Evolution of Well-being among Older Adults after a Disaster

描述（由申请人提供）：老年人通常被认为是脆弱的，因此在灾难发生时面临特别的风险。然而，对于老年人，特别是在低收入环境中，究竟如何受到灾害的影响，我们所知甚少。我们将收集和分析独特的纵向数据，以评估2004年12月26日地震和海啸对印度尼西亚老年人福祉的直接和长期影响。我们有三个主要目标。首先，我们将结合人口统计学和遥感的工具，按年龄和性别构建死亡总人数和风险概况的估计数。在此过程中，我们将开发最先进的死亡率估计方法，这些方法将适用于对其他灾害的研究。其次，我们将转向幸存者，并将老年男性和女性的生活变化与年轻人的生活进行对比，特别关注财产的破坏、亲属网络的丧失以及经济环境的衰退和随后的繁荣。所有这些动态都可能影响到老年人和年轻人在工作、生活安排以及接受和提供亲属援助方面组织生活的方式。第三，利用自我报告的数据和一套创新的生物标志物，我们将解决长期暴露于高水平压力如何影响身心健康和死亡率的演变的问题。为了实现这些目标，我们将继续对苏门答腊岛和附近比较地区受海啸影响的约4万人进行多波纵向调查，并对其进行实地调查和分析。基线数据是在地震发生前的2004年2月收集的。第一次重新调查于2005年5月至2006年5月期间进行。根据2004年的基线，96%的受访者的生存状况得到了确定，并与94%的已知幸存者进行了访谈。第二次重新调查已于2006年7月展开，将于2007年6月结束。我们将进行另外三次年度后续调查，重点关注重建阶段福祉的演变。这些数据将放在公共领域，并将成为更好地了解自然灾害对人口福利的影响的重要科学资源。项目的叙述

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Older adults are often considered vulnerable, and therefore at particular risk in the event of a disaster. Very little is known, however, about how older adults are actually affected by disasters, particularly in a low income setting. We will assemble and analyze unique longitudinal data to assess the immediate and longer-term effect of the December 26, 2004 earthquake and tsunami on the well-being of older Indonesians. We have three main goals. First, we will combine the tools of demography and remote sensing to construct estimates of the total number of deaths in and the risk profile by age and sex. In the process, we will develop state-of-the-art methods for mortality estimation that will be applicable for research on other disasters. Second, we will turn to survivors and contrast changes in the lives of older males and females with the lives of younger adults, focusing particularly on destruction of property, loss of kin networks, and the downturn then subsequent boom in the economic environment. All of these dynamics are likely to have affected the way older versus younger adults organize their lives with respect to work, living arrangements, and the receipt and provision of assistance to kin. Third, using both self-reported data and an innovative set of biomarkers, we will address the question of how exposure to high levels of stress affects the evolution of mental and physical health and mortality over the longer term. To fulfill these goals, we will continue to field and analyze a multi-wave longitudinal survey of some 40,000 individuals in tsunami-affected areas of Sumatra and nearby comparison areas. Baseline data were collected in February 2004, prior to the earthquake. The first re-survey took place between May 2005 and May 2006. Survival status was ascertained for 96 percent of the respondents to the 2004 baseline and interviews were conducted with 94 percent of known survivors. The second re-survey began in July 2006 and will conclude in June 2007. We will conduct three additional annual follow-up surveys that focus on the evolution of well-being during the reconstruction phase. The data will be placed in the public domain and will be an important scientific resource for better understanding the impact of a natural disaster on population well-being. Project Narrative This project will provide estimates of consequences of the December 26, 2004 tsunami for mortality and for the well-being of older adults across a range of health and economic outcomes. We will assess the extent to which older individuals were particularly vulnerable to the tsunami's consequences. The results are essential for designing effective long-term assistance and recovery efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters.