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Risk of Social Isolation Among Great East Japan Earthquake Survivors Living in Tsunami-Affected Ishinomaki, Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2014

Machiko Inoue ,
Shoko Matsumoto ,
Kazue Yamaoka  and
Shinsuke Muto
Machiko Inoue*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Shoko Matsumoto
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Public Health, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
Kazue Yamaoka
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Public Health, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
Shinsuke Muto
Affiliation:
You Home Clinic and Health and Life Revival Council in Ishinomaki District, Miyagi, Japan.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Machiko Inoue, MD, MPH, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan (e-mail: machiko-inoue@umin.ac.jp).
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Abstract

Objective

The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami affected approximately 53 000 people in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Approximately 30 000 people were relocated to temporary/rental housing. The remainder re-inhabited tsunami-affected houses, and their conditions were not known. As social isolation could affect physical and psychological health, we investigated the risk of social isolation among the survivors who returned to their homes.

Methods

The surveyors went door-to-door to the tsunami-affected houses and interviewed each household between October 2011 and March 2012. The participants’ risk of social isolation was assessed using 3 factors: whether they have (1) friends to talk with about their problems, (2) close neighbors, and (3) social/family interactions. We analyzed the groups at risk of social isolation and identified the related factors.

Results

The elderly (older than age 65 years) were more likely to have close neighbors and social/family interactions, as compared with younger persons. Persons living alone were less likely to have social/family interactions. Non-elderly men who were living alone were the highest proportion of people without social/family interactions.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that men, particularly those younger than age 65 years and living alone, were at high risk of social isolation and may need attention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-8)

Keywords

Great East Japan Earthquaketsunamisurvivorssocial isolationJapan
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 333 - 340
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2014 

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