Compounding Effects of Social Vulnerability and Recurring Natural Disasters on Mental and Physical Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Micah B. Hahn ◽  
Rebecca Van Wyck ◽  
Lauren Lessard ◽  
Ruby Fried
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
High Blood Pressure ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Business Administration ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Abstract Objective: This study evaluated the relationships between the occurrence of recent and recurring natural disasters on the incidence of acute and chronic health outcomes at the census tract level in 500 cities across the United States between 2001 and 2015. Methods: Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 500 cities data set, the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, and the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Database, we modeled the incidence of self-reported, poor mental and physical health, or a clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure or asthma in census tracts (N = 27 204 tracts in 500 cities) that had experienced recent or recurring natural disasters while controlling for social and environmental risk factors. Results: Communities that experienced a natural disaster in the previous 5 years compared to those that had not had a higher incidence of poor mental health (RR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02), poor physical health (RR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04), high blood pressure (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.05), and asthma (RR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02). The incidence of these poor health outcomes increased 1-2% with each additional year that a community experienced a disaster. Conclusions: Prevention and preparedness plans that work to build resilience in communities before disasters should focus on closing the gap in environmental and social determinants that have been linked with disproportionate health burdens and slow recovery post-disaster.

scholarly journals Long-Term Physical Health Outcomes of Resettled Refugee Populations in the United States: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayathri S. Kumar ◽  
Jenna A. Beeler ◽  
Emma E. Seagle ◽  
Emily S. Jentes
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Us ◽  
Bhutanese Refugee

AbstractSeveral studies describe the health of recently resettled refugee populations in the US beyond the first 8 months after arrival. This review summarizes the results of these studies. Scientific articles from five databases published from January 2008 to March 2019 were reviewed. Articles were included if study subjects included any of the top five US resettlement populations during 2008–2018 and if data described long-term physical health outcomes beyond the first 8 months after arrival in the US. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria (1.5%). Refugee adults had higher odds of having a chronic disease compared with non-refugee immigrant adults, and an increased risk for diabetes compared with US-born controls. The most commonly reported chronic diseases among Iraqi, Somali, and Bhutanese refugee adults included diabetes and hypertension. Clinicians should consider screening and evaluating for chronic conditions in the early resettlement period. Further evaluations can build a more comprehensive, long-term health profile of resettled refugees to inform public health practice.

scholarly journals Hispanic/Latino Ethnic Identity and Diabetes: An Examination of Underlying Acculturation Processes and the Hispanic/Latino Health Advantage

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Jeannie B. Concha ◽  
Kristen Kelly ◽  
Briana Mezuk
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diabetes Prevalence ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
The Relationship

Background. Hispanics/Latinos in the United States experience both a health advantage and disadvantage in developing diabetes. Ethnic identity, a predictor of psychological well-being, has not been widely applied to physical health outcomes. The objective of this study is to apply what is known regarding ethnic identity and psychological health to physical health outcomes (diabetes) and to explore the moderating effect of education as a possible underlying mechanism of the Hispanic Health Advantage/Disadvantage. Specifically, this study examines (a) the association between ethnic identity and diabetes prevalence among adult Hispanics/Latinos and (b) determines whether education modifies this relationship. Method. Data come from the nationally representative adult U.S. household study, National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), collected in 2001 to 2003 ( N = 1,746). Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between ethnic identity, education, and their interaction with likelihood of diabetes. Results. Hispanics/Latinos with high ethnic identity have a higher odds of reporting diabetes among those with 13 to 15 years of education (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–2.92) and a lower odds among those with 16+ years of education (odds ratio: 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.84). Ethnic identity is associated with diabetes prevalence and the relationship is moderated by educational attainment. Conclusion. Given the growth, diversity, and diabetes disparities among Hispanics/Latinos, our buffering and exacerbating findings exemplify the complexity and fluidity of theory in understanding psychological/behavioral processes. The findings highlight the importance of designing targeted health interventions that take into account the diverse psychosocial and educational experiences of Hispanics/Latinos.

scholarly journals Holistic Health: Does It Really Include Mental Health?

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2092-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. McClanahan ◽  
Marlene B. Huff ◽  
Hatim A. Omar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
The U.S

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years. However, in the U.S., mental health is not seen as conceptually integral to physical health and, thus, holistic health cannot be realized until the historical concept of mind-body dualism, continuing stigma regarding mental illness, lack of mental health parity in insurance, and inaccurate public perceptions regarding mental illness are adequately addressed and resolved. Until then, mental and physical health will continue to be viewed as disparate entities rather than parts of a unified whole. We conclude that the U.S. currently does not generally incorporate the tenets of holistic health in its view of the mental and physical health of its citizens, and provide some suggestions for changing that viewpoint.

scholarly journals Sleep and inflammation in resilient aging

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 20140009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Biological Pathway ◽  
Chronic Disease Risk ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Sleep quality is important to health, and increasingly viewed as critical in promoting successful, resilient aging. In this review, the interplay between sleep and mental and physical health is considered with a focus on the role of inflammation as a biological pathway that translates the effects of sleep on risk of depression, pain and chronic disease risk in aging. Given that sleep regulates inflammatory biologic mechanisms with effects on mental and physical health outcomes, the potential of interventions that target sleep to reduce inflammation and promote health in aging is also discussed.

PP033. High blood pressure in pregnancy: an indicator of future health outcomes

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 260
Author(s):  
J. Tooher ◽  
C.L. Chiu ◽  
C. Thornton ◽  
S. Lupton ◽  
A. O’Loughlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
High Blood Pressure ◽  
Future Health ◽  
In Pregnancy
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