著者
KEIYA FUJIMORI HYO KYOZUKA SHUN YASUDA AYA GOTO SEIJI YASUMURA MISAO OTA AKIRA OHTSURU YASUHISA NOMURA KENICHI HATA KOUTA SUZUKI AKIHITO NAKAI MIEKO SATO SHIRO MATSUI KYOKO NAKANO MASAFUMI ABE FOR THE PREGNANCY AND BIRTH SURVEY GROUP OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY
出版者
福島医学会
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.2014-9, (Released:2014-07-15)
参考文献数
29
被引用文献数
8 46

Background: On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by a powerful tsunami hit the Pacific Coast of Northeast Japan and damaged Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a radiation hazard in Fukushima Prefecture. The objective of this report is to describe some results of a questionnaire-based pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey.Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were sent to women who received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture between 1 August 2010 and 31 July 2011, with the aim of reaching those who were pregnant at the time of the disaster. Mailing began 18 January 2012. Data were analyzed separately for six geographic areas in Fukushima Prefecture.Results: The total number of women meeting survey criteria was 15,972. The number of responses received to date is 9,298 (58.2%). Data from 8602 respondents were analyzed after excluding 634 invalid responses and 5 induced and 57 spontaneous abortions (less than 22 gestational weeks). The incidences of stillbirth (over 22 completed gestational weeks), preterm birth, low birth weight and congenital anomalies were 0.25%, 4.4%, 8.7% and 2.72%, respectively. These incidences are similar to recent averages elsewhere in Japan.Conclusion: Considering the pregnancy and birth survey data in aggregate, our disaster seemed to provoke no significant adverse outcomes over the whole of Fukushima prefecture. But post-disaster prenatal care and support intended for patients’ safety and security should be coupled with ongoing surveillance and rigorous data analysis.
著者
KEIYA FUJIMORI HYO KYOZUKA SHUN YASUDA AYA GOTO SEIJI YASUMURA MISAO OTA AKIRA OHTSURU YASUHISA NOMURA KENICHI HATA KOUTA SUZUKI AKIHITO NAKAI MIEKO SATO SHIRO MATSUI KYOKO NAKANO MASAFUMI ABE FOR THE PREGNANCY AND BIRTH SURVEY GROUP OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY
出版者
福島医学会
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.60, no.1, pp.75-81, 2014 (Released:2014-08-08)
参考文献数
29
被引用文献数
8 46

Background: On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by a powerful tsunami hit the Pacific Coast of Northeast Japan and damaged Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a radiation hazard in Fukushima Prefecture. The objective of this report is to describe some results of a questionnaire-based pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey.Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were sent to women who received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture between 1 August 2010 and 31 July 2011, with the aim of reaching those who were pregnant at the time of the disaster. Mailing began 18 January 2012. Data were analyzed separately for six geographic areas in Fukushima Prefecture.Results: The total number of women meeting survey criteria was 15,972. The number of responses received to date is 9,298 (58.2%). Data from 8602 respondents were analyzed after excluding 634 invalid responses and 5 induced and 57 spontaneous abortions (less than 22 gestational weeks). The incidences of stillbirth (over 22 completed gestational weeks), preterm birth, low birth weight and congenital anomalies were 0.25%, 4.4%, 8.7% and 2.72%, respectively. These incidences are similar to recent averages elsewhere in Japan.Conclusion: Considering the pregnancy and birth survey data in aggregate, our disaster seemed to provoke no significant adverse outcomes over the whole of Fukushima prefecture. But post-disaster prenatal care and support intended for patients’ safety and security should be coupled with ongoing surveillance and rigorous data analysis.
著者
Aya Goto Yusuke Tsugawa Keiya Fujimori
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.JE20180015, (Released:2018-12-15)
参考文献数
25
被引用文献数
7

