The relationship between the "misunderstandings" regarding Fukushima's scientific facts after the nuclear accident and people's values

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24231
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Nakayama Chihiro 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (10849110)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 福島 / 原発事故 / 放射線デマ / 科学リテラシー / 誤解 / 価値観

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In February 2021, we conducted an online survey of 400 people in Tokyo and 400 people in Fukushima regarding the actual state of "misunderstandings" about Fukushima after the nuclear accident and related values. In terms of actual "misunderstandings," 37% of respondents in Tokyo and 34% in Fukushima answered that the children and grandchildren of people in Fukushima would be affected by radiation exposure in the future generation, and 46% in Tokyo and 40% in Fukushima answered that people in Fukushima would be affected by radiation exposure in the future. As a result of univariate analysis, the items related to "There are effects on the next generation" were common to both regions, such as "Japan is not democratic," "Japan does not respect human rights," "Science and technology are making the world worse," "Nuclear power plants should be abolished immediately," "I do not support the cabinet," and "The government is covering up.

Free Research Field

医療情報学　リスクコミュニケーション

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今後の福島の原発事故からの復興を進めて行くにあたり、福島の現状について「誤解」なく、正しく理解することは第一歩で、必須の事項である。福島にとって、住民の「次世代影響」、「これから起こる健康影響」のような未来に及ぶ「誤解」による不安等がもたらす、QOL低下や精神的な損失等を減らすことは、喫緊の課題と考えられる。本研究の意義は、2021年2月という、震災・原発事故後ほぼ10年における、福島の「誤解」の実態の実証的把握をおこなったことである。また、これら「誤解」の要因と考えられる事項についても尋ねたことで、今後はデータの更なる統計的解析を進め、「誤解」解消の方策を考察することが可能になった。