Trends and preventive interventions of dementia and its risk factors before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K10507
• 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: Eri Eguchi 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (60635118)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中野 裕紀 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10736721) ; 大平 哲也 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50448031)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 大規模災害 / 認知症 / 生活習慣病 / 生活習慣 / リスク因子 / 動向 / ポジティブ / 介入

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the pre- and post-disaster trends in risk factors for dementia among evacuees and non-evacuees of the Great East Japan Earthquake in Fukushima Prefecture. After the earthquake, diseases such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, and cardiovascular disease increased, especially among evacuees, and lifestyle habits such as physical activity, sleep, and alcohol consumption were considered to be influential. The increase in these diseases and poor lifestyle habits continued for a long period of time after the earthquake. It was found that there was a certain degree of effect of positive intervention on those lifestyle-related diseases. We plan to continue further analysis of the relationship and trends between lifestyle habits and dementia.

Free Research Field

疫学・公衆衛生

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

認知症の発症要因として生活習慣や生活習慣病が報告されている。さらに、不安やうつなどの心理的な要因や社会的参加などが影響することも近年明らかになりつつある。これまでに、NDBデータを用いた大規模な認知症発症動向を検討した研究は見当たらず、大規模災害前後の認知症発症動向やそのリスク要因の動向について経年的に調査した研究はなく、今回が初めてとなる。加えてその予防策としての複合的介入の効果も検討し、社会的にも、新たな大規模災害の備えとしても重要性が高く意義がある。