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. 2018 Dec 1;182(1):31-39.
doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncy138.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY

Atsushi Kumagai  1 , Koichi Tanigawa  2
Affiliations

CURRENT STATUS OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY

Atsushi Kumagai et al. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. .

Abstract

The Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) was implemented in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The primary purpose of this survey was to monitor the long-term health of residents, promote their future well-being and confirm whether long-term low-dose radiation exposure affects health. The FHMS results indicated very low-radiation exposure doses among residents and that no discernible increased incidence of radiation-related health effects could be expected. However, psychological distress was found to be far greater among people in Fukushima than those in other areas affected by the accident's preceding Great East Japan Earthquake and the resultant tsunami. Additionally, prevalence of lifestyle-related health problems such as being overweight, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and liver dysfunction increased among evacuees. Thyroid examinations of asymptomatic individuals, using ultrasound techniques, also contributed to public concern and fear about the health effects of radiation. The FHMS ultimately revealed that ethical considerations are important in the design and implementation of health surveillance and epidemiological studies.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Framework of the FHMS (excerpted from(1)).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Results of Thyroid Ultrasound Examination (excerpted from(20)). A1: no findings; A2: nodules ≤5.0 mm or cysts ≤20 mm; B: nodules ≥5.1 mm or cysts ≥20.1 mm; C: requires immediate examination. FNAC, fine needle aspiration cytology.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Changes in proportion of overweight/obese people before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake, stratified by sex and evacuation status (excerpted from(9)).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of overweight/obese, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus for evacuation (excerpted from(9)).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Psychological effects of the Fukushima accident (excerpted from(20)).
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Standardised suicide mortality ratio in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake(14).
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Regional variation in frequency (%) of mothers diagnosed as positive for depressive symptoms(16).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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