Annual prevalence of non-communicable diseases and identification of vulnerable populations following the Fukushima disaster and COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Disasters, pandemics, and their response measures can have secondary effects on the physical and psychological health of affected populations. Using health insurance receipt data from 2009 to 2020, we assessed changes in the prevalence of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and mental disorders, among affected populations before and after the Fukushima disaster and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Japan. Furthermore, age and sex groups with the largest increases in prevalence after these events were identified. The participants of this study were employees of large companies and their dependent family members who were insured by health insurance societies (HIS). The dataset was provided by JMDC Inc. The annual age-adjusted prevalence of each disease belonging to the HIS scheme was used to calculate the ratio of disease prevalence before and after the events. After the Fukushima disaster, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes generally increased over a 9-year period in Fukushima Prefecture. The increase in the prevalence rate of these three NCDs and mental disorders was the highest among females aged 40–74 years compared to males and the other age groups. The prevalence of all four diseases increased after the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan, with a marked increase in males aged 0–39 years. Changes in prevalence ratios of NCDs after the COVID-19 outbreak among the areas affected by the Fukushima disaster were lower than in the whole of Japan. It is important to provide tailor-made public health support among populations in accordance with the type of disasters and pandemic.