Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on the body mass index of preschool children: a nationwide nursery school survey

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010978

. 2016 Apr 7;6(4):e010978.

doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010978.

Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on the body mass index of preschool children: a nationwide nursery school survey

Hiroshi Yokomichi¹, Wei Zheng², Hiroko Matsubara³, Mami Ishikuro⁴, Masahiro Kikuya⁴, Tsuyoshi Isojima⁵, Susumu Yokoya⁶, Toshiaki Tanaka⁷, Noriko Kato⁸, Shoichi Chida⁹, Atsushi Ono¹⁰, Mitsuaki Hosoya¹⁰, Soichiro Tanaka¹¹, Shinichi Kuriyama¹², Shigeo Kure¹¹, Zentaro Yamagata¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
² Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, Peking University, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Disaster Public Health, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.
⁴ Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Miyagi, Japan.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Center for Clinical Research Data, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
⁷ Japanese Association for Human Auxology, Tokyo, Japan.
⁸ Department of Early Childhood Care and Education, Jumonji University, Saitama, Japan.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.
¹² Department of Disaster Public Health, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Miyagi, Japan.

PMID: 27056593
PMCID: PMC4838714
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010978

Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on the body mass index of preschool children: a nationwide nursery school survey

Hiroshi Yokomichi et al. BMJ Open. 2016.

. 2016 Apr 7;6(4):e010978.

doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010978.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
² Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, Peking University, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Disaster Public Health, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.
⁴ Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Miyagi, Japan.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Center for Clinical Research Data, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
⁷ Japanese Association for Human Auxology, Tokyo, Japan.
⁸ Department of Early Childhood Care and Education, Jumonji University, Saitama, Japan.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.
¹² Department of Disaster Public Health, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Miyagi, Japan.

PMID: 27056593
PMCID: PMC4838714
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010978

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the 2011 great east Japan earthquake on body mass index (BMI) of preschool children.

Design: Retrospective cohort study and ecological study.

Setting: Affected prefectures (Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate) and unaffected prefectures in northeast Japan.

Participants: The cohort study assessed 2033 and 1707 boys and 1909 and 1658 girls in 3 affected prefectures and unaffected prefectures, respectively, all aged 3-4 years at the time of the earthquake. The ecological study examined random samples of schoolchildren from the affected prefectures.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: The cohort study compared postdisaster changes in BMIs and the prevalence of overweight and obese children. The ecological study evaluated postdisaster changes in the prevalence of overweight children.

Results: 1 month after the earthquake, significantly increased BMIs were observed among girls (+0.087 kg/m(2) vs unaffected prefectures) in Fukushima and among boys and girls (+0.165 and +0.124 kg/m(2), respectively vs unaffected prefectures) in Iwate. 19 months after the earthquake, significantly increased BMIs were detected among boys and girls (+0.137 and +0.200 kg/m(2), respectively vs unaffected prefectures) in Fukushima, whereas significantly decreased BMIs were observed among boys and girls (-0.218 and -0.082 kg/m(2), respectively vs unaffected prefectures) in Miyagi. 1 month after the earthquake, Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate had a slightly increased prevalence of overweight boys, whereas Fukushima had a slightly decreased prevalence of overweight girls, compared with the unaffected prefectures. The ecological study detected increases in the prevalence of overweight boys and girls in Fukushima who were 6-11 and 6-10 years of age, respectively.

Conclusions: These results suggest that in the affected prefectures, preschool children gained weight immediately after the earthquake. The long-term impact of the earthquake on early childhood growth was more variable among the affected prefectures, possibly as a result of different speeds of recovery.

Keywords: Fukushima nuclear accident; body mass index; earthquake; growth; preschool child.

Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

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Figures

**Figure 1**
Affected and unaffected prefectures in northeast Japan. The proportions of evacuees are represented according to the numbers of evacuees in March 2012. The areas of the circles are proportional to the population size.

**Figure 2**
Mean body mass indices (BMIs) of nursery schoolchildren born between 2 April 2006 and 1 April 2007 in each affected prefecture versus unaffected prefectures in northeast Japan.

