Trajectories of quality of life among disaster victims: A national longitudinal study

Abstract

Aim

This study categorized quality-of-life trajectories among disaster victims in South Korea and identified the characteristics and predictors of each trajectory.

Background

Disaster victims experience tremendous physical and mental distress, which has a long-term impact on their quality of life.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study using data obtained from the fourth Long-term Survey on the Change of Life of Disaster Victims conducted from 2017 to 2019. The study included 257 participants who experienced a typhoon, earthquake, or fire and completed the three-year follow-up. Latent transition analysis was used to identify the potential class of quality-of-life trajectories among disaster victims. Independent t tests, χ² tests, and logistic regression were used to identify the predictors of quality-of-life trajectories.

Results

Two latent quality-of-life classes were identified: persistent low-level and persistent high-level. Factors associated with the persistent high-level trajectory included higher education level, no injury/disease from the disaster, better subjective health status, higher social support, and lower social maladjustment.

Discussion

Quality of life early after a disaster is maintained throughout subsequent years; early and active support following disasters is essential to promote its rapid improvement.

Conclusion

Targeted educational programs in disaster-prone areas are recommended to bolster resilience among individuals with lower education. Moreover, governmental and institutional efforts are needed to support victims who lack resources for disaster recovery.

Implications for nursing and health policy

There is a need to establish community-based social support systems and enhance nurses' disaster response capabilities to support vulnerable groups, with such interventions tailored to reflect disaster-affected victims’ unique characteristics and needs, along with ongoing research and evaluation for continuous improvements to nursing practice and disaster response.