Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (4)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Combs, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, J. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Combs, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, J. H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 28, 1124-1129, Copyright © 1999 by International Epidemiological Association

Assessing disaster-attributed mortality: development and application of a definition and classification matrix

DL Combs, LE Quenemoen, RG Parrish and JH Davis
Surveillance and Programs Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.

BACKGROUND: A useful step in developing and implementing sound policies to prevent disaster-attributed mortality is to classify the relationship between disasters and mortality. While there are classification methods for specific health outcomes, there is no standard method that includes all potential outcomes from exposure to a natural disaster. Without standards, our ability to assess health effects from disasters and implement prevention programmes is limited. METHODS: We present a method for ascertaining and classifying disaster- attributed mortality which includes a case definition, flow chart, and matrix. The matrix is used for coding, reporting, and evaluating information about manner, cause, and circumstance of disaster- attributed deaths and geographical location and time of the disaster. To illustrate its use, two readers determine and classify deaths attributed to Hurricane Andrew (1992, USA). RESULTS: Of 322 deaths investigated by the Dade County Medical Examiner's Office, our readers showed 97% (313/322) agreement on case status and 83% (35/42) agreement on case classification. CONCLUSIONS: Our definition allows for a liberal interpretation of what constitutes disaster-related circumstances and the conditions or diseases that might arise from these circumstances. The inclusion of the flow chart and matrix provides a framework for consistent case classification and reporting. It also provides information about relationships between exposures and health effects, thereby identifying prevention policy needs.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Occup. Environ. Med.Home page
P. Cullinan
Epidemiological assessment of health effects from chemical incidents
Occup. Environ. Med., August 1, 2002; 59(8): 568 - 572.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.