Review of publications

The books referred to below have been abstracted from review copies received from the publisher by the editor of this Newsletter. Except where noted otherwise, none of the books are available from PAHO. The publisher and the list price (when available) are included at the end of the abstracts for readers who are interested in purchasing the books.

A Manual for the Basic Assessment of Nutrition Status in Potential Crisis Situations, Philip L. Graitcer, Center for Disease Control. 22 pp. 7 Ref. September 1980 (English)

Intended for rapid assessment of the nutrition status of populations facing severe protein-energy malnutrition caused by war, drought, and other acute crises. Briefly discusses symptoms of malnutrition and anthropometric indeces for quantifying acute and marginal cases. Methods for selecting samples and analyzing the data are examined in detail. Annexes include a sample field nutrition assessment form, weight for height reference values, and instructions for survey teams. This document is highly recommended for use by professionals called upon to quickly assess and monitor the nutrition status of populations affected by protracted emergencies. Copies may be obtained from the editor of this Newsletter. Please refer to code listed under Selected Bibliography.

Environmental Health in Disaster, A.S. O'Hara, Department of National Health and Welfare, Canada. 101 pp. 40 Refs. 1979 (English)

Manual for public health personnel covering basic environmental health techniques for emergency situations. Also intended as a training guide for auxiliary health inspectors. Chapters treat water supply, food sanitation, waste disposal, pest control, personal hygiene, camp sanitation, burial of the dead and fallout shelter sanitation. Topics are covered from a technical standpoint, so that even the section on fallout shelters contains guidelines that are generally applicable in any country. The manual may be obtained from: Mrs. Lorraine Davies, Emergency Services, Health and Welfare Canada, 370 Catherine Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Evacuation Behavior and Problems: Findings and Implications from the Research literature, E. L. Quarantelli, Disaster Research Center. 224 pp. Extensive references. Annotated bibliography. July, 1980 (English)

A review of research literature on human behavior during peacetime disaster evacuation. The author found that misconceptions regarding evacuation are common among lay persons and public officials alike. The main difficulties in evacuation occur as a result of poor planning on the part of responsible authorities, who give "little consideration ... to the fact that evacuation involves going to some area ... and almost always returning to the original place of departure."Implications and policy recommendations follow the analysis. Comprehensive study useful both as a reference document and as a basis for reviewing the assumptions on which local emergency evacuation plans are based.

- US$5.00. Miscellaneous Report 27. Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, U.S.A.

Disaster Mental Health Planning Workshop, Linda Pasekoff, ed. Research for Social Change. 235 pp. 33 Ref. 1980 (English)

Document prepared through a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. Introduction is specific to U.S. Federal regulations for mental health care in disaster situations. The main body is a compendium of articles from books, journals and newspapers on disaster related behavior, and psychological intervention approaches largely based on U.S. case studies. The mental health service planning and training guidelines provided in the last section, however, can be particularly valuable for non U.S. disaster managers, as the author has experienced in Latin America and suggests easily adaptable policies.

- US$12.00. Research for Social Change, 1320 South Dixie Highway, Suite 101, Miami, Florida 33146, U.S.A.

Hunger Disease, Studies by the Jewish Physicians in the Warsaw Ghetto, Myron Winick, ed. 261 pp. 1979

Seventh volume of the Wiley Series, Current Concepts in Nutrition. Compendium of studies of the clinical changes, metabolic adaptations, pathologic anatomy and circulatory alterations caused by starvation. Observations were documented by Warsaw Ghetto physicians whose patients were by law restricted to low protein and fat diets of no more than 800 calories per day. Each original document is followed by extensive comments by the editor, who places the value of the findings in the context of contemporary and subsequent literature on the clinical effects of malnutrition. Extremely interesting for researchers and clinicians who enjoy historical case studies. This book has no direct bearing on field operations during acute disasters, however.

- US$17.50. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016, U.S.A.