Long-term Effects of Disasters on Seniors With Diabetes: Evidence From Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the long-run mortality effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on seniors with diabetes.

Research design and methods

We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of Medicare enrollment and claims data covering four states and ∼10 years. Affected individuals were identified by whether they lived in a county that suffered a high impact and were stratified by whether they moved to a different county following the storms. Propensity scores matched affected and comparison subjects based on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the presence of chronic conditions. Our sample consisted of 170,328 matched affected subjects.

Results

The affected subjects had a nearly 40% higher all-cause mortality risk in the 1st month after the storms, but the

SUBMITTER: Quast T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6804607 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature