A Goto
Biographic Data
| ID | 14998 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A Goto |
| GIVEN NAMES | A |
| FAMILY NAME | Goto |
| SIGNATURE | GOTO A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Fukushima Medical University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7927-7648 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 34 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 34 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Urban violence
Association Between Daily Convenience Store Use and Social Capital Among Young People in Japan
The number of convenience stores in Japan has increased dramatically since their introduction in the 1970s, offering a wide range of essential services. However, epidemiological research on their use and public health impacts remains limited. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of frequent convenience store users and the association between daily use and social capital, measured as general trust in one's neighbors and trust in mutual …
Disciplinary Research Ethics Cultures in Disaster Settings
Research ethics can be bound by implicit disciplinary understandings of what constitutes risk and how these should be mitigated in the field. The area of health research in post-disaster contexts draws in researchers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in a range of questions. In analysing researchers' experiences of research ethics in the context of the 3.11 disaster in Japan, this paper investigates the ways in which disciplinary c…
What does it mean to conduct ethical research after disasters? A case study of the 3.11 disaster in Japan
The 3.11 disaster in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, is a useful case study through which to interrogate research ethics. This region has been the site of a high degree of research interest, which sometimes presented a source of stress to local communities. This study examines researcher perspectives on the ethics of post-disaster health research. Qualitative interviews were conducted with these informants, who noted that recovering communities expe…
Understandability of passive smoking prevention leaflets in Japan
Purpose There are few studies in Japan evaluating informational materials about passive smoking prevention with respect to health literacy. This study applied a range of health literacy assessment tools to assess the understandability of public-sector leaflets about passive smoking prevention. Methods We collected 26 anti-passive smoking leaflets published online by Japanese prefectural governments. We used three internationally recognized health…
Participatory approaches for developing a practical handbook integrating health information for supporting individuals with mild cognitive impairment and their families
AIM: This study aimed to develop a patient-centred handbook that integrates information on lifestyle modifications and psychological support strategies for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This article provides a comprehensive record of the development process. METHODS: We adopted a participatory research model for the methodology, which comprised five phases and involved an interdisciplinary team specializing in dementia and hea…
Association of health literacy with anxiety about Covid-19 under an infectious disease pandemic in Japan
We quantitatively analysed the relationship of health literacy with both anxiety about the COVID-19 outbreak and free-text qualitative data. A questionnaire was mailed to 5450 citizens aged 16–89 years in four prefectures between late April and May 2020. It gauged the level of anxiety about COVID-19, assessed health literacy (HL) on both critical and communicative HL subscales, and invited free-text responses. We compared anxiety levels in three …
Daily meals in context
To investigate school-age children's perspectives on food and nutrition, we pilot tested a method to quantify and analyze crayon drawings collected from students in health education classes at two elementary schools in Fukushima, Japan. Included were 28 students in a mixed class of first and second graders and 26 students in a fourth-grade class. Specific foods, general shapes, and color choices in children's drawings were entered into a spreadsh…
Patient Views on Quality of Life and Hospital Care
Objectives This study aimed to fill the gap between Vietnamese diabetic patients' needs and care through a qualitative study asking about their experiences with diabetes and quality of care. Methods Interviews with five diabetic patients were conducted at a tertiary general hospital located in southern Vietnam. The transcribed data were first subjected to quantitative text analysis using KH Coder to identify major categories of frequently used wo…
On-site training program for public health nurses in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Primary health care practitioners’ perception of patient loneliness in Japanese older adults
Loneliness is a serious social issue in Japan. We aimed to examine the frequency and patient characteristics of Japanese family physicians and nurses overlooking or misjudging patient loneliness. This cross-sectional study involved 470 patients aged 50 years or older who visited two family medicine clinics in Fukushima Prefecture in August 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test and logistic regression models. Patient …
Empowering Children as Agents of Change to Foster Resilience in Community
