The purpose of the proposed study is to analyze the relationship between amount and type of damage resulting from a natural disaster and some aspects of psychological and physical. These issues will be addressed by analyzing data already collected as part of longitudinal epidemiological study of all of the employees of the Olivetti Factory in Pozzuoli, a coastal town located in the suburban area of Naples in southern Italy (n=940). Pozzuoli is affected by a bradisism phenomenon, an upward and downward movement of the land known since the ancient Romans. Between 1983 and 1984, because of the acceleration of the bradisism phenomenon, almost one-third of the 70,000 inhabitants of Pozzuoli were relocated into temporary housing. The Olivetti employees have been participating in a longitudinal study of coronary heart disease risk factors since 1975. Since the baseline examination (1975), two more examinations have been carried out (in 1980-81 and in 1987-88). Of the Olivetti employees, 40% reside in Pozzuoli, while 60% reside in Naples or other suburbs not affected by the bradisism. During the 1987 follow up examination, in addition to the evaluation of the standard coronary heart disease risk factors, information was collected for each study participant on disaster experience, psychological well-being, and a number of psychosocial characteristics (Type A behavior, anger/hostility, coping style, social network and social support, socioeconomic status). Information on these variables was collected with the use of standardized psychometric instruments. The proposed study will address a number of important issues in the epidemiology of disasters. In particular, we propose: a) to address the important issue of the role of psychological characteristics and psychosocial resources in mediating the health effects of a disaster; b) to identify characteristics of individuals or groups at high risk for developing health problems as a consequence of the disaster, and c) to analyze the complex interaction between psychological sequelae and cardiovascular risk in individuals exposed to a natural disaster. These data provide a unique opportunity to analyze the relationship between disaster damage and coronary heart disease risk factor with a longitudinal design (information on CHD risk factors are available before and after the natural disaster) in a homogenous population of factory workers.
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| Bland, S H; O'Leary, E S; Farinaro, E et al. (1996) Long-term psychological effects of natural disasters. Psychosom Med 58:18-24 |
