Citation

Uemura M, Ohira T, Yasumura S, Otsuru A, Maeda M, Harigane M, Horikoshi N, Suzuki Y, Yabe H, Takahashi H, Nagai M, Nakano H, Zhang W, Hirosaki M, Abe M. BMJ Open 2016; 6(7): e011534.

Affiliation

Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011534

PMID

27381210

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Psychological distress is generally associated with poor dietary intake, but this has never been investigated among residents after a major disaster. We attempted to reveal the associations between dietary intake and non-specific mental health distress as well as traumatic symptoms among evacuees after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis of 63 047 evacuees (27 901 men, 35 146 women) who responded to The Fukushima Health Management Survey in 2012, non-specific mental health distress was assessed using the Kessler-6 (K6) scale, while traumatic symptoms were evaluated using the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Stressor-Specific Version (PCL-S). The outcome was 'low frequency'-meaning a daily consumption in the 25th centile or less according to the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ)-of 19 targeted food items. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate ORs and 95% CIs adjusted for demographic, lifestyle-related and disaster-related factors.

RESULTS: Of the participants, 14.7% suffered non-specific mental health distress, and 21.2% exhibited traumatic symptoms. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that the former were likely to have a low intake frequency of certain foods, such as rice and bread, fish, meat, vegetables or fruit (non-juice), soya bean products, milk, and yogurt or lactobacillus drinks; the latter were also likely to have a low intake frequency of certain foods, including rice and bread, fish, meat, vegetables (non-juice), milk and yogurt or lactobacillus drinks, but conversely consumed vegetable and fruit juices more often. These associations between dietary intake and non-specific mental health distress, as well as traumatic symptoms, were predominantly observed in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress after the Great East Japan Earthquake among evacuees was associated with a low intake frequency of certain foods, and the association was predominantly observed in women.

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Language: en