Earthquake survivors' quality of life and academic achievement six years after the earthquakes in Marmara, Turkey

Authors: Ceyhan, Esra¹; Ceyhan, A. Aykut²

Source: Disasters, Volume 31, Number 4, December 2007 , pp. 516-529(14)

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Abstract:

This study investigates the quality of life (QOL) and academic achievement of earthquake survivors six years after the earthquakes in Marmara, Turkey. Data were collected from 407 Turkish university students. Of these, 201 were earthquake survivors and 206 had not been exposed to an earthquake. The Turkish adaptation of the brief version of the World Health Organisation's QOL instrument (WHOQOL-BREF, TR) was used to measure QOL. The results reveal that the earthquake survivors' psychological and environmental domains of QOL and academic achievement were significantly lower than those of individuals not exposed to an earthquake. The results also highlight the risk factors that affect the QOL of the earthquake survivors significantly. These are their gender, their age at the time of earthquake and the continued existence of financial difficulties linked to the earthquakes.

Keywords: academic achievement; earthquake; quality of life; WHOQOL

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2007.01023.x

Affiliations: 1: Associate Professor, Division of Psychological Counselling and Guidance, Faculty of Education, Anadolu University, Turkey 2: Associate Professor, Division of Psychological Counselling and Guidance, Faculty of Education, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey

Publication date: 2007-12-01