Meals in Shelters during Noto Peninsula Earthquakes Are Deficient in Energy and Protein for Older Adults Vulnerable to the Disaster: Challenges and Responses.
| Autor: | Sakamoto T; Department of General Medicine, Fukuoka Tokushukai General Hospital, Fukuoka 816-0864, Japan.; The Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan., Asano K; Tokunoshima Tokushukai General Hospital, Kagoshima 891-7101, Japan., Miyata H; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Kindai University Hospital, Osaka 589-8511, Japan., Amagai T; Department of Clinical Engineering, Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Jikei University of Health Care Sciences, Osaka 532-0003, Japan. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Nutrients [Nutrients] 2024 Jun 17; Vol. 16 (12). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 17. |
| DOI: | 10.3390/nu16121904 |
| Abstrakt: | Background: Japan is a country often subject to natural disasters, influenced by a rapidly increasing aging demographic. The current research aims to analyze the food distribution for elderly evacuees who were relocated to a care facility in Wajima City, administered by the non-profit organization Tokushukai Medical Assistant Team (TMAT), post the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on 1 January 2024. A significant portion of the shelter's inhabitants were elderly individuals. Methods: TMAT's operations began immediately after the calamity, concentrating on evaluating the nutritional content of meals provided during the initial and subsequent phases, along with a thorough nutritional assessment. During this process, researchers examined the meal conditions for evacuees, including the elderly and those with disabilities, observed the actual meal distribution at welfare centers, and discussed the challenges and potential solutions. Result: Throughout the TMAT mission, a total of 700 evacuees received assistance, with 65% being 65 years old or above. An analysis of the nutritional content of the 10 meal varieties served at the shelter revealed inadequate energy and protein levels for elderly individuals, particularly men, indicating the need for future enhancements. Conclusions: Following a detailed evaluation of TMAT's response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, it was determined that the food provided in the shelters in the affected areas did not meet the nutritional needs of elderly individuals, especially men, based on nutritional analysis. To stress the importance of establishing an effective framework, it is recommended to promptly revise the emergency food provisions for the elderly population, considering they constitute the majority of the affected individuals. |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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