2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

328897
Health Disparities in the Deep South: A Public Health Policy Study of Disasters on Vulnerable Communities


Monday, November 2, 2015

Candace Bright, PhD, Department of Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Michelle Martin, PhD, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Roma Hanks, PhD, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Edward Sayre, PhD, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Emma Fontenot, MA, Department of Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Mississippi and Alabama are disproportionately affected by disasters and health related stressors.  This study assesses the differential effects of disasters on communities, individuals, and socio-demographic strata.  The research will allow researchers to better understand the socio-economic factors that are related to health disparities following a disaster, which will lead to public and private policy recommendations for health services following disasters, as well as recommendations to build health resilience prior to future disasters.  Natural and man-made disasters can have profound negative impact on communities.  Increasing the resilience of communities to respond to such disaster is a public health priority.  Our understanding of the factors associated with community resilience, however, is limited.

Learning Areas:

Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess the health of disaster impacted families during four social ecological periods Evaluate the effect of disaster on the family units' health to determine family vulnerability and resilience Analyze the attributes of family social networks and changes in the social ecology

Keyword(s): Disasters, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: For this project, I have participated in the data collection process and been mentored in the preliminary analysis of the data. As a research assistant I have conducted phone interviews and focus groups related to health and disasters. My interests related to this focus area include policy development which seeks to close the health disparities gap between different socio-economic levels.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3305.0: Natural Disaster and Community Resilience