Household economic impact and attitudes toward school closures in two cities in Argentina during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses

Ricardo Basurto-Dávila²  Roberto Garza³  Martin I. Meltzer³  Oreste L. Carlino¹  Rachel Albalak³  Pablo W. Orellano¹  Osvaldo Uez⁵  David K. Shay³  Cora Santandrea¹  María del Carmen Weis⁴  Francisco Averhoff³ 

[1] Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina;Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA;U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA;Dirección de Epidemiología e Inmunizaciones, Olavarría, Argentina;Instituto Nacional de Epidemiología, Mar del Plata, Argentina

关键词: Costs and cost analysis;    healthcare economics;    human;    influenza;    pandemics;    prevention and control;   

DOI  :  10.1111/irv.12054

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Please cite this paper as: Basurto-Dávila et al. (2012) Household economic impact and attitudes toward school closures in two cities in Argentina during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. DOI: 10.1111/irv.12054.

Background  School closures were widely implemented in Argentina during the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic.

Objectives  To assess the economic impact of school closures on households, their effectiveness in preventing children from engaging in social group activities, and parental attitudes toward them.

Methods  Three schools that closed for 2 weeks in response to the pandemic were identified in two socioeconomically distinct cities in Argentina. All households with children enrolled in these schools were surveyed. Direct and indirect costs attributable to closures were estimated from the household perspective. Other information collected included children activities during the closures and parental attitudes toward the intervention.

Results  Completed questionnaires were returned by 45% of surveyed households. Direct and indirect costs due to closures represented 11% of imputed monthly household income in the city with lower socioeconomic status, and 3% in the other city (P = 0·01). Non-childcare expenses and loss of workdays were more common in the city with lower socioeconomic status. Childcare expenses were less common and were experienced by a similar percentage of households in both cities. About three-quarters of respondents in both cities agreed with the closures. The main concern among those who disagreed with closures was their negative impact on education. Children in more than two-thirds of affected households left their home at least once during the closures to spend time in public places.

Conclusion  School closures may more significantly impact low-income households. Authorities should consider the range of economic impacts of school closures among families when planning their implementation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd