Chironomid fauna in Tsunami disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake —Focus on the suburban Sendai area in Miyagi Prefecture and Minami-Souma area in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in 2013

Abstract. Background: People who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) were expected to have additional levels of psychological burden resulting from the stressful conditions imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; consequently, suicide rates may increase. Aim: We aimed to carry out continuous monitoring of suicide rates in the affected area following the GEJE under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Method: This descriptive study monitored the suicide rates of the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture, where disaster-related mental health activities have been continuing following severe damage caused by the tsunami disaster. An exponential smoothing time-series analysis that converted suicide rates into a smooth trend was conducted. Results: Although the suicide rate in the affected area was higher than the national average in February 2020, it showed a declining trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, while showing an increase trend in the national and non-affected areas. Limitations: Uncertainty about the direct reasons for suicide and the short time-scale observation are the limitations of this study. Conclusion: Although the national suicide rate increased, this was not the case for the affected area. Our findings may provide important lessons for suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs careful regional monitoring of the state of suicide and of high-risk approaches such as disaster-related mental health activities.

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Occurrence of mosquitoes from 2011 to 2015 at tsunami disaster areas in southern Iwate Prefecture and northern Miyagi Prefecture caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Medical Entomology and Zoology ◽

10.7601/mez.67.243 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 67 (4) ◽

pp. 243-258

Author(s):

Mamoru Watanabe ◽

Haruna Watanabe ◽

Kyoko Sawabe

Keyword(s):

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Tsunami Disaster ◽

Miyagi Prefecture ◽

Iwate Prefecture

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Delayed Increase in Male Suicide Rates in Tsunami Disaster-Stricken Areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study in Miyagi Prefecture

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1620/tjem.235.215 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 235 (3) ◽

pp. 215-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Masatsugu Orui ◽

Yasuhiro Sato ◽

Kanako Tazaki ◽

Ikuko Kawamura ◽

Shuichiro Harada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Tsunami Disaster ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Male Suicide ◽

Miyagi Prefecture

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Pregnant Women’s Awareness of Social Capital in the Great East Japan Earthquake-Affected Areas of Miyagi Prefecture: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2016.150 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 355-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hidekazu Nishigori ◽

Toshie Nishigori ◽

Kasumi Sakurai ◽

Satoshi Mizuno ◽

Taku Obara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Coastal Area ◽

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Extended Family ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Current Status ◽

Tsunami Disaster ◽

The North ◽

Miyagi Prefecture ◽

North And South

AbstractObjectiveWe aimed to clarify the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and pregnant women’s awareness of social capital 3 to 9 months after the tsunami disaster.MethodsWe analyzed data on responses to a questionnaire by 7451 pregnant women in their second to third trimesters. The proportions of social capital–related items were calculated in the north and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and were compared with national samples. The factors associated with social capital were estimated by use of multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsThe proportion of women feeling that they had helpful neighbors was higher (69.0% vs 56.7%, P=0.0005), the proportion of women regarding their communities as safe and secure was lower (51.7% vs 62.4%, P=0.002), and the proportion of women feeling that most people were trustworthy was lower (23.7% vs 32.9%, P=0.006) in the north coastal area than nationwide. Such differences were not observed in the less severely affected south coastal area. Age of 35 years or older, extended family, college or university graduation, and being multiparous were associated with the feeling of having helpful neighbors.ConclusionThe current status of pregnant women’s awareness of social capital in disaster-affected areas was revealed. Continuous monitoring and support may be necessary to address this issue.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:355–364)

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Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Regional Obstetrical Care in Miyagi Prefecture

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x1600025x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 255-258 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Junichi Sugawara ◽

Tetsuro Hoshiai ◽

Kazuyo Sato ◽

Hideki Tokunaga ◽

Hidekazu Nishigori ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Obstetric Outcomes ◽

Fire Departments ◽

Publication Type ◽

Obstetrical Care ◽

Tsunami Disaster ◽

Major Disaster ◽

Miyagi Prefecture

AbstractObjectivesThe authors report the results of surveys on the emergency transport or evacuation status of obstetric patients conducted in Miyagi prefecture, one of the major disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.MethodsThe surveys examined the damages to maternity institutions, evacuation status and transport of pregnant women, and prehospital childbirths and were conducted in 50 maternity institutions and 12 fire departments in Miyagi.ResultsTwo coastal institutions were destroyed completely, and four institutions were destroyed partially by the tsunami, forcing them to stop medical services. In the two-month period after the disaster, 217 pregnant women received hospital transport or gave birth after evacuation. Satisfactory perinatal outcomes were maintained. Emergency obstetric transport increased to approximately 1.4 fold the number before the disaster. Twenty-three women had prehospital childbirths, indicating a marked increase to approximately three times the number of the previous year.ConclusionIn the acute phase of the tsunami disaster, maternity institutions were damaged severely and perinatal transport was not possible; as a result, pregnant women inevitably gave birth in unplanned institutions, and the number of prehospital births was increased extremely. To obtain satisfactory obstetric outcomes, it is necessary to construct a future disaster management system and to re-recognize pregnant women as people with special needs in disaster situations.SugawaraJ, HoshiaiT, SatoK, TokunagaH, NishigoriH, AraiT, OkamuraK, YaegashiN. Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on regional obstetrical care in Miyagi Prefecture. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(3):255– 258.

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