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Frapaise L, Furman K, Scyphers SB, Kuhl L. Mental models for inclusive, socially-just disaster planning: a multi-community study in Saint Martin after Hurricane Irma. DISASTERS 2024:e12627. [PMID: 38840514 DOI: 10.1111/disa.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Local perspectives provide different insights into disaster planning and response as compared to those of experts. Eliciting them, however, can be challenging, particularly for marginalised groups whose viewpoints have historically been excluded from planning processes. Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) provides a semi-quantitative approach to representing the collective understanding or 'mental models' of diverse individuals and communities. This study involved 23 FCM interviews across three neighbourhoods of Saint Martin to comprehend: (i) how individuals' mental models of Hurricane Irma (2017) differ based on their context; (ii) how aligned mental models are with policy and planning documents; and (iii) the implications for the inclusiveness and representativeness of disaster response policies. It found that the residents of different neighbourhoods provided unique insights into the factors driving the social-ecological system, and that official policies aligned closely with priorities. The paper argues that the inclusion of the perspectives of different groups in disaster recovery is essential for an equitable process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Frapaise
- School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs and International Affairs Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
- Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA
| | - Kelsi Furman
- Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA
| | - Steven B Scyphers
- Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA
- School of Marine & Environmental Sciences and Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL
| | - Laura Kuhl
- School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs and International Affairs Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
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Morales-Torres L, Vélez-Maldonado DA, Rosario-Maldonado FJ, Aguirre-Hernández JM, Motta-Pagán JL, Rodríguez-Torruella D, Castro-Figueroa E, Ramos-Lucca A, Rivera-Mateo E, Marzán-Rodríguez M, Jiménez-Chávez J. Empowering Underserved Communities in Southern Puerto Rico: A Formal Training Program in Community Health Promotion. J Community Health 2024:10.1007/s10900-024-01346-5. [PMID: 38575835 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-024-01346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Community health promotion offers a potential solution to persistent healthcare challenges, with community health workers playing a pivotal role. The Community Training Institute for Health Disparities (CTIHD) implemented a problem-solving curriculum in Community Health Promotion, integrating a competency-based learning model through two courses: Introduction to Community Health Promotion and Design of an Action Plan for the Promotion of Community Health. Each course comprised ten three-hour sessions, featuring pre/post-tests, evaluations, and a cognitive debriefing. Knowledge change was assessed using pre/post-test scores among 27 community leaders from southern Puerto Rico. Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 demonstrated an overall retention rate of 62.6% and 96.7%, respectively. Although differences in knowledge gained between cohorts and courses weren't statistically significant, a trend toward increased knowledge was noted. Cohort 1 experienced a 22% knowledge increase in Course 1 and a 24% increase in Course 2. Cohort 2 demonstrated a 41% knowledge increase in Course 1 and a 25% increase in Course 2. The CTIHD's Community Health Promotion Program has made significant strides in elevating awareness and knowledge, marking a positive step toward reducing health disparities and fostering healthier, empowered communities in southern Puerto Rico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Morales-Torres
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico.
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico.
| | - David A Vélez-Maldonado
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Fernando J Rosario-Maldonado
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Jeannie M Aguirre-Hernández
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Jorge L Motta-Pagán
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Eida Castro-Figueroa
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Axel Ramos-Lucca
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Elizabeth Rivera-Mateo
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Melissa Marzán-Rodríguez
- Public Health Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
| | - Julio Jiménez-Chávez
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
- Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico
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Garcia M. Intersectional Microaggressions and Implications for Health Inequities and HIV Among Latino/x Sexual Minority Males in Puerto Rico. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024:10.1007/s40615-023-01900-2. [PMID: 38198018 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01900-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Latino/x sexual minority males (SMM) continue to be disproportionately impacted by health inequities. This study aims to understand the lived experience of Puerto Rican (PR) SMM related to how intersectional microaggressions influence health-related risk and protective factors. Young adult (ages 21-30) PR SMM from San Juan, Puerto Rico, completed a bilingual in-depth individual interview (14 in Spanish and 1 in English). A thematic analysis based on the original language of the interviews was conducted using NVivo. Six prominent themes were identified through the data analysis: (1) religious microaggressions, being gay is bad because God doesn't like it; (2) gender microaggressions, gay is not good because it's not for men; (3) sexuality microaggressions, this one is a homosexual, coming out as a sexual minority; (4) trans microaggressions, drag queens create an illusion; (5) internalized microaggressions, battling with internalized homophobia; and (6) mitigating microaggressions, establishing a supportive community. Findings suggest that multiple forms of microaggressions based on the intersectionality of sexuality and gender manifest from straight as well as gay communities. PR SMM demonstrated their resiliency by assessing interactions with others to mitigate risks and enhance supportive networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moctezuma Garcia
- School of Social Work, San José State University, San Jose, CA, 95112, USA.