Background: Little is known about the association between the anxiety toward the effects of radiation on reproduction caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident and the birth rate of people in Fukushima. Therefore, we examined changes and associated factors of future pregnancy intention among mothers in Fukushima Prefecture.Methods: Using data from three postal surveys among women who registered their pregnancies in the prefecture (N = 6,751 in 2012, N = 6,871 in 2013, and N = 6,725 in 2014), we analyzed the factors associated with women’s intention of future pregnancy using multivariable logistic regression models.Results: The proportion of mothers with pregnancy intention increased from 53.5% in 2012 to 57.9% in 2014, especially among multiparas (P for trend <0.001). Factors inversely associated with pregnancy intention of both groups were older maternal age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.92 for primipara and 0.87 for multipara), poor subjective health (aOR 0.75 and 0.81, respectively), and presence of depressive symptoms (aOR 0.71 and 0.79, respectively) (P < 0.01 for all items). In addition, not living with husband (aOR 0.24), dissatisfaction with obstetrical care (aOR 0.89) and child abnormalities (aOR 0.72) were inversely associated with pregnancy intention among primiparas, while receiving infertility treatment (aOR 2.05) was positively associated among multiparas (P < 0.01 for all items). A separate analysis of 2012 and 2013 data showed that concern about radiation contamination of breast milk was associated with pregnancy intention among primiparas (aOR 0.61, P < 0.001).Conclusions: Mothers’ concern about radiation was associated with lower pregnancy intention, especially among primiparas. Providing quality obstetrical and mental health care and parenting support may be the keys to maintaining the temporal increase in fertility.
著者
HIROMI YOSHIDA-KOMIYA AYA GOTO SEIJI YASUMURA KEIYA FUJIMORI MASAFUMI ABE FOR THE PREGNANCY AND BIRTH SURVEY GROUP OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY
出版者
福島医学会
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.61, no.1, pp.66-71, 2015 (Released:2015-07-08)
参考文献数
22
被引用文献数
6

Background: The Fukushima Pregnancy and Birth Survey was launched to monitor pregnant mothers’ health after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Several lines of investigations have indicated that a disaster impacts maternal mental health with childbirth. However, there is no research regarding mental health of mothers with fetal loss after a disaster. In this report, we focus on those women immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima NPP accident and discuss their support needs.Materials and Methods: Data regarding 61 miscarriages, 5 abortions, and 22 stillbirths were analyzed among the women who were pregnant at the time of the accident in the present study. We used a two-item case-finding instrument for depression screening, and compared the childbirth group with the fetal loss groups. We also analyzed mothers’ opinions written as free-form text.Results: Among the three fetal loss groups, the proportion of positive depression screens was significantly higher in the miscarriage and stillbirth group than in the childbirth group. Mothers’ opinions were grouped into six categories, with pregnancy-related items being most common, especially in the miscarriage and stillbirth groups.Conclusion: A higher proportion of Fukushima mothers with fetal loss, especially those with miscarriage and stillbirth, had depressive symptoms compared to those who experienced childbirth. Health care providers need to pay close attention to this vulnerable group and respond to their concerns regarding the effects on their fertility.
著者
Seiji Yasumura Tetsuya Ohira Tetsuo Ishikawa Hiroki Shimura Akira Sakai Masaharu Maeda Itaru Miura Keiya Fujimori Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S3-S10, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
46
被引用文献数
11 20

The Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) was established in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011. The primary objectives of the study are to monitor residents’ long-term health and promote their future well-being, and to determine the health effects of long-term low-dose radiation exposure. This special issue summarizes the results and current status of the FHMS and discusses the challenges and future directions of the FHMS. The FHMS, a cohort study of all people who were residents in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the accident, consists of a Basic Survey, Thyroid Ultrasound Examination, Comprehensive Health Check, Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey, and Pregnancy and Birth Survey. The radiation exposure was estimated based on the behavioral records examined using the Basic Survey. Although the response rate was low in the Basic Survey, the representativeness of the radiation exposure data was confirmed using additional surveys. There appears to be no relationship between the radiation exposure and risk of thyroid cancer, although more thyroid cancer cases were detected than initially expected. The ongoing Comprehensive Health Check and Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey have provided evidence of worsening physical and mental health status. The Pregnancy and Birth Survey showed rates of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and congenital abnormalities similar to the national average. Considering the above evidence, the Fukushima Prefectural Government decided to end the Pregnancy and Birth Survey at the end of March 2021, as recommended by the Prefectural Oversight Committee. The framework of the FHMS has not changed, but the FHMS needs to adapt according to the survey results and the changing needs of the eligible residents and municipalities.
著者
Shun Yasuda Kanako Okazaki Hironori Nakano Kayoko Ishii Hyo Kyozuka Tsuyoshi Murata Keiya Fujimori Aya Goto Seiji Yasumura Misao Ota Kenichi Hata Kohta Suzuki Akihito Nakai Tetsuya Ohira Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S104-S114, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
51
被引用文献数
3

