Level of perception of technical terms regarding the effect of radiation on the human body by residents of Japan.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the level of perception of the technical terms related to the effect of radiation on the human body among residents of the six prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Tokyo, Aichi, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki in Japan. Miyagi and Fukushima were selected as devastated area by Great East Japan Earthquake. Tokyo and Aichi were selected as control. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were selected as the A-bombed area. METHODS: A total of 1030 respondents, 172, 173, 171, 173, 171, and 170, respectively, were surveyed. Differences in the recognition level of technical terms related to the effect of radiation on the human body among residents of the six prefectures were assessed. RESULTS: The highest recognition levels were reported by the respondents from Fukushima (17 items). Those from Miyagi scored the second highest recognition levels (10 out of the 17 terms); the second highest recognition levels for the remaining seven terms were marked by the respondents of Tokyo. Respondents in the Tohoku region had a better recognition for the technical terminology relevant to the effect of radiation on the human body. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate a need for continued, comprehensive risk communication pertaining to health hazards of radiation exposure in Tohoku region. Concerted efforts by central/local governments and other stakeholders are required to allay the anxiety/stress related to radiation exposure among the residents.

[Study of perception gaps in pharmaceutical terms and related issues between laypeople and medical practitioners].

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to clarify the gaps in the recognition of medical terms mainly related to medicines between laypeople and medical practitioners in order to contribute to improving risk communication in the medical care field. METHOD: A total of 315 laypeople and 211 doctors were surveyed. To examine the gaps between them, we adopted 57 medical terms from the National Institute for Japanese Language and further added 33 medical terms. In total, 90 medical terms were used. RESULTS: For the medical terms group into the "Expressed in other words of vernacular speech", the recognition by the laypeople was low and that estimated by the practitioners was high. For the newly added medical terms groups into the clinical-trial-related terms and medical terms related to side effects, the recognition by the laypeople was lower than that estimated by the practitioners. Moreover, the recognition values for above two groups were smaller than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The gaps between the basic recognition of the medical terms by laypeople and that estimated by the practitioners suggest that the possibility that patients cannot recognize much more difficult terms should be considered.