title: Changes in Cognitive Functions in the Elderly Living in Temporary Housing after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
abstract: On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and subsequent enormous tsunamis. This disaster destroyed many coastal cities and caused nearly 20,000 casualties. In the aftermath of the disaster, many tsunami survivors who lost their homes were forced to live in small temporary apartments. Although all tsunami survivors were at risk of deteriorating health, the elderly people were particularly at a great risk with regard to not only their physical health but also their mental health. In the present study, we performed a longitudinal cohort study to investigate and analyze health conditions and cognitive functions at 28, 32, and 42 months after the disaster in the elderly people who were forced to reside in temporary apartments in Kesennuma, a city severely damaged by the tsunamis. The ratio of people considered to be cognitively impaired significantly increased during the research period. On the other hand, the mean scores of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6 and Athens Insomnia Scale improved based on the comparison between the data at 24 and 42 months. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that frequency of "out-of-home activities" and "walking duration" were independently associated with an increase in the ratio of people with cognitive impairment. We concluded that the elderly people living in temporary apartments were at a high risk of cognitive impairment and "out-of-home activities" and "walking" could possibly maintain the stability of cognitive functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishiki
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okinaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagatomi
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taki
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control and Immunology and Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Healthcare and Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health and Development Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koseki
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055866:Earthquakes; D060447:Emergency Shelter; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D062486:Public Health Surveillance