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A Sex Disparity Among Earthquake Victims

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2015

Michael Ardagh ,
Sarah Standring ,
Joanne M. Deely ,
David Johnston ,
Viki Robinson ,
Pauline Gulliver ,
Sandra Richardson ,
Alieke Dierckx  and
Martin Than
Michael Ardagh*
Affiliation:
University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Sarah Standring
Affiliation:
Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand
Joanne M. Deely
Affiliation:
Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand
David Johnston
Affiliation:
Joint Centre for Disaster Research, GNS Science, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
Viki Robinson
Affiliation:
Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand
Pauline Gulliver
Affiliation:
Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand
Sandra Richardson
Affiliation:
University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Alieke Dierckx
Affiliation:
Christchurch Emergency Care Foundation, Christchurch, New Zealand
Martin Than
Affiliation:
Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Professor Michael W Ardagh, Emergency Department, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand (e-mail: michael.ardagh@cdhb.health.nz).
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Abstract

Objective

Understanding who is most vulnerable during an earthquake will help health care responders prepare for future disasters. We analyzed the demography of casualties from the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.

Methods

The demography of the total deceased, injured, and hospitalized casualties of the Christchurch earthquake was compared with that of the greater Christchurch population, the Christchurch central business district working population, and patients who presented to the single acute emergency department on the same month and day over the prior 10 years. Sex data were compared to scene of injury, context of injury, clinical characteristics of injury, and injury severity scores.

Results

Significantly more females than males were injured or killed in the entire population of casualties (P<0.001). Most of the deceased and hospitalized casualties were injured in the central business district (171/182 deceased [94%]; 33/91 hospitalized [36.2%]). Approximately half of both sexes were injured at home (1002/2032 males [49%]; 2390/4627 females [52%]) and >20% were injured at commercial or service localities (444/2032 males [22%]; 1105/4627 females [24%]). Adults aged between 20 and 69 years (1639/2032 males [81%]; 3717/4627 females [80%]) were most frequently injured.

Conclusion

Where people were and what they were doing at the time of the earthquake influenced their risk of injury. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:67-73)

Keywords

earthquakesemergency preparednessmortalitynatural disasters
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 2016 , pp. 67 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

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