Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T15:55:30.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Health-Related Quality of Life and the Adaptation of Residents to Harsh Post-Earthquake Conditions in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2014

Ying Liang  and
Peiyi Lu
Ying Liang*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Peiyi Lu
Affiliation:
School of Communication and Design, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Ying Liang, Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 Peoples Republic of China (E-mail: njulucy79@163.com).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

This study assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the adaptation to harsh conditions (APHC) of residents living in post-earthquake zones in Sichuan Province, China, as well as the effect of HRQOL on APHC.

Methods

A sample survey was conducted in 5 counties in Sichuan in May and June 2013 (N=2000). The 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) was used to measure HRQOL. The APHC scale was self-developed and was based on real-life conditions in China. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model were used to analyze how HRQOL affected APHC.

Results

Cronbach α coefficients indicated that the internal reliability of both scales were good. Results showed that the physical component summary significantly affected APHC, while the effect of the mental component summary was insignificant. APHC had the greatest effect on the adaptation to poor infrastructures (r=0.721) and the least effect on the adaptation to poor social security systems (r=0.608).

Conclusions

The HRQOL of residents living in post-earthquake zones positively affected APHC, particularly physical health. These findings suggested the need for governmental improvement of infrastructures in post-disaster areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-7)

Keywords

public policyhealth policyearthquakespolicy makinggovernment
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 8 , Issue 5 , October 2014 , pp. 390 - 396
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Moriarty, DG, Zack, MM, Kobau, R. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Days Measures–Population tracking of perceived physical and mental health over time. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2003;1(1):37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Tian, W, Jia, Z, Duan, G, et al. Longitudinal study on health-related quality of life among child and adolescent survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Qual Life Res. 2013;22(4):745-752.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Zhang, X, Hu, XR, Reinhardt, JD, et al. Functional outcomes and health-related quality of life in fracture victims 27 months after the Sichuan earthquake. J Rehab Med. 2012;44(3):206-209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Smit, B, Burton, I, Klein, RJT, Street, R. The science of adaptation: a framework for assessment. Mitigation Adapt Strategies Global Change. 1999;4(3–4):199-213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Füssel, HM. Adaptation planning for climate change: concepts, assessment approaches, and key lessons. Sustain Sci. 2007;2(2):265-275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Berke, PR, Kartez, J, Wenger, D. Recovery after disaster: achieving sustainable development, mitigation and equity. Disasters. 1993;17(2):93-109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Green, BL. Traumatic stress and disaster: mental health effects and factors influencing adaptation. Int Rev Psychiatry. 1996;2:177-210.Google Scholar
8. Tatsuki, S, Hayashi, H. Family system adjustment and adaptive reconstruction of social reality among the 1995 earthquake survivors. Int J Japan Sociol. 2000;9(1):81-110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Takeda, J, Tamura, K, Tatsuki, S. Life recovery of 1995 Kobe Earthquake survivors in Nishinomiya City: a total-quality-management-based assessment of disadvantaged populations. Natural Hazards. 2003;29(3):567-585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Tatsuki, S, Hayashi, H. Seven critical element model of life recovery: general linear model analyses of the 2001 Kobe panel survey data. Paper presented at Proceedings of the 2nd workshop for comparative study on urban earthquake disaster management; February 14, 2002; Kobe, Japan.Google Scholar
11. Lam, CLK, Tse, EYY, Gandek, B. Is the standard SF-12 Health Survey valid and equivalent for a Chinese population? Qual Life Res. 2005;14:539-547.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Liang, Y, Wu, W. Exploratory analysis of health-related quality of life among the empty-nest elderly in rural China: an empirical study in three economically developed cities in eastern China. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2014;12:59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Gandek, B, Ware, JE, Aaronson, NK, et al. Cross-validation of item selection and scoring for the SF-12 Health Survey in nine countries: results from the IQOLA Project. International Quality of Life Assessment. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998;51(11):1171-1178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Failde, I, Medina, P, Ramı´rez, C, Arana, R. Assessing health-related quality of life among coronary patients: SF-36 vs SF-12. Public Health. 2009;123:615-617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Johnson, JA, Coons, SJ. Comparison of the EQ-5D and SF-12 in an adult US sample. Q Life Res. 1998;7:155-166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Kun, P, Wang, Z, Chen, X, et al. Public health status and influence factors after 2008 Wenchuan earthquake among survivors in Sichuan province, China: cross-sectional trial. Public Health. 2010;124:573-580.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. Xu, J, Ou, L. Resilience and quality of life among Wenchuan earthquake survivors: the mediating role of social support. Public Health. 2014;128:430-437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Xu, J, Li, Y. Meta-synthesis pattern of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction: based on actual investigation on 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Nat Hazards. 2012;60:199-222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Dunford, D, Li, Li. Earthquake reconstruction in Wenchuan: assessing the state overall plan and addressing the ‘forgotten phase’. Applied Geography. 2011;31:998-1009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. State Department Lushan Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Guidance Coordination Group. Master national plans for reconstruction work after Lushan Earthquake [in Chinese]; July 2013. http://chinaup.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8566658525.pdf. 2013. Accessed July 19, 2014.Google Scholar
21. National Planning Team in Reconstruction Work after Wenchuan Earthquake. Master national plans for reconstruction work after Wenchuan earthquake [in Chinese]; August 12, 2008. http://www.mlr.gov.cn/xwdt/zytz/200809/t20080924_110308.htm. Accessed July 19, 2014.Google Scholar
22. Chen, L, Wu, F, Yang, W, Zhang, J. A comparison on ecosystem services before/after “5.12” Wenchuan earthquake. Acta Ecol Sinica. 2012;32(5):271-273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Wang, YK, Fu, B, Xu, P. Evaluation the impact of earthquake on ecosystem services. Procedia Environmental Sci. 2012;13:954-966.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24. Yin, Y, Wang, F, Sun, P. Landslide hazards triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan, China. Landslides. 2009;6(2):139-152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Zhang, L, Liu, X, Li, Y, et al. Emergency medical rescue efforts after a major earthquake: lessons from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Lancet. 2012;379(9818):853-861.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26. Liang, Y, Wang, X. Developing a new perspective to study the health of survivors of Sichuan earthquakes in China: a study on the effect of post-earthquake rescue policies on survivors’ health-related quality of life. Health Res Policy Syst. 2013;11:41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27. Liang, Y, Cao, R. Employment assistance policies of Chinese government play positive roles! The impact of post-earthquake employment assistance policies on the health-related quality of life of Chinese earthquake populations. Soc Indic Res. 2014;1-23.Google Scholar
28. Ke, X, Liu, C, Li, N. Social support and quality of life: a cross-sectional study on survivors eight months after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. BMC Public Health. 2010;10(1):573.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed