449 results on '"Disasters statistics & numerical data"'
Search Results
2. Extreme Weather Injuries and Fatalities, 2006 to 2021.
- Author
-
Stephens CQ, Newton C, Kappy B, Melhado CG, and Fallat ME
- Subjects
- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, United States epidemiology, Wounds and Injuries mortality, Wounds and Injuries epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Extreme Weather
- Abstract
Importance: Extreme weather has major implications for state and national health care systems; however, statistics examining weather-related injuries and fatalities are limited., Objective: To examine the frequency and regional distribution of major disaster events (MDEs) in the US., Design, Setting, and Participants: This ecologic cross-sectional study of MDEs occurring between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2021, evaluated US data on all injuries and fatalities included in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database. The data analysis was performed between February 22, 2023, and April 1, 2024., Exposures: Major disaster events defined as an environmental event that caused either at least 50 injuries or at least 10 deaths., Main Outcomes and Measures: All MDEs were evaluated using descriptive statistics for event type, property damage, and rural or urban classification according to the National Centers for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. The location of events according to Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) region and hospital bed capacity of ASPR regions were also examined., Results: Between 2006 and 2021, 11 159 storm events caused 42 254 injuries and 9760 deaths. Major disaster events accounted for 209 weather events (1.9%) but caused 19 463 weather-associated injuries (46.1%) and 2189 weather-associated deaths (22.4%). The majority of MDEs were caused by extreme heat (86 [41.1%]) and tornadoes (67 [32.1%]). While a larger proportion of MDEs occurred in urban areas (151 [75.1%]) vs rural areas (50 [24.9%]), rural MDEs caused a median of 9 (IQR, 2-16) deaths per event vs 4 (IQR, 0-14) deaths per event in urban areas. The majority of MDEs occurred in either ASPR region 4 (51 [24.5%]) or region 9 (45 [21.6%]). Certain event types, such as fires, wind, and hurricanes or storms, were geographically concentrated, while extreme heat and floods affected regions across the US equally. Urban counties had disproportionately greater hospital bed capacity than rural counties relative to population and MDE distributions., Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this ecologic study indicate that while MDEs accounted for a small proportion of all weather events, they were associated with a disproportionate number of injuries and fatalities. Integrating these data into county, state, and regional hazard vulnerability analyses is crucial to ensuring preparedness and mitigating climate risk. more...
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
3. The climate disaster strikes: what the data say.
- Author
-
Hall S
- Subjects
- Humans, India epidemiology, Climate Change mortality, Climate Change statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Extreme Weather
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Catastrophic change looms as Earth nears climate 'tipping points', report says.
- Author
-
Tollefson J
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Coral Reefs, Ice Cover, Risk Assessment, Temperature, Climate Change statistics & numerical data, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Earth, Planet, Ecosystem
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Factors Associated With Poor Health Outcomes Among Vietnamese Americans After Hurricane Harvey, Houston, Texas, 2018-2019.
- Author
-
Pham NK, Do M, and Diep J
- Subjects
- Humans, Male, Female, Texas epidemiology, Middle Aged, Adult, Vietnam ethnology, Health Status, Mental Health statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Aged, Health Surveys, Emigrants and Immigrants statistics & numerical data, Emigrants and Immigrants psychology, Depression epidemiology, Depression ethnology, Young Adult, Cyclonic Storms, Asian statistics & numerical data, Asian psychology
- Abstract
Objective: Immigrants typically experience poor health outcomes after disasters but are often excluded in disaster studies. We assessed physical and mental health outcomes among Houston-area Vietnamese American residents after Hurricane Harvey and hurricane-related characteristics associated with poor health outcomes., Methods: We conducted in-person structured surveys among 120 Vietnamese Americans from November 2018 through February 2019. We used the physical and mental component scores of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey to assess health outcomes. We used descriptive statistics for health outcomes and hurricane-related effects and examined the associations between hurricane-related characteristics and health outcomes., Results: Overall mean (95% CI) physical and mental component scores were 39.8 (29.7-49.9) and 32.6 (27.6-37.6), respectively. The odds of poor physical health poststorm were significantly higher among participants reporting ≥5 versus <5 depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 3.04; 95% CI, 1.11-8.29; P = .03) and significantly lower among participants with versus without health insurance (OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09-0.71; P = .01). The odds of experiencing poor mental health more than a year after the hurricane were significantly higher among those sustaining versus not sustaining a serious injury/illness because of the hurricane (OR = 3.34; 95% CI, 1.12-9.94; P = .03) and among those who were married/partnered versus not married/partnered (OR = 4.16; 95% CI, 1.32-13.07; P = .02). Receiving versus not receiving free health care services after the hurricane and having high versus low levels of acculturation protected against poor mental health ( P < .05 for both)., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the inequalities of postdisaster health outcomes in this immigrant population and emphasize the need for improved disaster recovery programs that account for these factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. more...
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Impact of type of reconstructed residence on social participation and mental health of population displaced by disasters.
- Author
-
Suzuki T, Akaishi T, Nemoto H, Utsumi Y, Seto M, Usukura H, Kunii Y, Sugawara Y, Nakaya N, Nakamura T, Tsuchiya N, Narita A, Kogure M, Hozawa A, Tsuji I, Ishii T, and Tomita H
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Japan epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Housing statistics & numerical data, Mental Health, Social Participation psychology, Stress, Psychological epidemiology, Survivors psychology, Tsunamis statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
After disasters, people are often forced to reconstruct or move to new residences. This study aimed to reveal the association between the types of reconstructed residences and psychosocial or psychiatric conditions among the population. A total of 1071 adult residents in a coastal town, whose houses were destroyed by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, enrolled in the study five years after the disaster. The type of reconstructed post-disaster residences (reconstructed on the same site/disaster-recovery public condominium/mass-translocation to higher ground/privately moving to remote areas) and the current psychosocial indicators were investigated. The results revealed that individuals living in public condominiums showed significantly worse scores on the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (p < 0.0001) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (p < 0.0001), and slightly worse scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (p = 0.035) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (p = 0.028). Lower psychosocial indicator scores in the public condominium group were more remarkable in younger adults aged < 65 years. Insomnia evaluated using the Athens Insomnia Scale was not different among the four residential types. In summary, residents moving into disaster-recovery public condominiums are likely to have less social interaction, be more depressed, and may need additional interventions., (© 2021. The Author(s).) more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Unraveling the complexity of human behavior and urbanization on community vulnerability to floods.
