Disaster anxiety and self-assistance behaviours among persons with cervical cord injury in Japan: a qualitative study.
OBJECTIVE
Persons with disabilities, especially those with a severe disability, have a vague anxiety about future disasters; however, the measures of self-assistance for disaster preparedness have not been standardised. The present study aimed to describe disaster-related anxiety and behaviours related to disaster preparedness among persons who have cervical cord injury in Japan.


METHODS
Qualitative study.


METHODS
Tokyo Metropolitan area, Japan.


METHODS
16 persons with cervical cord injury participated. Inclusion criteria were being 20 years old and older, being diagnosed with cervical cord injury, being able to communicate verbally, having an interest in disaster preparedness, and belonging to a self-help group of persons with cervical cord injury in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.


RESULTS
Participants usually had 'anxiety about health management' and it became more serious once they thought about a disaster. We identified three themes in relation to their anxiety: 'storing needed items,' 'staying in a safe place' and 'having reliable caregivers.' We also identified three other themes that were the reasons behind these themes: 'travel experiences,' 'experiences of failure' and 'information from peers.'


CONCLUSIONS
To buffer the anxiety about health management in a disaster, it would be important for persons with cervical cord injury to store needed items, stay in a safe place and have reliable caregivers. Various daily experiences, including experiences of failure, would encourage such behaviours.
Department of Social Rehabilitation, Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Saitama, Japan Institute of Gerontology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Kyo
K
Takahashi
Department of Social Rehabilitation, Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Saitama, Japan.
Yayoi
Y
Kitamura
D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017028:Caregivers; D066193:Cervical Cord / Q000293:injuries*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D014041:Tokyo
Anxiety; Disabled persons; Disasters; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; Spinal cord injury