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Intention to Return and Perception of the Health Risk Due to Radiation Exposure Among Residents in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Stratified by Gender and Generation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2020

Hitomi Matsunaga Open the ORCID record for Hitomi Matsunaga [Opens in a new window] ,
Makiko Orita ,
Yasuyuki Taira ,
Takashi Kudo ,
Hisayoshi Kondo ,
Shunichi Yamashita  and
Noboru Takamura Open the ORCID record for Noboru Takamura [Opens in a new window]
Hitomi Matsunaga*
Affiliation:
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Makiko Orita
Affiliation:
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Yasuyuki Taira
Affiliation:
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Takashi Kudo
Affiliation:
Department of Isotope Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Hisayoshi Kondo
Affiliation:
Division of Scientific Data Registry, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Shunichi Yamashita
Affiliation:
Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
Noboru Takamura
Affiliation:
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Hitomi Matsunaga, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University (e-mail: hmatsu@nagasaki-u.ac.jp).
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Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to clarify residents’ intentions to return (ITR) to Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture; and their risk perception of the health effects of radiation exposure as stratified by gender and generation.

Methods:

Of almost 8000 residents who were 20 years of age or older and who had lived, prior to the accident, in the zones of Tomioka town where residents were permitted to return, 1860 were included in the analysis. For the analysis, the residents were divided into 4 groups which were stratified by gender and age: older males (over 50 years), young males (20−49 years), older females (over 50 years), and young females (20−49 years).

Results:

ITR was found to be significantly lower in young males, young females, and older females than in older males. Conversely, young and older females had significantly higher levels of anxiety about drinking tap water and consuming food collected in Tomioka town. Young and older females also had greater concerns about adverse health effects on themselves and their offspring due to living in Tomioka town.

Conclusion:

Our results showed that special attention should be paid to younger residents, particularly to young females, with regard to recovery from a nuclear disaster.

Keywords

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power stationintention to return (ITR)Tomioka town
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , February 2022 , pp. 206 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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