著者
Ryugo S. HAYANO Masaharu TSUBOKURA Makoto MIYAZAKI Akihiko OZAKI Yuki SHIMADA Toshiyuki KAMBE Tsuyoshi NEMOTO Tomoyoshi OIKAWA Yukio KANAZAWA Masahiko NIHEI Yu SAKUMA Hiroaki SHIMMURA Junichi AKIYAMA Michio TOKIWA
出版者
The Japan Academy
雑誌
Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.91, no.8, pp.440-446, 2015-10-09 (Released:2015-10-09)
参考文献数
14
被引用文献数
18 28

BABYSCAN, a whole-body counter (WBC) for small children was developed in 2013, and units have been installed at three hospitals in Fukushima Prefecture. Between December, 2013 and March, 2015, 2707 children between the ages of 0 and 11 have been scanned, and none had detectable levels of radioactive cesium. The minimum detectable activities (MDAs) for 137Cs were ≤3.5 Bq kg−1 for ages 0–1, decreasing to ≤2 Bq kg−1 for ages 10–11. Including the 134Cs contribution, these translate to a maximum committed effective dose of ∼16 µSv y−1 even for newborn babies, and therefore the internal exposure risks can be considered negligibly small.Analysis of the questionnaire filled out by the parents of the scanned children regarding their families’ food and water consumption revealed that the majority of children residing in the town of Miharu regularly consume local or home-grown rice and vegetables, while in Minamisoma, a majority avoid tap water and produce from Fukushima. The data show, however, no correlation between consumption of locally produced food and water and the children’s body burdens.
著者
Ryugo S. HAYANO Masaharu TSUBOKURA Makoto MIYAZAKI Hideo SATOU Katsumi SATO Shin MASAKI Yu SAKUMA
出版者
The Japan Academy
雑誌
Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.89, no.4, pp.157-163, 2013-04-11 (Released:2013-04-11)
参考文献数
14
被引用文献数
85 101

The Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP accident contaminated the soil of densely-populated regions in Fukushima Prefecture with radioactive cesium, which poses significant risks of internal and external exposure to the residents. If we apply the knowledge of post-Chernobyl accident studies, internal exposures in excess of a few mSv/y would be expected to be frequent in Fukushima.Extensive whole-body-counter surveys (n = 32,811) carried out at the Hirata Central Hospital between October, 2011 and November, 2012, however show that the internal exposure levels of residents are much lower than estimated. In particular, the first sampling-bias-free assessment of the internal exposure of children in the town of Miharu, Fukushima, shows that the 137Cs body burdens of all children (n = 1,383, ages 6–15, covering 95% of children enrolled in town-operated schools) were below the detection limit of 300 Bq/body in the fall of 2012. These results are not conclusive for the prefecture as a whole, but are consistent with results obtained from other municipalities in the prefecture, and with prefectural data.(Communicated by Toshimitsu YAMAZAKI, M.J.A.)
著者
Ryugo S. HAYANO Masaharu TSUBOKURA Makoto MIYAZAKI Hideo SATOU Katsumi SATO Shin MASAKI Yu SAKUMA
出版者
The Japan Academy
雑誌
Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.91, no.3, pp.92-98, 2015-03-11 (Released:2015-03-11)
参考文献数
17
被引用文献数
4 7

Comprehensive whole-body counter surveys of Miharu-town school children have been conducted for four consecutive years, in 2011–2014. This represents the only long-term sampling-bias-free study of its type conducted after the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. For the first time in 2014, a new device called the Babyscan, which has a low 134/137Cs MDA of <50 Bq/body, was used to screen the children shorter than 130 cm. No child in this group was found to have detectable level of radiocesium. Using the MDAs, upper limits of daily intake of radiocesium were estimated for each child. For those screened with the Babyscan, the upper intake limits were found to be ≲1 Bq/day for 137Cs. Analysis of a questionnaire filled out by the children’s parents regarding their food and water consumption shows that the majority of Miharu children regularly consume local and/or home-grown rice and vegetables. This however does not increase the body burden.
著者
Ryugo S. HAYANO Masaharu TSUBOKURA Makoto MIYAZAKI Hideo SATOU Katsumi SATO Shin MASAKI Yu SAKUMA
出版者
日本学士院
雑誌
Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.90, no.6, pp.211-213, 2014-06-11 (Released:2014-06-11)
参考文献数
9
被引用文献数
3 5

