title: Identifying Residents' Health Issues Six Weeks after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics and health issues of residents in need of assistance in a town affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, six weeks after the disaster, through an outreach initiative.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional qualitative design was used. Public health nurses conducted comprehensive semi-structured interviews during home visits with residents. A total of 5,082 residents from the affected town.
  
  
  METHODS
  These included demographic information, public records of the extent of the damages, and qualitative interview data to determine the urgency of the necessary interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 281 residents needed some kind of assistance and were identified as "requiring early intervention (within two weeks)" or "requiring assistance (within 12 weeks)." The most common health issue requiring early intervention was "interruption of treatment" (25.0%), followed by "need for mental care." The most frequent health issue requiring assistance within 12 weeks was the "need for mental health care" (39.7%), followed by "interruption of treatment," and "need for nursing care."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During a disaster, it is imperative to identify cases requiring early intervention. Home-visit interviews were necessary to identify existing health concerns to prevent the development of more serious health problems.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Iwate College of Nursing, Iwate, Japan.
authors.forename: Ruriko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nursing, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.affiliation: Ehime Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Michie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.affiliation: Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jojima
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koide
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.affiliation: Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murashima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: disasters; earthquakes; prevention and control; public health nurses; symptom assessment; tsunamis