- Author
-
Hemmati M, Mahmoud HN, Ellingwood BR, and Crooks AT
- Subjects
- Cities, Humans, Risk Management, City Planning methods, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Floods, Housing statistics & numerical data, Models, Theoretical, Urbanization legislation & jurisprudence
- Abstract
Floods are among the costliest natural hazards and their consequences are expected to increase further in the future due to urbanization in flood-prone areas. It is essential that policymakers understand the factors governing the dynamics of urbanization to adopt proper disaster risk reduction techniques. Peoples' relocation preferences and their perception of flood risk (collectively called human behavior) are among the most important factors that influence urbanization in flood-prone areas. Current studies focusing on flood risk assessment do not consider the effect of human behavior on urbanization and how it may change the nature of the risk. Moreover, flood mitigation policies are implemented without considering the role of human behavior and how the community will cope with measures such as buyout, land acquisition, and relocation that are often adopted to minimize development in flood-prone regions. Therefore, such policies may either be resisted by the community or result in severe socioeconomic consequences. In this study, we present a new Agent-Based Model (ABM) to investigate the complex interaction between human behavior and urbanization and its role in creating future communities vulnerable to flood events. We identify critical factors in the decisions of households to locate or relocate and adopt policies compatible with human behavior. The results show that when people are informed about the flood risk and proper incentives are provided, the demand for housing within 500-year floodplain may be reduced as much as 15% by 2040 for the case study considered. On the contrary, if people are not informed of the risk, 29% of the housing choices will reside in floodplains. The analyses also demonstrate that neighborhood quality-influenced by accessibility to highways, education facilities, the city center, water bodies, and green spaces, respectively-is the most influential factor in peoples' decisions on where to locate. These results provide new insights that may be used to assist city planners and stakeholders in examining tradeoffs between costs and benefits of future land development in achieving sustainable and resilient cities., (© 2021. The Author(s).) more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Association Between Hurricane Sandy and Emergency Department Visits in New York City by Age and Cause.
- Author
-
Weinberger KR, Kulick ER, Boehme AK, Sun S, Dominici F, and Wellenius GA
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Distribution, Aged, Child, Child, Preschool, Cyclonic Storms history, Disasters history, Emergency Service, Hospital history, Facilities and Services Utilization history, Female, History, 21st Century, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, New York City epidemiology, Poisson Distribution, Young Adult, Cyclonic Storms statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Emergency Service, Hospital statistics & numerical data, Facilities and Services Utilization statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
The magnitude, timing, and etiology of morbidity associated with tropical cyclones remains incompletely quantified. We examined the relative change in cause-specific emergency department (ED) visits among residents of New York City during and after Hurricane Sandy, a tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern United States in October 2012. We used quasi-Poisson constrained distributed lag models to compare the number of ED visits on and after Hurricane Sandy with all other days, 2005-2014, adjusting for temporal trends. Among residents aged ≥65 years, Hurricane Sandy was associated with a higher rate of ED visits due to injuries and poisoning (relative risk (RR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 1.28), respiratory disease (RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.49), cardiovascular disease (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19), renal disease (RR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.72), and skin and soft tissue infections (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.39) in the first week following the storm. Among adults aged 18-64 years, Hurricane Sandy was associated with a higher rate of ED visits for renal disease (RR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.79, 2.59). Among those aged 0-17 years, the storm was associated with lower rates of ED visits for up to 3 weeks. These results suggest that tropical cyclones might result in increased health-care utilization due to a wide range of causes, particularly among older adults., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Causal Inference in Studying the Long-Term Health Effects of Disasters: Challenges and Potential Solutions.
- Author
-
Shiba K, Kawahara T, Aida J, Kondo K, Kondo N, James P, Arcaya M, and Kawachi I
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Earthquakes statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Male, Risk Factors, Selection Bias, Survival Analysis, Survivors statistics & numerical data, Time Factors, Tsunamis statistics & numerical data, Causality, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Health statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Two frequently encountered but underrecognized challenges for causal inference in studying the long-term health effects of disasters among survivors include 1) time-varying effects of disasters on a time-to-event outcome and 2) selection bias due to selective attrition. In this paper, we review approaches for overcoming these challenges and demonstrate application of the approaches to a real-world longitudinal data set of older adults who were directly affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (n = 4,857). To illustrate the problem of time-varying effects of disasters, we examined the association between degree of damage due to the tsunami and all-cause mortality. We compared results from Cox regression analysis assuming proportional hazards with those derived using adjusted parametric survival curves allowing for time-varying hazard ratios. To illustrate the problem of selection bias, we examined the association between proximity to the coast (a proxy for housing damage from the tsunami) and depressive symptoms. We corrected for selection bias due to attrition in the 2 postdisaster follow-up surveys (conducted in 2013 and 2016) using multivariable adjustment, inverse probability of censoring weighting, and survivor average causal effect estimation. Our results demonstrate that analytical approaches which ignore time-varying effects on mortality and selection bias due to selective attrition may underestimate the long-term health effects of disasters., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Hurricane Ida shows the one-two punch of poverty and climate change.
- Author
-
Flowers CC
- Subjects
- COVID-19 epidemiology, Climate Change mortality, Cyclonic Storms mortality, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Goals, Humans, Louisiana epidemiology, Neoplasms epidemiology, Politics, Sanitation, Sustainable Development economics, Sustainable Development trends, Climate Change economics, Cyclonic Storms economics, Disasters economics, Poverty statistics & numerical data, Racism economics, Racism prevention & control, Racism statistics & numerical data, Social Justice economics, Social Justice trends, Vulnerable Populations statistics & numerical data
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. COVID's lesson for climate research: go local.
- Author
-
Hill AC
- Subjects
- Acclimatization, Climate Change economics, Disaster Planning economics, Disaster Planning methods, Disasters economics, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science economics, Environmental Science methods, Global Warming economics, Global Warming prevention & control, Global Warming statistics & numerical data, Humans, Public-Private Sector Partnerships, Research economics, Risk Management, COVID-19 epidemiology, Climate Change statistics & numerical data, Disaster Planning trends, Environmental Science trends, Forecasting methods, Research organization & administration, Research trends
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. A National Framework to Improve Mortality, Morbidity, and Disparities Data for COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Disasters.
- Author
-
Stoto MA, Rothwell C, Lichtveld M, and Wynia MK
- Subjects
- COVID-19 epidemiology, Communicable Disease Control organization & administration, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Disease Outbreaks statistics & numerical data, Electronic Health Records statistics & numerical data, Humans, COVID-19 prevention & control, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Disasters prevention & control, Disease Outbreaks prevention & control, Population Surveillance methods
- Abstract
Timely and accurate data on COVID-19 cases and COVID-19‒related deaths are essential for making decisions with significant health, economic, and policy implications. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine proposes a uniform national framework for data collection to more accurately quantify disaster-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses. This article describes how following the report's recommendations could help improve the quality and timeliness of public health surveillance data during pandemics, with special attention to addressing gaps in the data necessary to understand pandemic-related health disparities. more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. A Look at When Dying Really Counts: An AJPH Supplement on Mortality Data in Public Health Surveillance.
- Author
-
Mays VM and Cochran SD
- Subjects
- Forecasting, Humans, Death, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Mortality trends, Pandemics statistics & numerical data, Public Health Surveillance methods
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Large-scale experiment to assess the collision impact force from a tsunami wave on a drifting castaway.
- Author
-
Inoue T, Oguri K, Suga H, Suzuki K, Prochazka Z, Nakamura T, and Kurisu A
- Subjects
- Craniocerebral Trauma, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Earthquakes statistics & numerical data, Humans, Japan, Tsunamis statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Although most fatalities in tsunami-related disasters are conjectured to be a result of drowning, injury risk owing to collision with other floating debris or fixed buildings has not been studied sufficiently. In this study, the impact force corresponding to the collision of a concrete block and drifting test body in a tsunami wave was experimentally investigated, and the injury risk was evaluated in terms of different biomechanical indexes; specifically, maximum acceleration, head injury criterion, and impact force. The injury risk indicated by the considered indexes was reasonably low. It was noted that if a healthy adult collided with a concrete wall under a velocity of 2.5 m s-1 and wave height of 0.59 m, the adult would likely not be critically injured. However, a similar collision impact poses considerable risk to infants and children, as well as the more sensitive regions of the adult body. Moreover, in the case of large tsunamis, such as that in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, a drifting person may be at considerable risk for injuries. The collision impact occurring on the tip of a surge flow is notably significantly larger than that on a bore flow. This is because a surge flow, which arrives at the concrete block earlier than a bore flow, forms a certain water layer along the concrete wall and that layer acts as a cushion for any body drifting on the bore flow, indicating the importance of such a buffering effect. These findings can provide practical guidance regarding the formulation of effective tsunami-protection measures., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Exploring the Relationship between Rising Temperatures and the Number of Climate-Related Natural Disasters in China.