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Sanghvi DE, Rackoff GN, Newman MG. Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following exposure to Hurricane Ike. Soc Sci Med 2023; 327:115942. [PMID: 37210980 PMCID: PMC10519432 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is substantial heterogeneity in how people react to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Although some literature has explored this heterogeneity, there are only a few studies identifying factors associated with it within the disaster literature. OBJECTIVE The current investigation identified latent classes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and differences between these classes after exposure to Hurricane Ike. METHODS Adults living in Galveston and Chambers County, Texas, (n = 658) completed a battery of measures during an interview conducted two to five months after Hurricane Ike. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify latent classes of PTSD symptoms. Additionally, gender, age, racial or ethnic minority status, depression severity, anxiety severity, quality of life, perceived need for services, and disaster exposure were examined to explore class differences. RESULTS LCA supported a 3-class model with low (n = 407, 61.9%), moderate (n = 191, 29.0%), and high PTSD symptoms (n = 60, 9.1%). Women appeared most at-risk for a moderate-severity presentation as compared to a low-severity presentation. Further, racial or ethnic minority groups appeared most at-risk for a high-severity presentation as compared to a moderate-severity presentation. Overall, the high symptom class had the poorest well-being, the most perceived need for services, and the highest exposure to the disaster, followed by the moderate symptom class, and finally the low symptom class. CONCLUSIONS PTSD symptom classes appeared to be differentiated primarily by overall severity as well as important psychological, contextual, and demographic dimensions.
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García C, Garcia MA, McEniry M, Crowe M. The neighborhood context and all-cause mortality among older adults in Puerto Rico. Front Public Health 2023; 11:995529. [PMID: 36969624 PMCID: PMC10034172 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.995529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent efforts have been made to collect data on neighborhood-level attributes and link them to longitudinal population-based surveys. These linked data have allowed researchers to assess the influence of neighborhood characteristics on the health of older adults in the US. However, these data exclude Puerto Rico. Because of significantly differing historical and political contexts, and widely ranging structural factors between the island and the mainland, it may not be appropriate to apply current knowledge on neighborhood health effects based on studies conducted in the US to Puerto Rico. Thus, we aim to (1) examine the types of neighborhood environments older Puerto Rican adults reside in and (2) explore the association between neighborhood environments and all-cause mortality. Methods We linked data from the 2000 US Census to the longitudinal Puerto Rican Elderly Health Conditions Project (PREHCO) with mortality follow-up through 2021 to examine the effects of the baseline neighborhood environment on all-cause mortality among 3,469 participants. Latent profile analysis, a model-based clustering technique, classified Puerto Rican neighborhoods based on 19 census block group indicators related to the neighborhood constructs of socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, and housing and transportation. The associations between the latent classes and all-cause mortality were assessed using multilevel mixed-effects parametric survival models with a Weibull distribution. Results A five-class model was fit on 2,477 census block groups in Puerto Rico with varying patterns of social (dis)advantage. Our results show that older adults residing in neighborhoods classified as Urban High Deprivation and Urban High-Moderate Deprivation in Puerto Rico were at higher risk of death over the 19-year study period relative to the Urban Low Deprivation cluster, controlling for individual-level covariates. Conclusions Considering Puerto Rico's socio-structural reality, we recommend that policymakers, healthcare providers, and leaders across industries to (1) understand how individual health and mortality is embedded within larger social, cultural, structural, and historical contexts, and (2) make concerted efforts to reach out to residents living in disadvantaged community contexts to understand better what they need to successfully age in place in Puerto Rico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine García
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Aging Studies Institute, Center for Aging and Policy Studies, and the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Marc A. Garcia
- Department of Sociology, Aging Studies Institute, Center for Aging and Policy Studies, and the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Mary McEniry
- Center for Demography and Ecology, and Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michael Crowe
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Lundberg DJ, Cho A, Raquib R, Nsoesie EO, Wrigley-Field E, Stokes AC. Geographic and Temporal Patterns in Covid-19 Mortality by Race and Ethnicity in the United States from March 2020 to February 2022. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.07.20.22277872. [PMID: 35898347 PMCID: PMC9327633 DOI: 10.1101/2022.07.20.22277872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Prior research has established that American Indian, Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander populations in the United States have experienced substantially higher mortality rates from Covid-19 compared to non-Hispanic white residents during the first year of the pandemic. What remains less clear is how mortality rates have changed for each of these racial/ethnic groups during 2021, given the increasing prevalence of vaccination. In particular, it is unknown how these changes in mortality have varied geographically. In this study, we used provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to produce age-standardized estimates of Covid-19 mortality by race/ethnicity in the United States from March 2020 to February 2022 in each metro-nonmetro category, Census region, and Census division. We calculated changes in mortality rates between the first and second years of the pandemic and examined mortality changes by month. We found that when Covid-19 first affected a geographic area, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations experienced extremely high levels of Covid-19 