Abstract
Changes in levels and patterns of physical activity might be a mechanism to assess and inform disaster recovery through the lens of wellbeing. However, few studies have examined disaster impacts on physical activity or the potential for physical activity to serve as an indicator of disaster recovery. In this exploratory study, we examined daily bicycle and pedestrian counts from four public bicycle/pedestrian trails in Houston, before and after Hurricane Harvey landfall, to assess if physical activity returned to pre-Harvey levels. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to examine the immediate impact of Harvey landfall on physical activity; t-tests were performed to assess if trail usage returned to pre-Harvey levels. Hurricane Harvey was found to have a significant negative impact on daily pedestrian and bicycle counts for three of the four trails. Daily pedestrian and bicycle counts were found to return to pre-Harvey or higher levels at 6 weeks post-landfall at all locations studied. We discuss the potential for further research to examine the trends, feasibility, validity, and limitations of using bicycle and pedestrian use levels as a proxy for disaster recovery and wellbeing among affected populations.
Highlights
Disasters have short and long-term impacts on physical and mental health, as well as healthcare infrastructure [1]
There has been limited research on the impact of disasters on physical activity, which could act as an indicator of wellbeing
Quality of life (QOL) scores have been used to determine the wellbeing of survivors after a disaster [7,8]
Summary
Disasters have short and long-term impacts on physical and mental health, as well as healthcare infrastructure [1]. Wu et al surveyed survivors of a 1999 Taiwanese earthquake, and found that QOL scores decreased more for the group with worse pre-existing mental health [7], and Ardalan et al found lower QOL scores among elderly survivors of the Bam earthquake in Iran five years after the event compared to the pre-earthquake scores [8]. While these studies provide insights about the impact of
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
