Social Capital and Dietary Intakes Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Abstract

Our findings suggest that social capital plays a role in promoting healthy dietary intake among women in disaster-affected areas.

Motivation for and Effect of Cooking Class Participation: A Cross-Sectional Study Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

“…So far, empirical studies suggest that social support is an effective way to improve their quality of life [ 38 , 39 ]. Studies suggest the effectiveness of social support [ 37 , 38 ], but no specific support system has been presented [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]. However, at the practical level, taking out the withdrawn or isolated elderly is difficult [ 43 ].…”

“…Given the above negative issues in previous studies [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ], this study presented a new support measure for survivors in disaster-affected areas by hosting cooking classes to encourage the social participation of the elderly. Specifically, we considered TAF activities to be useful for building social connections among residents.…”

Increased incidence of metabolic syndrome among older survivors relocated to temporary housing after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake & tsunami

“…The average number of meals per day during the preceding several days was classified into two categories: <3 times a day versus ≥3 times a day. Dietary intake was classified into two categories: good dietary intake (intake of staple food ≥ three times a day, intake of meat, fish and shellfish eggs, or soybean products ≥ twice a day, vegetable intake ≥ twice a day, and intake of fruit or dairy products ≥ once a day), and poor dietary intake (others) [ 11 ].…”

“…Social network was assessed by the Lubben’s Social Network Scale [ 21 , 22 ]. Social capital was assessed using 4 questions on social cohesion, including the residents’ perceptions of trust in the community and levels of mutual help [ 11 ]. Overweight was defined as a BMI of ≥25 kg/m 2 .…”

“…Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined by a constellation of risk factors including abdominal obesity, high cholesterol level, elevated fasting glucose, and elevated blood pressure [ 10 ]. Given previous reports of associations between relocation to prefabricated temporary housing and increased risks of sedentarism, worsened diet quality [ 11 ], and weight gain, we hypothesized that this type of accommodation would be reflected by adverse shifts in metabolic profiles. The aim of the present study was to therefore document the 5-year cumulative incidence of MetS among survivors of the 2011 disaster according to different types of post-disaster accommodation.…”