mortality and racial/ethnic inequity that were not repeated at any other time during the pandemic. Between the first and second year of the pandemic, racial/ethnic inequities in Covid-19 mortality decreased-but were not eliminated-for Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic AIAN residents. These inequities decreased due to reductions in mortality for these populations alongside increases in non-Hispanic white mortality. Though racial/ethnic inequities in Covid-19 mortality decreased, substantial inequities still existed in most geographic areas during the pandemic's second year: Non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic AIAN, and Hispanic residents reported higher Covid-19 death rates in rural areas than in urban areas, indicating that these communities are facing serious public health challenges. At the same time, the non-Hispanic white mortality rate worsened in rural areas during the second year of the pandemic, suggesting there may be unique factors driving mortality in this population. Finally, vaccination rates were associated with reductions in Covid-19 mortality for Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic white residents, and increased vaccination may have contributed to the decreases in racial/ethnic inequities in Covid-19 mortality observed during the second year of the pandemic. Despite reductions in mortality, Covid-19 mortality remained elevated in nonmetro areas and increased for some racial/ethnic groups, highlighting the need for increased vaccination delivery and equitable public health measures especially in rural communities. Taken together, these findings highlight the continued need to prioritize health equity in the pandemic response and to modify the structures and policies through which systemic racism operates and has generated racial health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahyoung Cho
- Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University
- Department of Political Science, Boston University
| | - Rafeya Raquib
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health
| | - Elaine O. Nsoesie
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health
- Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University
| | | | - Andrew C. Stokes
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health
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Mattei J, Tamez M, O’Neill J, Haneuse S, Mendoza S, Orozco J, Lopez-Cepero A, Ríos-Bedoya CF, Falcón LM, Tucker KL, Rodríguez-Orengo JF. Chronic Diseases and Associated Risk Factors Among Adults in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2139986. [PMID: 35019984 PMCID: PMC8756309 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.39986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE As public health emergencies become more prevalent, it is crucial to identify adverse physical and mental health conditions that may be triggered by natural disasters. There is a lack of data on whether Hurricane Maria in 2017 influenced the disease burden of adults in Puerto Rico. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases and their associated risk factors among adults living in Puerto Rico before and after Hurricane Maria in 2017. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used data from 2 previous cross-sectional studies, including the pre-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico Assessment on Diet, Lifestyles and Disease (PRADLAD) study, conducted in 2015, and the post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico Observational Study of Psychosocial, Environmental, and Chronic Disease Trends (PROSPECT), conducted in 2019. Participants included adults aged 30 to 75 years residing in Puerto Rico. Data were analyzed from April to October 2020. EXPOSURES Self-reported data were obtained on sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors and medically diagnosed conditions using validated questionnaires. Anthropometrics were measured in triplicate. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Data were obtained using similar protocols in both studies. Characteristics were contrasted for all participants across studies and for 87 PRADLAD participants who returned to PROSPECT. RESULTS A total of 825 participants from both cohorts were included, with 380 PRADLAD participants and 532 PROSPECT participants. In the 2019 PROSPECT study, the mean (SD) age was 53.7 (10.8) years, and 363 participants (68.2%) were assigned female at birth and 169 participants (31.8%) were assigned male at birth. In the 2019 cohort, 360 participants (67.7%) had college education or higher, 205 participants (38.5%) reported annual income greater than $20 001, and 263 participants (49.5%) were employed. Most sociodemographic variables were similar between studies, except for higher income and employment after the hurricane. In the main analysis, participants in 2019, compared with participants in 2015, had higher abdominal obesity (389 participants [73.2%] vs 233 participants [61.3%]), sedentarism (236 participants [44.4%] vs 136 participants [35.8%]), binge drinking (95 participants [17.9%] vs 46 participants [12.1%]), and social support (mean [SD] score, 26.9 [7.2] vs 24.7 [7.1]) but lower depressive symptoms (169 participants [31.7%] vs 200 participants [52.6%]) and perceived stress (mean [SD] score, 19.3 [9.5] vs 21.7 [7.7]). In 2019, compared with 2015, there were higher rates of hypertension (252 participants [47.3%] vs 149 participants [39.2%]), arthritis (172 participants [32.3%] vs 97 participants [25.6%]), high cholesterol (194 participants [36.4%] vs 90 participants [23.8%]), high triglycerides (123 participants [23.1%] vs 56 participants [14.7%]), eye disease (94 participants [17.6%] vs 48 participants [12.7%]), fatty liver disease (68 participants [12.8%] vs 29 participants [7.5%]), and osteoporosis (74 participants [13.9%] vs 20 participants [5.2%]). Secondary analysis for the 87 returning participants showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study, a higher prevalence of unhealthy behaviors and chronic conditions was noted among adults in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, warranting long-term studies. Psychosocial factors were better, but still need attention. As natural disasters intensify, efforts should focus on continuous surveillance of health outcomes and promoting healthy behaviors, positive emotional health, and disease control, particularly in populations with higher risk for poor health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiemer Mattei
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Martha Tamez
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - June O’Neill
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sebastien Haneuse
