A less recognised emerging public health problem

The physical consequences of a disaster are more prominent than the emotional effects. Health effects in changing climatic conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, injuries and deaths related to extreme weather events, food and waterborne diseases and other infectious diseases (dengue, malaria) are widely reported. However, sleep disturbances as an indirect effect of climate change are still understated not only in global media but also locally in developing countries.

Sleep plays an important role in maintaining good health and many of our somatic, cognitive and psychological processes are dependent on sleep duration, therefore insufficient either longer and shorter duration of sleep is a threat to our better survival. Too little and too much sleep have an enormous effect on our health.

A recent study conducted among rural populations in 8 low-income countries of Asia and Africa including Bangladesh reported that 150 million people (approximately 17% of the total) having sleep problems. Bangladesh topped as the highest prevalence in sleep problems followed by Vietnam and South Africa.

Sleep disturbance among the people living in disaster prone areas could be an emerging issue but less addressed in the ground of climate change impacts on human health.

In a cross-sectional survey among 3,022 adult inhabitants from 960 households of 24 upazilas across Bangladesh, we explored if the adults including living in disaster prone areas are more exposed to sleep disturbances than the adults in non-disaster prone areas.

In results, we found that more women (57%) had short sleep than men (43%). This would mean that this large number of women is more vulnerable to suffer their memory, immunity and risks their overall quality of life. Research suggested that chronic short sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, mental disorders, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

It is evident that women are more vulnerable than men in any disaster. In our informal discussion, we found that most of the respondents including men and women perceived that women were more vulnerable than men in any natural disaster with varying reasons that included: spent much time at home and did not leave home until they were hit by natural hazards; physical inability to move faster to safer places; more protective towards children, other dependent family members, and household belongings; managed cooking, collected fuel and drinking water even from distant places.

Besides, sanitation had been the most awful for the women due to lack of privacy. Respondents living in flood and cyclone affected areas reported their concern about losing livelihoods and properties due to natural hazards such as flood, storms and river bank erosion. Some of them were found worried about a certain future due to recurrent disaster.

The prevalence of sleep problems was found among the ultra-poor compared to the poor and non-poor groups. Having reported the evidences on sleep disturbances among the adults in various angles, such less recognised but emerging public health issue demands more attention in the ground of climate change and impacts on health.

Authors are the researchers from Research and Evaluation Division (RED), BRAC Centre.