Comprehensive whole-body counter surveys covering over 93% of the school children between the ages of 6 and 15 in Miharu town, Fukushima Prefecture, have been conducted for three consecutive years, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Although the results of a questionnaire indicate that approximately 60% of the children have been regularly eating local or home-grown rice, in 2012 and 2013 no child was found to exceed the 137Cs detection limit of 300 Bq/body.
著者
Michio Murakami Yoshitake Takebayashi Masaharu Tsubokura
出版者
Tohoku University Medical Press
雑誌
The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.247, no.1, pp.13-17, 2019 (Released:2019-01-11)
参考文献数
14
被引用文献数
27

Psychological distress has become a serious health risk after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Although, following the lifting of evacuation orders, the affected people have started returning home, their current status of psychological distress has not been reported yet. Here, we report the levels of psychological distress in both returnees and evacuees by using a K6 indicator. In January 2018, questionnaires were randomly distributed among 2,000 people, aged 20 to 79 years old, who were registered on the Basic Resident Register in the evacuation order areas of nine municipalities where residents have now started returning home. The total number of participants was 625. The returnees showed a significantly better psychological distress status than the evacuees. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) among the returnees (reference = evacuees), estimated from a logistic analysis by using age, sex, and annual income as covariates, were 0.525 (0.325-0.846) for K6 ≥ 10 and 0.444 (0.216-0.911) for K6 ≥ 13. The prevalence of K6 ≥ 10 in the returnees when adjusted by the age and sex distribution of the whole of Japan was 16.2%, higher than the value (10.3%) at 20 to 79 years old in the whole of Japan. Psychological distress among the evacuees is an urgent problem to be resolved, and social support is still necessary for the returnees. Long term follow-up of returnees, investigations of causality between return and psychological distress and its governing factors in each of the evacuee and returnee groups are required for the implementation of effective countermeasures.
著者
Masaharu TSUBOKURA Yuko NABESHIMA Michio MURAKAMI Tsuyoshi NEMOTO Toshiyuki KAMBE Saori NONAKA Yuki SHIMADA Yurie KOBASHI Akihiko OZAKI Tomoyoshi OIKAWA
出版者
The Japan Academy
雑誌
Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.96, no.2, pp.70-78, 2020-02-10 (Released:2020-02-10)
参考文献数
31
被引用文献数
12

Responding to the radiation-related concerns of parents/guardians with infants/small children is an important public health issue for regional recovery after radioactive contamination. This study summarizes the results of a systematic internal contamination screening of infants/small children, aged 0–6 years, using BABYSCAN and individual counselling sessions with physicians about radiation concerns from 2014 to 2018 in Minamisoma City. Of 3,114 participants, no one was found to have internal contamination with radioactive caesium with a detection limit of 50 Bq/body. The questionnaire survey showed a decreasing trend of concerns about food contamination and playing outside as possible causes of internal contamination over time. Because people’s concerns were diverse in counselling sessions, individual responses are required. This study showed that examinations using BABYSCAN provide an opportunity for direct dialogue between the parents/guardians of infants/small children and experts. This can be considered a model case for risk communication conducted by the local government after a radioactive contamination incident.
著者
Makoto Hasegawa Michio Murakami Shuhei Nomura Yoshitake Takebayashi Masaharu Tsubokura
出版者
Tohoku University Medical Press
雑誌
The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.248, no.2, pp.115-123, 2019 (Released:2019-06-26)
参考文献数
35
被引用文献数
8

After Fukushima disaster in 2011, the health status of the region’s residents deteriorated. We analyzed the health status, care needs, and access to health services among evacuees and non-evacuees using healthcare expenditure (for self-employed and unemployed individuals aged < 75 years) and long-term care expenditure (mainly for individuals aged ≥ 65 years). Fukushima Prefecture was divided into four areas according to their evacuation status: non-EOAs (municipalities that did not include evacuation order areas (EOAs)); EOAs/non-EOAs (municipalities that included both EOAs and non-EOAs); short-term EOAs (municipalities where the EOA designation was lifted in most areas by fiscal year (FY) 2011); and long-term EOAs (municipalities where most EOA designations remained in place until the end of FY 2015). Increases in expenditure on healthcare and long-term care per capita in short-term and long-term EOAs were greater in FY 2015 than the average values in FYs 2008-2010. The increases in expenditure were higher in short-term and long-term EOAs than those in non-EOAs and EOAs/non-EOAs. The increases in dental health expenditure were attributed to enhanced accessibility to dental health facilities. Furthermore, the evacuations contributed to increases in healthcare and long-term care expenditure, independent of aging and improved accessibly to health facilities. Possible explanations for these increases include the poor health status of the evacuees following the evacuations, reduced availability of informal care provided by family members and neighbors, and reduced patient copayments. The findings highlight the necessity of health promotion among evacuees.
著者
Toyoaki Sawano Masaharu Tsubokura Claire Leppold Akihiko Ozaki Sho Fujioka Tsuyoshi Nemoto Shigeaki Kato Tomoyoshi Oikawa Yukio Kanazawa
出版者
(公社)日本産業衛生学会
雑誌
Journal of Occupational Health (ISSN:13419145)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.58, no.3, pp.320-322, 2016-05-20 (Released:2016-06-16)
参考文献数
20
被引用文献数
10

