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After the Storm: Short-term and Long-term Health Effects Following Superstorm Sandy among the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2019

Wayne R. Lawrence ,
Ziqiang Lin ,
Emily A. Lipton ,
Guthrie Birkhead ,
Michael Primeau ,
Guang-Hui Dong  and
Shao Lin
Wayne R. Lawrence
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Mr Lawrence, Dr Birkhead, and Dr Shao Lin)
Ziqiang Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Dr Ziqiang Lin, Ms Lipton, and Dr Shao Lin) Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York (Dr Ziqiang Lin)
Emily A. Lipton
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Dr Ziqiang Lin, Ms Lipton, and Dr Shao Lin)
Guthrie Birkhead
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Mr Lawrence, Dr Birkhead, and Dr Shao Lin)
Michael Primeau
Affiliation:
Department of Health Policy Management and Behavior, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Ms Lipton); Office of Health Emergency Preparedness, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York (Mr Primeau);
Guang-Hui Dong
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Yuexiu District Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (Dr Dong)
Shao Lin*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Mr Lawrence, Dr Birkhead, and Dr Shao Lin) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York (Dr Ziqiang Lin, Ms Lipton, and Dr Shao Lin)
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Shao Lin, Department of Environmental Health Science, School of Public Health, Rm 212d, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144 (e-mail: slin@albany.edu).
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Abstract

Objective

Investigate short- and long-term effects of Superstorm Sandy on multiple morbidities among the elderly.

Methods

We examined emergency department visits; outpatient visits; and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and injury among residents residing in 8 affected counties immediately, 4 months, and 12 months following Superstorm Sandy. Control groups were defined as visits/admissions during the identical time window in the 5 years before (2007-2011) and 1 year after (2013-2014) the storm in affected and nonaffected counties in New York. We performed Poisson regression to test whether there was an association of increased visits/admissions for periods following Superstorm Sandy while controlling for covariates.

Results

We found that the risk for CVD, respiratory disease, and injury visits/admissions was more than twice as high immediately, 4 months, and 12 months after the storm than it was in the control periods. Women were at greater risk at all time periods for CVD (risk ratio [RR], 2.04) and respiratory disease (RRs: 1.89 to 1.92). Whites had higher risk for CVD, respiratory disease, and injury than other racial groups during each period.

Conclusion

We observed increases in CVD, respiratory disease, and injury up to a year following Superstorm Sandy. Findings demonstrate the need to incorporate short- and long-term health effects into public health recovery. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:28-32)

Keywords

hurricanedisastersvulnerable populationsmorbidity
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Special Issue 1: Serial Hurricanes , February 2019 , pp. 28 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

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References

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