Prolonged Maternal and Child Health, Food and Nutrition Problems after the Kumamoto Earthquake: Semantic Network Analysis of Interviews with Dietitians

Abstract

Infants need sufficient nutrients even during disasters. Only qualitative descriptive analysis has been reported regarding nutritional problems of mothers and children after the Kumamoto earthquake, and non-subjective analysis is required. This study examined issues concerning maternal and child health, food and nutrition after the Kumamoto earthquake using automatic computer quantitative analysis from focus group interviews (FGIs). Study participants (n = 13) consisted of dietitians in charge of nutrition assistance of infants in affected areas. The content of the interviews was converted into text, nouns were extracted, and co-occurrence network diagram analysis was performed. In the severely damaged area, there were hygienic problems not only in the acute phase but also in the mid-to-long-term phase. “Allergy” was extracted in the surrounding area in the acute and the mid-to-long-term phase, but not in the severely damaged area as the acute phase issue. In the surrounding area, problems have shifted to health and the quality of diet in the mid-to-long-term phase. This objective analysis suggested that dietary problems for mothers and children after disaster occurred also in the mid-to-long-term phase. It will be necessary to combine the overall trends obtained in this study with the results of qualitative descriptive analysis.

Disaster Preparedness for Children With Food Allergies During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake—Observational Study

“…It is challenging to obtain allergen-free foods during a disaster. In the survey about food and nutrition issues after the Kumamoto arthquake 6 and the Torrential Rain Disaster in Western Japan, 13 Tsuboyama et al reported that FA was a prolonged problem in the disaster area. This problem did not appear immediately after the severe damage occurred in the affected disaster areas.…”

“…Their report suggested that considerations for FAs might have been impractical in these severely damaged regions because more immediate and pressing concerns have appeared. 6 …”

“…Moreover, it becomes difficult for them to acquire allergen-free foods. 6 Therefore, they must take sufficient precautionary measures and use social support systems during a disaster. 7 …”

“…There is a paucity of data regarding the status of children with FA during such large-scale disasters. 6 , 9 , 10 In this study, we investigated the impact of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake on children with FA and their guardians to determine precautions that should be taken by children with FAs and their parents in the event of future major disasters.…”

Similarities between Disaster Food and Space Food

“…Disaster food requires special consideration for in-fants, the elderly, and those requiring special care, but this is not the case with space food (25,29). However, as the number of people staying in space increases, space food, like disaster food, will need to respond to the diversification of eaters, and in the future, space food may be required for allergies, non-communicable diseases, and babies (30). "Bidirectional utilization of Japan Disaster Food and Japanese Space Food" is also expected to help increase business opportunities for producers of certified products.…”