Negative Aspects of Self-Imposed Evacuation among Mothers of Small Children Following Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident

Abstract

This study clarified the negative aspects of the self-imposed evacuation of mothers of small children seeking to avoid radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident on 11 March 2011. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 mothers, employing open-ended inquiries based on an interview guide. Our analysis of their responses using the Ka-Wakita-Jiro (KJ) method categorized the results into eight distinct groups comprising 142 labels. These categories included continued anxiety about the health effects of radiation, differences in risk perception, changes in spousal relationships, the inability to make friends and find support, living as a single parent, financial concerns, the unfamiliar feel of the area to which they evacuated, and uncertainty about the future. Despite their hardships, the mothers continued their self-imposed evacuation to avoid radioactivity. Our findings underscore that their anxieties about radiation exposure persisted even after self-imposed evacuation, leading to deteriorated relationships with key individuals who would have been involved in raising their children. These results offer valuable insights into the challenges experienced by the indirect victims of the nuclear accident, such as the mothers of small children.