2017 Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 3-11
This study clarifies the stress faced by mothers living in evacuation shelters, their feelings of isolation, the quality of life（QOL）, and anxieties concerning health consequences due to radiation post the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. A questionnaire was completed by mothers raising children while living in evacuation shelters（Group A）and mothers raising children while not living in evacuation shelters（Group B）. No significant difference was observed between the groups in the husbands’ responses to questions concerning child raising, childcare stress, and concerns about raising children. However, Group A had fewer people to consult besides their husbands compared to Group B. The percentage in Group A that showed the feelings of isolation was higher compared to that in Group B. In addition, QOL general health values of Group A were low. This indicates that these mothers still have anxieties concerning the influence of radiation on pregnancy, water, baby food, and human relations 4 years after the disaster.
The above results reveal that creating a child-raising network for mothers is essential to provide them with knowledge about radiation and hold meetings that encompass health impacts.
