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Incidence of Domestic Violence Against Pregnant Females After the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2016

Kasumi Sakurai*
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Hidekazu Nishigori
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Toshie Nishigori
Affiliation:
Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Satoshi Mizuno
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Taku Obara
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan Pharmaceutical Science, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
Noriyuki Iwama
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Zen Watanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Mami Ishikuro
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Nozomi Tatsuta
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Ichiko Nishijima
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Junichi Sugawara
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Ikuma Fujiwara
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Takahiro Arima
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Shinichi Kuriyama
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Hirohito Metoki
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
Fumiaki Takahashi
Affiliation:
Clinical Research, Innovation and Education Center, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan.
Kunihiko Nakai
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Nobuo Yaegashi
Affiliation:
Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
*
Corrrespondence and reprint requests to Kasumi Sakurai, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2–1 Seiryo Aoba Miyagi, Japan 980-8575 (e-mail: kasakurai69@gmail.com).

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to clarify the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and domestic violence (DV) against pregnant females after the disaster in Miyagi Prefecture, an area damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.

Methods

We analyzed 7600 pregnant females from June to December 2011. The incidence of physical and mental DV and the proportions in the inland, north coastal, and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and nationwide were calculated, and a chi-square test was conducted for comparison. The risk factors for DV were estimated with multivariate logistic regression analyses on a prefecture-wide basis.

Results

The incidence levels for physical DV were found to be 5.9% in the north coastal area, which was significantly higher than in the inland area (1.3%, P=0.0007) and nationwide (1.5%, P<0.0001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of mental DV between the 3 areas in Miyagi Prefecture (inland 15.2%, north coast 15.7%, and south coast 18.8%) or nationwide (13.8%). Experiencing disease or injury in someone close and changes in the family structure were significantly associated with mental DV in Miyagi Prefecture.

Conclusion

Continuous monitoring and support for pregnant females may be necessary to address this issue in disaster-affected areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:216–226)

Type
Original Research
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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