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Effects of Disaster Phase and Shelter Size on Meal Provision in Kumamoto Earthquake Evacuation Shelters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2025

Hiroka Sato Open the ORCID record for Hiroka Sato [Opens in a new window] ,
Noriko Sudo ,
Marisa Inada  and
Nobuyo Tsuboyama-Kasaoka
Hiroka Sato
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Nutritional Science, Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
Noriko Sudo*
Affiliation:
Natural Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
Marisa Inada
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Science, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
Nobuyo Tsuboyama-Kasaoka
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Disaster Nutrition and Information, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
*
Corresponding author: Noriko Sudo; Email: sudo.noriko@ocha.ac.jp
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Abstract

Objectives

This study examines how post-disaster meal provisions evolve with shelter size and over time to better support evacuees’ dietary needs.

Methods

Analysis was conducted on 96 dietary assessment sheets from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, categorized by 3 shelter scales and time elapsed since the disaster. Differences in meal types and dish categories were compared using the Z test. Focus was placed on meal provision details and dietary considerations for vulnerable evacuees.

Results

In the early stages, some shelters provided meals only twice daily. However, over time, boxed meals became more common, while the proportion of hot meal services decreased. Ready-to-eat foods-based meals predominantly consisted of “grain-based dishes” across all weeks and shelter sizes. Larger shelters tended to have fewer dietary considerations for vulnerable evacuees.

Conclusions

Continuous hot meal services may not be sustainable, suggesting a shift toward well-balanced boxed meals from vendors. Larger shelters faced challenges with unhealthy dietary behaviors and inadequate nutritional support for vulnerable evacuees. The findings can help municipalities develop concrete disaster nutrition plans considering disaster phase and shelter size.

Keywords

disasterearthquakeevacuation shelterfood servicemeal

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 19 , 2025 , e116
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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