Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Objectives: To reveal the effect of age and other factors on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Methods: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1505 workers, with questions regarding age, presence of a written employment contract, previous residence, radiation passbook ownership, presence of close persons for consultation, knowledge of how to access public assistance, and a four-point scale of radiation-related anxiety (1= "Very much," 2= "Somewhat," 3= "A little bit," and 4= "None" ). The relationships between the degree of anxiety and variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and residual analysis. Results: In all, 512 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 46.2 years (SD: 13.1, range: 18-77). Of them, 50, 233, 168, and 61 workers chose "Very much," "Somewhat," "A little bit," and "None," respectively, on the anxiety scale. Chi-square test showed that participants aged 61 years and over had higher degrees of anxiety (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that the degree of anxiety increased if they did not have a written contract (p=0.042) or persons to consult (p=0.034) and if they routinely checked the dose rate (p=0.046). Conclusions: Decontamination workers who do not have a written contract or who are in socially isolated situations have greater anxiety over radiation exposure. Thus, it is important to both create supportive human relationships for consultation and enhance labor management in individual companies.

Association of Anxiety over Radiation Exposure and Acquisition of Knowledge Regarding Occupational Health Management in Operation Leader Candidates of Radioactivity Decontamination Workers in Fukushima, Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Regarding participant characteristics, age 50-59 years was the most common category, which is consistent with the results of past studies of OLs [12] and radioactivity decontamination workers [13,14,[16][17][18]. For the acquisition of the knowledge, the answer pattern "incorrect to correct" was the second most common in working environment management and control of operations, suggesting the effectiveness of the training session.…”

Life in company dormitories and a career change are associated with anxiety over lack of privacy among radiation decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

“…("present" or "absent"). Our previous study indicated that the presence of close persons to confide in may ease anxiety over radiation exposure 11) , and we then assumed that the presence of a close person to confide in may also be associated with anxiety over lack of privacy. Thus, this question was included in the questionnaire.…”

“…The study subjects were the same male radiation decontamination workers used in our previous studies 10,11) .In total, 1505 workers were recruited from companies involved in radiation decontamination work in Fukushima Prefecture, and attended a training program held by the Fukushima Occupational Health Promotion Center in 2013 to help prevent radiation exposure. Selfadministered questionnaires were sent to the workers' companies, to be distributed among all 1505 workers.…”

“…Previous studies have indicated that anxiety over lack of privacy disrupts supportive relationships among neighbors and the individual life of the resident 9) , and has a direct influence on psychological and physiological stress 10) . Conversely, increased private space contributes to the improvement of privacy and decreases in antisocial behavior 11) .…”

Risk Perception and Anxiety Regarding Radiation after the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident: A Systematic Qualitative Review

“…Inter-rater consistency was acceptable (κ = 0.72, p < 0.001). Evaluation of the full text against the eligibility criteria left 19 articles [ 7 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] in the final review. Another three articles [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] were found by hand-searching of the reference lists of the 19 articles.…”