Factors associated with relief overdemanding in the disaster response phase: a qualitative content analysis

Abstract

Demand for relief increases after disasters. The scientific literature shows that the number of relief resources required to meet post-disaster relief demand is significantly higher than preliminary estimates, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate factors associated with relief overdemanding in the disaster response phase. In this qualitative content analysis study, participants were selected using purposive sampling method to obtain information-rich items. The study population included all managers with first-hand experiences in the field of resource allocation and post-disaster needs assessment. Recruitment of participants continued until theoretical data saturation was achieved. Unstructured face-to-face interviews were used to collect the participants' experiences. All interviews were recorded with the consent of the participants by a digital tape recorder. After assigning a code to each interview, the text of the interview was typed, read several times, and coded. For data analysis, MAXQDA10 software and "continuous comparison" and "microanalysis" methods were used, and eventually primary codes, sub-categories, and the main category were formed. Finally, 21 people agreed to participate in the study. The main theme extracted in this research was "excessive demand for relief due to feelings of dependency, chaos, and uncertainty." The interviews uncovered several factors associated with relief overdemanding, which were divided into three categories: factors related to affected people, crisis managers, as well as officials.