Cross-Sectional Study on Risk of Flooding and Landslides and Their Associated Perceptions Among Home Health-Care Patients Living in Fukui Prefecture, Japan

Yoshida, Makoto; Miyatake, Hirotomo; Masunaga, Hidehisa; Kosaka, Makoto; Kaneda, Yudai; Kotera, Yasuhiro; Nishikawa, Yoshitaka; Tsunetoshi, Chie; Yoshida, Izumi; Ogawa, Fubuki; Ozaki, Akihiko; Beniya, Hiroyuki

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a risk of flooding and landslides among home-care patients, to reveal an extent to which patients require support for evacuation, and to determine whether risk was accurately perceived among the patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study targeting the patients who were actively treated at the home-care clinic in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. We collected data on the patients’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Additionally, we collected data on their risk of flooding and landslides through hazard maps and distributed a questionnaire to these patients regarding their risk awareness of flooding and landslides.

Results: Of the 199 eligible home-care patients, 84.9% (169 of 199) were at risk of flooding and/or landslides, and 58.6% (99 of 169) of them needs support during evacuation. Furthermore, of those who were at risk of flooding and/or landslides, 46.0% (45 of 99) had accurate risk assessments. Factors that resulted in inadequate risk awareness of flooding and landslides included: not placing importance on evacuation, not using medical equipment, and living on the first floor.

Conclusions: There was limited risk awareness of flooding and/or landslides among the home-care patients. The information of the risk factors regarding inadequate risk awareness of flooding and landslides should be used to sophisticate flooding and landslides evacuation strategy.

Citation

Yoshida, M., Miyatake, H., Masunaga, H., Kosaka, M., Kaneda, Y., Kotera, Y., Nishikawa, Y., Tsunetoshi, C., Yoshida, I., Ogawa, F., Ozaki, A., & Beniya, H. (2023). Cross-Sectional Study on Risk of Flooding and Landslides and Their Associated Perceptions Among Home Health-Care Patients Living in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17(2), Article E264. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2022.210

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 13, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 13, 2022
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 3, 2023
• Journal: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
• Print ISSN: 1935-7893
• Electronic ISSN: 1938-744X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2
• Article Number: E264
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2022.210
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/12613683
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/article/crosssectional-study-on-risk-of-flooding-and-landslides-and-their-associated-perceptions-among-home-healthcare-patients-living-in-fukui-prefecture-japan/8F586