102 S . Ito and A . Goto : Radioprotection 2024 , 59 ( 2 ), 95 – 103
of access to a radiation consultant . Their indifference regarding both child-rearing and radiation implies a higher risk of sudden anxiety occurring at the time they plan a pregnancy or their partners become pregnant . As a part of long-term restoration activities , the continuous provision of information on radiation and health is warranted both within and outside Fukushima , as is the evaluation of such activities ( Murakami et al ., 2017 ).
In terms of prefectures , residents of Fukushima Prefecture who reported having a lower QOL were more anxious about future childbirth , as were people in other prefectures who reported having lower self-esteem . These results were similar to those in a previous study that investigated anxiety about future childbirth among female college students living in Fukushima Prefecture ( Ito et al ., 2018b ). In the present survey , the factors regarding anxiety about future childbirth differed between Fukushima and other prefectures in terms of QOL and self-esteem , but because these items are highly correlated , it is possible that there is little difference between prefectures . These results suggest that measures for anxiety about future childbirth due to radiation exposure should be integrated into more general mental health support in communities .
The main strength of this study is that it examined the need for measures to address anxiety about future childbirth and childcare associated with radiation exposure among not only expectant and nursing mothers in Fukushima Prefecture , but also men in Fukushima Prefecture and both men and women in other prefectures .
This study also has some limitations . First , we could not randomize the selection of the participants . Although the survey was conducted via an online survey company , the number of appropriately aged residents of Fukushima Prefecture was small . Because Fukushima Prefecture is a long prefecture stretching from east to west across the Aizu and Iwaki regions , residents may have vastly different attitudes toward radiation exposure . In addition , the social structure of the participants from Fukushima Prefecture is not representative of the entire population of Fukushima Prefecture , so the survey results should be generalized with caution . Second , the percentages for “ child or not ” and “ marital status ” differed among the four groups by prefecture and gender . In this study , a smaller percentage of men in Fukushima Prefecture were married and had children , whereas a larger percentage of women in Fukushima Prefecture were married and had children . These differences in the attributes of the respondents may have influenced their attitudes toward childbirth and childcare . Third , as this was a cross-sectional study , causal relationships could not be determined . For example , regardless of prefecture , with regard to women , those who did not wish to have children in the future reported having more anxiety about rearing children in the future . Whether women do not have children or do not wish to have children because they are anxious about future child-rearing as a result of radiation exposure remains unclear ; alternatively , women who are anxious about future family planning may also be anxious about radiation exposure . Finally , it ispossible that thosewhodidnotwish to have children , regardless of the effects of radiation , had concerns about future childbirth and child-rearing .
5 Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that concerns about future childbirth and childcare associated with radiation exposure vary by gender and prefecture . Therefore , it is important to create an environment where those who are anxious about future childbirth and childcare have access to the necessary information , regardless of gender or whether they live in an area that may be affected by a nuclear accident .
Acknowledgements
The authors disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research , authorship , and / or publication of this article . This work was supported by a “ Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists ( B )” ( Grant No . 16K21256 ) from the Japan Ministry of Education , Culture , Sports , Science and Technology and a “ Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists ” from the Japan Society of Private Colleges and Universities of Nursing .
Funding
This work was supported by a “ Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists ( B )” ( Grant No . 16K21256 ) from the Japan Ministry of Education , Culture , Sports , Science and Technology and a “ Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists ” from the Japan Society of Private Colleges and Universities of Nursing .
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest .
Data availability statement
The datasets generated and / or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request .
Author contribution statement
S . Ito : Conceptualization , Methodology , Writing original draft , Investigation , A . Goto : Supervision , Conceptualization , Editing .
Ethics approval
The Kitasato University School of Nursing ethics committee approved this study ( No . 2018-9-2 ).
Informed consent
Written informed consent was obtained from all patients and / or families .
References
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