DOH committed to enhancing Sandy recovery through research

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  New Jersey. Department of Health
• Description:
  Recognizing the need to continually refine recovery initiatives and better understand the longterm health impacts of Superstorm Sandy, the Department of Health (DOH) has invested federal funding into several research studies. One ongoing project, led by Amy Davidow, PhD, Rutgers School of Public Health, Christina Tan, MD, MPH, DOH State Epidemiologist and Stella Tsai, PhD, DOH Research Scientist, was designed to assess Sandy's impacts on health and mental health. To assess health effects, routinely collected data from hospital admissions, emergency room visits, real time syndromic surveillance, mortality records and calls to the NJ Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) were analyzed. In addition, Sandy-related questions were posed to New Jersey residents as part of the annual Behavior Risk Factor Survey (BRFS) as well as clients of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Each data source provides a different angle on health outcomes but taken together they tell a story. For example, from hospital discharge data, there is evidence of elevated emergency room use by asthmatic patients in the areas most affected by Sandy; this finding is consistent with experiences related by FQHC clients that reported interruptions in asthma treatment immediately after the storm. Statewide trends included increases in carbon monoxide poisonings identified by both NJPIES data and emergency room data. Another ongoing research study, led by Margaret Lumia Ph.D., MPH, DOH Research Scientist, is examining the impact of Sandy on occupational injuries. The researchers looked at all hospital data and conducted surveys and focus groups with representatives of Emergency Medical Services, Tree Care Industry and Red Cross Volunteers. Researchers found that the rate of work-related injuries, among 18-65 year olds, in Sandy's high impact areas increased after the storm. Based on timing and type of injury, the most consistent increases were associated with rebuilding and recovery rather than the initial response. Focus group results indicated that during the storm workers faced additional hazards, such as contaminated floodwaters, downed power lines, storm damaged trees and extended shifts. The study will provide recommendations for education and outreach materials aimed at reducing or eliminating adverse health impacts of future storms. DOH has also allocated federal recovery funds to commission the Sandy Child and Family Health Study focused on identifying ongoing Sandy-related health needs. The study, released in July and modeled after a similar five-year study following Hurricane Katrina, will inform the Department's ongoing provision of health services to Sandy-affected New Jerseyans. Many of the health needs identified in the study already are being targeted through existing Sandy recovery initiatives. DOH recently received federal approval to continue two important recovery programs. The first, allocated $4 million of federal recovery funds, so already has provided behavioral health issue screenings for more than 50,000 people. The second, allocated $4.8 million of federal recovery funds, has allowed for the screening of more than 11,000 people for lead poisoning, including those at highest risk: children under 6 years old, pregnant women, and professionals working to rebuild Sandy-impacted communities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Public Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Environmental Exposure Environmental Hazards Injuries Mental Health Natural Disasters Public Health Work Environment Workers
• Publisher:
  New Jersey Department of Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048085
• Citation:
  NJ Health Matters 2015 Jul-Aug; :7
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  New Jersey Department of Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20130930
• Source Full Name:
  New Jersey Health Matters
• End Date:
  20150929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5de1dcc4d88e4f7b65964c867159d03206819ed8c18e294357f63f31476068402fa0d05d38dc25014e6a29e894db50fd176ef1ef6fdb7f1253ff1a5cc07e1923
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202950/cdc_202950_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.11 MB ]