The prevalence of physical and emotional role limitations, severe sleeping problems, feelings of
depression and anxiety, as well as intrusion and avoidance decreased from 3 weeks to 18 months
after the disaster for the affected residents. Independent of background characteristics and other life
events, residents had 1.5 to three times more health problems than the control group; for example,
physical role limitations
Although health problems decreased compared with 3 weeks after the disaster, 18 months after the
disaster, the affected residents had more health problems than the people from the control group.
The affected residents had a higher percentage of immigrants and were more likely to live alone than
residents in the control group. In addition, affected residents more often reported chronic illnesses in
the past 12 months than the residents of the control group.
Of the affected residents, 19–47% had health problems only at the first wave and not at the second
wave; 21–34% had health problems in both waves of the study and 4–10% reported health problems
18 months after the disaster for the first time (data not shown in tables). Eighteen months after the
disaster, 19% of the affected residents had symptoms of PTSD (data not shown in table). The crude
and adjusted ORs and 95% confidence intervals of physical and mental health problems 18 months
after the disaster are shown in Table 3. The adjustments scarcely changed the associations. The
adjusted ORs of all health variables for the affected residents compared with the residents in the
control group ranged from 1.5 (physical role limitations) to 3.1 (anxiety), and were all statistically
significantly different from one.
The findings suggest that, 18 months after the disaster, the prevalence estimates of the health
problems declined for the affected residents but were higher than the estimates in the control group.
The prevalence estimates of all health variables decreased from 3 weeks to 18 months after the
disaster.
The prevalence estimates of all health problems were higher for the affected residents than the
residents in the control group. These results can be compared with three other cross-sectional
studies. In all studies, the authors found that survivors had more health problems than the
respondents in the control groups, 10 and 22 months after the incident or disaster.
depression and anxiety, as well as intrusion and avoidance decreased from 3 weeks to 18 months
after the disaster for the affected residents. Independent of background characteristics and other life
events, residents had 1.5 to three times more health problems than the control group; for example,
physical role limitations
Although health problems decreased compared with 3 weeks after the disaster, 18 months after the
disaster, the affected residents had more health problems than the people from the control group.
The affected residents had a higher percentage of immigrants and were more likely to live alone than
residents in the control group. In addition, affected residents more often reported chronic illnesses in
the past 12 months than the residents of the control group.
Of the affected residents, 19–47% had health problems only at the first wave and not at the second
wave; 21–34% had health problems in both waves of the study and 4–10% reported health problems
18 months after the disaster for the first time (data not shown in tables). Eighteen months after the
disaster, 19% of the affected residents had symptoms of PTSD (data not shown in table). The crude
and adjusted ORs and 95% confidence intervals of physical and mental health problems 18 months
after the disaster are shown in Table 3. The adjustments scarcely changed the associations. The
adjusted ORs of all health variables for the affected residents compared with the residents in the
control group ranged from 1.5 (physical role limitations) to 3.1 (anxiety), and were all statistically
significantly different from one.
The findings suggest that, 18 months after the disaster, the prevalence estimates of the health
problems declined for the affected residents but were higher than the estimates in the control group.
The prevalence estimates of all health variables decreased from 3 weeks to 18 months after the
disaster.
The prevalence estimates of all health problems were higher for the affected residents than the
residents in the control group. These results can be compared with three other cross-sectional
studies. In all studies, the authors found that survivors had more health problems than the
respondents in the control groups, 10 and 22 months after the incident or disaster.
