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Abstract
BACKGROUND:
In 2011, two roads in a residential area in Seoul were found to be contaminated with the radionuclide cesium-137 (137Cs). In response to public concerns, an epidemiological study was conducted.

METHODS:
The standardized cancer incidence ratios in the affected and neighboring regions were calculated based on the central cancer registry. Households in the region were sampled using the random stratified sampling technique, and questionnaires were administered to family members, via home visit and via students in elementary to high schools. Information on duration of residency and frequency of use of the roads was applied to calculate cumulative radiation exposure dose from the roads, alongside with the reported 137Cs contamination amounts. Information on past medical history, perceived risk, anxiety and psychological stress was also obtained. Of the 31,053 residents, 8,875 were analyzed. To examine possible associations between radiation exposure and health problems, logistic regression adjusted for covariates were performed with consideration of the sampling design, population weight and stratification.

RESULTS:
No significant association was found between self-informed diseases, including cancers, and estimated radiation exposure dose. According to an increase of radiation level, a significant increase in anxiety in all and a decline in the psychosocial wellbeing of the adults was noted. The risk perception level was higher in the elderly, females, the less educated, and the highest exposed individuals.

CONCLUSION:
This study provides a basis for risk communication with residents and community environmental health policy.

Author information

Ha M1, Ju YS2, Lee WJ3, Hwang SS4, Yoo SC5, Choi KH6,7, Burm E8, Lee J9, Lee YK10, Im S11.
1
Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea. minaha@dku.edu.
2
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
3
Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
4
Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
5
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Metro Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
6
Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
7
Information Management Team, Taean Environmental Health Center, Taean, Korea.
8
Department of Nursing, Munkyung College, Mungyeong, Korea.
9
Division of Nuclear, Energy and Climate Change, Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, Seoul, Korea.
10
Center for Occupational Musculoskeletal Diseases, Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health, Green Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
11
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health, Green Hospital, Seoul, Korea.