Association between food intake frequency and psychological distress following the Great East Japan Earthquake: the Fukushima Health Management Survey FY 2012.

Background: Changes in diet following the Great East Japan Earthquake may affect the mental health of evacuees. However, a large-scale data analysis on this topic is still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the frequency of food intake per week and psychological distress and traumatic reactions among Fukushima residents two years after the disaster.

Methods: Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the relationship between food intake frequency and psychological distress or traumatic reactions between individuals with and without evacuation experience. The study used data from the fiscal year (FY) 2012 Survey on Mental Health and Lifestyle two years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. A total of 42,160 participants aged 30-89 years were included in this study. Those who lived in the evacuation area after the earthquake and were residing in temporary housing or evacuation centers were categorized as having evacuation experience.

Results: Non-evacuees and evacuees who consumed rice more frequently (≥ 5 times/week) had lower rates of psychological distress and traumatic symptoms. Furthermore, both non- evacuees and evacuees who frequently consumed light-colored vegetables and fruits exhibited less psychological distress, whereas those who frequently consumed vegetable juice (for only non-evacuees) and fruit juice (for both non-evacuees and evacuees) exhibited more psychological distress and traumatic symptoms.

Conclusion: These findings indicate a potential relationship between dietary choices and mental health among residents in the evacuation area two years after an earthquake. It will be necessary to elucidate this relationship in more detail through longitudinal research in the future.