Katrina@10: Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study (GCAFH) Subsample, Louisiana and Mississippi, 2005-2019 (ICPSR 39339)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The purpose of the Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study (GCAFH) was to study post-Hurricane Katrina health and wellbeing in families in the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast who had been displaced or severely impacted by the disaster.

The purpose of the overall Katrina@10 project was to analyze three separate studies on sub-populations uniquely affected by Katrina under a single theoretical framework for disaster recovery.

Study Design View help for Study Design

The Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study (GCAFH) used a longitudinal cohort survey design, collecting data from participants at different timepoints following Hurricane Katrina.

At baseline, selected data were collected on all household members. A Kish sampling strategy was used to randomly select one child in the household for more detailed questions. Upon enrollment and completion of the baseline interview, respondents received small gifts for adults and children valued at about $15 per household.

The first follow-up survey (Wave 2) was conducted as a telephone interview between 20-23 months post-Katrina. Respondents received a $30 gift card for completing the Wave 2 survey.

The second follow-up survey (Wave 3) was conducted as an in-person survey between June-August 2008. Community-based interviewers in Louisiana and Mississippi were recruited and trained for fieldwork. The survey was suspended in the last week of August 2008 due to Hurricane Gustav, then reopened 6 weeks after the hurricane had passed for an additional 3-week period. Respondents received a $35 gift card for completing the second follow-up.

A supplemental survey (Gustav Supplement) was conducted as a telephone interview between September 25 and October 13, 2009. Participants who had completed the Wave 3 survey prior to Hurricane Gustav were eligible for this supplement. Respondents received a $20 gift card for completing the survey.

A third follow-up survey (Wave 4) began November 2009 and ended April 2010. Surveys were conducted in-person by local field staff.

The current study followed up with participants at least 10 years post-Katrina (2016-2018). Surveys were conducted by phone, in-person, or online via Qualtrics.

Sample View help for Sample

The Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study (GCAFH) used a stratified cluster sampling method to enroll participants over two phases. Participants were enrolled from Louisiana in February 2006 and from Mississippi in August 2006.

The sampling frame consisted of lists of congregate housing sites obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Lists were stratified by type of site (FEMA group site, commercial trailer site, and hotel) and by size (1-25, 26-50, 51-100, 101+ residential units). Primary sampling units were 12 FEMA group sites, 10 commercial trailer sites, and 4 hotel sites. The Mississippi sampling frame was supplemented with an areal sample, using FEMA damage assessment maps and databases of the state's three coastal counties hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The research team randomly selected 150 of 650 census blocks from these counties. These strategies yielded a cohort representative of individuals who had been displaced to congregate settings in Louisiana and Mississippi, and people who were living in the most extensively-damaged areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The baseline sample included 1,079 randomly selected households along Louisiana (n=555 households) and Mississippi's (n=524 households) Gulf Coast. For each sampled household, the study participant was an eligible adult respondent who lived at that site and could knowledgeably report upon the health issues of all individuals in the household.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Residents along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast who had been displaced or sustained moderate, extensive, or catastrophic damage due to Hurricane Katrina.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

• Housing and residential mobility post-Katrina
• Physical and mental health, including chronic health conditions, health insurance coverage, mobility limitations
• Social capital and resources, including organizational memberships, racial/ethnic community ties, relationships with friends, family members, and mentors
• Risk behaviors (smoking, consuming sugary drinks), other traumatic experiences over the lifetime (including sexual assault/rape, arrest, being charged with a crime, serious injuries or life-threatening illnesses)
• Family dynamics
• Financial constraints
• Neighborhood conditions, specifically perceptions of safety, disorder, and cohesion
• Child-specific items reported by the respondent (mental and physical health, chronic conditions, insurance coverage, risky behaviors, temperament)
• Recovery and outlook, including sense of purpose, role of religion/spirituality, change of priorities, and other changes in behavior/beliefs as a result of Hurricane Katrina
• Recent experiences (circa 2016) with natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
• Demographics, including household income, marital status, employment status, education level, social benefits receipt, race, and sex

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

For baseline, a total of 4,284 households were sampled. Of those, 985 households were deemed ineligible because they were destroyed, vacant, abandoned, or under construction. Among the 3,299 eligible households, 1,587 had an eligible adult present (no contact was made at 1,712 remaining households despite repeated attempts), and 1,082 individuals consented to enrollment, resulting in a 32.8 percent response rate and a 68.1 percent cooperation rate.

For Wave 2, of the 1,082 original cohort, 803 were found and interviewed (75.1 percent response rate).

For Wave 3, 718 respondents of the 1,055 eligible cohort had completed the survey prior to the study's suspension due to Hurricane Gustav. An additional 59 respondents completed the survey post-Gustav for a total of 777 (74.5 percent response rate).

For the Gustav supplement, 528 completed the interview out of 718 eligible (73.5 percent retention rate).

A total of 647 participants completed the 10-year follow-up.

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

• General Self Efficacy Scale (GSE)
• Flourishing Scale
• Impact of Events Scale - Revised (IES-R)
• Kessler-6 (K6)
• Life Events Checklist
• Perceived Social Support
• Physical Neighborhood Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)
• Sense of Community Index
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
• Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2)
• Social Neighborhood Disorder

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2025-06-23

Version History View help for Version History