Frontiers in Disaster and Emergency Medicine (Apr 2024)

Factors associated with anxiety about handling contaminated patients during a nuclear disaster among disaster medical assistant teams in Japan: a cross-sectional study

  • Hisami Shibata,
  • Takumi Yamaguchi,
  • Takumi Yamaguchi,
  • Takumi Yamaguchi,
  • Yumiko Yamada,
  • Tetsuko Shinkawa,
  • Hideko Urata,
  • Yuko Matsunari

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/femer.2024.1361236
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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IntroductionJapanese Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) are pivotal in disaster response, especially during nuclear crises. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with anxiety among Japanese DMAT personnel when handling contaminated patients during nuclear disasters.Materials and methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 609 Japanese DMAT members from Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan, were surveyed. Multivariate binomial logistic regression was used to determine anxiety predictors.ResultsOf the 276 respondents, 77.2% expressed anxiety about managing contaminated patients. Women and younger team members expressed the highest level of anxiety associated with handling contaminated patients during nuclear disasters.ConclusionThis study revealed heightened anxiety among female and younger Japanese DMAT personnel regarding the handling of contaminated patients during nuclear disasters. Targeted training addressing these concerns is essential for effective disaster response.

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