English Announcement of Results: The release of four new papers on post-disaster Fukushima Prefectur

Author: Claire Leppold

Editor: Akihiko Ozaki

My name is Claire Leppold, and I work with Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, collaborating with Dr. Masaharu Tsubokura and his team while supporting the research efforts in this area. This mailing list was established as a method of spreading the newest research from post-disaster Fukushima, and today I write to announce the results of four new research publications.

The first article, Radiation oncology and related oncology fields in the face of the 2011 “triple disaster” in Fukushima, Japan, provides an overview of what happened in radiation oncology and related oncology healthcare in the immediate and mid- to long-term aftermath of the triple disaster, with a focus on the Soso district of Fukushima. This commentary article in one of the top journals for the field of radiation oncology suggests the importance of comprehensively reporting the ways in which disasters may impact cancer care to achieve better preparedness for any future events, and starts by raising the example of what we have seen so far in Fukushima.

The article can be viewed online here: http://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(17)34522-4/fulltext

The second article, Secondary health issues associated with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, based on the experiences of Soma and Minamisoma Cities, reviews the secondary health issues that were not related to radiation exposure after the disaster. This article highlights the impact of evacuation on health in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and deterioration of chronic diseases such as diabetes that have emerged as middle- and long-term issues, and advocates for understanding and addressing the range of different health risks that have emerged in the post-disaster context.

The article can be viewed online here: https://www.niph.go.jp/journal/data/67-1/201867010009.pdf

In the third article, The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident and school bullying of affected children and adolescents: the need for continuous radiation education, issues of stigma, prejudice and broader mental health impacts are reflected on through the review of a case of bullying in an student who evacuated from Fukushima to a different prefecture in Japan. In response to bullying that has emerged after the disaster, this article puts forward the need for radiation-related education for the general public in Japan.

The article can be viewed online here: https://academic.oup.com/jrr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jrr/rry025/4964812?guestAccessKey=791681bc-32f9-40bb-bf25-fa65c3f00317

The forth article, Post-Fukushima radiation education for Japanese high school students in affected areas and its positive effects on their radiation literacy, discusses the way that radiation education has started within Fukushima Prefecture after the disaster, and analyzes questionnaires results from students to compare radiation-related knowledge before and after undertaking such lectures. This study finds that radiation education in high schools in Fukushima led to acquisition of basic knowledge that could potentially have a positive effect on attitudes and behaviors related to radiation.

The article can be viewed online here: https://academic.oup.com/jrr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jrr/rry010/4946987

All four of the above publications present different areas of importance in Fukushima, from understanding disaster impacts on cancer care to grappling with education in the post-disaster context. There are still many things we are learning from the 3.11 triple disaster, in order to better prepare for the future. We will continue to work to support the ongoing health of residents, and report lessons from Fukushima that the world can learn from.

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Editorial note: Today's article is a re-publication of an update from the English mailing list on new research from Fukushima, with permission from Claire Leppold, who has been running the mailing list for the past three years. If you would like to be added to this mailing list, please contact info@mricg.info