TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2009//
TI  - Disaster-related injuries in the period of recovery: the effect of prolonged displacement on risk of injury in older adults
JO  - Journal of trauma
A1  - Uscher-Pines, Lori
A1  - Vernick, Jon S.
A1  - Curriero, Frank C.
A1  - Lieberman, Richard
A1  - Burke, Thomas A.
SP  - 834
EP  - 840
VL  - 67
IS  - 4
N2  - BACKGROUND:: Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2005, initially displaced over a million people from their primary place of residence. Displaced older adults subsequently faced challenges, such as new or inferior living conditions, which could increase vulnerability to serious or life-threatening injuries such as hip fracture. The aim of this study was to determine whether Katrina victims who were displaced for a prolonged period of time were more likely to experience injuries than nondisplaced victims. METHODS:: We tracked injury outcomes including fractures, sprains or strains, and lacerations in a cohort of 25,019 older adults (age >/= 65 years) enrolled in a Medicare-Advantage Plan, for 1 year after Katrina. We used medical claims to obtain injury outcomes and analyzed propensity-score adjusted predictors of injury, including displacement status at 12 months. RESULTS:: In our sample, 7,030 (28%) older adults were displaced at 12-month post-Katrina. Displaced victims had 1.53 (95% CI: 1.10-2.13) greater odds of sustaining a hip fracture in the year after the storm and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.07-1.44) greater odds of sustaining other fractures after adjusting for other risk factors. There was no significant association between displacement status at 12 months and sprains or strains or lacerations. CONCLUSIONS:: Prolonged displacement is associated with increased risk of fracture in older adults. Emergency planners should screen temporary housing for injury hazards, and clinicians should regard displaced older adults as a vulnerable population in need of interventions such as risk communication messaging.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-5282
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/TA.0b013e31817f2853
ID  - ref1
ER  -