The "Creative Heath" project, a participatory school activity to foster community resilience, was implemented in Fukushima, Japan, and children's experiences of the project were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The project consists of three workshops: BODY, FOOD, and ACT, with activities to facilitate students' scientific and creative thinking, working in teams, presenting, and expressing their opinions. The first two schools parti…
Differences in Data Trustworthiness and Risk Perception between Bar Graphs and Pictograms
We investigated whether differences in presentation style affect risk perception, understanding, preference, and trust toward data. One hundred and sixty Fukushima Medical University students were shown the lifetime probability of breast cancer incidence for a 50-year-old woman, presented in both a pictogram and a horizontal bar graph format. Participants rated each of the following on a five-point scale by looking at each figure: risk perception…
Empirical Evaluation of Understandability and Usability of Health Handbooks Commonly Used in Japan
Objective: Various types of handbooks that summarize and record health information (health handbooks) have been used in Japan for many years. The purpose of this study was to explore ways to evaluate the understandability and usability of commonly used printed health handbooks in Japan. Methods: An internet search was performed to identify health handbooks used in Japan. The handbooks were then collected, searched, and evaluated for the quality a…
May risk communication with non-experts contribute to post-disaster restoration of normalcy? A survey on the disaster-struck prefectures after the Great East Japan Earthquake
Post-disaster risk communication's primary goal is to restore a sense of normalcy for residents who have faced hardships. The Fukushima and Miyagi prefectural residents who experienced severe damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake were the participants (men = 257, women = 296, age = 58.40 ± 14.85) of this study, which investigated a mediation model of effective risk communication on restoring a sense of normalcy. The characteristics of risk …
Tailoring Digital Tools to Address the Radiation and Health Information Needs of Returnees after a Nuclear Accident
Digital tools are increasingly used for health promotion, but their utility during recovery from a nuclear disaster has yet to be established. This study analysed differences in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward digital tools for radiation protection and health promotion, and preferences for specific application functions, among cohorts living within and outside areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (FDNPS) ac…
User-Guided Design of a Digital Tool for Health Promotion and Radiation Protection
People with a higher eHL had a more positive KAP. For those with a lower eHL, we are formulating easy-to-understand explanations to promote the utilization of the digital tool and enthusiasm for future community-oriented digital tools
Father‐child bonding among Japanese fathers of infants
We aimed to clarify the factor structure of a bonding measure among Japanese fathers with infants and the factors associated with the subscales. Among fathers of children attending the 4‐month health checkup, the Japanese version of the Mother‐to‐Infant Bonding Scale had a two‐factor structure comprising “anger” and “lack of affection.” Anger was associated with fathers’ work demands and poor mental condition, and lack of affection with fathers’ …
Developing Health Communication Materials During a Pandemic
As the COVID-19 virus spread rapidly around the world, information related to the pandemic also spread quickly and in massive amounts. Uncertainty and unknowns about the pandemic together with the explosion of information created confusion and fear among many populations. A major challenge for public health practitioners is to provide clear and consistent messages that can be understood by different types of audiences, including vulnerable popula…
Development and Implementation of an Internet Survey to Assess Community Health in the Face of a Health Crisis
The Pregnancy and Birth Survey of the Fukushima Health Management Survey is a questionnaire survey that has been conducted annually since 2011 in Fukushima Prefecture. Since 2016, the survey has been available online as well as in paper form. This study aimed to determine whether making the survey available online improved response rates and to identify the characteristics of paper and online survey respondents and their results. Using LimeSurvey…
Characteristics and changes in the mental health indicators of expecting parents in a couple-based parenting support program in Japan
Postpartum depression is a serious problem not only for mothers, but also for their children and families. Evidence is scarce on the effectiveness of couple-targeted antenatal interventions aimed at preventing postpartum depression in Asia. Therefore, we implemented an antenatal parenting support program from Australia ("empathy program") at three sites in Japan, and assessed the characteristics of participating couples and changes in their menta…
Depressive Symptoms and Associated Factors in Female Students in Fukushima Four Years after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
Young women in their late teens and early 20s are at the highest risk for depression onset. The present study aimed to assess depressive symptoms among female college students in Fukushima. More specifically, it aimed to clarify factors predicting possible symptom profiles, with an emphasis on determining how nuclear radiation risks affect the reporting of depression symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 310 female students at a col…
Effect of Radiological Countermeasures on Subjective Well-Being and Radiation Anxiety after the 2011 Disaster
After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011, concerns about radiation exposure and decline in subjective well-being have been reported. To tackle these problems, various countermeasures in relation to radiation have been implemented. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of radiological countermeasures on subjective well-being (e.g., satisfaction with life (SWL) and emotional well-being) and radiation anxi…
Factors Associated with Maintaining the Mental Health of Employees after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima on 11 March 2011, some businesses were permitted to continue operating even though they were located in the evacuation area designated by the Japanese government. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the mental health status, workplace, living environment, and lifestyle of employees in the evacuation and non-evacuation areas. We also investigated factors related to their mental health status.…
Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in Community Dwellers Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident
We investigated the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist–Stressor Specific Version (PCL-S) using baseline data from the Fukushima Health Management Survey. A total of 26,332 men and 33,516 women aged 16 and above participated in this study. Participants lived in the Fukushima evacuation zone in Japan and experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear power plant (NPP) incident. Th…
Factors associated with unintended pregnancy in Yamagata, Japan
Abortion Trends in Japan, 1975–95
In this study, recent trends in the incidence of induced abortion are analyzed in order to identify the target population and its requirements for family planning policy in Japan. Abortion statistics from 1975 to 1995 from the Ministry of Health and Welfare are reviewed. The abortion rate (the number of cases of induced abortion per 1,000 women per year) for women younger than 20 increased during the study period. The abortion ratio (number of ca…
What does it mean to conduct ethical research after disasters? A case study of the 3.11 disaster in Japan
The 3.11 disaster in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, is a useful case study through which to interrogate research ethics. This region has been the site of a high degree of research interest, which sometimes presented a source of stress to local communities. This study examines researcher perspectives on the ethics of post-disaster health research. Qualitative interviews were conducted with these informants, who noted that recovering communities expe…
Addressing Japan's Fertility Decline
Japan has been experiencing a continuing decline in fertility and an increase in premarital conceptions and abortions among young people. Child rearing is often viewed as a burden. In response, Japan is now seeking ways to improve the child-rearing environment for parents. In this context, we conducted a prospective study among 206 pregnant women in Sukagawa City, Fukushima, to explore the influences of pregnancy intention on child rearing. We fo…
Father‐child bonding among Japanese fathers of infants
We aimed to clarify the factor structure of a bonding measure among Japanese fathers with infants and the factors associated with the subscales. Among fathers of children attending the 4‐month health checkup, the Japanese version of the Mother‐to‐Infant Bonding Scale had a two‐factor structure comprising “anger” and “lack of affection.” Anger was associated with fathers’ work demands and poor mental condition, and lack of affection with fathers’ …
Abortion Trends in Japan, 1975–95
In this study, recent trends in the incidence of induced abortion are analyzed in order to identify the target population and its requirements for family planning policy in Japan. Abortion statistics from 1975 to 1995 from the Ministry of Health and Welfare are reviewed. The abortion rate (the number of cases of induced abortion per 1,000 women per year) for women younger than 20 increased during the study period. The abortion ratio (number of ca…
Factors associated with unintended pregnancy in Yamagata, Japan
Counseling About Contraception Among Repeated Aborters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
We conducted qualitative interviews with 30 repeated abortion clients in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Only 5 women were practicing contraception regularly. A common reason for the nonusage of contraceptives was adverse health effects. Half of women were not counseled during the previous abortions, and contraceptives were given without explanation. Women pointed out that the current service was not enough or in-depth and was not meeting their needs.…
Addressing Japan's Fertility Decline
Japan has been experiencing a continuing decline in fertility and an increase in premarital conceptions and abortions among young people. Child rearing is often viewed as a burden. In response, Japan is now seeking ways to improve the child-rearing environment for parents. In this context, we conducted a prospective study among 206 pregnant women in Sukagawa City, Fukushima, to explore the influences of pregnancy intention on child rearing. We fo…
Maternal Confidence in Child Rearing
This exploratory study found a high proportion of Japanese and Vietnamese mothers are not confident in child rearing, which calls attention to this understudied issue of confidence among Asian mothers
Lifestyle characteristics and 3-year total mortality of Japanese with self-reported diabetes
Despite the significant adverse health consequences of diabetes, data on lifestyle characteristics and mortality among the Japanese with diabetes are limited. Our objective was to investigate the lifestyles of Japanese community residents with self-reported diabetes and their 3-year total mortality. Our cohort was 7178 randomly selected residents aged 30-79 years in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan; 5187 responded to the survey (72% r…
Short-Term Operational Evaluation of a Group-Parenting Program for Japanese Mothers With Poor Psychological Status
Although parenting practices differ across various sociocultural settings, scientific research on parenting intervention in Asia is scarce. We adopted a Canadian multilanguage group-based parenting program (Nobody's Perfect) into the Japanese public health service setting and evaluated its impact. Our program was feasible as a public service; was well-accepted among the participants with low psychological status, many of whom were first-time moth…
Parenting in Fukushima City in the post-disaster period
Growing evidence indicates the adverse psychological and welfare consequences of nuclear power accidents particularly among parents of small children. However, little has been published about the public health experiences of and practical countermeasures to deal with such consequences for parents of small children in the aftermath of disasters. Based on our past research efforts to develop parenting support programmes in Fukushima City, we descri…
Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in Community Dwellers Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident
We investigated the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist–Stressor Specific Version (PCL-S) using baseline data from the Fukushima Health Management Survey. A total of 26,332 men and 33,516 women aged 16 and above participated in this study. Participants lived in the Fukushima evacuation zone in Japan and experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear power plant (NPP) incident. Th…
Factors Associated with Infant Feeding Methods after the Nuclear Power Plant Accident in Fukushima
Objectives The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of and factors associated with infant feeding methods after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident using data from the Fukushima Health Management Survey. Methods We conducted an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey of 16,001 women who gave birth around the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake and registered their pregnancies at Fukushima Prefecture municipal of…
Factors Associated with Maintaining the Mental Health of Employees after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima on 11 March 2011, some businesses were permitted to continue operating even though they were located in the evacuation area designated by the Japanese government. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the mental health status, workplace, living environment, and lifestyle of employees in the evacuation and non-evacuation areas. We also investigated factors related to their mental health status.…
Depressive Symptoms and Associated Factors in Female Students in Fukushima Four Years after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
Young women in their late teens and early 20s are at the highest risk for depression onset. The present study aimed to assess depressive symptoms among female college students in Fukushima. More specifically, it aimed to clarify factors predicting possible symptom profiles, with an emphasis on determining how nuclear radiation risks affect the reporting of depression symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 310 female students at a col…
Effect of Radiological Countermeasures on Subjective Well-Being and Radiation Anxiety after the 2011 Disaster
After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011, concerns about radiation exposure and decline in subjective well-being have been reported. To tackle these problems, various countermeasures in relation to radiation have been implemented. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of radiological countermeasures on subjective well-being (e.g., satisfaction with life (SWL) and emotional well-being) and radiation anxi…
Development and Implementation of an Internet Survey to Assess Community Health in the Face of a Health Crisis
The Pregnancy and Birth Survey of the Fukushima Health Management Survey is a questionnaire survey that has been conducted annually since 2011 in Fukushima Prefecture. Since 2016, the survey has been available online as well as in paper form. This study aimed to determine whether making the survey available online improved response rates and to identify the characteristics of paper and online survey respondents and their results. Using LimeSurvey…
Characteristics and changes in the mental health indicators of expecting parents in a couple-based parenting support program in Japan
Postpartum depression is a serious problem not only for mothers, but also for their children and families. Evidence is scarce on the effectiveness of couple-targeted antenatal interventions aimed at preventing postpartum depression in Asia. Therefore, we implemented an antenatal parenting support program from Australia ("empathy program") at three sites in Japan, and assessed the characteristics of participating couples and changes in their menta…
Developing Health Communication Materials During a Pandemic
As the COVID-19 virus spread rapidly around the world, information related to the pandemic also spread quickly and in massive amounts. Uncertainty and unknowns about the pandemic together with the explosion of information created confusion and fear among many populations. A major challenge for public health practitioners is to provide clear and consistent messages that can be understood by different types of audiences, including vulnerable popula…
Empirical Evaluation of Understandability and Usability of Health Handbooks Commonly Used in Japan
Objective: Various types of handbooks that summarize and record health information (health handbooks) have been used in Japan for many years. The purpose of this study was to explore ways to evaluate the understandability and usability of commonly used printed health handbooks in Japan. Methods: An internet search was performed to identify health handbooks used in Japan. The handbooks were then collected, searched, and evaluated for the quality a…
May risk communication with non-experts contribute to post-disaster restoration of normalcy? A survey on the disaster-struck prefectures after the Great East Japan Earthquake
Post-disaster risk communication's primary goal is to restore a sense of normalcy for residents who have faced hardships. The Fukushima and Miyagi prefectural residents who experienced severe damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake were the participants (men = 257, women = 296, age = 58.40 ± 14.85) of this study, which investigated a mediation model of effective risk communication on restoring a sense of normalcy. The characteristics of risk …
Tailoring Digital Tools to Address the Radiation and Health Information Needs of Returnees after a Nuclear Accident
Digital tools are increasingly used for health promotion, but their utility during recovery from a nuclear disaster has yet to be established. This study analysed differences in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward digital tools for radiation protection and health promotion, and preferences for specific application functions, among cohorts living within and outside areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (FDNPS) ac…
User-Guided Design of a Digital Tool for Health Promotion and Radiation Protection
People with a higher eHL had a more positive KAP. For those with a lower eHL, we are formulating easy-to-understand explanations to promote the utilization of the digital tool and enthusiasm for future community-oriented digital tools
Father‐child bonding among Japanese fathers of infants
We aimed to clarify the factor structure of a bonding measure among Japanese fathers with infants and the factors associated with the subscales. Among fathers of children attending the 4‐month health checkup, the Japanese version of the Mother‐to‐Infant Bonding Scale had a two‐factor structure comprising “anger” and “lack of affection.” Anger was associated with fathers’ work demands and poor mental condition, and lack of affection with fathers’ …
Patient Views on Quality of Life and Hospital Care
Objectives This study aimed to fill the gap between Vietnamese diabetic patients' needs and care through a qualitative study asking about their experiences with diabetes and quality of care. Methods Interviews with five diabetic patients were conducted at a tertiary general hospital located in southern Vietnam. The transcribed data were first subjected to quantitative text analysis using KH Coder to identify major categories of frequently used wo…
On-site training program for public health nurses in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Primary health care practitioners’ perception of patient loneliness in Japanese older adults
Loneliness is a serious social issue in Japan. We aimed to examine the frequency and patient characteristics of Japanese family physicians and nurses overlooking or misjudging patient loneliness. This cross-sectional study involved 470 patients aged 50 years or older who visited two family medicine clinics in Fukushima Prefecture in August 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test and logistic regression models. Patient …
Empowering Children as Agents of Change to Foster Resilience in Community
The "Creative Heath" project, a participatory school activity to foster community resilience, was implemented in Fukushima, Japan, and children's experiences of the project were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The project consists of three workshops: BODY, FOOD, and ACT, with activities to facilitate students' scientific and creative thinking, working in teams, presenting, and expressing their opinions. The first two schools parti…
Medicine (27 works) · Psychology (20 works) · Environmental health (15 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Computer Science (9 works) · Nursing (9 works) · Risk Perception and Management (9 works) · Political science (8 works) · Public health (8 works) · Demography (7 works)