Department of Neurology, Neuropsychology Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 7;17(3):1050. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17031050.
The impacts of hurricane-related disasters in agricultural communities include extensive losses of fields, orchards, and livestock, the recovery of which could span many years. Agricultural Extension Agents (EAs) try to manage and mitigate these losses, while simultaneously overseeing emergency shelter operations. These non-professional emergency responders face numerous potential stressors, the outcomes of which are minimally known. This study examined the short- and long-term medical and behavioral outcome of 36 University of Florida Agricultural Extension Agents within two months and one year after Hurricane Irma, Florida, USA, taking into consideration personal/home and work-related hurricane impacts. Regression analyses indicated that combined home and work hurricane impacts were associated with greater anxiety, depression, and medical symptoms controlling for age and number of prior hurricane experiences within two months of landfall. One year later, depression symptoms increased as well as the use of negative disengagement coping strategies for which stability of the work environment was protective. The findings suggest that advanced training in emergency response, organization and time management skills, time off and temporary replacement for personally impacted EAs, and workplace stability, including enhanced continuity of operations plans, represent critical elements of health prevention and early intervention for this occupational group.
飓风相关灾害对农业社区的影响包括大量农田、果园和牲畜的损失，这些损失的恢复可能需要多年时间。农业推广员（Extension Agents，简称 EAs）试图管理和减轻这些损失，同时监督紧急避难所的运作。这些非专业的应急响应人员面临着许多潜在的压力源，其结果知之甚少。本研究在美国佛罗里达州飓风“艾玛”登陆后两个月和一年，考虑到个人/家庭和与工作相关的飓风影响，调查了 36 名佛罗里达大学农业推广员的短期和长期医疗和行为结果。回归分析表明，综合家庭和工作飓风影响与更大的焦虑、抑郁和医疗症状相关，这些症状在登陆后两个月内与年龄和以前经历过的飓风次数有关。一年后，抑郁症状增加，以及使用消极的脱离应对策略，而工作环境的稳定性则具有保护作用。研究结果表明，为应急响应、组织和时间管理技能、个人受影响的 EAs 的休假和临时替代、以及工作场所稳定性提供高级培训，包括增强业务连续性计划，是该职业群体健康预防和早期干预的关键要素。
