title: Health effects of a farming program to foster community social capital of a temporary housing complex of the 2011 great East Japan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We launched a health promotion program called the Hamarassen ("let's get together") Farm, which provided farming opportunities for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake who resided in temporary housing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of this program on physical and mental health in terms of bone mineral density (BMD) and a sense of purpose in life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 39 female participants in whom BMD was evaluated, there were 12 Hamarassen participants, 8 self-farming control subjects, and 19 non-farming control subjects. BMD was measured by calcaneal quantitative ultrasound immediately after the project launch and 5 months later. A sense of purpose in life prior to and 2 months after the project's commencement was measured in 21 additional Hamarassen participants by use of the K-I Scale. Interviews were also conducted to qualitatively evaluate the effects of the Hamarassen program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean BMD T-score improved by 0.43 in the Hamarassen group, by 0.33 in the self-farming group, and by 0.06 in the controls (p=0.02). Among the 21 Hamarassen participants in whom mental health was evaluated, the average score for a sense of purpose in life improved from 20.5 to 24.9 (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Hamarassen Farm provided disaster victims with opportunities for social participation, interpersonal interaction, and physical exercise; such opportunities may improve physical and psychosocial well-being.
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Sho
authors: S
authors: Takahashi
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Mikihito
authors: M
authors: Ishiki
authors: 2University of Tokyo,Department of Health and Social Behavior,School of Public Health,Tokyo,Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Kondo
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Aiko
authors: A
authors: Ishiki
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Toriyama
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Shuko
authors: S
authors: Takahashi
authors: 3Department of Pediatrics,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Hidenori
authors: H
authors: Moriyama
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Ueno
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Shimanuki
authors: 4Department of Ophthalmology,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Kanno
authors: 3Department of Pediatrics,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Tomoharu
authors: T
authors: Oki
authors: 1Department of Internal Medicine,Iwate Prefectural Takata Hospital,Rikuzentakata,Japan.
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Tabata
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D015519:Bone Density; D064891:Disaster Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011638:Public Housing; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D066270:Social Capital; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: earthquakes