Development of a Scale to Measure Disaster Victims’ Satisfaction with Post-Disaster Resettlement Areas: A Rural Case Study of the 2020 Sivrice Earthquake in Türkiye

This study aims to comparatively analyze the satisfaction levels of rural disaster victims in post-disaster resettlement areas and to identify sustainability-oriented factors influenc-ing these levels. The research was conducted in rural housing areas developed after the 24 January 2020 Sivrice (Elazığ) earthquake using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 disaster-affected individuals from 9 villages, and the data were analyzed through content analysis to generate an initial pool of 32 items. In the quantitative phase, data were col-lected from two independent samples totaling 648 participants. Exploratory factor analy-sis (EFA) revealed a six-factor structure with 21 items, including sustainable livelihood activities, economic structure, socio-cultural integration, climate resilience, cultural memory, and housing quality. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated excellent model fit (χ²/df = 1.42; CFI = .99; RMSEA = .037). The overall reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach’s α = .85). The findings indicate that housing design, sustainable produc-tion opportunities, social cohesion, and place attachment play a critical role in shaping satisfaction and long-term community resilience. This study provides a robust and multi-dimensional measurement framework for evaluating post-disaster resettlement processes within the context of disaster risk reduction and sustainable rural development.