Catherine Rusoff
It’s been nine months since deadly forest fires burned the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing dozens of people and leaving the historic city of Lahaina in ashes. And according to a new study, people are still feeling the effects of these fires – many of them food insecure and at risk of serious health problems.
O public health reportconducted by researchers at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and the John A. Burns School of Medicine, analyzes the persistent impacts of August 2023 fires which killed 101 people. Researchers will monitor and analyze these impacts for at least a decade, but they have already found significant problems in their first sampling of fire victims, carried out in February.
Researchers interviewed 679 people, two-thirds of whom lived in Lahaina during fires. Nearly half of respondents reported seeing a decline in their health compared to a year ago, which researchers said “could deteriorate further if difficulties in accessing health care and lack of health insurance are not addressed.” “. Among these issues are complications with the cardiovascular health of residents.
“Exposure to smoke, ash and debris is strongly associated with worse physical health outcomes and reported symptoms,” the report says. “Approximately 74% of participants face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. Kidney function may be compromised in 8-20% of participants, and up to 60% may experience respiratory health problems.”
More elderly people appear to be affected physically, with 85% of people aged 65 and over reporting physical symptoms that limited their daily activities, including moderate and vigorous exercise, carrying groceries, climbing a flight of stairs, bending over, walking or bathing.
MauiWES
The researchers also found a “notable increase in depression,” among other mental health issues. Approximately 30% of participants reported feeling moderate or severe anxiety, and a slightly higher percentage reported feelings of low self-esteem. Less than 4.5% said they had suicidal thoughts after the fires. These numbers were “significantly higher than state and local averages,” researchers said, noting that the mental health impact appeared to extend beyond those who were physically exposed to smoke, ash and debris.
Having enough to eat is also a major concern, with nearly half of households in the February survey experiencing food insecurity, a rate researchers said is higher than previously observed both locally and statewide. This impact is, at least somewhat, linked to employment issues also felt since the fires. Almost half of the victims surveyed lost their jobs due to the fires, 20% of whom are still unemployed. Three-quarters of respondents earn less money than they did before the fires.
“By studying the impacts now, we are in a position to prevent short- and long-term conditions, such as lung disease and cancer, to which our population is already more susceptible,” said the researcher. Alika Maunakea he said.
Maunakea said many of those who reported being more exposed to the fires appear to have more symptoms and that many of those who participated in the study did not see a doctor. Many say they did not receive care because their clinics were destroyed in the fires or because other essential goods – such as food and housing – took priority.
“There may be some issues that may manifest in the future,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “Please see your doctor. Just pay more attention to your health because of this.”
As the study continues, researchers say they hope to enroll 2,000 people to participate.
Nikima Glatt, who lived in Lahaina when the fires occurred, told the CBS affiliate Hawaii News Now that she worked in the burn zone during the reentry period.
“I was a runner. I was a skater. I used to exercise a lot,” she said. “And now it’s hard for me to do the normal things I used to do.”
Li Cohen
