Incidences, Types, and Influencing Factors of Snow Disaster–Associated Injuries in Ningbo, China, 2008

Abstract

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p><jats:bold>Objective:</jats:bold> The incidence, types, and influencing factors of injuries due to snow-ice disasters are essential for public health preparedness. This study was designed to assess such factors of injuries during the 22-day snowstorm in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, in 2008.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold> A multistage cluster probability sampling method was applied to select the study population in urban, rural, and mountainous areas. Data including sociodemographic characteristics, frequency, and types of injuries during the snowstorm between January 20 and February 10, 2008, were obtained by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire and by checking the participants' medical records. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine the factors significantly associated with the risk of injuries.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> A total of 3169 residents of 1416 families took part in this survey. In 581 residents, 602 injuries were identified. Incidences of frostbite, falling injury, and traffic accident–related injury were 12.78%, 5.30%, and 0.50%, respectively. Injury occurred more frequently in women than in men (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% CI, 1.19-1.70). Frostbite occurred more frequently in women than in men (adjusted OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.43-2.41) and more frequently in urban areas than in other areas (adjusted OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.24-2.20). Travel by bus or car, wearing a scarf, wearing gloves, wearing a raincoat, reducing outdoor activity, and performing regular physical exercise were independent protective factors of frostbite, with an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 0.35 (0.20-0.61), 0.45 (0.33-0.62), 0.35 (0.26-0.48), 0.45 (0.33-0.61), 0.36 (0.27-0.48), and 0.18 (0.13-0.24), respectively. Falling injury occurred more often in mountainous areas than in other areas (adjusted OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.27-2.42). Age 45 years or older, working outside more than 15 days, and wearing a raincoat were independent risk factors of falling injury, with an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 2.30 (1.60-3.32), 1.92 (1.36-2.72), and 2.21 (1.56-3.11), respectively. Falling and traffic accident–related injuries were mainly due to slippery roads.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusions:</jats:bold> Frostbite and falling injury were the major injuries caused by an unprecedented snow-ice disaster. Keeping warm and maintaining regular physical exercise appeared to reduce frostbite risk. Public health intervention also reduced the risk of falling and traffic accident–related injuries.</jats:p><jats:p>(<jats:italic>Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness</jats:italic>. 2012;6:363-369)</jats:p>

Extreme weather events in developing countries and related injuries and mental health disorders - a systematic review

“…Two studies investigated the following risk factors for being injured during an extreme event: age above 45 years, female sex [ 31 , 32 ], being outdoors, destruction of the house, tin construction materials [ 32 ].…”

Knowledge Levels and Training Needs of Disaster Medicine among Health Professionals, Medical Students, and Local Residents in Shanghai, China

“…Over the past decade, the intensity and frequency of natural and man-made disasters have been noticeably increasing all over the world. Hurricane, earthquake, flood, outbreaks of infectious diseases, nuclear leakage, oil spills, and other disasters in recent years have caused huge economic losses, serious environmental disruption and lasting psychological impairment to the survivors [1][2][3][4][5]. Community residents are the very ones directly affected by disasters.…”

Effects of ambient temperature and fall-related injuries in Ma’anshan, Anhui Province, China: a distributed lag nonlinear analysis

“…Outdoor activities of the elderly in extreme temperature would signi cantly reduce (Collins et al, 1977), thereby reducing the possibility of exposure to fall risk factors, which is a reason for the reduction of FRIs in the elderly in high temperature. Studies have shown that FRI in the elderly in winter is related to walking on wet and slippery roads (Xu et al, 2012). Low temperature caused lower body temperature, decreased exibility, slower reaction speed, changes in physiological processes (Keatinge et al, 1984;Riley and Cochran, 1984), and wearing heavy clothes, all of which would increase the risk of falls for elder (Lin et al, 2015).…”