Disaster and associated changes in physical and mental health in older residents.
BACKGROUND
Long-term health consequences of disasters have not been studied extensively, one reason amongst others is that no pre-disaster observation is available. This study focuses on an aeroplane crash on an Amsterdam suburb. The ongoing Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam has one pre-disaster and several post-disaster observations, making it possible to study changes in health, taking pre-disaster health characteristics into account.


METHODS
Three exposure groups are distinguished: those living within a radius of 1 km from the disaster (initial n=39), those living between a radius of 1 and 2 km from the disaster (initial n=56), and those living in the rest of the city of Amsterdam (initial n=508). Health measures include general health, health in comparison with age peers, functional limitations, disability and cognitive functioning. These measures are based on self-ratings, interviewer observations, or both.


RESULTS
Older persons living closest to the disaster area are likely to experience health decline in the wake of a disaster, over and above the health decline that would occur normally with aging. The disaster-associated health decline is small, and most obvious in the ability to perform actions (such as mobility), but is not observed in either disability in daily functioning, nor in self-perceptions of health. Cognitive functioning even shows a short-term improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest substantial resilience in older adults, despite their common health problems.
Deeg
Dorly J H
DJ
Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. djh.deeg@vumc.nl
Huizink
Anja C
AC
Comijs
Hannie C
HC
Smid
Tjabe
T
D000060:Accidents, Aviation; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population