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to external radiation on perinatal outcomes among women who experienced the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster (FDND) using the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS).Methods: Data from the Pregnancy and Birth Survey and Basic Survey in the FHMS were combined to analyze external maternal radiation exposure following the FDND, and the relationship between radiation dose and perinatal outcomes was analyzed using binomial logistic regression analysis. Missing dose data were supplemented using multiple imputation.Results: A total of 6,875 individuals responded to the survey. Congenital anomalies occurred in 2.9% of patients, low birth weight (LBW) in 7.6%, small for gestation age (SGA; <10th percentile) in 8.9%, and preterm birth in 4.1%. The median maternal external radiation dose was 0.5 mSv (maximum, 5.2 mSv). Doses were classified as follows: <1 mSv (reference), 1 to <2 mSv, and ≥2 mSv. For congenital anomalies, the crude odds ratio for 1 to <2 mSv was 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–1.17) (no participants with congenital anomaly were exposed to ≥2 mSv). At 1 to <2 mSv and ≥2 mSv, the respective adjusted odds ratios were 0.91 (95% CI, 0.71–1.18) and 1.21 (95% CI, 0.53–2.79) for LBW, 1.14 (95% CI, 0.92–1.42) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.30–2.37) for SGA, and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.65–1.29) and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.22–4.87) for preterm birth.Conclusion: External radiation dose due to the FDND was not associated with congenital anomalies, LBW, SGA, or preterm birth.
著者
Kayoko Ishii Aya Goto Hiromi Yoshida-Komiya Tetsuya Ohira Keiya Fujimori
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S64-S75, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
47
被引用文献数
5

With the aim of monitoring the mental and physical health of mothers and children following the Fukushima nuclear accident and providing them with necessary care, we have been conducting an annual survey of expectant and nursing mothers since 2011. The Pregnancy and Birth Survey is a mail-in survey of about 15,000 individuals, with a response rate of approximately 50.0% each year. In addition, because respondents to a survey conducted in the immediate aftermath of the disaster showed a particularly high rate of depression, follow-up surveys have been conducted at 4 years after childbirth. Reviewing the results of surveys from FY 2011 through FY 2018, we found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms among mothers was highest in the survey after childbirth and decreased over time. Data of follow-up surveys showed that the prevalence of depression was lower than immediately after childbirth and then decreased over time. The proportion of mothers with radiation anxiety was higher among respondents in the FY 2011 follow-up than in the FY 2014 follow-up, indicating the prolonged impact of the nuclear accident, especially among those who gave birth immediately after the disaster. Characteristics of mothers who received telephone parenting counseling included first delivery, caesarean section, living in evacuation zones, not being able to receive medical examinations as scheduled, and having radiation anxiety. Continuous care should be provided to mothers who gave birth immediately after the nuclear accident, including routine perinatal care and parenting support, provision of information on radiation, and long-term monitoring of their wellbeing.
著者
HIROMI YOSHIDA-KOMIYA AYA GOTO SEIJI YASUMURA KEIYA FUJIMORI MASAFUMI ABE FOR THE PREGNANCY AND BIRTH SURVEY GROUP OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY
出版者
福島医学会
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.2014-33, (Released:2015-06-11)
参考文献数
22
被引用文献数
6

