Decontamination Work and the Long-term Increase in Hospital Visits for Hymenoptera Stings Following the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Disasters can hinder access to health information among cancer patients. However, little is known regarding overall health information exposure (HIE), its barriers and its impacts on attitudes toward healthcare among cancer patients in the long-term aftermath of disasters. The aims of this study were threefold: assess the extent of HIE; identify associations between family composition and a non-engagement with HIE; and examine the effects of HIE on attitudes toward healthcare among local cancer patients—5 years after the 2011 triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster) in Fukushima, Japan. We conducted self-administered surveys with all cancer and non-cancer surgery department outpatients at Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital (MMGH), Minamisoma City, from October 2016 to January 2017. In total, 404 patients (263 cancer patients and 141 non-cancer patients) voluntarily participated in the study. The results revealed that a regular level of HIE occurred among 90.5% of the cancer patients. In cancer patients, family composition was not significantly associated with HIE, and HIE was not associated with attitude toward healthcare. In conclusion, most cancer patients visiting the MMGH surgical department were regularly engaged in HIE.

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“…24,35 In contrast, the non-cancer patients were more likely to have migrated from different areas for recovery works after the disaster. 36…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overall health information exposure, its barriers and impacts on attitude toward healthcare among cancer patients. The long-term aftermath of the 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan: A single institution cross-sectional study

Ozaki

Murakami

Nomura

et al. 2021

Health Informatics J

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“…There are also reports of trauma from falling into ditches, hidden by overgrown vegetation in the evacuation area, as it is inaccessible and devastated (Sawano et al, 2020). Additionally, the risk of Hymenoptera stings and snakebites has been evaluated to be elevated in such areas (Ozaki et al, 2016;Ozaki et al, 2017). Surprisingly, while trauma during work is generally considered an occupational injury and the associated medical fees are supposed to be covered by the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, it has been reported that this is not properly administered and that for a portion of the workers, especially in low SES, these commitments are not honored (Sawano et al, 2020).…”

Section: Trauma and Bite Injurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of health risks among decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Sawano

Ozaki²,

Tsubokura

2020

Radioprotection

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In the radiation industry, occupational health is a significantly important issue. As the workers belong to a wide range of socioeconomic classes, the management of the health of the workers, especially in a lower socioeconomic status, such as migrant workers, is essential. After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, migrant decontamination workers were recruited to help clean up and mitigate the ionizing radiation in evacuation zone, in order to resume life. As this was the first attempt at such decontamination work after a nuclear accident, these workers were the first to experience these conditions. However, limited information is available on the health of the workers engaged in this work. This paper comprehensively reviews the existing health risks faced by the workers after the FDNPP accident to provide general health guidelines to mitigate the health risks of decontamination workers in future disasters. Following previous literature, the health risks were categorized by those associated with occupational hazards and those associated with the living environment. Not only a mitigation of the direct occupational hazards, such as radiation exposure, work-related infection and trauma during work, but also the management of lifestyle should be adequately supported for decontamination workers of future nuclear disasters.

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“…This eventually led him to hypothesize that the abandonment of these areas may have expanded the numbers and habitats of these animals, particularly in an evacuation zone, and that the progress of restoration work would naturally increase the encounters between these species and humans (Ozaki et al, 2016b). He summarized and published an observational study regarding an increased number of hospital visits due to hymenopteran stings from 2015 to 2016 (Ozaki et al, 2017d). This is a typical example of a bottom-up approach in which clinical care led to the development of a research theme.…”

Section: Case 2: Summarization and Publications Of Clinical Cases Encmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transition of originally external healthcare providers into local researchers: a case study of support activities in So-so District, Fukushima after the 2011 triple disaster

Ozaki¹,

Sawano

Tsubokura

2020

Radioprotection

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There is a growing emphasis on the code of conduct in disaster research. It has recently been suggested that the involvement of local researchers is essential to achieving ethical behaviors when external researchers conduct fieldwork and study disaster-affected areas so that they can reflect local voices in their process and outputs. However, it is not always possible to fulfill these conditions due to the nature and preexisting resources of the affected area. Following Japan’s 2011 triple disaster, a team of healthcare providers came in for support activities in the northern coastal area of Fukushima Prefecture. They primarily worked as clinicians before going beyond their original roles and eventually functioning as local researchers by drawing on the commitment of local stakeholders both inside and outside of medical institutions. This case study conducted an in-depth analysis on the initiatives and networks of originally external healthcare providers and discussed essential elements to working as local researchers following an unprecedented disaster with complex and persistent health, social, and political impacts. In conclusion, this has contributed to the development of evidence related to radiation protection and other health issues and supports the need for ethical behavior in disaster research.

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Decontamination Work and the Long-term Increase in Hospital Visits for Hymenoptera Stings Following the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Overall health information exposure, its barriers and impacts on attitude toward healthcare among cancer patients. The long-term aftermath of the 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan: A single institution cross-sectional study

Overall health information exposure, its barriers and impacts on attitude toward healthcare among cancer patients. The long-term aftermath of the 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan: A single institution cross-sectional study

Review of health risks among decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Transition of originally external healthcare providers into local researchers: a case study of support activities in So-so District, Fukushima after the 2011 triple disaster

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