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Andrea Lopez-Cepero
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carlos F. Ríos-Bedoya
- FDI Clinical Research of Puerto Rico, San Juan
- McLaren Health Care, Graduate Medical Education, Grand Blanc, Michigan
| | - Luis M. Falcón
- College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
| | - Katherine L. Tucker
- Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences and Center for Population Health, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
| | - José F. Rodríguez-Orengo
- FDI Clinical Research of Puerto Rico, San Juan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan
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Vega Ocasio D, Pérez Ramos JG, Dye TDV. "Y no quedó nada, nada de la casa, todo salió volando" (And there was nothing left, nothing of the house, everything flew away): a critical medical ecological perspective on the lived experience of hurricane María in Puerto Rico. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1833. [PMID: 34627180 PMCID: PMC8502391 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11847-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ecological disasters create dramatic changes as man-made and natural ecosystems adapt to their effects. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and María devastated Puerto Rico. Public focus after such traumatic ecological events often neglects pre-existing community dynamics, heterogeneity of lived experience, and complexity of decision-making in the disaster context. We intended to better understand the lived experience of this ecological trauma in communities across ecosystems in Puerto Rico and among those displaced to Florida. Method We used the Critical Medical Ecological (CME) framework to assess the relative contribution of ecological dimensions on lived experience across community levels and time. We used qualitative methods with emic coding and etic mapping of salient constructs to the ecological model. In total, 96 people participated in 23 discussion encounters. Two people coded interviews in Spanish using Dedoose. We identified common themes in sequential order mapped to elements of the CME to approximate the participants’ temporal experience. Results Codes applied to the period of the hurricane’s landfall, traverse, and exit were markedly distinct from the other two periods (before and after) examined in this study: the experience of the hurricane’s strike was highly personal and, at this level, reflected a mix of sociocultural, biological, and abiotic factors. After the hurricanes, social and community factors re-emerged while new risks and conditions arose that were biological (e.g., leptospirosis, no food or water) or abiotic (e.g., unusable roads/bridges, structures destroyed), but created ongoing stressors and social needs for communities. As we found, the dynamics of the social and household landscape sometimes involved the decision to leave Puerto Rico altogether, or forced people to continually face and adapt to the ongoing collapse in basic services that were only slowly and differentially restored. Conclusion Lived experience across each stage of the hurricanes differed substantially from one another. Communities disrupted by ecological disaster are also frequently entangled within global economic and political histories and dependencies that could preclude recovery. Island nations are especially vulnerable to both climate-induced ecological change and political-economic exploitation. The ongoing health effect of the hurricane remains palpable in many communities of Puerto Rico and among the diaspora in Florida. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11847-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Vega Ocasio
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - J G Pérez Ramos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - T D V Dye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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Godreau I, Bonilla Y. Nonsovereign Racecraft: How Colonialism, Debt, and Disaster are Transforming Puerto Rican Racial Subjectivities. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isar Godreau
- Researcher at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
| | - Yarimar Bonilla
- Department of Africana, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at Hunter College and the PhD Program in Anthropology Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY)
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Health Disparities Research Framework Adaptation to Reflect Puerto Rico's Socio-Cultural Context. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17228544. [PMID: 33217956 PMCID: PMC7698747 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this article we aim to briefly describe how Puerto Rico’s living conditions influence adverse health outcomes at an individual, community and population level using the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework that considers multiple factors and their intersecting influence. People living in Puerto Rico face significant levels of poverty, a deficient infrastructure, a fragile healthcare system and the continuing dismantling of the public education system as well as hazardous environmental exposures. The treatment of Puerto Ricans as second-class citizens due to the federal policies of the U.S. government and also the mismanagement of funds from local authorities impacts the prevalence of chronic health conditions and vulnerability to disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics. Puerto Rico’s health disparities are rooted in historical, cultural, political and economic factors that have an impact on biology, interpersonal and environmental aspects. In order to significantly reduce health disparities, systemic change is needed at a local, national and federal level. Interventions must consider how social determinants impact the quality of life and seek to impact the intersections of different contexts that have an effect at an individual, interpersonal, communal and societal level. This can be achieved through evidence-based, culturally appropriate and community based as well as translational research approaches that seek to impact behavior and social economic factors.
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Rodríguez-Díaz CE. Community Resistance as Public Health Activism in Puerto Rico. Am J Public Health 2020; 110:1454-1455. [PMID: 32903086 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2020.305884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Rodríguez-Díaz
- Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz is with the Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
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