Citation

Lee C, Du YB, Christina D, Palfrey J, O'Rourke E, Belfer M. Disasters 2014; 39(1): 86-107.

Affiliation

Resident Physician in the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12088

PMID

25231556

Abstract

Thirty months after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, thousands of families in Aceh Province, Indonesia, remained in temporary barracks while sanitation conditions and non-governmental organisation support deteriorated. This study sought to determine the factors associated with functional impairment in a sample of 138 displaced and non-displaced Acehnese children. Using multivariate linear regression models, it was found that displacement distance was a consistent predictor of impairment using the Brief Impairment Scale. Exposure to tsunami-related trauma markers was not significantly linked with impairment in the model. Paternal employment was a consistent protective factor for child functioning. These findings suggest that post-disaster displacement and the subsequent familial economic disruption are significant predictors of impaired functioning in children's daily activities. Post-disaster interventions should consider the disruption of familiar environments for families and children when relocating vulnerable populations to avoid deleterious impacts on children's functioning.

Language: en