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Varzaghan Earthquake Affected Mothers’ and Their Newborns’ Health More Severely, in Socioeconomically Vulnerable Area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2018

Mehdi Esfandyari ,
Elnaz Vaghef-Mehrabany  and
Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mameghani
Mehdi Esfandyari
Affiliation:
Student Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Elnaz Vaghef-Mehrabany
Affiliation:
Student Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mameghani*
Affiliation:
Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Department of Nutrition in Community, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mamaghani, Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Neyshabouri Av., Golgasht St., Tabriz, Iran (e-mail: ebrahimimamagani@tbzmed.ac.ir).
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Abstract

Objective

We aimed to compare the pregnancy status of the pregnant women and birth status of their newborns, socioeconomic status, and access to health services, between high- and low-damage areas in Heris, affected by the Varzaghan Earthquake, 2012.

Methods

The study was conducted on pregnant women at any trimester of pregnancy (with complete medical profiles in local health centers) in August 2012 (time of the earthquake) who lived in Heris and delivered up to March 2013. Data were obtained on pregnancy- and infant-related variables, housing, socioeconomic status, and access to health services, including food supplies, before and after the earthquake.

Results

Family income and mothers’ education were lower in highly damaged areas. Among these women, underweight at first trimester of pregnancy was higher, and weight gain during the last trimester was lower, compared with low-damage regions. Preterm delivery was higher in low-damage areas. Birth indices of the infants were not significantly different between the 2 areas; however, in highly damaged areas, moderate malnutrition was more prevalent among children under 1 year (weight-for-age) and under 2 years (height-for-age).

Conclusions

Socioeconomic status of mothers was lower in highly damaged areas and might have played a role in their own and newborns’ health status. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13: 511-518)

Keywords

childearthquakeinfantmalnutritionpregnant women
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2019 , pp. 511 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

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