Simeon D T, Grantham-McGregor S M, Walker S P, Powell C A
Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of The West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1993 Sep-Oct;87(5):526-8. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(93)90073-y.
This is the first report of the effects of a hurricane on children's health and nutritional status in which data were available preceding and following the event. When Hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica in 1988, a longitudinal study was in progress in which children's weights and heights were recorded every 2 months and their morbidity histories taken every week. The investigation included 127 stunted (low height-for-age) and 32 non-stunted children aged 23-44 months, living in poor areas of Kingston. The data from the 4 months before and after the hurricane were compared. There was an increase in the occurrence of respiratory symptoms including rapid or difficult breathing (P < 0.04), coughs (P < 0.001) and nasal discharges (P < 0.001) during the first 2-month period after the hurricane. However there was no significant effect on the occurrence of diarrhoea and injuries. Deficits were also found in height gain (P < 0.001) during the same period. These adverse effects were found in spite of the large amount of food aid received and the aggressive health education programme implemented after the hurricane.
这是首份有飓风前后数据的关于飓风对儿童健康和营养状况影响的报告。1988年吉尔伯特飓风袭击牙买加时，一项纵向研究正在进行，每两个月记录儿童体重和身高，每周记录发病情况。调查对象为金斯敦贫困地区127名发育迟缓（年龄别身高低）和32名非发育迟缓的23 - 44个月大儿童。对比了飓风前后4个月的数据。飓风过后头两个月，包括呼吸急促或困难（P < 0.04）、咳嗽（P < 0.001）和流鼻涕（P < 0.001）在内的呼吸道症状发生率增加。然而，对腹泻和受伤发生率没有显著影响。同期身高增长也出现不足（P < 0.001）。尽管飓风过后收到了大量食品援助并实施了积极的健康教育项目，但仍发现了这些不良影响。
