[Medium- and long-term health effects of the L'Aquila earthquake (Central Italy, 2009) and of other earthquakes in high-income Countries: a systematic review].
OBJECTIVE
to compare the methodological characteristics of the studies investigating the middle- and long-term health effects of the L'Aquila earthquake with the features of studies conducted after other earthquakes occurred in highincome Countries.


METHODS
a systematic comparison between the studies which evaluated the health effects of the L'Aquila earthquake (Central Italy, 6th April 2009) and those conducted after other earthquakes occurred in comparable settings.


METHODS
Medline, Scopus, and 6 sources of grey literature were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria comprised measurement of health outcomes at least one month after the earthquake, investigation of earthquakes occurred in high-income Countries, and presence of at least one temporal or geographical control group.


RESULTS
out of 2,976 titles, 13 studies regarding the L'Aquila earthquake and 51 studies concerning other earthquakes were included. The L'Aquila and the Kobe/Hanshin- Awaji (Japan, 17th January 1995) earthquakes were the most investigated. Studies on the L'Aquila earthquake had a median sample size of 1,240 subjects, a median duration of 24 months, and used most frequently a cross sectional design (7/13). Studies on other earthquakes had a median sample size of 320 subjects, a median duration of 15 months, and used most frequently a time series design (19/51).


CONCLUSIONS
the L'Aquila studies often focussed on mental health, while the earthquake effects on mortality, cardiovascular outcomes, and health systems were less frequently evaluated. A more intensive use of routine data could benefit future epidemiological surveillance in the aftermath of earthquakes.
Centro di ricerca interdipartimentale in medicina d'emergenza e dei disastri e di informatica applicata alla didattica e alla pratica medica (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara.
Alba
A
Ripoll Gallardo
Dipartimento di scienze della sanità pubblica e pediatriche, Università degli Studi di Torino.
Marta
M
Alesina
Agenzia sanitaria e sociale regionale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna. bpacelli@regione.emilia-romagna.it.
Barbara
B
Pacelli
Dipartimento di scienze cliniche applicate e biotecnologiche, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila.
Dario
D
Serrone
Dipartimento di medicina clinica, sanità pubblica, scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila.
Giovanni
G
Iacutone
Dipartimento di medicina traslazionale, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara.
Fabrizio
F
Faggiano
Centro di ricerca interdipartimentale in medicina d'emergenza e dei disastri e di informatica applicata alla didattica e alla pratica medica (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara.
Francesco
F
Della Corte
Dipartimento di medicina traslazionale, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara.
Elias
E
Allara
D019049:Developed Countries; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007564:Japan; D008603:Mental Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors