Reproductive Health Assessment After Disasters: Embedding a Toolkit within the Disaster Management Workforce to Address Health Inequalities among Gulf-Coast Women

Abstract

Gulf Coast women are especially vulnerable to the effects of disaster and for many this vulnerability is compounded by existing poor health-related quality of life. Post-Hurricane Isaac, a baseline survey battery utilizing the Reproductive Health Assessment After Disasters (RHAD) Toolkit, the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used quantitatively to assess reproductive health risks, services, and outcomes and to explore the psychosocial effects of disaster among pregnant and postpartum women aged 18-45 years (N=300). The pilot study included trained community health workers and patient navigators to implement a community needs assessment in Southeast Louisiana. The community health navigation corps administered RHAD and the brief psychosocial battery to gain a closer understanding of post-disaster reproductive health needs. Findings demonstrate the importance of making a transition from patient navigation into disaster management in order to reduce fragmentation in health care systems and to implement innovative approaches in survey methodology.

From Design to Dissemination: Implementing Community-Based Participatory Research in Postdisaster Communities

“…Such data would have represented pivotal baseline information since the same communities frequently face both natural and technological disasters, as demonstrated by the subsequent Gulf of Mexico oil spill and Hurricane Gustav. 17,20 Although existing community resources became more apparent during the later components of the implementation phase, the recruitment efforts could have been accelerated if those assets were available earlier. As a result of Hurricane Katrina and other more recent events such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, 20 there is a growing body of research focusing on resilience.…”

Reproductive health in the recent disasters of Iran: a management perspective

“…On the other hand, health workers were not trained and prepared for dealing with sexual violence or infectious cases as well. A number of studies have highlighted the positive effects of education on reproductive health management in humanitarian emergencies [ 7 , 29 ]. Disasters may provide the opportunity of training and educating people about the reproductive health issues that they had not known about or experienced before disasters [ 11 ].…”

“…Disasters can increase vulnerability to poor reproductive health outcomes among affected populations due to reduced access to RH services and supplies, destroyed health facilities, insufficient human resources, exposure to sexual violence, and impoverishment [ 6 ]. Accordingly, there is evidence of high rates of unmet needs and lack of investment in RH services after disasters [ 7 , 8 ]. For example, the rates for pelvic inflammatory disease, lower genital tract infections, and menstruation disorders increased after the massive Wenchuan earthquake [ 9 ].…”

Assessment of Health System Functions in Earthquake-stricken Regions in Kermanshah, Iran

“…Although women have different public health needs and issues, they suffer from limited access to health facilities and resources after disasters (19)(20)(21). While reproductive health (RH) has been reported as one of the important needs of women post-disasters (22), evidence reports inadequate reproductive health services (23)(24)(25) due to degraded health facilities, insufficient human resources, exposure to sexual violence, and poverty (26). Neglecting post-disaster RH services can lead to maternal and neonatal death, stillbirth, unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, STDs, and menstrual problems (25,(27)(28)(29)(30)(31).…”