Radiation Risk Perception, Breast Cancer Anxiety, and Mental Distress among Women Who Participated in Breast Cancer...

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster following the Great East Japan Earthquake did not cause significant physical health effects, but long-term mental distress persists, partly driven by radiation risk perception. Women, particularly those undergoing breast cancer screening in affected areas, may experience heightened breast cancer anxiety and mental distress. The interrelationships among radiation risk perception, breast cancer anxiety, and mental distress remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate these associations among women in Minamisoma, one of the municipalities most severely affected by the disaster.

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 479 women who attended breast cancer screening at two core breast cancer care centers located more than 20 km north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This cross-sectional study assessed breast cancer anxiety, risk perception of breast cancer and radiation exposure, and mental distress. Mental distress was evaluated using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scale, with scores ≥5 considered significant. Descriptive analyses and regression models were constructed to explore the relationships among these three outcomes.

Among participants, 47.4% (227/479) reported moderate mental distress. Higher odds of general breast cancer anxiety were observed among those who perceived a high likelihood of radiation-induced breast cancer (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76-5.08; p < 0.001). Higher odds of mental distress were also associated with belief in radiation-induced breast cancer (OR, 1.76; 95% CI: 1.19-2.59; p = 0.004). However, breast cancer anxiety itself was not significantly associated with mental distress (OR, 1.29; 95% CI: 0.83-2.01).

Approximately half of the women experienced moderate mental distress five years after the disaster. The results suggest that mental distress is heightened by radiation risk perception and underlying general health concerns, rather than specific factors such as breast cancer anxiety.