title: Non-communicable diseases in decontamination workers in areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster: a retrospective observational study.
abstract: To assess the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and whether NCDs were treated or not, among hospitalised decontamination workers who moved to radio-contaminated areas after Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster.
  
  
  
  We retrospectively extracted records of decontamination workers admitted to Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital between 1 June 2012 and 31 August 2015, from hospital records. We investigated the incidence of underlying NCDs such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes among the decontamination workers, and their treatment status, in addition to the reasons for their hospital admission.
  
  
  
  A total of 113 decontamination workers were admitted to the hospital (112 male patients, median age of 54 years (age range: 18-69 years)). In terms of the demographics of underlying NCDs in this population, 57 of 72 hypertensive patients (79.2%), 37 of 45 dyslipidaemic patients (82.2%) and 18 of 27 hyperglycaemic patients (66.7%) had not been treated for their NCDs before admission to the hospital.
  
  
  
  A high burden of underlying NCDs was found in hospitalised decontamination workers in Fukushima. Managing underlying diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus is essential among this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawano
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Protection, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8027-202X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubokura
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leppold
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital, Soma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Sae
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4133-3170
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.affiliation: Department of Home Medical Care, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Innovative Medicine, Jyoban Hospital, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Protection, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003666:Decontamination; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000073296:Noncommunicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009790:Occupations; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014937:Work; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIAL MEDICINE