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. 2021 Sep 29;7(40):eabj2610. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abj2610

Table 3. Predisaster sociodemographic characteristics of people at the bottom 10% versus top 10% of the estimated CATE of disaster-related trauma experiences on level of cognitive disability in 2016 (n = 2664).

Characteristics Exposure: Home loss Exposure: Loss of loved ones
Resilient Vulnerable P value* Resilient Vulnerable P value*
(n = 267) (n = 267) (n = 267) (n = 267)
CATE Estimates,
mean (SD)
0.03 (0.02) 0.34 (0.04) <0.001 −0.11 (0.03) 0.16 (0.07) <0.001
Age, mean (SD) 68.55 (2.66) 80.45 (3.15) <0.001 78.79 (5.16) 74.17 (6.00) <0.001
Gender, n (%) 0.027 0.1
  Men 172 (64%) 147 (55%) 145 (54%) 164 (61%)
  Women 95 (36%) 120 (45%) 122 (46%) 103 (39%)
Marital status, n (%) <0.001 0.03
  Married 221 (83%) 171 (64%) 192 (72%) 165 (62%)
  Widowed 33 (12%) 83 (31%) 67 (25%) 83 (31%)
  Divorced 9 (3.4%) 6 (2.2%) 4 (1.5%) 10 (3.7%)
  Single 2 (0.7%) 6 (2.2%) 4 (1.5%) 5 (1.9%)
  Others 2 (0.7%) 1 (0.4%) 0 (0%) 4 (1.5%)
Living alone, n (%) 0.093 <0.001
  No 249 (93%) 238 (89%) 254 (95%) 230 (86%)
  Yes 18 (6.7%) 29 (11%) 13 (4.9%) 37 (14%)
Education, n (%) 0.004 <0.001
  Less than 6 years 1 (0.4%) 5 (1.9%) 3 (1.1%) 6 (2.2%)
  6–9 years 72 (27%) 95 (36%) 92 (34%) 138 (52%)
  10–12 years 145 (54%) 105 (39%) 106 (40%) 90 (34%)
  13 years or more 48 (18%) 59 (22%) 63 (24%) 29 (11%)
  Others 1 (0.4%) 3 (1.1%) 3 (1.1%) 4 (1.5%)
Job, n (%) <0.001 0.008
  Working 68 (25%) 15 (5.6%) 30 (11%) 33 (12%)
  Retired 156 (58%) 198 (74%) 186 (70%) 154 (58%)
  Never worked 43 (16%) 54 (20%) 51 (19%) 80 (30%)
Household income,
mean (SD)
187 (144) 276 (115) <0.001 220 (143) 181 (108) <0.001
Depressive
symptoms,
n (%)§
<0.001 <0.001
  Mild/severe
depressive
symptoms
34 (13%) 81 (30%) 22 (8.2%) 206 (77%)
  No depressive
symptoms
233 (87%) 186 (70%) 245 (92%) 61 (23%)
Self-rated health,
n (%)
<0.001 <0.001
  Very good 38 (14%) 27 (10%) 39 (15%) 7 (2.6%)
  Good 211 (79%) 191 (72%) 203 (76%) 134 (50%)
  Not good 17 (6.4%) 40 (15%) 23 (8.6%) 104 (39%)
  Bad 1 (0.4%) 9 (3.4%) 2 (0.7%) 22 (8.2%)
Body mass index,
mean (SD)
24.69 (3.47) 22.80 (2.46) <0.001 22.39 (2.50) 23.76 (3.45) <0.001
Total IADL, mean
(SD)||
12.03 (1.46) 12.17 (1.50) 0.053 12.38 (0.81) 9.23 (2.58) <0.001
ADL, mean (SD) 3.00 (0.00) 3.00 (0.06) 0.3 3.00 (0.00) 2.96 (0.23) 0.004
No. of treatment for
major diseases,
n (%)#
1.21 (1.14) 1.77 (1.51) <0.001 1.62 (1.40) 1.75 (1.63) 0.6

*P values for between-group differences. We used Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables.

†Heterogeneous effects (i.e., CATEs) were estimated via the GRF algorithm, using the 51 predisaster demographic and socioeconomic factors, health conditions, psychosocial variables, and behaviors from the 2010 wave. Levels of certified cognitive disability ranged from 0 (no cognitive deficits) to 7 (needs constant treatment in a specialized medical facility) according to the severity of their cognitive disability. Bottom 10% of the CATE distributions were labeled as a Resilient group, because they showed weaker associations between disaster damage and cognitive disability. Top 10% of the CATE distributions were labeled as a Vulnerable group, because they showed stronger associations between disaster damage and cognitive disability.

‡Annual household income was divided by the square root of the number of household members to account for household size.

§We used the Geriatric Depression Scale (range: 0 to 15 points; higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms) to assess depressive symptoms.

||IADL was measured by the 13-item Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. Scores ranged from 0 to 13 points, where smaller scores indicate lower functional independence.

¶ADL had three levels (1 = completely needed, 2 = partially needed, and 3 = no help needed).

#We calculated counts of current treatment for major diseases, including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, arthritis, fracture, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, liver diseases, psychiatric diseases, dysphagia, visual impairment, hearing loss, dysuria, and insomnia.