Impact of Natural Disasters on Health Outcomes and Cancer Among Older Adults
| Autor: | Thomas R. Prohaska, Karen E. Peters |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Exacerbation Natural Disasters Risk Assessment Vulnerable Populations 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Neoplasms Environmental health medicine Humans Survivors 030212 general & internal medicine Natural disaster Aged 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Emergency management business.industry Public health Health Status Disparities General Medicine Mental health Health equity Distress Chronic Disease Public Health Geriatrics and Gerontology Risk assessment business Gerontology |
| Zdroj: | The Gerontologist. 59:S50-S56 |
| ISSN: | 1758-5341 0016-9013 |
| Popis: | There is growing evidence that older adults exposed to natural disasters are at disproportionate risk for adverse health events such as all-cause mortality, injury, hospital admissions, stroke, displacement, cardiopulmonary distress, stress-related mental health problems, and exacerbation of chronic illnesses. Typically, analyses of the health consequences of natural disasters focus only on the populations impacted for the duration and immediate aftermath of the disaster. With few exceptions, the long-term effects of natural disasters on older adult health have not been examined. This article describes the potential consequences of exposure to natural disasters that contribute to cancer and disruption of cancer care treatment systems for older adults. It is argued that exposures to floods and wildfires in particular present an underestimated threat to the onset and/or progression of cancer and cancer care management in older adults. We propose that these impacts should be examined not only from an emergency preparedness perspective during the event but also from a public health focus that prospectively assesses risks for cancer and other health disparities. Recommendations for comprehensive longitudinal risk assessment and emergency preparedness models that address the full impact of natural disasters on the health and well-being of vulnerable, at risk, older adults are offered. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|