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The Self-Reported Human Health Impacts of Disaster on People in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Longitudinal Aging Study India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2025

Jeetendra Yadav Open the ORCID record for Jeetendra Yadav [Opens in a new window] ,
Ravina Ranjan Open the ORCID record for Ravina Ranjan [Opens in a new window]  and
Amy E. Peden Open the ORCID record for Amy E. Peden [Opens in a new window]
Jeetendra Yadav
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and Technical Officer (C), ICMR-National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi–110029
Ravina Ranjan
Affiliation:
Research Scientist -II, ICMR-National Institute of Medical Statistics, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi–110029
Amy E. Peden*
Affiliation:
School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
*
Correspondence: Amy E. Peden School of Population Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Room 323, Level 3, Samuels Building UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia E-mail: a.peden@unsw.edu.au
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Abstract

Introduction:

The human health impacts of disaster are predicted to increase in frequency and severity due to the effects of climate change. This has impacts on all nations, but understanding disaster-related health impacts in highly populous nations, such as India, will help to inform risk preparedness and reduction measures for large proportions of the global population.

Problem:

Disaster-related human health impacts in India were examined via the use of survey data to inform risk reduction.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analysis of Wave 1 (2017-2018) data from the Longitudinal Aging Study India (LASI) was conducted to explore the impact of both natural and human-induced disasters on the self-reported health of people 45 years and above, as well as their partners (irrespective of age). Descriptive statistics, chi square tests of association, odds ratio, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data by socio-demographics, geographic location, and health concern type.

Results:

Out of a total 72,250 respondents, 2,301 (3.5%) reported disaster-related health impacts, of which 90.1% were significant. Rural residents and those with no education were more likely to be affected. Droughts were most commonly responsible for affecting human health (41.7%), followed by floods (24.0%). Two-thirds of the sample reported psychological trauma and one-in-five experienced chronic illness.

Discussion:

The LASI study presents an important first understanding of the self-reported human health impacts of disasters, both natural and human-induced in India. Findings indicate social determinants such as education level and rurality impact risk of disaster-related health impacts, while mental health concerns represent the biggest disaster-related health concern.

Conclusion:

Future waves of LASI should be examined to determine if human health impacts are increasing due to the effects of climate change, as well as the vulnerability of an aging cohort.

Keywords

disasterfloodmental healthpreparednesspublic health
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , First View , pp. 1 - 13
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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