Abstract
It is crucial to determine the health status of returnees to former evacuation areas. We aimed to examine the long-term care (LTC) utilization rate among elderly returnees as the indicator of care needs. This study used a resident registration database to collect information on LTC utilization rate among elderly returnees to former evacuation areas in Fukushima, Japan, following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. LTC utilization rates were descriptively analyzed. For all age groups, the LTC utilization rates were lower among returnees than evacuees. The LTC utilization rate among returnees in each age group (chi-square test results compared to evacuees) were as follows: 0.78% (P = 0.194) for those aged 65-69, 0.69% (P = 0.003) for those aged 70-74, 3.23% (P = 0.007) for those aged 75-79, 6.79% (P < 0.001) for those aged 80-84, 22.84% (P = 0.011) for those aged 85-89, and 44.09% (P = 0.089) for those aged 90 and over. Elderly returnees had fewer LTC needs than elderly evacuees. Nevertheless, the proportion of aging people is high in evacuation area, meaning the number of elderly returnees would increase at an enormous rate. Therefore, LTC utilization rate would increase in the future.
Highlights
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused severe damage in the Hama-dori area in Fukushima Prefecture, where the government ordered evacuations of approximately 55000 households in 12 municipalities due to radioactive contamination.[1]
long-term care (LTC) utilization rates were lower among returnees when compared to evacuees in all age groups
LTC utilization rate among returnees of each age group were as follows: 0.78% (P = 0.194) for those aged 65–69, 0.69% (P = 0.003) for those aged 70–74, 3.23% (P = 0.007) for those aged 75–79, 6.79% (P < 0.001) for those aged 80–84, 22.84% (P = 0.011) for those aged 85–89, and 44.09% (P = 0.089) for those aged 90 and above
Summary
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused severe damage in the Hama-dori area in Fukushima Prefecture, where the government ordered evacuations of approximately 55000 households in 12 municipalities due to radioactive contamination.[1] decontamination efforts and the physical decay of radioactive materials eventually reduced the levels of radiation.[1] This resulted in lifting the evacuation orders, meaning that many residents returned to the area. It is urgently required to ascertain the health status of returnees to former evacuation areas, since various health issues have emerged, including an increase number of the elderly, population decline, the loss of local social connections, inadequate infrastructure reconstruction, and reduced health care access. Little information is available on the actual health status of returnees, especially for the elderly. We aimed to examine the long-term care (LTC) utilization rate among elderly returnees in the former evacuation area, following the 2011 FDNPP accident
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