Effect of Residence in Temporary Housing After the Great East Japan Earthquake on the Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Older Survivors

• Published in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 701 - 710
• Main Authors: Moriyama, Nobuaki, Urabe, Yukio, Onoda, Shuichi, Maeda, Noriaki, Oikawa, Tomoyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.12.2017
• Subjects: Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disasters; Earthquakes; Earthquakes - statistics & numerical data; Evacuations & rescues; Exercise; Exercise - psychology; Female; Frailty; Fukushima Nuclear Accident; Gender differences; Health surveys; Housing; Housing - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Japan; Male; Mental health; Nuclear accidents & safety; Nuclear power plants; Older people; Original Research; Population; Psychometrics - instrumentation; Psychometrics - methods; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Public health; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Seismic activity; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors - psychology; Survivors - statistics & numerical data; Systematic review; Temporary housing; Tsunamis; Japan; temporary housing; Great East Japan Earthquake; health-related quality of life; older survivors; physical activity
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2017.19

This study aimed to compare the physical activity level and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between older survivors residing in temporary housing after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; temporary housing group) and older individuals residing in their own homes (control group) and to clarify whether mobility function and muscle strength were correlated with physical activity among older temporary housing residents. Subjects were recruited to the temporary housing group (n=64, 19 men and 45 women) or control group (n=64, 33 men and 31 women) according to their residence. Physical activity was assessed by the number of walking steps determined by using a triaxial accelerometer, mobility function by the Timed Up and Go test, muscle strength by the grasping power test, and HRQOL by the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Survey v2. In the temporary housing group, reduced physical activity and correlation between physical activity and mobility function in men, and muscle strength in both men and women, were observed. There was no significant difference in HRQOL between groups except for bodily pain in women. Support for older evacuees should focus on maintaining their physical activity level as well as on HRQOL to avoid deterioration of health in these survivors. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:701-710).