title: Trajectories of Perceived Social Support Among Low-Income Female Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore trajectories of perceived social support among low-income women who survived Hurricane Katrina, and were surveyed prior to the hurricane and approximately one and four years thereafter (N= 562). Latent class growth analysis provided evidence of four trajectories of perceived support:High Increasing(35.9%),High Decreasing(20.3%),Low Stable(41.1 %), andLow Decreasing(2.7%). Bereavement was significantly predictive of membership in theLow Stabletrajectory, relative to theHigh IncreasingandHigh Decreasingtrajectories. Higher psychological distress and indicators of greater social network size, density and closeness were significantly predictive of membership in theLow Decreasingtrajectory, relative to theHigh IncreasingandHigh Decreasingtrajectories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health; Margaret Willis, Department of Sociology, Boston College.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lowe
keywords: Hurricane Katrina; latent class growth analysis; low-income women; natural disasters; perceived social support; psychological distress; social networks