Long-term health effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption: A prospective cohort study in 2010 and 2013

• Main Author: Heiðrún Hlöðversdóttir 1984-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Lýðheilsuvísindi; Eldgosið í Eyjafjallajökli; Heilsufar; Náttúruhamfarir; Skagafjörður; Eyjafjallajökull; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/23130

It is estimated that at least 500 million people live within the potential exposure range of a historically active volcano. Adverse respiratory symptoms and a variety of psychological symptoms have been reported after volcanic eruptions but studies on long-term health effects of volcanic eruption are scarce, including studies on respiratory health. The aim of the study was to examine physical and mental health of exposed residents three to four years after the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, compared to six to nine months after the eruption. Furthermore, the aim was to assess whether highly exposed residents were still at increased risk of physical and mental symptoms compared with residents who were less or not at all exposed to the effects of Eyjafjallajökull eruption. In a population-based prospective cohort study of residents of areas close to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the level was divided into areas based on different level of exposure. In addition, a sample from a non-exposed population of residents of Skagafjörður in Northern Iceland was included for comparison. All participants answered a questionnaire on physical and psychological symptoms in 2010 and again in 2013. Standard questions from the screening part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) were used to assess respiratory health and underlying diseases. General Health Questionnaire-12-item-version (GHQ-12) measured psychological distress, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) measured perceived stress and Primary Care PTSD (PC-PTSD) measured PTSD symptoms. The participation rate in 2010 was 72%, of those, 80% participated in the follow-up in 2013. Compared to 2010, the following symptoms were more prevalent in the exposed group in 2013: current skin rash/eczema (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.29 to 3.23), back pain (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.93) and myalgia (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.13). Also, experiencing respiratory symptoms in the last 12 months was more common in 2013 than 2010, including morning winter phlegm (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.07), ...