Overview and result of the Fukushima Health Management Survey

Monday, 18 August 2014
Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)
Seiji Yasumura, MD , Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
Tetsuo Ishikawa , Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
Tetsuya Ohira, MD , Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Japan
Shunichi Yamashita , Nagasaki University, Nagasaki City, Japan
Kenji Kamiya , Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
Masafumi Abe , Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
The Fukushima Health Management Survey Group , Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Japan
INTRODUCTION: After the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, Fukushima Prefecture decided to launch "Fukushima Health Management Survey" in order to monitor and support residents’ long-term health and to promote their future well-being and to confirm whether long-term low-dose radiation exposure has any effect on health.

METHODS: Fukushima Health Management Survey comprises of basic survey and 4 detailed surveys. The basic survey is to estimate the level of external radiation exposure. Target population is all about 2.05 million Fukushima residents at time of March 11, 2011. Detailed surveys include “Thyroid ultrasound examination”, “Comprehensive health check”, “Mental health and lifestyle survey” and “Pregnancy and births survey”. All data including Whole Body Counter (WBC)and Dosimeter will be gathered to a database, and it will be utilized to support residents and analyze the radiation effect on health.

RESULTS: As for the basic survey, questionnaires were distributed from the end of July, 2011. Residents are required to give Information on their dwelling place, places visited, length of time indoors and outdoors, and travelling time during the period from 11 March to 11 July. By the end of September in 2013, 514,686 responded (response rate; 25.0%). The results for 451,364 respondents (excluding radiation workers) showed that the doses for 94.9% of the respondents were <2mSv and 66.1% of the respondents were <1mSv.

CONCLUSIONS: There are so many issues caused by the NPP accident now. Fukushima residents have more concerned about their health than ever and feel anxiety of their own health. Under such circumstances, we implemented the presented multifaceted Survey within one year after the disaster, in collaboration with many universities and institutions in Japan.

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