Katrina-Related Health Concerns of Latino Survivors and Evacuees

This article examines health concerns identified by Latinos who resided in the path of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi. Data were collected for this qualitative descriptive study through individual, open-ended interviews with 93 Latino survivors and evacuees in Louisiana, Mississipp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2007-05, Vol.18 (2), p.443-464
Main Authors: Messias, DeAnne K. Hilfinger, Lacy, Elaine Cantrell
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease - therapy
Children & youth
Chronic Disease - therapy
Communication Barriers
Data collection
Disaster studies
Disasters
Education
Emergency preparedness
Emergency services
Emigration and Immigration
Environment
Environmental health
Health care
Health care access
Health needs
Health risks
Health services
Health Services Accessibility - organization & administration
Health Status
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Hispanic people
Humans
Hunger
Hurricanes
Immigration
Language
Learning
Medically Uninsured - psychology
Minority & ethnic groups
Noncitizens
Population
Radio stations
Shelters
Single parents
Southeastern United States - epidemiology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Survivors - psychology
Underserved people
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Summary:This article examines health concerns identified by Latinos who resided in the path of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi. Data were collected for this qualitative descriptive study through individual, open-ended interviews with 93 Latino survivors and evacuees in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia. Findings describe health concerns and experiences, including hunger, environmental health risks, sleep disturbances, and access to health care for acute and chronic conditions. Health and illness factored into personal and family decisions on whether or not to stay, evacuate, or return home following the storm. Problems accessing health care were compounded for the undocumented and uninsured. The findings have implications for further disaster research and may inform emergency preparedness policy development and the planning and implementation of disaster-related health care services for Latinos and other minority and underserved groups.
ISSN:1049-2089
1548-6869
1548-6869
DOI:10.1353/hpu.2007.0041