Yoshida Junko, Eguchi Eri, Hayashi Fumikazu, Maeda Masaharu, Yabe Hirooki, Yasumura Seiji, Ohira Tetsuya
Department of Nutrition and Health Science, Faculty of Life Science Biotechnology, Fukuyama University, Gakuen-cho1, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, 729-0292, Japan.
Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Hikarigaoka 1, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
BMC Nutr. 2025 May 2;11(1):88. doi: 10.1186/s40795-025-01059-5.
Changes in diet following the Great East Japan Earthquake may affect the mental health of evacuees. However, a large-scale data analysis on this topic is still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the frequency of food intake per week and psychological distress and traumatic reactions among Fukushima residents two years after the disaster.
Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the relationship between food intake frequency and psychological distress or traumatic reactions between individuals with and without evacuation experience. The study used data from the fiscal year (FY) 2012 Survey on Mental Health and Lifestyle two years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. A total of 42,160 participants aged 30-89 years were included in this study. Those who lived in the evacuation area after the earthquake and were residing in temporary housing or evacuation centers were categorized as having evacuation experience.
Non-evacuees and evacuees who consumed rice more frequently (≥ 5 times/week) had lower rates of psychological distress and traumatic symptoms. Furthermore, both non- evacuees and evacuees who frequently consumed light-colored vegetables and fruits exhibited less psychological distress, whereas those who frequently consumed vegetable juice (for only non-evacuees) and fruit juice (for both non-evacuees and evacuees) exhibited more psychological distress and traumatic symptoms.
These findings indicate a potential relationship between dietary choices and mental health among residents in the evacuation area two years after an earthquake. It will be necessary to elucidate this relationship in more detail through longitudinal research in the future.
东日本大地震后饮食的变化可能会影响撤离者的心理健康。然而，关于这一主题的大规模数据分析仍然缺乏。因此，本研究旨在调查灾难发生两年后福岛居民每周食物摄入频率与心理困扰及创伤反应之间的关系。
进行多变量调整逻辑回归分析，以预测有无撤离经历的个体之间食物摄入频率与心理困扰或创伤反应之间的关系。该研究使用了东日本大地震两年后的2012财年心理健康与生活方式调查数据。本研究共纳入了42160名年龄在30 - 89岁之间的参与者。地震后居住在撤离区并居住在临时住房或撤离中心的人被归类为有撤离经历。
更频繁食用大米（≥5次/周）的非撤离者和撤离者心理困扰和创伤症状的发生率较低。此外，经常食用浅色蔬菜和水果的非撤离者和撤离者心理困扰都较少，而经常饮用蔬菜汁（仅针对非撤离者）和果汁（针对非撤离者和撤离者）的人心理困扰和创伤症状更多。
这些发现表明地震两年后撤离区居民的饮食选择与心理健康之间存在潜在关系。未来有必要通过纵向研究更详细地阐明这种关系。
