|
 |
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
American Journal of Public Health, 10.2105/AJPH.2005.084335
Research and Practice |
1 ucla
2 UCLA
3 VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
4 UCLA School of Public Health
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: deisenman{at}mednet.ucla.edu.
 |
Abstract |
|---|
Objectives. We studied the experience of Hurricane Katrina evacuees to better understand factors influencing evacuation decisions in impoverished, mainly minority communities that were most severely affected by the disaster.
Methods. We performed qualitative interviews with 58 randomly selected evacuees living in Houston’s major evacuation centers from September 9 to 12, 2005. Transcripts were content analyzed using grounded theory methodology.
Results. Participants were mainly African American, had low incomes, and were from New Orleans. Participants’ strong ties to extended family, friends, and community groups influenced other factors affecting evacuation, including transportation, access to shelter, and perception of evacuation messages. These social connections cut both ways, which facilitated and hindered evacuation decisions.
Conclusions. Effective disaster plans must account for the specific obstacles encountered by vulnerable and minority communities. Removing the more apparent obstacles of shelter and transportation will likely be insufficient for improving disaster plans for impoverished, minority communities. The important influence of extended families and social networks demand better community-based communication and preparation strategies.
Key Words: Injury/Emergency Care/Violence, African Americans/Blacks, Qualitative Research, Urban Health
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. Bouye, B. I. Truman, S. Hutchins, R. Richard, C. Brown, J. A. Guillory, and J. Rashid Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Among Public-Housing Residents, Single-Parent Families, and Low-Income Populations Am J Public Health, October 1, 2009; 99(S2): S287 - S293. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Vaughan and T. Tinker Effective Health Risk Communication About Pandemic Influenza for Vulnerable Populations Am J Public Health, October 1, 2009; 99(S2): S324 - S332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Pandya Adult Disaster Psychiatry Focus, April 1, 2009; 7(2): 155 - 159. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. P. Stimpson, F. A. Wilson, and S. K. Jeffries Seeking Help for Disaster Services After a Flood Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness, October 1, 2008; 2(3): 139 - 141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Crouse Quinn Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication in a Pandemic: A Model for Building Capacity and Resilience of Minority Communities Health Promot Pract, October 1, 2008; 9(4_suppl): 18S - 25S. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H.-J. Paek, K. Hilyard, V. S. Freimuth, J. K. Barge, and M. Mindlin Public Support for Government Actions During a Flu Pandemic: Lessons Learned From a Statewide Survey Health Promot Pract, October 1, 2008; 9(4_suppl): 60S - 72S. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. A. Bostick, I. Subbarao, F. M. Burkle Jr, E. B. Hsu, J. H. Armstrong, and J. J. James Disaster Triage Systems for Large-scale Catastrophic Events Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness, September 1, 2008; 2(Supplement_1): S35 - S39. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |