Relocation after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Cognitive Decline Among Affected Residents

The survey aimed to clarify the factors affecting the health status of the elderly living in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, based on residents' living conditions and recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. I analyzed the impact of relocation on the cognitive abilities of residents in the affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake using the results of an original questionnaire survey. Tohoku University' s Research Center for Aged Economy and Society surveyed the health status of elderly adults eight years after the disaster from March 26?28, 2019. In this paper, I compared the group means concerning those who did and did not relocate using three variables: the dementia risk index, professionally diagnosed dementia, and symptoms of dementia. Eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, several residents of the affected areas relocated. The results of our analysis indicated a close relationship between relocation and cognitive ability. Specifically, the group that relocated had worse health than those who did not. According to the regression analysis results, the relocation dummy was significant, and positively affected the cognitive ability (dementia risk index and professionally diagnosed dementia) of the elderly. In addition, the interaction between the relocation dummy and dummies who visited friends more than once a week was significantly negative. For older adults who relocated, visiting friends at least once a week was associated with improved cognitive performance. Therefore, it is crucial to create an environment that is conducive to interaction between residents.