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Risk Factors for Injuries in Landslide- and Flood-Affected Populations in Uganda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2013

Shreya Agrawal ,
Tisha Gopalakrishnan ,
Yuri Gorokhovich  and
Shannon Doocy
Shreya Agrawal
Affiliation:
International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Tisha Gopalakrishnan
Affiliation:
International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Yuri Gorokhovich
Affiliation:
Lehman College, City University of New York, New York, New York USA
Shannon Doocy*
Affiliation:
International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland USA
*
Correspondence: Shannon Doocy, PhD Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 615 N. Wolfe St., Suite E8132 Baltimore, Maryland 21230 USA E-mail sdoocy@jhsph.edu
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Abstract

Introduction

The frequency of occurrence of natural disasters has increased over the past several decades, which necessitates a better understanding of human vulnerability, particularly in low-resource settings. This paper assesses risk factors for injury in the March 2010 floods and landslides in Eastern Uganda, and compares the effects of location, injury type, and severity.

Methods

A stratified cluster survey of the disaster-affected populations was conducted five months after onset of the disasters. Probability proportional to size sampling was used to sample 800 households, including 400 affected by floods in Butaleja District and 400 affected by landslides in Bududa District.

Results

Flood- and landslide-affected populations were surveyed in July 2010 using a stratified cluster design. The odds of injury were 65% higher in the flood-affected groups than the landslide-affected groups in a logistic regression (OR = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.24-0.52; P < .001). The injury rate was greater in individuals under 42 years of age, and location of injury was a contributing factor. More people were injured in the flood-affected population as compared with the landslide-affected population, and injuries were more severe.

Conclusions

This study illustrates differences between populations injured by flood and landslide disasters that occurred simultaneously in Eastern Uganda in 2010. In areas where landslides are prone to occur due to massive rainfalls or floods, preventative measures, such as early warning systems and evacuation, are more likely to increase the likelihood of people surviving, while for areas with massive floods, immediate and effective medical attention can save lives and improve injury outcomes.

AgrawalS, GopalakrishnanT, GorokhovichY, DoocyS. Risk Factors for Injuries in Landslide- and Flood-Affected Populations in Uganda. Prehosp Disast Med. 2013;28(4):1-9.

Keywords

floodinjurieslandslidenatural disastersuganda

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 314 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2013 

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