- Author
-
Zhu M and Fan B
- Subjects
- China, Humans, Wavelet Analysis, Climate Change, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Natural Disasters, Temperature
- Abstract
Warming has strongly influenced the quantity and variability of natural disasters around the globe. This study aims to characterize the varying patterns between rising temperatures and climate-related natural disasters in China from 1951 to 2010. We examined the overall trend in the patterns of an 11-year cycle, and climate-related natural disaster responses to periods of rising and dropping temperature. We used Morlet wavelet analysis to determine the length of a temperature cycle period, and the arc elasticity coefficient to assess the number of climate-related natural disasters in response to the changing temperature. We found that: (1) the overall relationship between temperature and the number of climate-related natural disasters was positive; (2) however, on the cycle level, the pattern of climate-related natural disasters was found to be independent of temperature variation; (3) on the rise-drop level, temperature increases were associated with declines in the number of climate-related natural disasters. Moreover, as temperature decreased, the number of climate-related natural disasters increased substantially, such that temperature had a more considerable influence on the quantity of climate-related natural disasters during the temperature-drop period. Findings in this study can help enhance the dissemination of warning and mitigation efforts to combat natural disasters in the changing climate. more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Development of a Weighted Well-Being Assessment Mobile App for Trauma Affected Communities: A Usability Study.
- Author
-
Moeini S, Watzlaf V, Zhou L, and Abernathy RP
- Subjects
- Adult, Color, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, Violence psychology, Violence statistics & numerical data, Health Information Management organization & administration, Health Status, Mental Health, Mobile Applications, Social Work organization & administration, Telemedicine organization & administration
- Abstract
A well-being mobile app was built and tested by performing a usability study in a trauma affected community (TAC). Seven usability tasks were given to social workers during Phase 1. Phase 2 of the usability study was a re-test of the same tasks with the same social workers after refinements were applied. The results showed that most users preferred darker foreground colors, lighter background colors, larger fonts, and larger sized UI components. Statistically significant improvements were found after changes were implemented to the app and included time for page navigation (Z = -2.366, p = 0.018), logout (Z = -1.997, p = 0.046), and item selection in a page (Z = -2.371, p = 0.018). UI positioning and size changes proved to be a significant determinant of user satisfaction based on the positive feedback received from the computer systems usability questionnaire (CSUQ). (User1: p = .000, User 2 withdrew; User3: p = .010, User4: p = .000, User5: p = .001, User6: p = .006, User7: p = .025). HIM professionals assisted in the design, development, and administration of the usability study. This is another area in which HIM professionals are needed when assessing health and wellness in communities affected by trauma., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Health Information Management Association.) more...
- Published
- 2020
17. Predicting commercial fishing vessel disasters through a novel application of the theory of man-made disasters.
- Author
-
Case SL and Lucas DL
- Subjects
- Alaska, Case-Control Studies, Models, Theoretical, Risk Factors, Ships, Accidents, Occupational statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Fisheries statistics & numerical data, Occupational Health statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Introduction: Vessel disasters (e.g., sinkings, capsizings) are a leading contributor to fatalities in the U.S. commercial fishing industry. Primary prevention strategies are needed to reduce the occurrence of vessel disasters, which can only be done by developing an understanding of their causes and risk factors. If less serious vessel casualties (e.g., loss of propulsion, fire, flooding) are predictors of future disasters, then reducing vessel casualties should in turn reduce vessel disasters and the accompanying loss of life., Method: This case-control study examined the association between vessel casualties and disasters using fishing vessels in Alaska during 2010-2015., Results: The findings show that vessels that experienced casualties within a preceding 10-year period were at increased odds of disaster. Other significant predictors included safety decal status and hull material. Practical Applications: The results of this analysis emphasize the importance of implementing vessel-specific preventive maintenance plans. At an industry level, specific prevention policies should be developed focusing on high-risk fleets to identify and correct a wide range of safety deficits before they have catastrophic and fatal consequences., (Copyright © 2020.) more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Applying an Innovative Model of Disaster Resilience at the Neighborhood Level : The COPEWELL New York City Experience.
- Author
-
Slemp CC, Sisco S, Jean MC, Ahmed MS, Kanarek NF, Erös-Sarnyai M, Gonzalez IA, Igusa T, Lane K, Tirado FP, Tria M, Lin S, Martins VN, Ravi S, Kendra JM, Carbone EG, and Links JM
- Subjects
- Humans, New York City, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Models, Theoretical, Residence Characteristics statistics & numerical data, Resilience, Psychological, Social Capital, Stress, Psychological
- Abstract
Community resilience is a community's ability to maintain functioning (ie, delivery of services) during and after a disaster event. The Composite of Post-Event Well-Being (COPEWELL) is a system dynamics model of community resilience that predicts a community's disaster-specific functioning over time. We explored COPEWELL's usefulness as a practice-based tool for understanding community resilience and to engage partners in identifying resilience-strengthening strategies. In 2014, along with academic partners, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene organized an interdisciplinary work group that used COPEWELL to advance cross-sector engagement, design approaches to understand and strengthen community resilience, and identify local data to explore COPEWELL implementation at neighborhood levels. The authors conducted participant interviews and collected shared experiences to capture information on lessons learned. The COPEWELL model led to an improved understanding of community resilience among agency members and community partners. Integration and enhanced alignment of efforts among preparedness, disaster resilience, and community development emerged. The work group identified strategies to strengthen resilience. Searches of neighborhood-level data sets and mapping helped prioritize communities that are vulnerable to disasters (eg, medically vulnerable, socially isolated, low income). These actions increased understanding of available data, identified data gaps, and generated ideas for future data collection. The COPEWELL model can be used to drive an understanding of resilience, identify key geographic areas at risk during and after a disaster, spur efforts to build on local metrics, and result in innovative interventions that integrate and align efforts among emergency preparedness, community development, and broader public health initiatives. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Health-related quality of life and post-traumatic stress disorder in inpatients injured in the Ludian earthquake: a longitudinal study.
