Persistent impact of housing loss on cognitive decline after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami: Evidence from a 6-year longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

We previously established that housing loss and residential dislocation in the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami was a risk factor for cognitive decline among older survivors. The present study extends the follow-up of survivors out to 6 years.

Methods

The baseline for our natural experiment was established in a survey of older community-dwelling adults who lived 80 km west of the epicenter 7 months before the earthquake and tsunami. Two follow-up surveys were conducted approximately 2.5 years and 5.5 years after the disaster to ascertain the housing status and cognitive decline from 2810 older individuals (follow-up rate through three surveys: 68.4%).

Results

The experience of housing loss was persistently associated with cognitive disability (coefficien

SUBMITTER: Hikichi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9117170 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature