The Relationship between Sleep Time and Mental Health Problems According to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Children after an Earthquake Disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

Shuntaro Itagaki, Tetsuya Ohira, Masato Nagai, Seiji Yasumura, Masaharu Maeda, Yuriko Suzuki, Hirobumi Mashiko, Tetsuya Shiga, Itaru Miura and Hirooki Yabe
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Shuntaro Itagaki: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Tetsuya Ohira: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Masato Nagai: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Seiji Yasumura: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Masaharu Maeda: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Yuriko Suzuki: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Hirobumi Mashiko: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Tetsuya Shiga: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Itaru Miura: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Hirooki Yabe: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Hikarigaoka-1, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: A cross-sectional study was performed on the adverse effects of sleep time on the mental health of children after the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear reactor accident in March 2011. The target participants were children aged 4–15 years living inside the government-designated evacuation zone as of 11 March 2011 ( n = 29,585). The participants’ parents/guardians completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and sleep time data were obtained from the 2011 Fukushima Health Management Survey. A total of 18,745 valid responses were returned. We excluded questionnaires with incomplete answers leaving 13,272 responses for the final analysis. First, we divided the children into three age groups for analysis. Second, we divided each age group into four or five groups based on sleep time per day. We used SDQ scores ≥16 to indicate a high risk of mental health problems. In the 4–6-year-old group, those with a sleep time of <9 h had a higher risk. In the 7–12-year-old group, those with ≥10 h of sleep time had a higher risk. In the 13–15-year-old group, those with ≥9 h of sleep time had a higher risk. Shorter sleep time was associated with a higher risk of mental health in 4–6-year-olds. On the other hand, oversleeping was associated with a high risk of mental health in 7–15-year-olds.

Keywords: children; earthquake; mental health; nuclear reactor accident; sleep (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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