International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
Interests: disasters; epidemics; public health emergencies; health security; emergency preparedness; community resilience; community engagement; deliberative democracy; whole community; disaster recovery; public policy; crisis communication; risk communication; qualitative research

Dr. Emily K. Brunson

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Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
Interests: medical anthropology; health care decision-making; health care access; health policy; health communication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Communities of all scales are becoming aware that they must be more forward-thinking and step up their plans to deal with an environment marked by a changing and potentially volatile climate, increasingly frequent and severe disasters and disease outbreaks, both visible and hidden public health impacts, and a population growing in number and enmeshed in structures of inequality. In this context, community resilience—i.e., the capacity to anticipate, withstand, rebound from, and evolve to be even stronger after an extreme event—is a highly sought-after goal.

For this Special Issue, we invite submissions that offer theoretical, empirical, and/or translational insights into community resilience to disasters and epidemics, with special attention to population-level health and wellbeing. Especially welcome are analyses concerning the role of public health systems in community resilience, whether on an everyday or emergency basis; health equity aspects of community resilience; disaster recovery as an opportunity to strengthen community health and wellbeing; the use of health and wellbeing metrics in resilience-related efforts; the utilization of community health assessments for resilience-strengthening efforts; and comparisons of community resilience in natural disasters versus infectious disease outbreaks.

Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana
Guest Editor
Dr. Emily K. Brunson
Assistant Guest Editor

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Keywords

public health
disasters
epidemics
resilience
planning
mitigation
recovery
emergency preparedness
social learning
whole community

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Point Bonitation Method and Its Adaptation in Risk Studies: A Case Study in Sri Lanka’s Cities in the Coastal Zone

by Dorota Rucińska and Martyna Zagrzejewska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(4), 2060; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18042060 - 20 Feb 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2059

Abstract

Article proposes using weighting method named the Point Bonitation Method, a popular interdisciplinary method, especially in the tourism and socio-economic geography, for giving optional direction to further researching tsunami risk. This method qualifies and quantifies those factors that lead to natural disasters so that it is possible to make comparisons with their roles in disaster areas. This case study in Sri Lanka shows a specific result that is quantification of vulnerability by regions and can be used and developed locally for disaster risk management and reduction. This paper presents discussion about other possible reasons of high risk in regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Resilience and Recovery for Public Health Emergencies)

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19 pages, 390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Community Psychosocial Stress Related to Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Contamination: Lessons Learned from a Qualitative Study

by Eric E. Calloway, Alethea L. Chiappone, Harrison J. Schmitt, Daniel Sullivan, Ben Gerhardstein, Pamela G. Tucker, Jamie Rayman and Amy L. Yaroch

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17238706 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4354

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure experience and associated stressors, to inform public health efforts to support psychosocial health and resilience in affected communities. Semi-structured interviews (n = 9) were conducted from July–September 2019 with community members and state public health department representatives from areas with PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Thematic analysis was completed and themes were described and summarized. Reported stressors included health concerns and uncertainty, institutional delegitimization and associated distrust, and financial burdens. Interviewees provided several strategies to reduce stress and promote stress coping capacity and resilience, including showing empathy and validating the normalcy of experiencing stress; building trust through visible action and sustained community engagement; providing information and actionable guidance; discussing stress carefully; fostering stress coping capacity and resilience with opportunities to build social capital and restore agency; and building capacity among government agencies and health care providers to address psychosocial stress. While communities affected by PFAS contamination will face unavoidable stressors, positive interactions with government responders and health care providers may help reduce negative stress. More research on how best to integrate community psychosocial health and stress coping and resilience concepts into the public health response to environmental contamination could be helpful in addressing these stressors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Resilience and Recovery for Public Health Emergencies)

9 pages, 310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality of Life and Intention to Return among Former Residents of Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture 9 Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident

by Makiko Orita, Yasuyuki Taira, Hitomi Matsunaga, Masaharu Maeda and Noboru Takamura

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(18), 6625; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17186625 - 11 Sep 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2381

Abstract

We evaluated the association between health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and intent to return home among former residents of Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture 9 years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident to support the recovery of the community after the accident. We conducted a questionnaire survey asking residents about their intention to return to their original home, risk perception for radiation exposure, HR-QOL using the HR-QOL Short Form 8 (SF-8), and sense of coherence using the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Among the 1029 residents, a total of 138 (13%) had already returned to Tomioka (group 1), 223 (22%) were undecided (group 2), and 668 (65%) had decided not to return (group 3). Group 2 had poorer HR-QOL than groups 1 and 3, especially physical function, body pain, general health, social functioning, and mental health. The ratio of residents with a better sense of coherence was significantly higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. Our present study indicated poorer HR-QOL among residents who were undecided about returning home. It is necessary to provide a model for a multidisciplinary approach for the public during the recovery phase of a nuclear accident. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Resilience and Recovery for Public Health Emergencies)

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