- Author
-
Yang W, Cui K, Sim T, Zhang J, Yang Y, and Ma X
- Subjects
- Adult, Asian People statistics & numerical data, China, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Inpatients statistics & numerical data, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Survivors statistics & numerical data, Asian People psychology, Earthquakes statistics & numerical data, Inpatients psychology, Quality of Life psychology, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic psychology, Survivors psychology
- Abstract
Background: The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in inpatients injured in the Ludian earthquake and examine the relationship between PTSD symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the earthquake., Methods: Three assessments were performed during an 18-month follow-up period. In total, one-hundred forty-seven inpatients of one-hundred seventy-four inpatients (85% of the initial sample) underwent all the assessments. Injured inpatients admitted to the No. 1 People's Hospital of Zhaotong City after a severe earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale) were enrolled in the study and assessed using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Scale., Results: At the first, third and eighteenth months after the earthquake, the prevalence rates for PTSD were 23, 14, and 7%, respectively. In a regression model, bereavement, history of major diseases, and severe injury in the earthquake were associated with severe PTSD symptoms. HRQoL was negatively correlated with PTSD symptoms. Compared to that of Chinese norms, participants' HRQoL was significantly lower in all eight HRQoL domains of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Scale., Conclusions: The findings suggest that a substantial proportion of inpatients injured in the earthquake experienced severe PTSD symptoms and poor HRQoL. Therefore, early preventive programs and interventions should be implemented following disasters, to reduce PTSD and improve HRQoL in injured individuals. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Disaster Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic for Patients with Kidney Disease in New York City.
- Subjects
- Academic Medical Centers, Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, Disasters prevention & control, Female, Humans, Kidney Transplantation statistics & numerical data, Male, New York City, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Patient Care Team organization & administration, Renal Dialysis statistics & numerical data, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic diagnosis, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus Infections epidemiology, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Pandemics statistics & numerical data, Pneumonia, Viral epidemiology, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic therapy
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Mosquito Control Incident Response Team: An Exercise in Using the National Incident Management System's Incident Command System for Disaster Response.
- Author
-
Clark MS and Rogers AN
- Subjects
- Disasters statistics & numerical data, Florida, Civil Defense organization & administration, Disasters prevention & control, Mosquito Control organization & administration
- Abstract
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) uses a Mosquito Control Incident Response Team (MCIRT) to respond to natural disasters and mosquito borne-disease threats. Since 2001, this team has responded to 9 different events and is responsible for organizing treatment to more than 15 million acres in Florida using wide-area adulticide applications. The MCIRT implements the Incident Command Structure (ICS) to coordinate response efforts because it enables FDACS to quickly deploy staff to the devastated areas, conduct necessary mosquito surveillance, communicate with multiple agencies, and direct mosquito control measures. It also allows for easier transfer of leadership, cross-training of employees, and postevent evaluation., (Copyright © 2020 by The American Mosquito Control Association, Inc.) more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Hurricane effects on Neotropical lizards span geographic and phylogenetic scales.
- Author
-
Donihue CM, Kowaleski AM, Losos JB, Algar AC, Baeckens S, Buchkowski RW, Fabre AC, Frank HK, Geneva AJ, Reynolds RG, Stroud JT, Velasco JA, Kolbe JJ, Mahler DL, and Herrel A
- Subjects
- Animals, Biodiversity, Biological Evolution, Climate, Climate Change statistics & numerical data, Cyclonic Storms statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Ecosystem, Islands, Phylogeny, Phylogeography, Population Dynamics statistics & numerical data, Toes anatomy & histology, Lizards anatomy & histology, Selection, Genetic physiology
- Abstract
Extreme climate events such as droughts, cold snaps, and hurricanes can be powerful agents of natural selection, producing acute selective pressures very different from the everyday pressures acting on organisms. However, it remains unknown whether these infrequent but severe disruptions are quickly erased by quotidian selective forces, or whether they have the potential to durably shape biodiversity patterns across regions and clades. Here, we show that hurricanes have enduring evolutionary impacts on the morphology of anoles, a diverse Neotropical lizard clade. We first demonstrate a transgenerational effect of extreme selection on toepad area for two populations struck by hurricanes in 2017. Given this short-term effect of hurricanes, we then asked whether populations and species that more frequently experienced hurricanes have larger toepads. Using 70 y of historical hurricane data, we demonstrate that, indeed, toepad area positively correlates with hurricane activity for both 12 island populations of Anolis sagrei and 188 Anolis species throughout the Neotropics. Extreme climate events are intensifying due to climate change and may represent overlooked drivers of biogeographic and large-scale biodiversity patterns., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Prevalence Rate of Diabetes and Hypertension in Disaster-Exposed Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Author
-
Gohardehi F, Seyedin H, and Moslehi S
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Diabetes Mellitus epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Hypertension epidemiology, Population Health statistics & numerical data, Survivors statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) have been one of the major health problems in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence rate of DM and HTN following natural and man-made disasters that impose significant economic and psychological burdens on human communities., Methods: In this systematic and meta-analysis review, all cross-sectional studies that at least one of their objectives was to measure the prevalence of HTN or DM in individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters were included. Literature review was done in international databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, from database inception to February 17, 2019. The extracted data included the bibliographic characteristics of the article, the age of the participants, number of participants, gender, sample size, outcome, duration of the follow-up, and prevalence of DM and HTN. Data were analyzed by STATA software (version 11) and random effect method and the I2 index were used to investigate heterogeneity between the articles., Results: A total of 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Based on the quality assessment, 11 papers were categorized as moderate and 5 paper were categorized as high quality. The prevalence of HTN and DM in disaster-exposed populations were 47.35 (CI 95%: 38.53-56.17) and 13.56 (CI 95%: 10.12-17.01), respectively., Conclusion: The results of this study show a high prevalence of HTN and DM in survivors of major disasters, which is higher in comparison to the general population., (© 2020 Farzad G., et al.) more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. GIS-based flood hazard mapping using relative frequency ratio method: A case study of Panjkora River Basin, eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan.
- Author
-
Ullah K and Zhang J
- Subjects
- Disaster Planning methods, Disasters prevention & control, Floods prevention & control, Humans, Incidence, Models, Statistical, Pakistan, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Environmental Monitoring methods, Floods statistics & numerical data, Geographic Information Systems, Rivers
- Abstract
Flood is the most devastating and prevalent disaster among all-natural disasters. Every year, flood claims hundreds of human lives and causes damage to the worldwide economy and environment. Consequently, the identification of flood-vulnerable areas is important for comprehensive flood risk management. The main objective of this study is to delineate flood-prone areas in the Panjkora River Basin (PRB), eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan. An initial extensive field survey and interpretation of Landsat-7 and Google Earth images identified 154 flood locations that were inundated in 2010 floods. Of the total, 70% of flood locations were randomly used for building a model and 30% were used for validation of the model. Eight flood parameters including slope, elevation, land use, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), topographic wetness index (TWI), drainage density, and rainfall were used to map the flood-prone areas in the study region. The relative frequency ratio was used to determine the correlation between each class of flood parameter and flood occurrences. All of the factors were resampled into a pixel size of 30×30 m and were reclassified through the natural break method. Finally, a final hazard map was prepared and reclassified into five classes, i.e., very low, low, moderate, high, very high susceptibility. The results of the model were found reliable with area under curve values for success and prediction rate of 82.04% and 84.74%, respectively. The findings of this study can play a key role in flood hazard management in the target region; they can be used by the local disaster management authority, researchers, planners, local government, and line agencies dealing with flood risk management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Child and adolescent mental health amidst emergencies and disasters.
