Weight Gain in Survivors Living in Temporary Housing in the Tsunami-Stricken Area during the Recovery Phase following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Abstract. Background: Monitoring of suicide rates in the recovery phase following a devastating disaster has been limited. Aim: We report on a 7-year follow-up of the suicide rates in the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in March 2011. Method: This descriptive study covered the period from March 2009 to February 2018. Period analysis was used to divide the 108-month study period into nine segments, in which suicide rates were compared with national averages using Poisson distribution. Results: Male suicide rates in the affected area from March 2013 to February 2014 increased to a level higher than the national average. After subsequently dropping, the male rates from March 2016 to February 2018 re-increased and showed a greater difference compared with the national averages. The difference became significant in the period from March 2017 to February 2018 ( p = .047). Limitations: Specific reasons for increasing the rates in the recovery phase were not determined. Conclusion: The termination of the provision of free temporary housing might be influential in this context. Provision of temporary housing was terminated from 2016, which increased economic hardship among needy evacuees. Furthermore, disruption of the social connectedness in the temporary housing may have had an influence. Our findings suggest the necessity of suicide rate monitoring even in the recovery phase.

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Suitability of the early warning systems and temporary housing for the elderly population in the immediacy and transitional recovery phase of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction ◽

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.05.022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 302-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Angus Naylor ◽

Joanna Faure Walker ◽

Anawat Suppasri

Keyword(s):

Early Warning ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

Recovery Phase ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Temporary Housing ◽

Housing For The Elderly

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Mental Health of the Children Living in the Temporary Housing Complex in Fukushima after the Great East Japan Earthquake (2)

The Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association ◽

10.4992/pacjpa.78.0_3pm-1-032 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 78 (0) ◽

pp. 3PM-1-032-3PM-1-032

Author(s):

Takahiro Okayasu ◽

Ayaka Miura ◽

Masae Miura

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Temporary Housing ◽

Housing Complex

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Effect of Residence in Temporary Housing After the Great East Japan Earthquake on the Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Older Survivors

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2017.19 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 701-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Nobuaki Moriyama ◽

Yukio Urabe ◽

Shuichi Onoda ◽

Noriaki Maeda ◽

Tomoyoshi Oikawa

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Physical Activity Level ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Activity Level ◽

Control Group ◽

Temporary Housing ◽

Mobility Function

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the physical activity level and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between older survivors residing in temporary housing after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; temporary housing group) and older individuals residing in their own homes (control group) and to clarify whether mobility function and muscle strength were correlated with physical activity among older temporary housing residents.MethodsSubjects were recruited to the temporary housing group (n=64, 19 men and 45 women) or control group (n=64, 33 men and 31 women) according to their residence. Physical activity was assessed by the number of walking steps determined by using a triaxial accelerometer, mobility function by the Timed Up and Go test, muscle strength by the grasping power test, and HRQOL by the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Survey v2.ResultsIn the temporary housing group, reduced physical activity and correlation between physical activity and mobility function in men, and muscle strength in both men and women, were observed. There was no significant difference in HRQOL between groups except for bodily pain in women.ConclusionSupport for older evacuees should focus on maintaining their physical activity level as well as on HRQOL to avoid deterioration of health in these survivors. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:701–710)

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