Impacts of an environmental disaster on psychosocial health and well-being in Karakalpakstan

Crighton, Eric; Elliott, Susan J.; Meer, Joost van der; Small, Ian; Upshur, Ross

doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00054-0

Cited by 64 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Mental health risks associated with environmental degradation have been found in a number of previous studies (Van Haaften and Van de Vijver, 1996a, b, 1999Crighton et al, 2003;Van Haaften et al, 2004;Speldewinde et al, 2009), and this present study highlights the additional burden of disease arising from these environmental processes. In Australia, areas at high risk of developing dryland salinity are predicted to increase from 565 million to 17,000 million hectares over the next 50 years (NLWRA 2001).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

The Hidden Health Burden of Environmental Degradation: Disease Comorbidities and Dryland Salinity

et al. 2011

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Previous studies have linked poor mental human health with environmental degradation, but none have assessed additional diseases that may co-exist with these mental disorders. In previous work, depression was found to be associated with a major form of environmental degradation; dryland salinity. However, little is known about diseases co-morbid with depression in this environmental setting. In rural Australia, dryland salinity is a major form of environmental degradation contributing widely to deterioration and non-viability of farmland. Using georeferenced health record data, Bayesian spatial methods were used to determine the relationship between dryland salinity and a range of human health outcomes. Initial modelling found an increased relative risk for asthma, suicide and ischaemic heart disease in relation to dryland salinity (adjusted for Indigenous and socio-economic status). However, in this follow-up study, a further evaluation of the role of co-morbidities in this population revealed that: (i) the presence of depression was consistently linked to residence in areas with high salinity and (ii) the association of asthma, suicide and heart disease with salinity was most likely attributable to the co-morbidity of the conditions with depression. Given the predicted increase in dryland salinity and the elevated relative risk of depression in impacted areas, the relative risk of the co-morbid conditions can be expected to increase in rural areas in the future, further adding to the burden of disease associated with environmental degradation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

The Hidden Health Burden of Environmental Degradation: Disease Comorbidities and Dryland Salinity

et al. 2011

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“…A recent study (17) showed that almost one-half of the population reports levels of somatic symptoms associated with emotional stress. This finding is comparable to acute environmental disaster studies in North America but higher than findings from chronic, nonacute environmental exposures.…”

Section: Psychosocial and Adaptability Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acting on an environmental health disaster: the case of the Aral Sea.

Small¹,

Meer²,

Upshur³

2001

Environ Health Perspect

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The Aral Sea area in Central Asia has been encountering one of the world's greatest environmental disasters for more than 15 years. During that time, despite many assessments and millions of dollars spent by large, multinational organizations, little has changed. The 5 million people living in this neglected and virtually unknown part of the world are suffering not only from an environmental catastrophe that has no easy solutions but also from a litany of health problems. The region is often dismissed as a chronic problem where nothing positive can be achieved. Within this complicated context, Medecins Sans Frontieres, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, is actively trying to assess the impact of the environmental disaster on human health to help the people who live in the Aral Sea area cope with their environment. Medecins Sans Frontieres has combined a direct medical program to improve the health of the population while conducting operational research to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the environmental disaster and human health outcomes. In this paper we explore the health situation of the region and the broader policy context in which it is situated, and present some ideas that could potentially be applied to many other places in the world that are caught up in environmental and human health disasters.

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“…Beyond biological plausibility, oil pollution and influence of exploration activities of oil industry in the rural communities could increase vulnerability including loss of livelihood and psychosocial stress [38] and [39]. For instance, loses incurred as a result of oil pollution of farmland, drinking water and fishing sources may have a knock-on effect to vulnerable individuals and families due to loss of occupational activities, income and leisure.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Stroke survivors in Nigeria: A door-to-door prevalence survey from the Niger Delta region

Ezejimofor

Uthman

Maduka

et al. 2017

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

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The burden of stroke has been projected to increase in low-and middle-income countries due to the ongoing epidemiological transition. However, community-based stroke prevalence studies are sparse in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in Nigeria. This study aimed to provide a comparative estimate of the prevalence of stroke survivors in the rural Niger Delta region. A three-phased door-to-door survey was conducted using WHO modified instruments. In the first-phase, 2028 adults (≥18 years) participants randomly selected from two rural communities were screened by trained health research assistants for probable stroke. In the second phase, suspected cases were screened with stroke-specific tool. Positive cases were made to undergo complete neurological evaluation by two study neurologist in phase-three.Stroke diagnosis was based on clinical evaluation using WHO criteria. Overall, 27 (8 firstever and 19 recurrent cases) stroke survivors with crude prevalence of 13.31/1000 (95% CI, 8.32-18.31) and a non-significant difference in prevalence between the two study communities were found, (P= 0.393I). In addition, age-adjusted prevalence of stroke survivors was 14.6/1000 person, about 7-folds higher than previous estimates outside the Niger Delta region. The prevalence increases significantly with advancing in age, P<0·001.Among others, hypertension (92.59%) was the commonest risk factor and comorbidity found.Improved stroke surveillance and care, as well as better management of the underlying risk factors, primarily undetected or uncontrolled high blood pressure, remains a public health priority.

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Impacts of an environmental disaster on psychosocial health and well-being in Karakalpakstan

Cited by 64 publications

References 18 publications

The Hidden Health Burden of Environmental Degradation: Disease Comorbidities and Dryland Salinity

The Hidden Health Burden of Environmental Degradation: Disease Comorbidities and Dryland Salinity

Acting on an environmental health disaster: the case of the Aral Sea.

Stroke survivors in Nigeria: A door-to-door prevalence survey from the Niger Delta region

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