Verification and countermeasure of influence on health anxiety by mass media in Fukushima after nuclear accident

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08810
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Yasumura Seiji 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50220158)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中山 健夫 京都大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (70217933) ; 佐藤 理 福島学院大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 教授 (90107243)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUGITA Minoru 東邦大学, 医学部, 名誉教授 (80051845)
• Research Collaborator: NAKAYAMA Chihiro
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 公衆衛生 / 災害 / 福島 / メディア / ヘルスリテラシー / 放射線

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We thought that mass media reports and information influence resident anxiety about health impacts of radiation exposure that Fukushima citizens have after the nuclear accident. We conducted a questionnaire survey about the degree of health anxiety, sources of credit, and media to be used for 2000 prefectural residents. As results of multiple regression analysis with the degree of health anxiety as the objective variable, source of credit and media to be used as an explanatory variable. Anxiety was significantly higher for the groups "trust in NGOs" and "use of internet sites" and significantly lower for the groups "trust in government ministries", "trust in local government" and "use of local broadcast television". Differences in degree of anxiety have been revealed due to differences in information sources and media. In addition, anxiety was significantly lower for groups with higher health literacy, suggesting the effectiveness of health literacy in reducing radiation anxiety.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生学