Towards the Development of Household Health Vulnerability Index

Abstract

This case study developed the Household Health Vulnerability Index (HHeVI) and its associated survey instrument. The HHeVI instrument is composed of a 20-item instrument. The items included the participants' demographic profile and the households' health vulnerability within the barangay (community in English) during disasters. The instrument was developed through a series of refinements. A formula was then derived to determine the health vulnerability at the household level. Initially, the researchers ranked the 13 identified diseases that might need to be prioritized in the event of a disaster. However, the researchers did not reach a consensus despite two rounds of ranking the diseases. The instrument was also sent to six health professionals, but the same problem arose. The researchers decided to rate the diseases instead of ranking them. We achieved a high correlation of ratings from the six health professionals. Thus, instead of ranking, the rating was used to find the priority of the diseases. The HHeVI formula was then derived and used to determine the vulnerability of the households in one barangay in the Philippines. The formula and the index can then be adapted to determine the vulnerability of other households of the barangay in the Philippines. Practical implications are offered.

Keywords: community, Disaster, Disaster response, Public Health