Annual prevalence of non-communicable diseases and identification of vulnerable populations following the Fukushima disaster and COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Disasters, pandemics, and their response measures can have secondary effects on the physical and psychological health of affected populations. Identifying populations vulnerable to these effects is beneficial for promoting effective health and prevention strategies. Using health insurance receipt data from 2009 to 2020, we assessed changes in prevalence of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and mental disorders, among affected populations before and after the Fukushima disaster and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Japan. Furthermore, age and sex groups with the largest increases in prevalence after these events were identified. The participants of this study were members of the Employees’ Health Insurance scheme, including employees of companies and their dependent family members. The dataset was provided by JMDC Inc. The annual age-adjusted prevalence of each disease was used to calculate the ratio of disease prevalence before and after the events. After the Fukushima disaster, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes generally increased over a 9-year period in Fukushima Prefecture. The increase in the prevalence rate of these three NCDs and mental disorders were the highest among females aged 40–74 years compared to males and the other age groups. The prevalence of all four diseases increased after the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan, with marked increase in males aged 0–39 years. Populations that have experienced secondary health effects such as NCDs are unique to each disaster or pandemic, and it is important to provide tailor-made public health support among populations in accordance to the type of disasters and pandemic.HighlightsWe assessed secondary health effects of Fukushima disaster and COVID-19 pandemicNon-communicable diseases increased after the disaster and COVID-19 pandemicThe increase rates were higher among females aged 40–74 years after the disasterThe increase rates were higher among males aged 0–39 years after COVID-19 pandemicIt is important to provide tailor-made public health support among populations