**Figure 3**
Estimated changes in body mass index (difference in BMI) after October 2010 among nursery schoolchildren born between 2 April 2006 and 1 April 2007 in each affected prefecture versus unaffected prefectures in northeast Japan. Statistical tests evaluated the p values of the interaction terms in the model. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001.

**Figure 4**
Prevalence of overweight and obese children in Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures (red lines) and the unaffected prefectures (blue lines). Solid and dashed lines represent the prevalence of overweight and obese children, respectively. Overweight and obesity were diagnosed according to the child growth standards of the WHO. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001.

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References

1. Lin W, Conin M, Moore JC et al. . Stress state in the largest displacement area of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Science 2013;339:687–90. 10.1126/science.1229379 - DOI - PubMed
1. Dunbar P, McCullough H, Mungov G et al. . 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami data available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Geophysical Data Center. Geomat Nat Hazards Risk 2011;2:305–23. 10.1080/19475705.2011.632443 - DOI
1. Maeda T, Furumura T, Sakai SI et al. . Significant tsunami observed at ocean-bottom pressure gauges during the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. Earth Planets Space 2011;63:803–8. 10.5047/eps.2011.06.005 - DOI
1. Christodouleas JP, Forrest RD, Ainsley CG et al. . Short-term and long-term health risks of nuclear-power-plant accidents. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2334–41. 10.1056/NEJMra1103676 - DOI - PubMed
1. Mimura N, Yasuhara K, Kawagoe S et al. . Damage from the great east Japan earthquake and tsunami-a quick report. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 2011;16:803–18. 10.1007/s11027-011-9297-7 - DOI

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[1] Lin W, Conin M, Moore JC et al. . Stress state in the largest displacement area of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Science 2013;339:687–90. 10.1126/science.1229379 - DOI - PubMed

[2] Lin W, Conin M, Moore JC et al. . Stress state in the largest displacement area of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Science 2013;339:687–90. 10.1126/science.1229379 - DOI - PubMed

[3] Dunbar P, McCullough H, Mungov G et al. . 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami data available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Geophysical Data Center. Geomat Nat Hazards Risk 2011;2:305–23. 10.1080/19475705.2011.632443 - DOI

[4] Dunbar P, McCullough H, Mungov G et al. . 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami data available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Geophysical Data Center. Geomat Nat Hazards Risk 2011;2:305–23. 10.1080/19475705.2011.632443 - DOI

[5] Maeda T, Furumura T, Sakai SI et al. . Significant tsunami observed at ocean-bottom pressure gauges during the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. Earth Planets Space 2011;63:803–8. 10.5047/eps.2011.06.005 - DOI

[6] Maeda T, Furumura T, Sakai SI et al. . Significant tsunami observed at ocean-bottom pressure gauges during the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. Earth Planets Space 2011;63:803–8. 10.5047/eps.2011.06.005 - DOI

[7] Christodouleas JP, Forrest RD, Ainsley CG et al. . Short-term and long-term health risks of nuclear-power-plant accidents. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2334–41. 10.1056/NEJMra1103676 - DOI - PubMed

[8] Christodouleas JP, Forrest RD, Ainsley CG et al. . Short-term and long-term health risks of nuclear-power-plant accidents. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2334–41. 10.1056/NEJMra1103676 - DOI - PubMed

[9] Mimura N, Yasuhara K, Kawagoe S et al. . Damage from the great east Japan earthquake and tsunami-a quick report. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 2011;16:803–18. 10.1007/s11027-011-9297-7 - DOI

[10] Mimura N, Yasuhara K, Kawagoe S et al. . Damage from the great east Japan earthquake and tsunami-a quick report. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 2011;16:803–18. 10.1007/s11027-011-9297-7 - DOI

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Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on the body mass index of preschool children: a nationwide nursery school survey

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Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on the body mass index of preschool children: a nationwide nursery school survey

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