title: Displacement as a predictor of functional impairment in tsunami-exposed children.
abstract: Thirty months after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, thousands of families in Aceh Province, Indonesia, remained in temporary barracks while sanitation conditions and non-governmental organisation support deteriorated. This study sought to determine the factors associated with functional impairment in a sample of 138 displaced and non-displaced Acehnese children. Using multivariate linear regression models, it was found that displacement distance was a consistent predictor of impairment using the Brief Impairment Scale. Exposure to tsunami-related trauma markers was not significantly linked with impairment in the model. Paternal employment was a consistent protective factor for child functioning. These findings suggest that post-disaster displacement and the subsequent familial economic disruption are significant predictors of impaired functioning in children's daily activities. Post-disaster interventions should consider the disruption of familiar environments for families and children when relocating vulnerable populations to avoid deleterious impacts on children's functioning.
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician in the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ye Beverly
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Desy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Christina
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palfrey
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Myron
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belfer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D057192:Tsunamis
keywords: child mental health; displacement; functional impairment; tsunami