The Association between Parenting Confidence and Later Child Mental Health in the Area Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

Rie Mizuki, Masaharu Maeda, Tomoyuki Kobayashi, Naoko Horikoshi, Mayumi Harigane, Shuntaro Itagaki, Hironori Nakano, Tetsuya Ohira, Hirooki Yabe, Seiji Yasumura and Kenji Kamiya
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Rie Mizuki: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Masaharu Maeda: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Tomoyuki Kobayashi: Department of Disaster Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Naoko Horikoshi: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Mayumi Harigane: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Shuntaro Itagaki: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Hironori Nakano: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Tetsuya Ohira: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Hirooki Yabe: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Seiji Yasumura: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Kenji Kamiya: Radiation Medical Science Center for Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, the Fukushima Health Management Survey was conducted to assess children’s lifestyle and mental health conditions. The participants in this study were 1126 children, aged 0 to 3 years, living in the evacuation zone at the time of the disaster. The parenting confidence of their mothers was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire as a baseline in 2013. We examined the association of parenting confidence level at baseline, using a total difficulty score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and reluctance to attend school among children in a follow-up study in 2016 and 2017. As a result, no confidence was reported by 178 (15.8%) mothers, while 477 (42.4%) responded with “not sure” and 471 (41.8%) were confident. In the multiple logistic analysis, after adjusting for covariates such as the child’s sex, age, and current health condition, the group lacking parenting confidence demonstrated a significantly higher risk level for SDQ total difficulties (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.59–4.93) and reluctance to attend school (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.24–3.18) than the confident mothers. After a major disaster, which can have long-term effects on communities, intensive psychological care for mothers with young children is needed to prevent various mental health problems in their children.

Keywords: parenting confidence; child mental health; SDQ; nuclear disaster (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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