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JDR Vol.21 No.2 pp. 514-537
(2026)
doi: 10.20965/jdr.2026.p0514

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Cross-Sectional Study of the Association Between Housing Type Post-Great East Japan Earthquake and Liver Enzymes: Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-Based Cohort Study

Shigeru Aiba*1,*2 ORCID Icon, Naoki Nakaya*1,*3, Mana Kogure*1,*3, Rieko Hatanaka*1,*3, Ippei Chiba*1,*3, Kumi Nakaya*1,*3, Masato Takase*1,*3, Sayuri Tokioka*1,*3, Tomohiro Nakamura*3,*4, Satoshi Nagaie*1,*3, Soichi Ogishima*1,*3, Yoko Izumi*1,*3, Nobuo Fuse*1,*3, Shinichi Kuriyama*1,*3,*5, and Atsushi Hozawa*1,*3,†

*1Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University
2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan

*2Faculty of Nursing, Iryo Sosei University
Iwaki, Japan

*3Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University
Sendai, Japan

*4Faculty of Data Science, Kyoto Women’s University
Kyoto, Japan

*5International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University
Sendai, Japan

†Corresponding author

Received:
June 24, 2025
Accepted:
December 12, 2025
Published:
April 1, 2026
Creative Commons License
Keywords:
housing, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake significantly impacted Japanese residents’ lives and housing conditions. Housing type after a disaster may affect liver function; however, few studies have reported this association. This study analyzed the association between housing type after the Great East Japan Earthquake and abnormal liver enzymes. This cross-sectional study included 35,531 participants (aged 40–74 years) from Miyagi Prefecture. Abnormal liver enzymes were defined as aspartate aminotransferase ≥40 IU/L or alanine aminotransferase ≥40 IU/L, or gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase ≥50 IU/L. To assess associations between housing type after the Great East Japan Earthquake and abnormal liver enzymes, prevalence odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, adjusting for lifestyle variables, body mass index, and history of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Abnormal liver enzyme levels were observed in 19.2% of the participants. The adjusted prevalence odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for abnormal liver enzymes among individuals who had lived in the same housing with half damage or more as before the Great East Japan Earthquake were 1.14 (1.04–1.26) compared with the reference group with less than half damage. High gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels contributed to the association between housing type after the Great East Japan Earthquake and individual liver enzyme levels. However, when stratified by sex and drinking status, these trends were not statistically significant. This study shows a significant association between maintaining the same housing as before the Great East Japan Earthquake and abnormal liver enzyme levels. Housing type can be considered in addressing liver dysfunction among disaster-affected residents.

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Cite this article as:
S. Aiba, N. Nakaya, M. Kogure, R. Hatanaka, I. Chiba, K. Nakaya, M. Takase, S. Tokioka, T. Nakamura, S. Nagaie, S. Ogishima, Y. Izumi, N. Fuse, S. Kuriyama, and A. Hozawa, “Cross-Sectional Study of the Association Between Housing Type Post-Great East Japan Earthquake and Liver Enzymes: Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-Based Cohort Study,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.21 No.2, pp. 514-537, 2026.
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Last updated on May. 01, 2026