Lifestyle Factors and Social Ties Associated with the Frequency of Laughter After the Great East Japan Earthquake: Fukushima Health Management Survey

Overview

Journal Qual Life Res

Specialties Pharmacology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2017 Dec 4

PMID 29198044

Citations 12

Authors

Mayumi Hirosaki

Tetsuya Ohira

Seiji Yasumura

Masaharu Maeda

Hirooki Yabe

Mayumi Harigane

Hideto Takahashi

Michio Murakami

Yuriko Suzuki

Hironori Nakano

Wen Zhang

Mayu Uemura

Masafumi Abe

Kenji Kamiya

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Although mental health problems such as depression after disasters have been reported, positive psychological factors after disasters have not been examined. Recently, the importance of positive affect to our health has been recognised. We therefore investigated the frequency of laughter and its related factors among residents of evacuation zones after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study on 52,320 participants aged 20 years and older who were included in the Fukushima Health Management Survey in Japan's fiscal year 2012, associations of the frequency of laughter with changes in lifestyle after the disaster, such as a changed work situation, the number of family members, and the number of address changes, and other sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors were examined using logistic regression analysis. The frequency of laughter was assessed using a single-item question: "How often do you laugh out loud?"

Results: The proportion of those who laugh almost every day was 27.1%. Multivariable models adjusted for sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors demonstrated that an increase in the number of family members and fewer changes of address were significantly associated with a high frequency of laughter. Mental health, regular exercise, and participation in recreational activities were also associated with a high frequency of laughter.

Conclusion: Changes in lifestyle factors after the disaster were associated with the frequency of laughter in the evacuation zone. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine what factors can increase the frequency of laughter.

Citing Articles

Association of laughter and social communication with oral frailty among residents in Fukushima: a cross-sectional study.

Funakubo N, Okazaki K, Hayashi F, Eguchi E, Nishimagi M, Nakano H Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):26818.

PMID: 39500960 PMC: 11538540. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-77966-7.

Effects of a laughter program on body weight and mental health among Japanese people with metabolic syndrome risk factors: a randomized controlled trial.

Funakubo N, Eguchi E, Hayashi R, Hirosaki M, Shirai K, Okazaki K BMC Geriatr. 2022; 22(1):361.

PMID: 35461239 PMC: 9035242. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03038-y.

Association between Laughter and Lifestyle Diseases after the Great East Japan Earthquake: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

Eguchi E, Ohira T, Nakano H, Hayashi F, Okazaki K, Harigane M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(23).

PMID: 34886425 PMC: 8657190. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312699.

Mental Health Consequences of the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Nuclear Disasters: A Scoping Review.

Oe M, Takebayashi Y, Sato H, Maeda M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(14).

PMID: 34299933 PMC: 8304648. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147478.

Depression, risk factors, and coping strategies in the context of social dislocations resulting from the second wave of COVID-19 in Japan.

Fukase Y, Ichikura K, Murase H, Tagaya H BMC Psychiatry. 2021; 21(1):33.

PMID: 33435930 PMC: 7802816. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03047-y.

References

Kunii Y, Suzuki Y, Shiga T, Yabe H, Yasumura S, Maeda M . Severe Psychological Distress of Evacuees in Evacuation Zone Caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: The Fukushima Health Management Survey. PLoS One. 2016; 11(7):e0158821. PMC: 4938533. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158821. View

Kotani K . Socio-psychological activities associated with laughter in older Japanese females. Arch Med Res. 2005; 37(1):186-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2005.05.006. View

Hayashi K, Kawachi I, Ohira T, Kondo K, Shirai K, Kondo N . Laughter is the Best Medicine? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Japanese Adults. J Epidemiol. 2016; 26(10):546-552. PMC: 5037252. DOI: 10.2188/jea.JE20150196. View

Hirosaki M, Ishimoto Y, Kasahara Y, Konno A, Kimura Y, Fukutomi E . Positive affect as a predictor of lower risk of functional decline in community-dwelling elderly in Japan. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2013; 13(4):1051-8. DOI: 10.1111/ggi.12008. View

Pressman S, Cohen S . Does positive affect influence health?. Psychol Bull. 2005; 131(6):925-971. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925. View

Kimata H . Effect of humor on allergen-induced wheal reactions. JAMA. 2001; 285(6):738. DOI: 10.1001/jama.285.6.738. View

Kucharska J . Sex differences in the appraisal of traumatic events and psychopathology. Psychol Trauma. 2016; 9(5):575-582. DOI: 10.1037/tra0000244. View

Horikoshi N, Iwasa H, Kawakami N, Suzuki Y, Yasumura S . Residence-related factors and psychological distress among evacuees after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 2016; 16(1):420. PMC: 5121974. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1134-9. View

Zadeh R, Shepley M, Williams G, Chung S . The impact of windows and daylight on acute-care nurses' physiological, psychological, and behavioral health. HERD. 2014; 7(4):35-61. DOI: 10.1177/193758671400700405. View

10.

Vercambre M, Gilbert F . Respondents in an epidemiologic survey had fewer psychotropic prescriptions than nonrespondents: an insight into health-related selection bias using routine health insurance data. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012; 65(11):1181-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2012.05.002. View

11.

Blanchard E, Buckley T, Forneris C . Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist (PCL). Behav Res Ther. 1996; 34(8):669-73. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(96)00033-2. View

12.

Mora S, Cook N, Buring J, Ridker P, Lee I . Physical activity and reduced risk of cardiovascular events: potential mediating mechanisms. Circulation. 2007; 116(19):2110-8. PMC: 2117381. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.729939. View

13.

Kuwabara H, Shioiri T, Toyabe S, Kawamura T, Koizumi M, Ito-Sawamura M . Factors impacting on psychological distress and recovery after the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake, Japan: community-based study. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008; 62(5):503-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01842.x. View

14.

Kawachi I, Berkman L . Social ties and mental health. J Urban Health. 2001; 78(3):458-67. PMC: 3455910. DOI: 10.1093/jurban/78.3.458. View

15.

Shahidi M, Mojtahed A, Modabbernia A, Mojtahed M, Shafiabady A, Delavar A . Laughter yoga versus group exercise program in elderly depressed women: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010; 26(3):322-7. DOI: 10.1002/gps.2545. View

16.

Furukawa T, Kawakami N, Saitoh M, Ono Y, Nakane Y, Nakamura Y . The performance of the Japanese version of the K6 and K10 in the World Mental Health Survey Japan. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2008; 17(3):152-8. PMC: 6878390. DOI: 10.1002/mpr.257. View

17.

Tracy M, Norris F, Galea S . Differences in the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression after a mass traumatic event. Depress Anxiety. 2011; 28(8):666-75. PMC: 3145817. DOI: 10.1002/da.20838. View

18.

Shing E, Jayawickreme E, Waugh C . Contextual Positive Coping as a Factor Contributing to Resilience After Disasters. J Clin Psychol. 2016; 72(12):1287-1306. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22327. View

19.

Fredrickson B, Tugade M, Waugh C, Larkin G . What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003; 84(2):365-76. PMC: 2755263. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.365. View

20.

Kessler R, Barker P, Colpe L, Epstein J, Gfroerer J, Hiripi E . Screening for serious mental illness in the general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003; 60(2):184-9. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.60.2.184. View