There has been a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of natural hazard events, with consequent adverse impacts on vulnerable groups. The breadth and severity of health impacts extend beyond the event itself and its immediate aftermath. The aim of this study was to explore the association of morbidity and physical incapacity of vulnerable age groups (children and elderly) resulting from exposure to natural hazard events, focusing on adverse health effects that extend for up to five years. Using data from the Mexican Survey on the Evaluation of Urban Households, our results show that morbidity and physical incapacity impacts of natural hazards are disproportionately experienced by children and the elderly compared to non-elderly adults in the population. The odds of increased impacts in terms of morbidity were 38.5% for elderly and 22.9% for children; for physical incapacity, the respective increases were 52.8% for elderly and 13.6% for children. This potential debilitating effect on the health of these groups can amplify their sensitivity to hazard events, increase health inequalities, and compromise the societal goal in the Sendai Framework of ‘building back better’. The overall effectiveness of programmes to reduce the societal and health impact of natural hazards is likely to be enhanced by a combination of improvements across the broader social determinants of health and provision of targeted support for vulnerable groups in the population, such as children and the elderly.

自然灾害事件的频率和强度显着增加，从而对弱势群体产生不利影响。健康影响的广度和严重程度超出了事件本身及其直接后果。本研究的目的是探讨因暴露于自然灾害事件而导致的弱势年龄组（儿童和老年人）的发病率和身体机能障碍之间的关联，重点关注长达五年的不利健康影响。使用来自墨西哥城市家庭评估调查的数据，我们的结果表明，与人口中的非老年人相比，儿童和老年人对自然灾害的发病率和身体丧失能力的影响不成比例。就发病率而言，影响增加的几率为 38。老人5%，儿童22.9%；身体上无行为能力方面，老年人和儿童分别增加了 52.8% 和 13.6%。这种对这些群体健康的潜在削弱作用会放大他们对灾害事件的敏感性，增加健康不平等，并损害仙台框架中“重建得更好”的社会目标。通过改善更广泛的健康问题社会决定因素以及为人口中的弱势群体（例如儿童和老人）提供有针对性的支持，减少自然灾害对社会和健康影响的计划的总体有效性可能会得到提高. 这种对这些群体健康的潜在削弱作用会放大他们对灾害事件的敏感性，增加健康不平等，并损害仙台框架中“重建得更好”的社会目标。通过改善更广泛的健康问题社会决定因素以及为人口中的弱势群体（例如儿童和老人）提供有针对性的支持，减少自然灾害对社会和健康影响的计划的总体有效性可能会得到提高. 这种对这些群体健康的潜在削弱作用会放大他们对灾害事件的敏感性，增加健康不平等，并损害仙台框架中“重建得更好”的社会目标。通过改善更广泛的健康问题社会决定因素以及为人口中的弱势群体（例如儿童和老人）提供有针对性的支持，减少自然灾害对社会和健康影响的计划的总体有效性可能会得到提高.