To investigate how the use or non-use of evacuation shelters, as well as the duration of use after an earthquake, affects the functional status of older residents in the community.
A survey was conducted targeting elderly residents aged 65 and over, living in a specific region of Noto, as of January 1, 2024, after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake occurred. The survey period was from early April to early July 2024. Participants were asked about their age and sex, whether they used an evacuation shelter, and the duration of their shelter use, and they were requested to complete the Kihon Checklist (KCL) to assess their functional status. Of the 959 respondents, 772 individuals with complete data were included in the analysis. The number of individuals who fell into each of the seven KCL domains (functional decline, physical function decline, malnutrition, oral function decline, isolation, cognitive decline, and depression) was then tallied. The participants were divided into three groups: Group A (no evacuation shelter use), Group B (use of an evacuation shelter for three days or less), and Group C (use of an evacuation shelter for four days or more). A 2×3 chi-squared test was conducted to examine the presence or absence of issues in each KCL domain. If significant differences were found, multiple comparison analysis was performed to determine which groups exhibited dependent distributions in their numbers.
In the analysis of the three groups as a whole, significant differences were found in the number of individuals classified and not classified as having physical function decline and depression (p 0.05). In the multiple comparisons, it was observed that both physical function decline and depression were more prevalent in Group C compared to Group A (p 0.05). No significant differences were found between the other groups.
The functional status of individuals who used evacuation shelters for more than four days was significantly impacted for three to six months post disaster, specifically in terms of physical function decline and depression, compared to those who did not use evacuation shelters.
The study findings provide directions for the kind of support older adults require after a disaster in terms of maintaining mobility and mental health. To ensure the health of older adults spending extended periods in shelters, it is important to provide information on health management and conduct regular assessments of the physical and mental functions of these individuals.
functional status
older adults
