Fri., Feb. 17, 2023: AGI Seminar “In Utero Exposure to Radiation Fear and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident” (online) [finished]

We invite researchers who are engaged in research on Asia and hold AGI Seminars.

Your participation is more than welcome! In order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, this seminar will be held online.
*Please refer to the following for details.

Date and Time

Friday, February 17, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
*A question-and-answer session is scheduled at the end of the presentation.

Participation Fee

Free

Language

English presentation and materials

Presenter

Dr. Rong FU, Assistant Professor, School of Commerce, Waseda University

Title

In Utero Exposure to Radiation Fear and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Abstract

We study the effects of exposure to radiation fear in utero on health at birth and five years later, using universal birth records linked to censuses in Japan. We are the first to assess maternal stress due to fear of an intangible and uncertain risk—radiation exposure. We leverage the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011 and use a quasi-experimental setting by focusing on children whose expected birthdates were within a 280-day window to the accident. We find that radiation fear causes a 30-gram decrease in birth weight, with significant increases in the risks of low birth weight and preterm delivery. The negative impact is concentrated at the lower end of birth weight distribution, indicating that high-risk newborns are most affected. The impact endures for a brief period after birth, with an increase in physical symptoms at age two and a negligible effect at age five. The exposure to radiation fear in the first-trimester has the largest impact since the fear lingered after the accident, resulting in a longer cumulative exposure on the fetuses. The impact is more pronounced if expectant mothers are less educated or have toddlers, and if expectant fathers work in agriculture, indicating that intelligence collection is important for stress relief and food contamination is the main source of radiation fear. The findings have immediate implications for offspring health loss due to maternal stress from intangible risks like viruses.

To Participate

Please send an E-mail to office@agi.or.jp with your name, affiliation and phone number clearly stated.
(We will send you a Zoom link for participation via E-mail by Thursday, February 16.)

Deadline for Participation Request

Your E-mail must be sent to us by the morning of Thursday, February 16.

Leaflet

AGI SEMINAR ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 [in PDF Format]

TO PARTICIPATE ONLINE (REQUESTS FROM AGI)

You can either download the Zoom application in advance (1) or participate via a browser without downloading the Zoom application (2).
Please choose one of the above two methods.
*If you are using a Smartphone, please choose (1).

(1) TO PARTICIPATE BY DOWNLOADING THE ZOOM APPLICATION
① Please download an online distribution application “Zoom” (free of charge) onto your computer or Smartphone.
*Click Here for How to Download the Application

You can download the application onto your computer by clicking the 【ダウンロード】 button.

You can also download the application from these pages.
・For iPhones and iPads
» Download Zoom Application

・For Android phones
» Download Zoom Application

② We will send you a Zoom link to the E-mail address provided in your participation request E-mail by the day before the seminar.

③ Please click and open the Zoom link between 15 minutes before the start time and the actual start time on the seminar day.

④ When it is time to start the seminar, we will let all participants in at once.

⑤ A question-and-answer session is scheduled at the end of the presentation. If you would like to ask any questions, please either “raise your hand” or unmute your microphone and start talking. *You can also ask questions by sending chat messages.

(2) TO PARTICIPATE VIA A BROWSER WITHOUT DOWNLOADING THE ZOOM APPLICATION (ONLY FOR COMPUTERS)

① We will send you a Zoom link to the E-mail address provided in your participation request E-mail by the day before the seminar.

② Please click and open the Zoom link between 1:45 pm and 2:00 pm on Wednesday, September 21.

③ Please click 『ブラウザから参加』 at the bottom portion of your screen (if not displayed, please click 『ここをクリック』). ⇒ You will be asked to wait in a “Waiting Room.”

④ When it is time to start the seminar (2:00 pm), we will let all participants in at once.

⑤ A question-and-answer session is scheduled at the end of the presentation. If you would like to ask any questions, please either “raise your hand” or unmute your microphone and start talking. *You can also ask questions by sending chat messages.

【NOTE】

◇ Participants’ microphones will be turned on at the beginning. Please make sure to mute your microphone during the presentation. During a question-and-answer session scheduled at the end of the presentation, please unmute your microphone.
◇ If you would like to turn off your audio (microphone) and image (video), please click the microphone icon and video icon at the bottom left portion of your screen. The icons will be crossed by a red diagonal line.
◇ Depending on your computer or Wi-Fi signal strength, there could be a case where you will not be able to participate in the seminar or you will lose an internet connection in the middle of the seminar. However, we are unable to deal with those cases individually. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

date：2023.01.18
Category：Seminars