Health Disparities in the Aftermath of Flood Events: A Review of Physical and Mental Health Outcomes with Methodological Considerations in the USA

Purpose of Review This review applies an environmental justice perspective to synthesize knowledge of flood-related health disparities across demographic groups in the USA. The primary aim is to examine differential impacts on physical and mental health outcomes while also assessing methodological c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current environmental health reports 2024-06, Vol.11 (2), p.238-254
Main Authors: Flores, Aaron B., Sullivan, Jonathan A., Yu, Yilei, Friedrich, Hannah K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Community involvement
Disaster management
Disaster risk
Disasters
Emergency medical care
Emergency preparedness
Environmental Health
Environmental justice
Environmental risk
Exposure
Family income
Females
Flooding
Floods
Health disparities
Health Status Disparities
Hispanic Americans
Humans
Hurricanes
Medicine/Public Health
Mental Health
Minority & ethnic groups
Moisture absorption
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Post traumatic stress disorder
Research design
Review
Risk reduction
Self report
Skin
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomics
Topical Collection on Climate Change and Natural Disasters
United States
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Summary:Purpose of Review This review applies an environmental justice perspective to synthesize knowledge of flood-related health disparities across demographic groups in the USA. The primary aim is to examine differential impacts on physical and mental health outcomes while also assessing methodological considerations such as flood exposure metrics, baseline health metrics, and community engagement. Recent Findings In our review ( n  = 27), 65% and 72% of studies identified racial, ethnic, or socio-economic disparities in physical and mental health outcomes post-flooding, respectively. The majority of racial/ethnic disparities were based on Black race, while most socio-economic disparities were based on lower household income. Forty-two percent of studies lacked flood exposure metrics, but often identified disparities. Common flood exposure metrics included self-reported flooding, flood risk models, and satellite-based observations. Seventy percent of studies lacked baseline health measurements or suitable alternatives, and only 19% incorporated community engagement into their research design. Summary The literature consistently finds that both physical and mental health burdens following flooding are unequally shared across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. These findings emphasize the need for disaster risk reduction policies that address underlying vulnerabilities to flooding, unequal exposure to flooding, and progressive funding for recovery efforts. Findings also underscore the importance of methodological enhancements to facilitate precise assessments of flood exposure and health outcomes.
ISSN:2196-5412
2196-5412
DOI:10.1007/s40572-024-00446-7