Examination of Factors Affecting the Occurrence of Frailty Due to Evacuation Living after the Great East Japan Earthquake

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10626
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Okazaki Kanako 福島県立医科大学, 保健科学部, 助教 (90769340)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大平 哲也 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50448031) ; 林 史和 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30723291)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 東日本大震災 / 避難高齢者 / 体重減少 / フレイル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to examine the actual condition of post-disaster weight loss among residents in the evacuation zone after the Great East Japan Earthquake and its relationship with lifestyle habits including exercise and psychosocial factors, as well as to examine the extent to which risk can be identified by conducting a frailty survey at health examinations.
In the first year, using the Fukushima Prefecture "Prefectural People's Health Survey" initiated after the earthquake and pre-earthquake health checkup data from target municipalities, we focused on weight loss, one of the items used to determine frailty, and conducted a longitudinal study on the proportion and factors of new undernutrition trends after the earthquake (by FY 2019) among standard weight individuals. In addition, from the first year, physical function tests (frailty tests) were conducted at comprehensive health checkups in local municipalities, and data for three years was collected continuously.

Free Research Field

健康増進、予防医学、

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

震災後の低栄養傾向の発生には、避難の影響よりも、震災以前の生活習慣（運動習慣や食行動）が影響していたことがわかりました。災害弱者となりやすい高齢者ほど常日頃から運動や身体活動を適切に保つことが重要であるといえます。また、継続して実施した身体機能検査と健診の結果を解析することにより、フレイルリスクを早期発見するために有用な項目を地域でも実施可能な項目の中から見つけることは意義があると考えます。