Young women in their late teens and early 20s are at the highest risk for depression onset. The present study aimed to assess depressive symptoms among female college students in Fukushima. More specifically, it aimed to clarify factors predicting possible symptom profiles, with an emphasis on determining how nuclear radiation risks affect the reporting of depression symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 310 female students at a college in the Fukushima prefecture, Japan, in December 2015, and 288 participants submitted valid questionnaires. In total, 222 (77.1%) participants lived in Fukushima at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The measures included the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, the Fukushima Future Parents Attitude Measure, and risk perception of radiation health effects. A total of 46.5% of participants reported depressive symptoms. Path analysis revealed that higher radiation risk perceptions and reduced efficacy with reproduction related to a decline in self-esteem and self-efficacy, which was subsequently associated with increased depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of radiation education among children and young adults, both after a nuclear accident and during disaster preparation, particularly in the context of reproductive and mental health.

The “Creative Heath” project, a participatory school activity to foster community resilience, was implemented in Fukushima, Japan, and children’s experiences of the project were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The project consists of three workshops: BODY, FOOD, and ACT, with activities to facilitate students’ scientific and creative thinking, working in teams, presenting, and expressing their opinions. The first two schools participated with 105 students aged 9–11 years old. Before and after each workshop, students were given questionnaires to rate their satisfaction with their own health (BODY), local foods (FOOD), and the community at large (ACT) on a five-level scale, with space to add free comments. Ratings for BODY and FOOD changed significantly, and the proportion of students who increased their rating of an evaluation indicator after each workshop was 25% for BODY, 28% for FOOD, and 25% for ACT. Text analysis of free comments showed that students in the “increased” group appreciated presenting, measuring, learning connections between nutrition and health, and working collaboratively with peers. Children perceived their health and the foods in their community more positively after participating. Moreover, the Creative Health project could be a way to enhance children’s creativity and autonomy as agents of change in the community.

To investigate school-age children's perspectives on food and nutrition, we pilot tested a method to quantify and analyze crayon drawings collected from students in health education classes at two elementary schools in Fukushima, Japan. Included were 28 students in a mixed class of first and second graders and 26 students in a fourth-grade class. Specific foods, general shapes, and color choices in children's drawings were entered into a spreadsheet and analyzed quantitatively. From first- and second-graders' data, co-occurrence network analysis put meals into three groups: at home, eating out, and lunch boxes. Among fourth graders, co-occurrence network analysis called attention to the cucumber, noteworthy for being a local agricultural product. In addition, students who drew more side dishes also drew more staple foods and main dishes (p = 0.04), used more colors (p = 0.006), and showed satisfaction with their community (p = 0.04). These results suggest that students' understanding of eating was centered on the places where they eat and that they valued regional specialty products. Furthermore, the drawing of side dishes was indicative of a balanced diet, which in turn was associated with higher satisfaction with their community. Our trial indicates that children's drawings can be a useful tool for adults to grasp children's understanding of health-related information in daily living.