Alcohol drinking behaviors among general residents in Fukushima after Fukushima nuclear disasters

Purpose: The nuclear disaster in the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plants (FDNPP) on March, 2011 occurred following huge earthquakes and tsunamis. Many people living in Fukushima were concerned about radiation levels. This study clarified the characteristics led to alcohol drinking behaviors among general residents in Fukushima during 7-8 months after the nuclear disaster.

Methods: This study design was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey conducted among general residents 7-8 months following the nuclear disasters in Fukushima. The subjects were 5000 residents who lived in a city about 60km away from the FDNPP, where was not an evacuation zone, and were randomly selected over 20 years old from the Residential Register. Of 2325 responses, 1892 eligible responses were included in this study. This anonymous questionnaire survey was asking for characteristics and questionnaire on alcohol drinking behaviors following the nuclear disasters.

Results: Comparing with alcohol drinking behaviors one year before the disaster, the most residents replied amounts and frequencies of alcohol drinking not to change both in men and women. Among the residents who had the changes of alcohol drinking behaviors, the most residents decreased the amounts of alcohol drinking. Approximately 5% of the residents both in men and women had more behaviors with both amounts and frequencies of alcohol drinking than that in one year before the disaster.

Conclusion: These results provides that, in the area about 60km away from the nuclear accident power plants, alcohol drinking behaviors in some of the residents were influenced mainly negatively 7-8 months following the nuclear disasters.