- Author
-
Danese A, Smith P, Chitsabesan P, and Dubicka B
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Child, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Female, Humans, Male, Psychological Trauma prevention & control, Resilience, Psychological, Child Health Services organization & administration, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Emergencies epidemiology, Emergencies psychology, Mental Health statistics & numerical data, Mental Health Services organization & administration
- Abstract
The mental health of children and young people can be disproportionally affected and easily overlooked in the context of emergencies and disasters. Child and adolescent mental health services can contribute greatly to emergency preparedness, resilience and response and, ultimately, mitigate harmful effects on the most vulnerable members of society. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Survival-oriented personality factors are associated with various types of social support in an emergency disaster situation.
- Author
-
Sugiura M, Nouchi R, Honda A, Sato S, Abe T, and Imamura F
- Subjects
- Adult, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Earthquakes statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Male, Personality physiology, Social Support, Surveys and Questionnaires, Tsunamis statistics & numerical data, Young Adult, Survivors psychology
- Abstract
Mutual help is common in human society, particularly during a disaster. The psychological processes underlying such social support are of interest in social and evolutionary psychology, as well as in the promotion of community resilience. However, research in terms of personality factors or support types is sporadic and has yet to address actual emergency situations. In this study, we analyzed survey data from survivors of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The data included five types of social support occurring during the evacuation from a potential tsunami area: providing and receiving actual help and oral encouragement, as well as perceived support. The personality factor items included the Big Five dimensions and eight "power to live" factors, which were identified as advantageous for survival during this disaster. While none of the Big Five dimensions were associated with social support, six of the power to live factors were. Altruism, problem solving, etiquette, and self-transcendence contributed to the provision of actual help. Leadership and active well-being contributed to oral encouragement with the latter contributing also to perceived support. The findings were largely consistent with the literature in a non-emergency context. The relevance of the majority of these pro-survival personality factors to social support appeared to support the view that the propensity to cooperate in service of human survival in a disaster situation is primarily a social, rather than an individual, phenomenon, and encourages research on the mechanisms underlying how personality factors provide a benefit to both the individual and their community., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Smart cities for emergency management.
- Author
-
Liu H and Li Y
- Subjects
- COVID-19, China epidemiology, Cities epidemiology, Coronavirus Infections epidemiology, Coronavirus Infections transmission, Humans, Pandemics, Pneumonia, Viral epidemiology, Pneumonia, Viral transmission, Population Dynamics, Big Data, Disaster Planning, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Disease Outbreaks prevention & control, Security Measures
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Disasters, policies and micronutrients: the intersect among ethics, evidence and effective action.
- Author
-
Blampied NM, Mulder RT, Afzali MU, Bhattacharya O, Blampied MF, and Rucklidge JJ
- Subjects
- Decision Making ethics, Delivery of Health Care ethics, Delivery of Health Care legislation & jurisprudence, Ethics, Research, Humans, New Zealand epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Micronutrients therapeutic use, Nutrition Policy legislation & jurisprudence, Policy
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Nil.
- Published
- 2020
29. Disaster Risk Perception, Sense of Pace, Evacuation Willingness, and Relocation Willingness of Rural Households in Earthquake-Stricken Areas: Evidence from Sichuan Province, China.
- Author
-
Xu D, Qing C, Deng X, Yong Z, Zhou W, and Ma Z
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, China, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Earthquakes statistics & numerical data, Perception, Risk Assessment, Rural Population statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Based on survey data from 327 rural households in the areas affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake in Sichuan Province, this study systematically analyzed disaster risk perception, sense of place, evacuation willingness, and relocation willingness among residents in these earthquake-stricken areas. Further, this study constructed an ordinal logistic regression analysis to probe the correlations between residents' disaster risk perception or sense of place and evacuation willingness and relocation willingness, respectively. The results showed that (1) faced with the threat of earthquake disasters, residents have a strong willingness to evacuate and relocate. Specifically, 93% and 78% of the residents in the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake areas were willing to evacuate and relocate, respectively, whereas 4% and 17% of the residents were unwilling to evacuate and relocate, respectively. (2) Place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence were significantly positively correlated with residents' evacuation willingness, while the interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence was negatively related to residents' evacuation willingness. Specifically, when everything else remains constant, every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to evacuate by factors of 0.042 and 0.051, respectively; every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to evacuation by a factor of 0.004. (3) Place identity was significantly negatively correlated with residents' relocation willingness, while place dependence and severity of disaster occurrence were positively related to residents' relocation willingness. The interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence as well as the interaction term between place identity and severity of disaster occurrence were significantly negatively correlated with residents' relocation willingness. Specifically, every one-unit increase in place identity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to relocate by a factor of 0.034, while every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.041 and 0.028, respectively, and every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity and place identity × severity corresponds to decreases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.003 and 0.003, respectively. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Spatial and temporal distribution of infectious disease epidemics, disasters and other potential public health emergencies in the World Health Organisation Africa region, 2016-2018.
- Author
-
Talisuna AO, Okiro EA, Yahaya AA, Stephen M, Bonkoungou B, Musa EO, Minkoulou EM, Okeibunor J, Impouma B, Djingarey HM, Yao NKM, Oka S, Yoti Z, and Fall IS
- Subjects
- Africa epidemiology, Emergencies, Humans, Spatio-Temporal Analysis, World Health Organization, Communicable Diseases epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Epidemics statistics & numerical data, Public Health statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Background: Emerging and re-emerging diseases with pandemic potential continue to challenge fragile health systems in Africa, creating enormous human and economic toll. To provide evidence for the investment case for public health emergency preparedness, we analysed the spatial and temporal distribution of epidemics, disasters and other potential public health emergencies in the WHO African region between 2016 and 2018., Methods: We abstracted data from several sources, including: the WHO African Region's weekly bulletins on epidemics and emergencies, the WHO-Disease Outbreak News (DON) and the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). Other sources were: the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) and the Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network (GIDEON). We included information on the time and location of the event, the number of cases and deaths and counter-checked the different data sources., Data Analysis: We used bubble plots for temporal analysis and generated graphs and maps showing the frequency and distribution of each event. Based on the frequency of events, we categorised countries into three: Tier 1, 10 or more events, Tier 2, 5-9 events, and Tier 3, less than 5 or no event. Finally, we compared the event frequencies to a summary International Health Regulations (IHR) index generated from the IHR technical area scores of the 2018 annual reports., Results: Over 260 events were identified between 2016 and 2018. Forty-one countries (87%) had at least one epidemic between 2016 and 2018, and 21 of them (45%) had at least one epidemic annually. Twenty-two countries (47%) had disasters/humanitarian crises. Seven countries (the epicentres) experienced over 10 events and all of them had limited or developing IHR capacities. The top five causes of epidemics were: Cholera, Measles, Viral Haemorrhagic Diseases, Malaria and Meningitis., Conclusions: The frequent and widespread occurrence of epidemics and disasters in Africa is a clarion call for investing in preparedness. While strengthening preparedness should be guided by global frameworks, it is the responsibility of each government to finance country specific needs. We call upon all African countries to establish governance and predictable financing mechanisms for IHR implementation and to build resilient health systems everywhere. more...
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Epidemiology of major disasters in New Zealand as revealed by disaster memorials.
- Author
-
Wilson N, Jones AC, Rice G, and Thomson G
- Subjects
- History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Humans, New Zealand, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Memory
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Nil.