Objectives: Patients with underlying conditions are at a higher risk of developing sepsis, a systematic response to infection, which has a high mortality rate. After the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, there has been an influx of migrant decontamination workers; however, little is known about their health status.Case: A Japanese 55-year-old male decontamination worker, who had several underlying diseases, was transferred to our hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest. He had a history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension and a past history of tuberculosis. Control of underlying conditions was poor, with HbA1c of 13.8% at presentation. He was diagnosed with pneumonia-induced bacteremia and sepsis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although spontaneous circulation returned in emergency room, he died a day after admission.Conclusion: The poor control of underlying diseases seen in this patient could have been influenced by his recent job transfer and engagement in decontamination work and additionally related to his socioeconomic status (SES). This case highlights the need for further research to elucidate the underlying diseases, working conditions, and SES of this population.
著者
Toyoaki Sawano Masaharu Tsubokura Claire Leppold Akihiko Ozaki Sho Fujioka Tsuyoshi Nemoto Shigeaki Kato Tomoyoshi Oikawa Yukio Kanazawa
出版者
(公社)日本産業衛生学会
雑誌
Journal of Occupational Health (ISSN:13419145)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.15-0292-CS, (Released:2016-04-22)
被引用文献数
10

Objectives: Patients with underlying conditions are at a higher risk of developing sepsis, a systematic response to infection, which has a high mortality rate. After the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, there has been an influx of migrant decontamination workers; however, little is known about their health status. Case: A Japanese 55-year-old male decontamination worker, who had several underlying diseases, was transferred to our hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest. He had a history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension and a past history of tuberculosis. Control of underlying conditions was poor, with HbA1c of 13.8% at presentation. He was diagnosed with pneumonia-induced bacteremia and sepsis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although spontaneous circulation returned in emergency room, he died a day after admission. Conclusion: The poor control of underlying diseases seen in this patient could have been influenced by his recent job transfer and engagement in decontamination work and additionally related to his socioeconomic status (SES). This case highlights the need for further research to elucidate the underlying diseases, working conditions, and SES of this population.
著者
Yuta Saito Sora Sato Yoshitaka Nishikawa Fumiya Oguro Nobuaki Moriyama Keiichiro Sato Yurie Kobashi Toyoaki Sawano Akihiko Ozaki Takeo Nakayama Masaharu Tsubokura Seiji Yasumura Shohei Sakai
出版者
THE FUKUSHIMA SOCIETY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.2023-01, (Released:2023-11-11)
参考文献数
31

BackgroundLittle information is available on the role of community-based rehabilitation after a nuclear disaster. Here, we report the case of an older couple living in an area repopulated after the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 who received outpatient rehabilitation.Case presentationAn 84-year-old woman underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) after she fell and sustained a trochanteric fracture while caring for her husband with Alzheimer's disease. The 85-year-old husband experienced worsening behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) following his wife's hospitalization. The couple received rehabilitation at an outpatient facility in a nearby village using a shuttle service. The woman’s postoperative anxiety was relieved and her physical function improved. Moreover, the husband's BPSD symptoms decreased.ConclusionA wife and husband showed improvement in physical function after THA and alleviation of BPSD, respectively, following rehabilitation. In post-disaster, resource-scarce areas, older adults may benefit from utilizing the outpatient rehabilitation services available in the surrounding area.
著者
Yurie Kobashi Hong Chhay Thyryfong Savat Manabu Okawada Masaharu Tsubokura Yushifumi Hayashi
出版者
THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE
雑誌
Journal of Rural Medicine (ISSN:1880487X)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.15, no.4, pp.212-216, 2020 (Released:2020-10-01)
参考文献数
10
被引用文献数
3 4

