Background: Wildfire engulfed Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 3, 2016, leading to a total evacuation. Access to 2 active cohorts allowed us to rapidly assess health effects in those evacuated.
Methods: People working in Fort McMurray who had been recruited before the fire for 2 occupational health cohort studies completed a questionnaire (online or via telephone) 3-26 weeks after evacuation. The questionnaire asked about respiratory and mental health and experiences since the fire.
Results: Of the 129 participants, 109 were in the Fort McMurray area on May 3. Thirty-seven (33.9%) of the participants who were in Fort McMurray on May 3 reported a health condition, including respiratory symptoms ( = 17) and mental ill health ( = 17), immediately after the fire. At follow-up, a mean of 102 days after the fire, 11 participants (10.1%) reported a fire-related health condition, including mental ill health ( = 8) and respiratory symptoms ( = 2). There was no difference before and after the fire in use of alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs or medication. One in 4 participants (32 [24.6%]) had not worked since the fire, and fewer than half (58 [44.6%]) had returned to Fort McMurray. Of the 90 participants evacuated, 15 (16.7%) had scores indicative of moderate or severe anxiety or depression on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Those evacuated had significantly higher mean anxiety ( = 0.01) and depression ( = 0.04) scores than those not evacuated. Regression modelling showed that anxiety scores were higher for women, with longer time since the fire and with evacuation to a motel. Depression scores were higher for women and with financial loss because of lack of work.
Interpretation: Although evacuation was associated with higher anxiety and depression scores, persisting ill health was not widespread at early follow-up after the fire. Although these results are encouraging, these "healthy worker" results cannot be generalized to all evacuees.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5621945 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20170047 | DOI Listing |
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