception that

the milk supply was inadequate after around four of breastfeeding. As a result, most mothers had resulted to feeding their babies with Lactogen or infant formula as a measure to supplement breastfeeding. Despite the distribution of the infant formula, the mothers continued with their nursing activities.

Significance of the Research Findings

The research focused specifically on the intersection between child and maternal well-being as a result of relocation. From the research findings, it is indicative that relocation of mothers with infants in Nepal as a result of the earthquake impacted on their nursing roles. The community in Nepal has a sense of community that requires mother to breastfeed their babies. As a result of relocation and consequent challenges the mothers experienced in the camp, they believed that they were hindered from effectively conducting their nursing roles. The research findings thus significantly adds to the knowledge regarding peoples understanding of disasters in that it portrays that disasters impacts on the way of life of the affected community adversely. Once a disaster strikes, the community within the affected region are disrupted from their daily activities and experiences and more likely detached from their ‘community sense.’

The second study under examination was conducted by Dancause and Pomer where the researchers focused on understanding stress during pregnancy as a result of a natural disaster. The researchers attributed natural disaster as a possible cause of stress among pregnant women and thus focused on investigating the hypothesis. The research question used by the researchers relates to the degree of distress, hardship as well as dietary change among adult women from the Republic of Vanuatu as a result of the Cyclone Pam? Furthermore the researchers

aimed at understanding whether the effects of the patters differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Research Methods

The basis of analysis used by the researchers was the data collected after the Vanuatu disaster to enhance in analyzing the relationships that exist between distress, hardships as well as nutritional change as a result of the cyclones. The study population comprised of 800 women with 184 of them pregnant during the time of the cyclone or when the data was collected. The health outcomes of the infants whom their mothers were pregnant during the time when the cyclone took place equally proved crucial. Dancause and Pomer relied on a self-report survey as a tool for data collection during the study in order to collect information on demographics, hardships together with distress as a result of the cyclone. Furthermore, the self-report surveys helped in collecting information regarding nutrition patterns among women following the cyclone. The preliminary analyses of the researchers focused on material distress where the researchers relied on a one-way ANOVA in testing the differences in demographic variables between both pregnant and non-pregnant women. The method helped in testing the mean distress levels among the two groups as well as among islands. Again, Dancause and Pomer relied on General Linear models in testing the variations in distress levels among non-pregnant and pregnant women. The level of damage to the home as well as that of the village was equally examined for women after their objective hardship was finalized.

Research Findings

The findings revealed a significant difference in mean distress scores with the distress scores possessing a positive correlation in respect to women’s age as well as the number of children. A

negative correlation of distress scores was recorded in respect to the years of education of the survey group. As such, it is indicative that distress scores were recorded higher among women with more children, older women and those with less education. Another finding relates to the fact that the mean distress score was higher among non-pregnant women while compared to pregnant women. Furthermore, women that were pregnant during the cyclone, but later delivered registered lower mean distress scores as opposed to non-pregnant women. Consequently, Dancause and Pomer realized that destruction to the village was a more concern as opposed to destruction to the homes from the respondents’ perspective.

Significance of the Research Findings

The findings of the study reveal that pregnant women are less affected by natural disasters while compared to non-pregnant women. The study is crucial in understanding the impact of natural disasters among women in that under normal circumstances, pregnant women are considered at the highest risk of sustaining damage whenever a disaster strikes. However, the study by Dancause and Pomer in the Republic of Vanuatu case reveals other factors like education level, age and the number of children that a woman has as the primary causative factors of stress in case of a natural disaster. Therefore, the study informs readers and policy makers that there is need to focus on other internal issues while assisting victims of natural disasters as the group that requires the most support may fail to receive recognition as the efforts are directed towards the wrong individuals.

Work Cited

1. Dancause, Needham and Pomer, Alysa. Stress during pregnancy due to a natural disaster in Vanuatu: Effects on infant development in a low-middle
   

income country. Retrieved From: https://hazards.colorado.edu/research/quick-response/archives