Attitudes toward future motherhood among female college students in Fukushima Prefecture at seven years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify factors related to confidence in future childbirth and infant care in regard to radiation exposure at 4 and 7 yr after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. A survey was conducted on 310 female college students in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in December 2015, and readministered to 275 students in November 2018. The analysis included 309 patients from 2015 and 253 from 2018. The Fukushima Future Parents Attitude Measure was used to assess attitudes about future childbirth and infant care in regard to radiation exposure. The results indicated that attitudes toward future childbirth were significantly influenced by self-esteem (β = –0.22), advice about radiation (β = 0.19), concerns about radiation effects on a future partner (β = –0.18), and college-related stress (β = 0.20). Moreover, attitudes toward infant care were influenced by self-esteem (β = –0.22) and perception of the genetic risks of radiation (β = –0.17). Therefore, to improve confidence in future childbirth and infant care among female college students in Fukushima, it is important to enhance self-esteem, reduce college-related stress, and create an environment where female college students feel comfortable discussing radiation concerns with experts and each other.