Peer-reviewed article
Using a population-based survey approach to estimate child separation after a natural disaster: findings from post-Hurricane Haiti
Lindsay Stark, Matthew MacFarlane, Beth L. Rubenstein, Gary Yu, Celina Jensen et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study measured how many children were separated from their caregivers after Hurricane Matthew in Haiti in 2016. Researchers surveyed 1,044 households in the Sud Department and also asked about their neighbors' households to get a broader picture. They found that about 3% of children had been separated from their normal caregiver during the hurricane, with 9 children left completely unaccompanied. The study suggests that surveying neighbors alongside direct respondents is a practical way to measure child separation after disasters.
Key points
- 3.03% of children in surveyed households were reported separated from their normal caregiver during Hurricane Matthew
- Among 62 separated children, 9 were unaccompanied, with slightly more boys (56%) than girls (44%)
- 1.12% of children who were in households when the hurricane struck had since departed without their caregiver
- The Neighborhood Method (asking about neighbors' households) produced similar prevalence estimates to direct household reports, suggesting it is a viable measurement approach
- This was the first known attempt to measure the prevalence of child separation following a natural disaster
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and was conducted several months after the hurricane, which may affect recall accuracy. The study did not include longitudinal follow-up, so it cannot determine long-term outcomes for separated children or whether separations were temporary or permanent.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study explores findings of a population-based approach to measure the prevalence of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) during the Hurricane Matthew aftermath in Haiti. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using two-stage cluster sampling. Participants were asked to provide information on their own household composition, as well as the household composition of their closest neighbour (the Neighborhood Method). The study took place between February and March 2017 in Haiti's Sud Department, a region severely affected by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. 1044 primary respondents provided information about their own household, and 4165 people in the household of their closet neighbour. The primary outcome measured was the prevalence of UASC in the Sud Department following Hurricane Matthew. Secondary outcomes of interest included the characteristics of these children, including age, sex, reason for separation and current caregiver. RESULTS: Of the 2046 children currently living in the surveyed households, 3.03% (95% CI 2.29% to 3.77%) were reported to have been separated from their normal caregiver during Hurricane Matthew. Among these 62 children, 9 were unaccompanied, and there were slightly more boys than girls (56% vs 44%, p=0.37). Of the 2060 children who lived in surveyed households when the hurricane hit, 1.12% (95% CI 0.67% to 1.57%) had since departed without their caregiver. The prevalence of separation reported for neighbours' households was not significantly different from that in respondents' households (p values between 0.08 and 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first known attempt to measure the prevalence of child separation following a natural disaster. Overall, the rates of separation were relatively low. Similarities between primary and secondary reports of child separation via the Neighborhood Method indicate that this may be a viable approach to measuring UASC in certain contexts.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Population-based survey using two-stage cluster sampling with the Neighborhood Method (surveying respondents about their own households and asking them about their closest neighbor's households)
- Population
- 1,044 primary respondents and information about 4,165 people in neighbors' households in Haiti's Sud Department, approximately 4-5 months after Hurricane Matthew
Key finding
3.03% (95% CI 2.29-3.77%) of children currently in surveyed households were reported separated from their normal caregiver during Hurricane Matthew
Stark et al. · Prof. Lindsay Stark (OpenAlex works) · 1 May 2018