title: Meal services after the Great East Japan Earthquake at nursery schools in a tsunami-affected town: focus group observations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to collect information on experiences in the Great East Japan Earthquake (hereafter, 3.11), current preparedness, and barriers to building up stockpiles in nursery schools in affected areas. Based on the needs heard from the staff, we decided what contents should be included in our manual developed with the Japan Dietetic Association.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group interview was held in September 2012. We interviewed a principal, nurses, and registered dietitians working for a public and a private nursery school in Town A. We also invited an administrative dietitian who was an employee of Town A.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One of the barriers to building up stockpiles was that they did not have any idea of what and how many items they should store. To deal with this situation, we developed a formula that could be used to calculate the quantity of stockpiles for their facilities in a newly developed feeding manual. In terms of current preparedness, the registered dietitians were not prepared for alternative menus in emergencies or how to manage garbage when the garbage collection was disrupted by disasters. The manual recommends to obtain the services of at least two food service personnel and spare space for storing filled garbage bags until garbage collection resumes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some improvements in stocks were found in both of the public and private nursery schools. To improve the situation further, more financial support and detailed guidelines should be provided by the local government and authoritative organizations. Our manual should be a great asset for all nursery schools to improve their stockpiles.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amitani
authors.affiliation: Natural Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan. Email: sudo.noriko@ocha.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.affiliation: Section of the Dietary Reference Intakes, Department of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, NIBIOHN, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuboyama-Kasaoka
authors.affiliation: Miyagi Dietetic Association, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Japan Dietetic Association, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sako
mesh_terms: D004046:Dietetics; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D017144:Focus Groups; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D064686:Nutritionists; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D057192:Tsunamis