Changes in Risk Perception of the Health Effects of Radiation and Mental Health Status: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

Yuriko Suzuki, Yoshitake Takebayashi, Seiji Yasumura, Michio Murakami, Mayumi Harigane, Hirooki Yabe, Tetsuya Ohira, Akira Ohtsuru, Satomi Nakajima and Masaharu Maeda
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Yuriko Suzuki: Department of Mental Health Policy, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan
Yoshitake Takebayashi: Department of Health Risk Communication, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Seiji Yasumura: Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Michio Murakami: Department of Health Risk Communication, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Mayumi Harigane: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Hirooki Yabe: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Tetsuya Ohira: Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Akira Ohtsuru: Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Satomi Nakajima: Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Masaharu Maeda: Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: After the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, numerous evacuees reported poor mental health status and high-risk perceptions of the health effects of radiation. However, the temporal associations between these variables have not yet been examined. Using data from the Fukushima Health Survey, we examined changes in risk perception of the health effects of radiation over time and assessed the effects of mental health on such changes using logistic regression analysis. Risk perception for delayed effect pertains a brief on health effect in later life (delayed effect), whereas that of genetic effect pertains a brief on health effect of future children and grandchildren (genetic effect). We found that many participants showed consistently high or low-risk perceptions over all three study years (2011–2013) (for delayed effect: 59% and 41% of participants were in the low and high-risk perception groups, respectively; for genetic effect: 47% and 53%, respectively). Stronger traumatic reactions (≥50 on the PTSD Checklist–Specific) significantly affected the odds of being in the high-risk perception group for the delayed and genetic effects, with the associations being strongest soon after the disaster: The adjusted ORs (95%CIs) were 2.05 (1.82–2.31), 1.86 (1.61–2.15), and 1.88 (1.62–2.17) for the delayed effect in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively, and 2.18 (1.92–2.48), 2.05 (1.75–2.40), and 1.82 (1.55–2.15) for the genetic effect. As initial mental health status had the strongest impact on later risk perceptions of radiation, it should be considered in early response and communication efforts.

Keywords: Fukushima; Japan; risk perception; nuclear power plant accident; mental health; traumatic reaction; longitudinal change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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