Abstract
Objective: To understand the health status of transitional resettlement sites and the needs of residents on health education, and to pro-vide basis for conducting health education after ear- thquakes and other public emergen-cies. Method: From May 31 to June 2, 2008 (19 to 21 days after the earthquake), field obser-vation, questionnaire survey, and structured interviews were conducted in five transitional resettlement sites. Information on health status, health service, health education, and residents’ needs on health education was col-lected. Results: 430 questionnaires were dis-tributed and 424 valid completed ones were returned. Food and water were adequately supplied. Clinics for health assistance were established and environment disinfecting was conducted regularly by public health profes-sionals. Health education was available to residents. The large proportion (98.6%, 97.9%, 88.7%, and 93.2% respectively) of the residents acknowledged that water supply, food supply, lavatories, and health service were adequate to fulfill basic needs. The overall disease in-cidence of surveyed residents was 44.8%, and diarrhea and fever with respiratory symptoms were the most common diseases. Among residents’ needs on disease prevention knowl-edge and skills, basic knowledge of infectious diseases was most desirable (49.8%), and safety knowledge of water uses was secon-darily most desirable (36.8%). The most fa-vored approach of obtaining knowledge was watching television. Conclusions: In the pe-riod of 20 days after the earthquake, Living security, health facilities, and health care ser-vice could satisfy residents’ basic needs. Post-disaster health education should con-centrate on basic knowledge and skills of communicable diseases and health- risky be-havior. Timely distributing disease prevention materials could be effective.
Highlights
On May 12, 2008, an earthquake with magnitude 8.0 hit Wenchuan, Sichuan Province
Water and electricity supply were interrupted, and health care facilities and systems were enormously damaged, which resulted in the high risk for the outbreak and epidemic of intestinal communicable diseases, vector-borne diseases, food-borne diseases, diseases of natural focus, and infectious diseases transmissible between human and animals
The resident in five transitional resettlement sites in Mianyang city, Sichuan Province were surveyed by the same questionnair, and they were from Beichuan county, one of the worst-hit areas
Summary
On May 12, 2008, an earthquake with magnitude 8.0 hit Wenchuan, Sichuan Province. Water and electricity supply were interrupted, and health care facilities and systems were enormously damaged, which resulted in the high risk for the outbreak and epidemic of intestinal communicable diseases, vector-borne diseases, food-borne diseases, diseases of natural focus, and infectious diseases transmissible between human and animals. Environmental health, health care service, and post-earthquake health education were the most important issues in disaster relief. To understand the health condition of transitional resettlement sites and residents’ needs on health education, Health Education Institute, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) (Note: named Chinese Center for Health Education/ Heath News Communication Center, Ministry of Health of China) conducted this study from May 31 to June 2, 19 to 21 days after the earthquake
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