- Published
- 2019
32. Risk factors for incident prostate cancer in a cohort of world trade center responders.
- Author
-
Clouston SAP, Kuan P, Kotov R, Mukherjee S, Thompson-Carino P, Bromet EJ, and Luft BJ
- Subjects
- Adult, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Emergency Responders psychology, Prostatic Neoplasms epidemiology, September 11 Terrorist Attacks statistics & numerical data, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Despite a relatively young average age and no routine screening, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men who worked at the World Trade Center (WTC) following the 9/11/2001 disaster. This study evaluated whether re-experiencing stressful memories of a traumatic event was associated with prostate cancer incidence., Methods: Participants were males from one clinical center that monitors the health of first-responders (N = 6857). Monitoring began in July 2002 and occurs annually but does not include prostate cancer screening. Severity of physical exposures and of re-experiencing memories and stress responses were measured at study enrollment using standardized and validated methods in all participants. The outcome was incidence of diagnosed prostate cancer after enrollment (n = 68). Bivariate analyses provided age-adjusted incidence rates (aIR). Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to calculate incidence; hazards ratios (HR) were reported., Results: The mean age of responders on 9/11/2001 was 37.9 years. Prostate cancer incidence was lowest in responders with no re-experiencing stress (aIR = 250.83/100,000 person-years, [233.41-268.25]) and highest in responders with severe re-experiencing stress (aIR = 818.49/100,000 person-years, [801.07-835.91]). Cox proportional hazards regression revealed that re-experiencing the stressful events of 9/11/2001 was associated with increased prostate cancer incidence (HR = 1.96 [1.26-3.05], P = 0.003), even upon adjusting for confounders., Conclusions: This is the first study to identify a positive association between re-experiencing a traumatic event and prostate cancer incidence. Our results are consistent with recent rodent model evidence demonstrating a direct biological link between stress pathways and prostate tumorigenesis and offer new hypotheses in the causality of prostate cancer. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Psychosocial support during displacement due to a natural disaster: relationships with distress in a lower-middle income country.
- Author
-
Zahlawi T, Roome AB, Chan CW, Campbell JJ, Tosiro B, Malanga M, Tagaro M, Obed J, Iaruel J, Taleo G, Tarivonda L, Olszowy KM, and Dancause KN
- Subjects
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Female, Health Services, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Poverty psychology, Psycho-Oncology, Young Adult, Natural Disasters, Quality of Life, Stress, Psychological epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Past studies show relationships between disaster-related displacement and adverse psychosocial health outcomes. The development of psychosocial interventions following displacement is thus increasingly prioritized. However, data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are lacking. In October 2017, the population of Ambae Island in Vanuatu, a lower-middle income country, was temporarily displaced due to volcanic activity. We analyzed distress among adults displaced due to the event and differences based on the psychosocial support they received., Methods: Data on experiences during displacement, distress and psychosocial support were collected from 443 adults 2-3 wk after repatriation to Ambae Island. Four support categories were identified: Healthcare professional, Traditional/community, Not available and Not wanted. We analyzed differences in distress by sex and group using one-way ANOVA and generalized linear models., Results: Mean distress scores were higher among women (1.90, SD=0.97) than men (1.64, SD=0.98) (p<0.004). In multivariate models, psychosocial support group was associated with distress among women (p=0.033), with higher scores among women who reported no available support compared with every other group. Both healthcare professional and traditional support networks were widely used., Conclusions: Women might be particularly vulnerable to distress during disaster-related displacement in LMICs, and those who report a lack of support might be at greater risk. Both healthcare professional and traditional networks provide important sources of support that are widely used and might help to ameliorate symptoms., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Long-term Effects of Disasters on Seniors With Diabetes: Evidence From Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- Author
-
Quast T, Andel R, and Sadhu AR
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alabama epidemiology, Cyclonic Storms history, Disasters history, Female, History, 21st Century, Humans, Louisiana epidemiology, Male, Medicare, Mississippi epidemiology, Propensity Score, Retrospective Studies, Texas epidemiology, United States epidemiology, Cyclonic Storms mortality, Diabetes Mellitus mortality, Disasters statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objective: To estimate the long-run mortality effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on seniors with diabetes., Research Design and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of Medicare enrollment and claims data covering four states and ∼10 years. Affected individuals were identified by whether they lived in a county that suffered a high impact and were stratified by whether they moved to a different county following the storms. Propensity scores matched affected and comparison subjects based on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the presence of chronic conditions. Our sample consisted of 170,328 matched affected subjects., Results: The affected subjects had a nearly 40% higher all-cause mortality risk in the 1st month after the storms, but the difference fell to <6% by the end of the full observation period. The mortality risks of heart disease and nephritis also exhibited the largest differences immediately following the storms. Among the affected subjects, the all-cause mortality risk was higher for those who moved to a different county, with an especially large difference among those who moved to an affected county., Conclusions: The propensity matching procedure resulted in the comparison and affected groups having similar observable characteristics. However, we only examined the extreme outcome of mortality, our definition of affected was somewhat crude, and our sample did not include individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage. Our findings highlight the importance of the immediate response to disasters, yet also demonstrate the long-lasting impact disasters can have., (© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.) more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Perceptions of Mental Health and Wellbeing Following Residential Displacement and Damage from the 2018 St. John River Flood.
- Author
-
Woodhall-Melnik J and Grogan C
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Focus Groups, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, New Brunswick, Adaptation, Psychological, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Floods statistics & numerical data, Mental Health statistics & numerical data, Stress, Psychological, Survivors psychology, Survivors statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Climate change has spurred an increase in the prevalence and severity of natural disasters. Damage from natural disasters can lead to residential instability, which negatively impacts mental health and wellbeing. However, research on the mental health of residents who are displaced after natural disasters is relatively novel and needs more study. This study investigates experiences of mental health in residents in New Brunswick, Canada, who experienced residential damage and/or displacement during the 2018 spring flood. Lived experiences were studied through focus groups with 20 residents and perceptions of community mental health and wellbeing were captured during key informant interviews with 10 local community leaders. Data collection and analysis employed grounded theory. Findings indicate that those who had residential displacement or damage due to the flooding experienced negative mental health impacts, both during and following the flood. While natural disasters have devastating impacts on mental health, the data also indicate that the communities were positively impacted by a collective and collaborative response to the flood. This paper argues for the utility of communal coping as a concept to describe the experiences of communities following residential damage and/or displacement following natural disasters. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Persistent Hearing Loss among World Trade Center Health Registry Residents, Passersby and Area Workers, 2006-2007.
- Author
-
Cone JE, Stein CR, Lee DJ, Flamme GA, and Brite J
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Self Report, Surveys and Questionnaires, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Hearing Loss epidemiology, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic epidemiology, Survivors statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Background: Prior studies have found that rescue and recovery workers exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster have evidence of increased persistent hearing and other ear-related problems. The potential association between WTC disaster exposures and post-9/11 persistent self-reported hearing problems or loss among non-rescue and recovery survivors has not been well studied., Methods: We used responses to the World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollment survey (2003-2004) and first follow-up survey (2006-2007) to model the association between exposure to the dust cloud and persistent hearing loss (n = 22,741)., Results: The prevalence of post-9/11 persistent hearing loss among survivors was 2.2%. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of hearing loss for those who were in the dust cloud and unable to hear was 3.0 (95% CI: 2.2, 4.0). Survivors with persistent sinus problems, headaches, PTSD and chronic disease histories had an increased prevalence of reported hearing problems compared to those without symptoms or chronic problems., Conclusions: In a longitudinal study, we observed an association between WTC-related exposures and post-9/11 self-reported hearing loss among disaster survivors. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. World's oceans are losing power to stall climate change.
