Radiation risk perception, breast cancer anxiety, and mental distress among women who participated in breast cancer screening programs in Minamisoma City: Five years after Fukushima's 2011 triple disaster

Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine the extent of mental distress among women undergoing breast cancer screening in areas affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and to clarify the relationships between radiation risk perception, breast cancer anxiety, and mental distress among this population. Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 479 women visiting two core hospitals located more than 20 km north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for breast cancer screening. The questionnaire comprehensively assessed knowledge about breast cancer, risk perception related to breast cancer and radiation exposure, and mental distress. Descriptive analysis of the obtained variables was performed, and regression models for radiation risk perception, breast cancer anxiety, and mental distress were constructed to explore the relationships between these three main outcomes. Results The survey revealed that 47.4% of the women reported moderate mental distress. Participants who believed they had a high probability of developing breast cancer later in life under their current radiation exposure status showed significantly higher odds of experiencing breast cancer anxiety (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.76-5.08) and mental distress (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.19-2.59), though breast cancer anxiety itself was not significantly associated with mental distress. Conclusion The study found that about half of the surveyed 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 like breast cancer anxiety.