Risk perception in long-term evacuees of Futaba town, Fukushima: a cross-sectional study reveals greater concerns outside the prefecture, 12 years after the accident.
J Radiat Res
; 65(4): 549-554, 2024 Jul 22.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38859721
ABSTRACT
For over 12 years since the 2011 East Japan Earthquake, the decontamination of radioactive materials is still incomplete. Although evacuation orders had been lifted in ~15% of Futaba town, the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, by August 2022, anxiety regarding the effects of nuclear radiation persists among evacuees, and their intention to return (ITR) remains low. As of August 2023, only 90 residents lived there. As the only town with government functions relocated outside Fukushima Prefecture, Futaba has more residents who evacuated outside the prefecture. Although numerous factors affect risk perception and ITR to the place of previous residence, the impact of evacuation destination on risk perception remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of evacuation destination on radiation risk perception. In 2022, a survey was conducted on 404 evacuees aged >18 years. The responses were compared between groups outside and inside Fukushima using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Significant relationships were found between the evacuation destination and risk perception of genetic effects in the next generation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-3.20) and of the health effects of radiation (OR = 1.76, 95%CI 1.10-2.84), which were both higher in those who had evacuated outside Fukushima. These findings stress the importance of evacuation destination choice and information access for evacuees' risk perception. Enhanced education and support efforts are necessary to help evacuees not only in Fukushima but also throughout Japan.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Acidente Nuclear de Fukushima
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Radiat Res
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article