Physical activity and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents living in an area affected by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami for 3years

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the change in physical activity levels among children and adolescents living in the area affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami for 3 years immediately following the disaster. Children and adolescents graded four to nine and attending school in the Pacific coastal area of northern Japan were included in a total of four serial prevalence investigations: the first at 6 months after the earthquake/tsunami (I, n = 434) and additional surveys at 1 year (II, n = 437), 2 years (III, n = 401), and 3 years (IV, n = 365) after the earthquake. Students were also required to undergo assessment of their accelerometer-determined daily steps and sedentary time using a self-administrated questionnaire. Accelerometer-determined median daily steps of children and adolescents were significantly different (p < 0.05) on both weekdays and weekends over 3 years. The median daily steps of children of both genders on weekdays and those of girls on weekends at period IV were significantly lower than those at period I. In addition, the median daily steps of adolescents on weekdays among girls and weekends among boys at period IV were significantly lower than those at period I. It appears that children and adolescents who survive the earthquake and tsunami experience a decrease in physical activity levels. Future research should elucidate longitudinal demographic and sociocultural factors that contribute to changes in physical activity levels among children and adolescents living in the areas affected by these disasters.

Long-term discordant fluctuation of chronic stress and immune biomarkers in children and adolescents affected by the Great East Japan earthquake

“…Therefore, girls may be more sensitive to chronic stress than boys in such disasters. According to the results of the present study, there was no gender difference in COR, but our previous study reported that there was a gender difference in the physical activity level of disaster-afflicted children and adolescents, and the difference continued after the disaster 37) . Therefore, it is considered that the difference between physical activity level and chronic stress sensitivity caused a difference in SF, and a concomitant change in SIgA-C.…”

“…*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. a 4th to 6th grade elementary school students, b 7th to 9th grade junior high school students. school students and female students 37) . Accordingly, it is hard to say whether the life environment of the disaster area has fully recovered, even after 5 years; and it is speculated that junior high school students, who had mentally unstable periods of puberty during this time, had a greater accumulation of mental influence than elementary school students.…”

Implications of COVID-19 control measures for diet and physical activity, and lessons for addressing other pandemics facing rapidly urbanising countries

“…These are the very conditions that have also been associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 [11]. Some evidence from other emergencies suggests that the deleterious effects of physical inactivity and sedentarism that begin during an outbreak may continue for some time after the end of the outbreak [12]. Conversely, this new reality may encourage more physical activity as people seek respite from being stuck at home, particularly if the reduction in traffic makes built environments more conducive to physical activity in public spaces.…”

Alteration of physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in young adults

“…However, a previous study has assessed the impact of natural disasters on physical activity. After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, there was a significant decrease in physical activity detectable over the three years following the disaster [ 3 ].…”

“…In the published literature, there is no existing data investigating changes in physical activity during pandemics. However, a previous study has shown a significant decrease in physical activity following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 [ 3 ].…”