- Author
-
Tollefson J
- Subjects
- Animals, Carbon Cycle, Cyclonic Storms prevention & control, Cyclonic Storms statistics & numerical data, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Environmental Policy legislation & jurisprudence, Extreme Heat, Fisheries supply & distribution, Floods prevention & control, Floods statistics & numerical data, Global Warming legislation & jurisprudence, Greenhouse Effect legislation & jurisprudence, Greenhouse Effect prevention & control, Greenhouse Effect statistics & numerical data, Seawater analysis, United Nations, Carbon Dioxide analysis, Global Warming prevention & control, Global Warming statistics & numerical data, Hot Temperature, Oceans and Seas, Seawater chemistry
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Medicaid Utilization Before and After a Natural Disaster in the 2016 Baton Rouge-Area Flood.
- Author
-
Phillippi SW, Beiter K, Thomas CL, Sugarman OK, Wennerstrom A, Wells KB, and Trapido E
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Humans, Louisiana, Male, Medicaid economics, Mental Disorders therapy, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care statistics & numerical data, Substance-Related Disorders epidemiology, Substance-Related Disorders therapy, United States, Floods statistics & numerical data, Medicaid statistics & numerical data, Mental Disorders epidemiology
- Abstract
Objectives. To understand changes in behavioral health services utilization and expenditures before and after natural disaster with an adult Medicaid population affected by the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-area flood (August 2016). Methods. We examined de-identified behavioral health claims data for Medicaid-insured adults in the affected region for 10 months before and after flooding (October 2015-June 2017). This constituted 273 233 provider claims for 22 196 individuals. Claims data included patient gender, behavioral health diagnoses, treatment dates, and costs. We made adjustments for Medicaid expansion by using monthly enrollment data. Results. Overall, most male patient behavioral health care visits were for substance use disorders (33.6%) and most female patient behavioral health care visits were for depression-related disorders (30%). Both diagnostic categories increased after the flood by 66% and 44%, respectively. Expansion accounted for a 4% increase in claims. Postflood claims reflected 8% to 10% higher costs. Conclusions. Greater amounts of behavioral health care services were sought in all 10 months of the postflood study period. We observed gender differences in use of services and diagnoses. Behavioral health care services following natural disasters must be extended longer than traditionally expected, with consideration for specific population needs. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. The hard truths of climate change - by the numbers.
- Author
-
Tollefson J
- Subjects
- Disaster Planning legislation & jurisprudence, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, International Cooperation, Leadership, Environmental Policy legislation & jurisprudence, Environmental Policy trends, Global Warming prevention & control, Global Warming statistics & numerical data, Greenhouse Effect prevention & control, Greenhouse Effect statistics & numerical data, Internationality, Political Activism trends
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Act now and avert a climate crisis.
- Subjects
- Carbon Footprint economics, Carbon Footprint legislation & jurisprudence, Disaster Planning trends, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Environmental Policy trends, Global Warming statistics & numerical data, Humans, Leadership, Periodicals as Topic, Temperature, Time Factors, Attention, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Disasters prevention & control, Environmental Policy legislation & jurisprudence, Global Warming prevention & control, Journalism organization & administration, Political Activism
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Daily Bicycle and Pedestrian Activity as an Indicator of Disaster Recovery: A Hurricane Harvey Case Study.
- Author
-
Doubleday A, Choe Y, Miles S, and Errett NA
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Texas, Bicycling statistics & numerical data, Cyclonic Storms statistics & numerical data, Disaster Victims statistics & numerical data, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Exercise, Pedestrians statistics & numerical data, Recovery of Function
- Abstract
Changes in levels and patterns of physical activity might be a mechanism to assess and inform disaster recovery through the lens of wellbeing. However, few studies have examined disaster impacts on physical activity or the potential for physical activity to serve as an indicator of disaster recovery. In this exploratory study, we examined daily bicycle and pedestrian counts from four public bicycle/pedestrian trails in Houston, before and after Hurricane Harvey landfall, to assess if physical activity returned to pre-Harvey levels. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to examine the immediate impact of Harvey landfall on physical activity; t -tests were performed to assess if trail usage returned to pre-Harvey levels. Hurricane Harvey was found to have a significant negative impact on daily pedestrian and bicycle counts for three of the four trails. Daily pedestrian and bicycle counts were found to return to pre-Harvey or higher levels at 6 weeks post-landfall at all locations studied. We discuss the potential for further research to examine the trends, feasibility, validity, and limitations of using bicycle and pedestrian use levels as a proxy for disaster recovery and wellbeing among affected populations. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Eat less meat: UN climate-change report calls for change to human diet.
- Author
-
Schiermeier Q
- Subjects
- Agriculture statistics & numerical data, Animals, Diet, Healthy statistics & numerical data, Diet, Healthy trends, Diet, Vegetarian statistics & numerical data, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Environmental Policy trends, Forestry methods, Forestry statistics & numerical data, Forestry trends, Global Warming statistics & numerical data, Goals, Humans, Research Report, Soil chemistry, Temperature, Agriculture trends, Diet, Vegetarian trends, Environmental Policy legislation & jurisprudence, Food Supply statistics & numerical data, Global Warming prevention & control, Meat supply & distribution, United Nations
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Risk, Transformation and Adaptation: Ideas for Reframing Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Author
-
Paton D and Buergelt P
- Subjects
- Disaster Planning statistics & numerical data, Disaster Planning trends, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Disaster Planning methods, Disasters prevention & control, Risk Reduction Behavior
- Abstract
Recognition of projected increases in exposure to large-scale hazard events over the coming decades has identified a need to develop how disaster risk reduction and recovery are conceptualized and enacted. This paper discusses some strategies for pursing this goal in both disaster recovery and preparedness settings. The approaches discussed include understanding how communities learn from their hazardous experiences and transform these lessons into beliefs, relationships and capabilities that build future adaptive capacity. The paper draws on examples of transformative learning that illustrate how people can make fundamental shifts in how they think about, prepare for and respond to environmental challenge and change. Regarding transformation in pre-event settings, the paper first discusses why the addition of transformative strategies to disaster risk reduction programs is required. These include a need for rethinking socio-environmental relationships, increasing risk acceptance in the context of evolving hazardscapes, and countering beliefs regarding not preparing. The paper then offers strategies for motivating transformation and consolidating the outcomes of transformation in pre-event disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. A preliminary model that could inform the development of research questions on the development of transformative outcomes and their consolidation in enduring adaptive processes is presented. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Explosions, floods and hurricanes: dealing with a lab disaster.
