Value of Injuries in the Northridge Earthquake

The economic equivalent value of deaths and injuries in the 1994 Northridge earthquake has not previously been calculated, although number of injuries by category of treatment has. Using dollar-equivalent values for injuries accepted and used by the U.S. government for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of risk-mitigation efforts, the value of injuries in the 1994 Northridge earthquake is estimated to be $1.3 to 2.2 billion in 1994 (90$1.8 to 2.9 billion in 2005). This is equivalent to 3–4% of the estimated $50 billion (in 1994) estimated direct capital losses and direct business interruption losses. If injuries in the 1994 Northridge earthquake are representative of injuries in future U.S. events, then the economic value of future earthquake injuries—the amount that the U.S. government would deem appropriate to expend to prevent all such injuries—is on the order of$200 million per year (in 2005 constant dollars). Of this figure, 96% is associated with nonfatal injuries, an issue overlooked by current experimental research. Given the apparently high cost of this type of loss, this appears to represent an important gap in the present earthquake research agenda

Thinking Inside the Food Pantry Box

Background: Prior research has indicated a varying relationship between food security and obesity risk. Food insecurity is a known complication of men and women’s underlying health issues, such as hypertension and diabetes, because of altered food choices. Objective: Provide healthier food options to the food insecure within the facility’s food distribution boxes, as available, for the two most common health issues (diabetes and high blood pressure). Methods: Clients at a local food pantry were interviewed individually to learn more about food insecurity and complicating health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure (hypertension) while simultaneously offering alternative food box options. Results: Over half of the participants self-reported being previously told by a health care professional they should lose weight, have hypertension, and/or have diabetes. Fifty-two percent of the project participants choose a customized food box for hypertension or diabetes. Conclusion: A need exists in this population for food based on the chronic health issues of diabetes and hypertension. In the future, ensuring the nutritional quality of donated food is an important consideration to build the needed boxes for the population served