Quality of Life among Survivors of a Disaster in Kodagu District, India

Abstract

Introduction: Global climate is changing every day. An increased incidence of natural disasters can be
attributed to this change in the climate. Natural disasters are known causes of psychosocial problems and
a reduction in health-related quality of life. This study attempts to assess the quality of life of victims of a
natural disaster in the Kodagu district of India.
Method: A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the disaster-affected areas, 4-6
months after the impact. Two areas were randomly selected and a total of 171 samples were assessed using
the WHOQOL BREF questionnaire. The scoring was done to a scale of 0 to100 and data was analyzed using
SPSS 23. Relevant statistical tests were performed to identify the associations between different factors
affecting and quality of life.
Results: The median score out of 100 in physical health dimension of quality of life among the study
participants was 56 (interquartile range: 38-69). The psychological domain score was 69 (interquartile
range: 56-81) while social relationships showed a good quality of median score 100 (interquartile range: 75-
100). The median score for quality of life in the environmental domain was 63 (interquartile range: 44-81).
Conclusion: The quality of life among the survivors of 2018 floods and landslides was observed to be
reduced. The main factors associated with the quality of life were gender, occupational status, level of
education and experience of a direct disaster impact.