Quality of Life among the Navies and Their Spouses
Survivors, Six Months after the Tsunami Disaster in
Phang-Nga Naval Base, Thailand
Ronnachai Kongsakon MD*,
Thanuch Putthavarang MSc**, Prakarn Thomyangkoon MD**
Affiliation :
* Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
** Rajavithi Hospital, College of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : Identify the consequences for the survivors of the Tsunami disaster on health related quality of life among members
of the Navy and their spouses, six months after the disaster.
Material and Method: Using a structured questionnaire modified from the MOS SF-36. Four hundred thirty four subjects
participated in the present study. The sample was male (77%), married (67%) and mean age was 34 years old.
Results : The quality of life scores among member of the Navy or their spouses were lower than the 2006 Thailand normative
data in almost all subscales except physical functioning, bodily pain, and social functioning subscales. The major consequence
of the Tsunami was mental health problems. A majority of the survivors who seriously experienced mental problems were
female, low education, decreased income, loss of one’s family members/loved ones, or property.
Conclusion : To improve their quality of life, these people required appropriate social support and physical and mental health
care. Bodily pain was the only an indicator subscale of QOL that was statistically significantly associated with Tsunami
exposure. The QOL measures provided essential data and information that helped healthcare providers identify survivors’
needs and outcomes and therefore, knowledge of the changes in QOL over the time after Tsunami might help guide health
programs to efficiently allocate resources at different times.
Keywords : Quality of life, Tsunami disaster, Phang-Nga Naval Base, MOS SF-36
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