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The Effect of Seasonal Floods on Health: Analysis of Six Years of National Health Data and Flood Maps

Author

Listed:
  • Dell D. Saulnier

    (Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Claudia Hanson

    (Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Por Ir

    (National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

  • Helle Mölsted Alvesson

    (Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Johan Von Schreeb

    (Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

There is limited knowledge on the effect of seasonal flooding on health over time. We quantified the short- and long-term effects of floods on selected health indicators at public healthcare facilities in 11 districts in Cambodia, a flood-prone setting. Counts of inpatient discharge diagnoses and outpatient consultations for diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, skin infections, injuries, noncommunicable diseases and vector-borne diseases were retrieved from public healthcare facilities for each month between January 2008 and December 2013. Flood water was mapped by month, in square kilometers, from satellite data. Poisson regression models with three lag months were constructed for the health problems in each district, controlled for seasonality and long-term trends. During times of flooding and three months after, there were small to moderate increases in visits to healthcare facilities for skin infections, acute respiratory infections, and diarrhea, while no association was seen at one to two months. The associations were small to moderate, and a few of our results were significant. We observed increases in care seeking for diarrhea, skin infections, and acute respiratory infections following floods, but the associations are uncertain. Additional research on previous exposure to flooding, using community- and facility-based data, would help identify expected health risks after floods in flood-prone settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Dell D. Saulnier & Claudia Hanson & Por Ir & Helle Mölsted Alvesson & Johan Von Schreeb, 2018. "The Effect of Seasonal Floods on Health: Analysis of Six Years of National Health Data and Flood Maps," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:4:p:665-:d:139399
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maryam Bigdeli & Bart Jacobs & Chean Rithy Men & Kristine Nilsen & Wim Van Damme & Bruno Dujardin, 2016. "Access to Treatment for Diabetes and Hypertension in Rural Cambodia: Performance of Existing Social Health Protection Schemes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. World Bank, 2013. "Where Have All the Poor Gone? : Cambodia Poverty Assessment 2013," World Bank Publications - Reports 17546, The World Bank Group.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elsa Landaverde & Mélissa Généreux & Danielle Maltais & Philippe Gachon, 2022. "Respiratory and Otolaryngology Symptoms Following the 2019 Spring Floods in Quebec," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Adeshina I. Adekunle & Oyelola A. Adegboye & Kazi Mizanur Rahman, 2019. "Flooding in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, in February 2019 and Its Effects on Mosquito-Borne Diseases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-9, April.
    3. Laura Bojke & Laetitia Schmitt & James Lomas & Gerry Richardson & Helen Weatherly, 2018. "Economic Evaluation of Environmental Interventions: Reflections on Methodological Challenges and Developments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-9, November.
    4. Mariusz Starzec & Sabina Kordana-Obuch & Daniel Słyś, 2023. "Assessment of the Feasibility of Implementing a Flash Flood Early Warning System in a Small Catchment Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-43, May.
    5. Michelle S. Escobar Carías & David W. Johnston & Rachel Knott & Rohan Sweeney, 2022. "Flood disasters and health among the urban poor," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(9), pages 2072-2089, September.

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