Purpose: Measure the frequency of physical and sexual abuse in a sample of reproductive aged women displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and compare those experiences to the year before Hurricane Katrina.

Methods: Sixty-six English-speaking women aged 18-49 years residing in Louisiana Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) housing were screened for physical and sexual abuse seven to nine months after Hurricane Katrina, using modified 30x7 cluster sampling methodology.

Findings: Twenty-three percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 14, 34%) of women reported being hit or verbally threatened since Hurricane Katrina. Abuse had increased for 33% (95% CI, 13, 63%) and decreased for 13% (95% CI, 4, 37%) of women. Twenty percent (95% CI, 6, 51%) of abused women were with a new partner, while 13% (95% CI, 4, 39%) reported new abuse with the same partner. Four women reported sexual abuse since Hurricane Katrina. Compared to before the storm, the frequency of sexual abuse was the same for two women, and one reported new abuse with the same partner.

Conclusions: Physical abuse was not uncommon among displaced women following Hurricane Katrina. Increasing and new abuse were the most commonly reported experiences. Violence against women should not be overlooked as a continued, and perhaps escalating, occurrence requiring attention following displacement after disasters of such magnitude as Hurricane Katrina.

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hurricane katrina
28
sexual abuse
16
women reported
12
women
10
abuse
9
women displaced
8
hurricane
8
displaced hurricane
8
physical sexual
8
percent 95%
8

Similar Publications

Responses of fisheries ecosystems to marine heatwaves and other extreme events.

PLoS One

December 2024

Office of the Assistant Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Article Synopsis
  • * Research examines the responses of U.S. fisheries to these environmental disturbances, revealing negative immediate effects on biomass, landings, and revenue across various regions, especially for ecosystems with more pelagic species and variable shellfish revenue.
  • * While some ecosystems showed recovery over time, others, like California's, faced ongoing declines, emphasizing the need for understanding and managing the impacts of extreme events for sustainable marine resource management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Mold Remediation Following Hurricane Ida in Southeast Louisiana.

Int J Environ Res Public Health

October 2024

Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, struck southern Louisiana in August 2021, resulting in significant wind damage and flooding, prompting an investigation into mold exposure and cleanup practices in the affected areas.
  • The study focused on assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to mold among 238 residents and 68 mold-remediation workers, comparing findings to data from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 16 years prior.
  • While awareness of safety measures improved since Hurricane Katrina, actual adherence to those measures remained low, with many participants using inadequate personal protective equipment despite understanding the health risks associated with mold exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A central problem in the study of human mobility is that of migration systems. Typically, migration systems are defined as a set of relatively stable movements of people between two or more locations over time. While these emergent systems are expected to vary over time, they ideally contain a stable underlying structure that could be discovered empirically.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Maladaptive behaviors during a disaster refer to actions that do not benefit the individual or society. Quarantelli highlights several maladaptive behaviors myths associated with disasters: widespread antisocial behavior, passivity, role conflict or abandonment, and sudden widespread mental health breakdowns (1). Despite early work reporting these myths, the common perception is that maladaptive behaviors such as rioting, looting, panic, and criminal conduct are prevalent in the wake of disasters.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An environmental event that damages housing and the built environment may result in either a short- or long-term out-migration response, depending on residents' recovery decisions and hazard tolerance. If residents move only in the immediate disaster aftermath, then out-migration will be elevated only in the short-term. However, if disasters increase residents' concerns about future risk, heighten vulnerability, or harm the local economy, then out-migration may be elevated for years after an event.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!