- Author
-
Glausiusz J
- Subjects
- Adaptation, Psychological, Emigration and Immigration, Female, Fires, Global Warming, Humans, Male, Morale, Museums, Safety, Cyclonic Storms statistics & numerical data, Disaster Planning methods, Disaster Planning organization & administration, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Explosions, Floods statistics & numerical data, Laboratories organization & administration, Research Personnel psychology
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Long-Term Associations Between Disaster Experiences and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Natural Experiment From the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
- Author
-
Shiba K, Hikichi H, Aida J, Kondo K, and Kawachi I
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Body Weights and Measures, Earthquakes, Female, Health Behavior, Health Status, Humans, Japan epidemiology, Lipids blood, Male, Mental Health, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Survivors statistics & numerical data, Tsunamis, Cardiovascular Diseases epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Dyslipidemias epidemiology
- Abstract
We investigated the association between disaster experience and the cardiometabolic risk of survivors 2.5 years after disaster onset, adjusting for health information predating the disaster, using natural experiment data stemming from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. We used data from a cohort of adults aged 65 years or older in Iwanuma City, Japan, located 80 km (128 miles) west of the earthquake epicenter. The baseline survey was completed 7 months before the disaster, and the follow-up survey was performed among survivors approximately 2.5 years after the disaster. The survey data were linked to medical records with information on objectively measured cardiometabolic risk factors (n = 1,195). The exposure of interest was traumatic disaster experiences (i.e., housing damage and loss of loved ones). Fixed-effects regression showed that complete housing destruction was significantly associated with a 0.81-unit greater change in body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.24, 1.38), a 4.26-cm greater change in waist circumference (95% CI: 1.12, 7.41), and a 4.77-mg/dL lower change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (95% CI: -7.96, -1.58) as compared with no housing damage. We also observed a significant association between major housing damage and decreased systolic blood pressure. Continued health checkups and supports for victims who lost homes should be considered to maintain their cardiometabolic health., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Psychiatric epidemiology and disaster exposure in Australia.
- Author
-
Reifels L, Mills K, Dückers MLA, and O'Donnell ML
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Australia epidemiology, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult, Anxiety epidemiology, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Mental Disorders epidemiology, Mood Disorders epidemiology, Substance-Related Disorders epidemiology
- Abstract
Aims: To examine the lifetime prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders associated with natural and man-made disaster exposure in Australia., Methods: We utilised data from a nationally representative population survey (N = 8841) which were analysed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression in order to examine the full spectrum of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) affective, anxiety and substance use disorders associated with exposure to natural and man-made disaster., Results: Man-made disaster exposure was primarily associated with an increased lifetime risk (odds ratio (95% CI)) of alcohol abuse disorder 2.29 (1.56-3.37), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 2.27 (1.36-3.79), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 1.95 (1.08-3.51) and major depressive disorder 1.69 (1.01-2.85). Multiple natural disaster exposure was associated with an increased lifetime risk of panic disorder 2.26 (1.11-4.61). Among the broader disorder spectrum examined, alcohol abuse disorder accounted for the single greatest increase in lifetime disorder prevalence associated with man-made disaster exposure, and the greatest number of natural or man-made disaster exposed individuals who had developed a lifetime psychiatric disorder. Despite the relatively greater disorder risk associated with man-made disaster, natural disaster exposure was associated with more cases of psychiatric disorder, likely due to the frequency with which these events occur in Australia., Conclusions: Notwithstanding the inability to draw causal inferences from cross-sectional survey data, population-based analyses provide a comprehensive and consistent method to ascertain the population imprint of psychiatric disorder and disaster exposure. Mental health policy and services should be targeting a range of psychiatric disorders in disaster contexts in addition to the usual focus on PTSD and depression, including alcohol abuse, panic disorder and OCD. Despite the relatively greater disorder risk associated with man-made disaster exposure, the national burden of psychiatric disorder in natural disaster contexts is particularly high. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. From Disaster Response to Community Recovery: Nongovernmental Entities, Government, and Public Health.
- Author
-
Sledge D and Thomas HF
- Subjects
- California, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Florida, Government Agencies statistics & numerical data, Organizations, Nonprofit statistics & numerical data, Public Health statistics & numerical data, Puerto Rico, Texas, Disasters economics, Government Agencies economics, Natural Disasters economics, Organizations, Nonprofit economics, Public Health economics
- Abstract
In this article, we examine the role of nongovernmental entities (NGEs; nonprofits, religious groups, and businesses) in disaster response and recovery. Although media reports and the existing scholarly literature focus heavily on the role of governments, NGEs provide critical services related to public safety and public health after disasters. NGEs are crucial because of their ability to quickly provide services, their flexibility, and their unique capacity to reach marginalized populations. To examine the role of NGEs, we surveyed 115 NGEs engaged in disaster response. We also conducted extensive field work, completing 44 hours of semistructured interviews with staff from NGEs and government agencies in postdisaster areas in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Northern California, and Southern California. Finally, we compiled quantitative data on the distribution of nonprofit organizations. We found that, in addition to high levels of variation in NGE resources across counties, NGEs face serious coordination and service delivery problems. Federal funding for expanding the capacity of local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster groups, we suggest, would help NGEs and government to coordinate response efforts and ensure that recoveries better address underlying social and economic vulnerabilities. more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Violence propels Ebola outbreak towards 1,000 cases.
- Author
-
Maxmen A
- Subjects
- Democratic Republic of the Congo epidemiology, Disasters economics, Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Disease Outbreaks economics, Disease Outbreaks prevention & control, Global Health economics, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola prevention & control, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola virology, Humans, Politics, World Health Organization organization & administration, Armed Conflicts, Disease Outbreaks statistics & numerical data, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola epidemiology, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola transmission, Violence
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. English sea walls get wired to measure flood risk in real time.
- Author
-
Witze A
- Subjects
- Disasters prevention & control, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Floods prevention & control, Humans, Risk, Safety, Environmental Monitoring instrumentation, Floods statistics & numerical data, Water Movements
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Cord blood perfluoroalkyl substances in mothers exposed to the World Trade Center disaster during pregnancy.
- Author
-
Spratlen MJ, Perera FP, Lederman SA, Robinson M, Kannan K, Trasande L, and Herbstman J
- Subjects
- Adult, Cohort Studies, Disasters statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Linear Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mothers, Pregnancy, Caprylates blood, Fetal Blood chemistry, Fluorocarbons blood, Maternal Exposure statistics & numerical data, September 11 Terrorist Attacks statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may have been released during the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 9/11. Evidence suggests PFAS can cross the placental barrier in humans and cause harm to the developing fetus; however, no studies have measured PFAS in mothers exposed to the WTC disaster during pregnancy. We measured PFAS in maternal plasma (n = 48) or cord blood (n = 231) from pregnant women in the Columbia University WTC birth cohort, enrolled between December 13, 2001 and June 26, 2002 at one of three hospitals located near the WTC site. In order to maximize sample size, we used a linear regression to transform the 48 maternal plasma samples to cord blood equivalents in our study; cord blood and transformed maternal plasma-to-cord blood samples were then analyzed together. We evaluated the association between WTC exposure and PFAS concentrations using three exposure variables: 1) living/working within two miles of WTC; 2) living within two miles of WTC regardless of work location; and 3) working but not living within two miles of WTC. Exposure was compared with those not living/working within two miles of WTC (reference group). Living/working within two miles of WTC was associated with 13% higher perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations compared with the reference group [GMR (95% CI): 1.13 (1.01, 1.27)]. The association was stronger when comparing only those who lived within two miles of WTC to the reference group [GMR (95% CI): 1.17 (1.03, 1.33)], regardless of work location. Our results provide evidence that exposure to the WTC disaster during pregnancy resulted in increases in PFAS concentrations, specifically PFOA. This work identifies a potentially vulnerable and overlooked population, children exposed to the WTC disaster in utero, and highlights the importance of future longitudinal studies in this cohort to investigate later life effects resulting from these early life exposures., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.