Journal Article

Health Consequences of Forest Fires in Indonesia

McKee, Douglas, Thomas, Duncan, Frankenberg, Elizabeth

2005

Overview

We combined data from a population-based longitudinal survey with satellite measures of aerosol levels to assess the impact of smoke from forest fires that blanketed the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra in late 1997 on adult health. To account for unobserved differences between haze and nonhaze areas, we compared changes in the health of individual respondents. Between 1993 and 1997, individuals who were exposed to haze experienced greater increases in difficulty with activities of daily living than did their counterparts in nonhaze areas. The results for respiratory and general health, although more complicated to interpret, suggest that haze had a negative impact on these dimensions of health.

• Publisher: Population Association of America,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Activities of Daily Living / Adult / Adults / Aerosols / Aftermath / Aged / Air Pollutants - adverse effects / Bush fires / Data analysis / Data Collection / Demography / Everyday life / Female / Fire / Fire prevention / Fires / Forest & brush fires / Forest fires / Forestry / Forests / Haze / Health / Health indicators / Health Status / Humans / Indonesia / Indonesia - epidemiology / Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects / Interviews as Topic / Islands / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Middle Aged / Morbidity / Mortality / Older adults / Particulate matter / Population / Prescribed fire / Public Health / Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology / Respiratory Tract Diseases - mortality / Respondents / Smog / Smoke / Smoke - adverse effects / Smoke inhalation / Statistical data / Studies / Time Factors / Tropical Regions