The Impact of Flooding and COVID-19 on Access to Health Care and Services in Houston: Results from a Community Survey Study.
As natural disasters become more frequent and severe, examining their impact on health care access is increasingly important. This study was a community-level assessment of the effects of flooding and COVID-19 on access to health care services.
This study utilized a self-administered survey in flood-prone Houston communities. Bivariable associations of having experienced flooding damage, as well as having a history of COVID-19 diagnoses, were examined by demographics and health care access using chi-square analyses, t-tests, and both unadjusted and adjusted logistic and Poisson regression models.
Among 206 surveys, 20.39% reported homes or vehicles lost to flooding, and 33.5% had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Those who experienced flooding were 3 times more likely to report their closest hospital closed, their doctor's office closed, delays filling prescriptions, not getting needed medical care, and delayed medical care access. Experiencing both COVID-19 and flooding was even more strongly associated with the frequency of health care services lost.
These findings highlight the need for expanded health care access and support services that accommodate localized damages in communities susceptible to adverse events. Future planning for disasters should include plans for expanded access to health care resources for those with comorbidities and low-socioeconomic groups.
This study utilized a self-administered survey in flood-prone Houston communities. Bivariable associations of having experienced flooding damage, as well as having a history of COVID-19 diagnoses, were examined by demographics and health care access using chi-square analyses, t-tests, and both unadjusted and adjusted logistic and Poisson regression models.
Among 206 surveys, 20.39% reported homes or vehicles lost to flooding, and 33.5% had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Those who experienced flooding were 3 times more likely to report their closest hospital closed, their doctor's office closed, delays filling prescriptions, not getting needed medical care, and delayed medical care access. Experiencing both COVID-19 and flooding was even more strongly associated with the frequency of health care services lost.
These findings highlight the need for expanded health care access and support services that accommodate localized damages in communities susceptible to adverse events. Future planning for disasters should include plans for expanded access to health care resources for those with comorbidities and low-socioeconomic groups.
Authors
Rajvong Rajvong, Robinson Robinson, Nguyen Nguyen, Walther Walther, Zoorob Zoorob, Hirth Hirth
View on Pubmed