TITLE:
Health status of transitional resettlement sites after the earthquake in Mianyang city of Sichuan province
AUTHORS:
Ying-Hua Li, Ling Qian, Xue-Qiong Nie, Li LI, Xian-Peng Meng, Jin-Bin Zhang, Li Tong, Li Xiao, He Xing, Chang-Sheng Huang, Tao Hu, Yan Ning, Yan Chen, Yu Ma, Mao-Xuan Tao
KEYWORDS:
Earthquake; Disaster Areas; Health Status; Health Education; Needs
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.1 No.4,
December
30,
2009
ABSTRACT: Objective: To understand the health status of transitional resettlement sites and the needs of residents on health education, and to pro-vide basis for conducting health education after ear- thquakes and other public emergen-cies. Method: From May 31 to June 2, 2008 (19 to 21 days after the earthquake), field obser-vation, questionnaire survey, and structured interviews were conducted in five transitional resettlement sites. Information on health status, health service, health education, and residents’ needs on health education was col-lected. Results: 430 questionnaires were dis-tributed and 424 valid completed ones were returned. Food and water were adequately supplied. Clinics for health assistance were established and environment disinfecting was conducted regularly by public health profes-sionals. Health education was available to residents. The large proportion (98.6%, 97.9%, 88.7%, and 93.2% respectively) of the residents acknowledged that water supply, food supply, lavatories, and health service were adequate to fulfill basic needs. The overall disease in-cidence of surveyed residents was 44.8%, and diarrhea and fever with respiratory symptoms were the most common diseases. Among residents’ needs on disease prevention knowl-edge and skills, basic knowledge of infectious diseases was most desirable (49.8%), and safety knowledge of water uses was secon-darily most desirable (36.8%). The most fa-vored approach of obtaining knowledge was watching television. Conclusions: In the pe-riod of 20 days after the earthquake, Living security, health facilities, and health care ser-vice could satisfy residents’ basic needs. Post-disaster health education should con-centrate on basic knowledge and skills of communicable diseases and health- risky be-havior. Timely distributing disease prevention materials could be effective.