Stark Lindsay, MacFarlane Matthew, Rubenstein Beth L, Yu Gary, Jensen Celina, Williamson Katharine
Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA.
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA.
BMJ Glob Health. 2018 May 17;3(3):e000784. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000784. eCollection 2018.
This study explores findings of a population-based approach to measure the prevalence of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) during the Hurricane Matthew aftermath in Haiti.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey using two-stage cluster sampling. Participants were asked to provide information on their own household composition, as well as the household composition of their closest neighbour (the Neighborhood Method). The study took place between February and March 2017 in Haiti's Sud Department, a region severely affected by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. 1044 primary respondents provided information about their own household, and 4165 people in the household of their closet neighbour. The primary outcome measured was the prevalence of UASC in the Sud Department following Hurricane Matthew. Secondary outcomes of interest included the characteristics of these children, including age, sex, reason for separation and current caregiver.
Of the 2046 children currently living in the surveyed households, 3.03% (95% CI 2.29% to 3.77%) were reported to have been separated from their normal caregiver during Hurricane Matthew. Among these 62 children, 9 were unaccompanied, and there were slightly more boys than girls (56% vs 44%, p=0.37). Of the 2060 children who lived in surveyed households when the hurricane hit, 1.12% (95% CI 0.67% to 1.57%) had since departed without their caregiver. The prevalence of separation reported for neighbours' households was not significantly different from that in respondents' households (p values between 0.08 and 0.29).
This study is the first known attempt to measure the prevalence of child separation following a natural disaster. Overall, the rates of separation were relatively low. Similarities between primary and secondary reports of child separation via the Neighborhood Method indicate that this may be a viable approach to measuring UASC in certain contexts.
本研究探讨了一种基于人群的方法在海地飓风“马修”过后测量无人陪伴和与家人分离儿童（UASC）患病率的研究结果。
我们采用两阶段整群抽样进行了一项横断面调查。参与者被要求提供有关自己家庭构成以及最近邻居家庭构成的信息（邻里法）。该研究于2017年2月至3月在海地的南部省进行，该地区在2016年10月受到飓风“马修”的严重影响。1044名主要受访者提供了有关自己家庭的信息，其最近邻居家庭中有4165人提供了信息。测量的主要结果是飓风“马修”过后南部省UASC的患病率。感兴趣的次要结果包括这些儿童的特征，如年龄、性别、分离原因和当前照顾者。
在目前居住在接受调查家庭中的2046名儿童中，据报告有3.03%（95%置信区间2.29%至3.77%）在飓风“马修”期间与正常照顾者分离。在这62名儿童中，9名无人陪伴，男孩略多于女孩（56%对44%，p = 0.37）。在飓风来袭时居住在接受调查家庭中的2060名儿童中，自那时起有1.12%（95%置信区间0.67%至1.57%）在没有照顾者的情况下离开了。报告的邻居家庭中儿童分离的患病率与受访者家庭中的患病率没有显著差异（p值在0.08至0.29之间）。
本研究是已知的首次尝试测量自然灾害后儿童分离的患病率。总体而言，分离率相对较低。通过邻里法对儿童分离的主要和次要报告之间的相似性表明，在某些情况下，这可能是测量UASC的一种可行方法。
