Social determinants of disasters occurrence and injuries: a scoping literature review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Disasters are the result of interaction between hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities. Social factors play a vital role in the occurrence of disasters and their related injuries too. Accordingly, the present study aimed to identify the social determinants of disasters and their associated injuries. METHODS: In this scoping review, grey literature, as well as international and Iranian databases were exten­sively reviewed using the keywords associated with the title of the study. They were then screened and finally, the related studies were employed in the present study. RESULTS: A total of 14 categories were identified as social factors contributing to the occurrence of disasters and the related injuries including demographic characteristics, literacy and illiteracy, employment and un­employment, place of residence and its quality, social infrastructure, society disaster risk perception, social capital, community health status, trusteeship and leadership, cultural factors and community participation, economic status, minority, family management, and social harms. CONCLUSIONS: In general, various social factors were found to affect the occurrence of disasters and their injuries, which should be taken into account when planning to reduce the risk of disasters. However, such programs are not certainly comprehensive without considering these factors.