Abstract
Background
Earthquakes are among the most devastating disasters, profoundly affecting children's physical, psychological, and social well-being. Preschool children aged 3-6 are particularly vulnerable due to their developmental characteristics. This study aimed to explore the life and health experiences of children aged 3-6 years following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.Methods
A qualitative descriptive exploratory study was conducted with 21 mothers who had personally experienced the earthquakes, were still residing in the affected region, and were recruited through snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach supported by MAXQDA software.Results
Three main themes emerged: (1) disruptions in daily life and behaviors (sleep, nutrition, traumatic play, social withdrawal, increased maternal dependency), (2) health needs and barriers to accessing services (acute illnesses, hygiene problems, difficulties in accessing medicines and routine vaccinations), and (3) mothers' cultural and religious frameworks, including faith-based coping, family/community support, and traditional coping practices.Conclusion
From the mothers' perspectives, children experienced multidimensional impacts in the aftermath of the earthquake, while mothers relied on faith-based interpretations, traditional coping practices, and family/community support as important coping resources during this process. The findings highlight the need to develop child-centered disaster protocols, strengthen culturally sensitive psychosocial support, and integrate culture-based nursing approaches into disaster care.