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Category: Articles

Published: Tuesday, 16 December 2025 17:13

W. Thu Zar, V. Hande, M. Orita, H. Matsunaga, J. Lochard, T. Schneider, N. Takamura

Revue Radioprotection 2025

Abstract

Following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Futaba Town experienced prolonged evacuation, leading to significant concerns among its residents, particularly regarding health. This study investigates the factors influencing residents’ desire to acquire radiation-related knowledge and put them in perspective with the specificity of the Futaba Community 13 years after the accident. In 2022, a structured questionnaire was distributed to Futaba residents and evacuees. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the responses, combining survey data with chi-square tests and binary logistic regression, as well as qualitative thematic analysis of the open-ended responses of the questionnaire. The qualitative findings revealed that the most common concern among respondents was the “health effects of radiation,” including its impact on children. Other frequently mentioned themes included “knowledge seeking,” “lack of trust,” “decontamination and waste,” “food products and water,” and “returning to Futaba”. Some participants also voiced frustration about not being heard by authorities and expressed opposition to nuclear energy. Quantitative results show that younger and middle-aged respondents have a higher interest in acquiring radiation-related knowledge compared to older people, and they are also more likely to participate in small roundtable discussions or individual consultations than their elders who prefer large lecture meetings. Given the complexity of the current situation these results raise a series of challenges concerning the possible implementation of the co-expertise process among the current Futaba population.

Radioprotection 2025

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