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Psychological Distress and the Risk of Withdrawing From Hypertension Treatment After an Earthquake Disaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2016

Naoki Nakaya ,
Tomohiro Nakamura ,
Naho Tsuchiya ,
Akira Narita ,
Ichiro Tsuji ,
Atsushi Hozawa  and
Hiroaki Tomita
Naoki Nakaya*
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Tomohiro Nakamura
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Naho Tsuchiya
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Akira Narita
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Ichiro Tsuji
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
Atsushi Hozawa
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Hiroaki Tomita
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Naoki Nakaya, Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo, Sendai 980-8573, Japan (e-mail: nakaya-thk@umin.ac.jp).
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Abstract

Objective

This study examined the association between psychological distress and the risk of withdrawing from hypertension treatment (HTTx) 1 year after the earthquake disaster in the coastal area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE).

Methods

Using cross-sectional data from 2012, we studied people over 20 years of age living in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi, on the northeastern coast of Japan, which had been severely inundated by the tsunami that followed the GEJE in 2011. A total of 1014 subjects were categorized as in need of HTTx. Withdrawing from HTTx was assessed by using a self-reported questionnaire.

Results

Subjects with a higher degree of psychological distress (Kessler-6 [K6] score ≥ 13) exhibited a significantly higher risk of withdrawing from HTTx, compared with subjects with a lower degree of psychological distress (K6 score ≤ 12; odds ratio=4.0; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-10.6, P<0.01).

Conclusions

This study indicated that psychological distress is a risk factor for withdrawing from HTTx in post-disaster settings. Our data suggested that the increased risk of withdrawing from HTTx associated with post-disaster psychological distress may underlie the increased prevalence of vascular diseases after the earthquake disaster in coastal areas affected by the tsunami. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:179–182)

Keywords

psychological distresswithdrawinghypertension treatmentGreat East Japan Earthquakecross-sectional study
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , April 2017 , pp. 179 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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