HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new University of Hawaii study is shining a spotlight on the potential for long-term health concerns among Maui wildfire survivors.
Nearly 700 participants from West Maui and Upcountry took part in the study.
Researchers say nearly half of them went seven months without a medical check-up following the fires and some of the findings caught them off guard.
For example, around 74% of participants face a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease. Up to 60% may suffer from poor respiratory health and 8–20% may have compromised kidney function.
“So many people right now that have come to our study that they didn’t know that they had these issues,” said Ruben Juarez, a UH professor of health economics.
Study participant Nikima Glatt lived in Lahaina at the time of the fires.
“I worked in the burn zone during re-entry,” said Glatt.
Maui Wildfires Disaster
“I was a runner. I was a skater. I used to exercise a lot and now it’s difficult for me to do normal things that I used to do.”
The survey was conducted between January and February and was funded by the Hawaii Community Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.
The study also looked at mental health, finding:
- More than 50% had a notable increase in depression;
- 34% had suicidal thoughts;
- and 30% had moderate or severe anxiety.
At the time of the study, just 10% of participants have settled into new permanent residences and almost 50% had lost their jobs due to fires. Meanwhile, 13% didn’t have health insurance.
UH is hoping to expand the survey to 2,000 participants, but the medical tests are costly and researchers are waiting for state funding.Each person also gets $100 for participating.
The full report can be found here.
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