2015 Volume 53 Issue 3 Pages 373-382
The probability of a Nankai trough giant earthquake striking the Shikoku and Kinki regions within 30 years is reported to be 70%. In such a disaster situation, children and individuals with disabilities will require help with evacuation. We surveyed disaster awareness in 60 families that included children or individual with disabilities. We divided the family into 2 groups : those with and without disabled individual. Although both groups were found to have strong disaster anxiety, there was a significant difference in regard to awareness of disaster prevention. Families with disabled children showed a higher level of awareness of disaster prevention and disaster mitigation in comparison to those with children without disabilities. On the other hand, our results showed that the place of residence for families with disabled children tended to be far from a community evacuation center. Individuals with disabilities can be seriously affected by a disaster, thus it is important to understand their specific needs in disaster situations. Dental professionals can contribute in major public health disaster relief efforts. However, a personal support system should be established prior to taking part in community disaster plans.