Objective: Regional disparities in health services is a crucial problem in Cambodia. Particularly, a number of NCD risk factors are more common among the rural poor. Fortunately, 80% of NCDs are preventable and cost-effective interventions exist. Therefore, health care needs assessments regarding NCDs in poor rural areas are vital. The object of this pilot study was to identify health care needs regarding NCDs among residents in poor rural areas in Cambodia.Materials and Methods: A medical health check-up and questionnaire survey were conducted with 208 rural residents who participated in a free health check-up and doctor consultation in Kaoh Peam Reang.Results: One hundred sixteen (55.8%) females were included in the total sample size of 208 participants; the majority (52.9%) were between 35 and 65 years of age. Twenty-five participants (12%) were current smokers, and 44 (21%) were current alcohol drinkers. Eighty (38.5%) participants had hypertension and 44 participants (21.2%) had a body mass index over 25. Alcohol drinking and smoking habits were more common among men. The five most frequent medical complaints were headache (18.3%), lower back pain (14.4%), foot and hand pain (13.9%), joint pain (10.1%), and difficulty breathing (10.1%).Conclusions: The medical need for doctor consultations regarding chronic disease and chronic pain might be higher in poor rural areas in Cambodia.
著者
Yuta Saito Keiichiro Sato Tatsuya Itagaki Fumiya Omata Toyoaki Sawano Yurie Kobashi Yoshitaka Nishikawa Masaharu Tsubokura Wataru Hoshi
出版者
THE FUKUSHIMA SOCIETY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
雑誌
FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:00162590)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.2021-30, (Released:2022-05-19)
参考文献数
17
被引用文献数
1

Following the evacuation of areas affected by Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, Kawauchi Village was one of the first municipalities repopulated. Although rehabilitation resources were limited, a healthcare facility near the municipality initiated home-visit rehabilitation in 2016. To the best of our knowledge, reports of home-visit rehabilitation in repopulated villages that were evacuated following a nuclear accident are lacking.This article describes a case study of home-visit rehabilitation in Kawauchi Village. The purpose of this study was to explore how users of home-visit rehabilitation services in Kawauchi Village perceive home-visit rehabilitation, and whether it had a positive impact on their daily life. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and their ability to perform activities of daily living was assessed, to understand the living conditions of the visiting-rehabilitation service users.We studied 10 rehabilitation-service users, with a mean age of 86.8 years, who had used the services for an average of 591.4 days. Themes that emerged from the open-ended questionnaire were “established exercise habits and improved physical functions,” “the joy of returning to the village,” “challenges in the mountainous areas” and “changes in relationships due to the earthquake or evacuation.”In conclusion, home-visit rehabilitation was successfully implemented in the repopulated village, and helped maintain the users’ physical functions. This may thus be a viable choice for rehabilitation care in repopulated areas after disasters.
著者
Yurie Kobashi Kazato Saeki Masaharu Tsubokura Lihorn Srou Tiny Prum Norifumi Kuratani Tomohiro Ishii Kayako Sakisaka
出版者
THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE
雑誌
Journal of Rural Medicine (ISSN:1880487X)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.15, no.2, pp.57-62, 2020 (Released:2020-04-01)
参考文献数
15
被引用文献数
1

Objective: The surgical workforce needs to at least double by 2030. To increase the workforce, training for non-physician healthcare professionals and community health workers (CHWs) in rural areas is promising to decrease the numbers of untreated surgical patients. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on surgical activities of non-physician healthcare professionals and CHWs in rural Cambodia. We sought to measure the level of knowledge of surgical symptoms, and identify factors associated with it. A questionnaire survey was administered to people in rural areas of Kratie Province to determine their knowledge of surgical symptoms, and to strengthen the surgical workforce among medical staff and CHWs.Patient/Materials and Methods: To evaluate the knowledge of surgical symptoms among medical staff and CHWs, a self-reported questionnaire was administered to medical staff, CHWs, and villagers in a rural area of Kratie province, Cambodia. The rating score of the number of correct answers among medical staff, CHWs, and villagers was set as the primary outcome.Results: A total of 91 participants, including 31 medical staff, 24 CHWs, and 36 villagers, completed the survey. The median scores for knowledge of symptoms indicative of surgery were 8 (7–8) [median (interquartile range)] in medical staff, 8 (7–8.5) in CHWs, and 8.5 (8–9) in villagers. There was no significant difference in the scores of surgical symptoms among each of the occupational groups. The group of people who recognized low subjective knowledge of surgical symptom by themselves had significantly higher objective score of knowledge of surgical symptom.Conclusion: Knowledge of surgical symptoms among medical staff and CHWs was inadequate. To at least double the surgical workforce by 2030 successfully, accurate evaluation and improvement of surgical symptomatic knowledge among medical staff in rural areas is crucial.