Moving after natural disasters is linked to long-term health problems

Individual and group relocation after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan was associated with different long-term health issues, a study finds. Large-scale natural disasters can lead to residential displacement, but relatively little is known about the long-term health consequences. To address this question, Hiroyuki Hikichi and colleagues analyzed longitudinal survey data from 2,664 older community-dwelling residents of Iwanuma – a coastal city directly affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Relocation of whole communities was associated with increased body-mass index and depressive symptoms 2.5 years, but not 5.5 years, after the disaster, when compared with no relocation. By contrast, individual relocation to public temporary housing, rental housing on the open market, or new private housing was associated with higher cognitive impairment and lower physical or cognitive ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living 2.5 years and 5.5 years after the disaster. Informal socializing and social participation partly explained the associations between both types of relocation and all health problems except for depressive symptoms. According to the authors, the findings suggest that health care authorities should take steps to reduce social isolation among older individuals who move after disasters, while promoting a healthy lifestyle to prevent weight gain.

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Article #20-14226:

“Six-year follow-up study of residential displacement and health outcomes following the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami,” by Hiroyuki Hikichi, Jun Aida, Katsunori Kondo, and Ichiro Kawachi.

MEDIA CONTACT:


Hiroyuki Hikichi,

Kitasato University School of Medicine,

Sagamihara, JAPAN;

tel: +81-80-9636-9013;

e-mail: <

[email protected]

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