Effects of radiation anxiety and risk perception of parents on the child-rearing environment

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01879
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Tokiwa University
• Principal Investigator: SHIN Hongson 常磐大学, 人間科学部, 教授 (80382828)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: リスク / 東日本大震災 / 保護者 / こども / キャリア形成 / 意思決定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the radiation anxiety that parents with children (especially before/after schooling) newly had after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. Through interviews and questionnaires, we investigated the parents' decision-making, anxiety, and attitude toward nuclear power use in a multi-faceted manner (by trade-off method).
The survey results suggest that the group with the highest anxiety among parents was that of parents with elementary school children, and then gradually decreased as children grew up. In addition, the period when decision making had the greatest impact was when parents have elementary and high school children. These results indicate that it is necessary to consider "the child's developmental stage" in risk perception and decision-making of parents. It was also confirmed that the residents of Fukushima Prefecture have a strong attachment and complicated feelings to the area, and their supportive attitude for nuclear power.

Free Research Field

災害心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

子どもを持つ親がどのような要因によって不安を過度に増幅させるかといった問題は、住民に有事の適切な行動を促すための情報提供の観点から見ても大変重要である。これまでの研究では、避難命令や家屋損壊などによって実際に避難が必要とされる被災地の住民を対象とした研究が多くなされてきた。しかし実際には放射線の数値が低く移住の必要がない地域(東京都など関東)から移住を決断した家族もいた。彼らを対象とした調査は少なく、移住に至った経緯や意思決定の過程などを明らかにすることで、リスク認知を多面的に捉えることができた意義は大きい。原子力利用への不安に対し、子どものキャリアへの影響を考慮した点においても意義がある。