International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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14 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Public Health Indicators to Assess Individual Happiness in Post-Disaster Recovery

by Yingying Sun and Tingting Yan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(21), 4101; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214101 - 24 Oct 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2408

Abstract

Purpose: Very few studies have examined the influential factors of survivors’ feelings of happiness in the context of nuclear accidents. This paper aims to fill this gap with reference to the recovery process in Fukushima City following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami in [...] Read more.

Purpose: Very few studies have examined the influential factors of survivors’ feelings of happiness in the context of nuclear accidents. This paper aims to fill this gap with reference to the recovery process in Fukushima City following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami in Japan. Methods: Open access data were sourced from the 2015 Social Survey on Living and Disaster Recovery (SSLDR) (N = 1439) of Fukushima citizens. Pearson’s Chi-square Test and the t-test were employed to examine gender differences with regard to happiness and exploratory variables. Following this, a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the determinants of happiness. Results: The results showed that, compared to females, male respondents were unhappier and reported more property loss and less neighborhood connectedness. Individuals’ mental and physical health and neighborhood connectedness were found to be significantly correlated with their happiness. However, the disaster-related variables of people’s evaluation of recovery achievement, concerns around the health impacts of radiation, property loss in the disaster, and experiences of casualty, had no effects on happiness. Conclusion: These findings indicate that policies and countermeasures dealing with disaster recovery over the long term should continuously focus on health issues and social relationships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health Effects of Natural and Technological Disasters)

16 pages, 1246 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Series Study of Associations between Rates of People Affected by Disasters and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Cycle

by Holly Ching Yu Lam, Andy Haines, Glenn McGregor, Emily Ying Yang Chan and Shakoor Hajat

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(17), 3146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173146 - 28 Aug 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4551

Abstract

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major driver of climatic variability that can have far reaching consequences for public health globally. We explored whether global, regional and country-level rates of people affected by natural disasters (PAD) are linked to ENSO. Annual [...] Read more.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major driver of climatic variability that can have far reaching consequences for public health globally. We explored whether global, regional and country-level rates of people affected by natural disasters (PAD) are linked to ENSO. Annual numbers of PAD between 1964–2017 recorded on the EM-DAT disaster database were combined with UN population data to create PAD rates. Time-series regression was used to assess de-trended associations between PAD and 2 ENSO indices: Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) and multivariate El Niño Index (MEI). Over 95% of PAD were caused by floods, droughts or storms, with over 75% of people affected by these three disasters residing in Asia. Globally, drought-related PAD rate increased sharply in El Niño years (versus neutral years). Flood events were the disaster type most strongly associated with El Niño regionally: in South Asia, flood-related PAD increased by 40.5% (95% CI 19.3% to 65.6%) for each boundary point increase in ONI (p = 0.002). India was found to be the country with the largest increase in flood-related PAD rates following an El Niño event, with the Philippines experiencing the largest increase following La Niña. Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI)-analyses showed consistent results. These findings can be used to inform disaster preparedness strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health Effects of Natural and Technological Disasters)

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Review

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11 pages, 269 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Narrative Review of the Role of Economic Crisis on Health and Healthcare Infrastructure in Three Disparate National Environments

by David M. Claborn

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041252 - 15 Feb 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3412

Abstract

The collapse of a country’s economy can have significant impacts on the health and healthcare infrastructure of the country. This paper compares the collapse of three national economies from widely separated regions: Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Despite [...] Read more.

The collapse of a country’s economy can have significant impacts on the health and healthcare infrastructure of the country. This paper compares the collapse of three national economies from widely separated regions: Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Despite significant differences in the environments and cultures of these countries, there are some common variables and outcomes shared by most of the countries including effects on healthcare workforce, disproportionate effects on marginalized populations, and resurgence of certain infectious diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health Effects of Natural and Technological Disasters)

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