Background: The Fukushima Pregnancy and Birth Survey was launched to monitor pregnant mothers’ health after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Several lines of investigations have indicated that a disaster impacts maternal mental health with childbirth. However, there is no research regarding mental health of mothers with fetal loss after a disaster. In this report, we focus on those women immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima NPP accident and discuss their support needs.Materials and Methods: Data regarding 61 miscarriages, 5 abortions, and 22 stillbirths were analyzed among the women who were pregnant at the time of the accident in the present study. We used a two-item case-finding instrument for depression screening, and compared the childbirth group with the fetal loss groups. We also analyzed mothers’ opinions written as free-form text.Results: Among the three fetal loss groups, the proportion of positive depression screens was significantly higher in the miscarriage and stillbirth group than in the childbirth group. Mothers’ opinions were grouped into six categories, with pregnancy-related items being most common, especially in the miscarriage and stillbirth groups.Conclusion: A higher proportion of Fukushima mothers with fetal loss, especially those with miscarriage and stillbirth, had depressive symptoms compared to those who experienced childbirth. Health care providers need to pay close attention to this vulnerable group and respond to their concerns regarding the effects on their fertility.
著者
Koichi Hashimoto Hajime Maeda Hajime Iwasa Hyo Kyozuka Ryo Maeda Yohei Kume Takashi Ono Mina Chishiki Akiko Sato Yuka Ogata Tsuyoshi Murata Keiya Fujimori Kosei Shinoki Hidekazu Nishigori Seiji Yasumura Mitsuaki Hosoya the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.10, pp.489-497, 2023-10-05 (Released:2023-10-05)
参考文献数
49

Background: Tobacco exposure during pregnancy is associated with several adverse outcomes in infants. We investigated the association between tobacco exposure during pregnancy (both active and second-hand) and various infections in infants up to 1 year.Methods: This prospective cohort study used a fixed dataset (jecs-an-20180131) from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study of registered births in Japan during 2011–2014 that included 104,065 fetal records from enrolled pregnant women. Based on the participants’ responses to the questionnaire on smoking status, mothers were first divided into “never smoked,” “quit smoking,” and “current smoker” groups and then into “no second-hand smoking (SHS)” and “SHS” groups. Infectious diseases included central nervous system infection, otitis media (OM), upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), gastroenteritis (GI), and urinary tract infection. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis and adjusted for maternal, socioeconomic, and postnatal confounding factors.Results: Among the 73,205 newborns enrolled, multivariable analysis revealed that the aOR of LRTI and GI was 1.20 (95% CI, 1.07–1.33) and 1.18 (95% CI, 1.04–1.35), respectively, for the “current smoker with/without SHS” group compared with the “never smoked without SHS” group. “Quit smoking without SHS” was not associated with the risk of LRTI. SHS was associated with an increased risk of OM, URTI, LRTI, and GI, especially with LRTI and GI.Conclusion: Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of OM, URTI, LRTI, and GI in infants during their first year of life.
著者
Hyo Kyozuka Tsuyoshi Murata Shun Yasuda Kayoko Ishii Keiya Fujimori Aya Goto Seiji Yasumura Misao Ota Kenichi Hata Kohta Suzuki Akihito Nakai Tetsuya Ohira Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S57-S63, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
42
被引用文献数
5

There are limited studies on the long-term effects of natural/environmental disasters, especially nuclear disasters, on obstetric outcomes. This study aimed to review the results of perinatal outcomes immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, as well as their long-term trends over 8 years, in the Fukushima Health Management Survey. The annual population-based Pregnancy and Birth Survey is conducted as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey. The Fukushima Prefecture government launched it to assess the health conditions of pregnant women and their neonates after the GEJE. The self-reported questionnaire was sent to 115,976 pregnant women by mail from January 2012, with 58,344 women responding to the questionnaire (50.3% response rate). Pregnancy complications, such as gestational hypertension, respiratory diseases, and mental disorders, increased in some women who were pregnant at the time of the earthquake and immediately after the earthquake. However, the direct effects on newborns, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies, were not immediately clear after the earthquake. Although there were significant differences in the occurrence of preterm birth and low birth weight among the districts, there was no change in the occurrences of preterm birth, low birth weight, or anomalies in newborns in Fukushima Prefecture from the fiscal year 2011 to the fiscal year 2018. Therefore, the long-term effects of the post-disaster radiation accident on perinatal outcomes are considered to be very small.