The Short- and Long-Term Impacts of Hurricane Irma on Florida Agricultural Leaders as Early Emergency Responders: The Importance of Workplace Stability

Lynn M. Grattan, Angela Lindsay, Yuanyuan Liang, Kelsey A. Kilmon, Scott Cohen, Tracy Irani and John Glenn Morris
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Lynn M. Grattan: Department of Neurology, Neuropsychology Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Angela Lindsay: Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Yuanyuan Liang: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Kelsey A. Kilmon: Department of Neurology, Neuropsychology Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Scott Cohen: Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Tracy Irani: Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
John Glenn Morris: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, FL University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: The impacts of hurricane-related disasters in agricultural communities include extensive losses of fields, orchards, and livestock, the recovery of which could span many years. Agricultural Extension Agents (EAs) try to manage and mitigate these losses, while simultaneously overseeing emergency shelter operations. These non-professional emergency responders face numerous potential stressors, the outcomes of which are minimally known. This study examined the short- and long-term medical and behavioral outcome of 36 University of Florida Agricultural Extension Agents within two months and one year after Hurricane Irma, Florida, USA, taking into consideration personal/home and work-related hurricane impacts. Regression analyses indicated that combined home and work hurricane impacts were associated with greater anxiety, depression, and medical symptoms controlling for age and number of prior hurricane experiences within two months of landfall. One year later, depression symptoms increased as well as the use of negative disengagement coping strategies for which stability of the work environment was protective. The findings suggest that advanced training in emergency response, organization and time management skills, time off and temporary replacement for personally impacted EAs, and workplace stability, including enhanced continuity of operations plans, represent critical elements of health prevention and early intervention for this occupational group.

Keywords: hurricanes; disasters; non-professional first responders; Hurricane Impact; agricultural extension workers; workplace stability; post-disaster behavioral health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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