Abstract
Objective: We examined the relationship between applying the emergency manual for food service and the early resumption of food service, specifically after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 123 approved daycare centers in Sendai City, and their responses were gathered. “Group that completed the manual” referred to the groups that answered the questionnaire with, “Almost carried out a manual.” “Group that did not complete the manual” referred to the groups that answered, “Did not carry out a manual” or “Did not make a manual.” “Early resumption” referred to centers that resumed food service within three days of the earthquake. We estimated odds ratios (OR) of the early resumption of food service.
Results: The percentage of the daycare centers that carried out the emergency manual for food service was 24%. The centers that carried out the emergency manual for food service had a higher proportion of early food service resumption (multiple-adjusted OR, 6.99; 95% confidence interval: 1.28~38.29). We found a similar result even if we limited the centers to those that resumed daycare service within three days.
Conclusion: The centers that carried out the emergency manual for food service were associated with a higher proportion of early food service resumption. This result suggested that the emergency manual for food service is effective for the early resumption of food service.
