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Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on January 16, 2007
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdl081
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© The Author 2007, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Article

Analysis of news of the Japanese asbestos panic: a supposedly resolved issue that turned out to be a time bomb

Yoshimitsu Takahashi 1, Koichi Miyaki 2, and Takeo Nakayama 2 *

1 Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan 606-8501; Department of Clinical Research and Informatics, International Clinical Research Center, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan 162-8655
2 Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan 606-8501

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Takeo Nakayama, E-mail: nakayama{at}pbh.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp


  Abstract

Background Asbestos-linked public health problems were widely reported in Japan, in 2005. The objective is to apply text mining with network analysis to characterize these problems.

Methods Text mining with network analysis of newspaper headlines including the word ‘asbestos’ published in 1987 and 2005 was conducted. Outcome measures are occurrence of the words and simultaneous occurrence of two words in the newspaper headlines.

Results In 36 headlines, which contained the word ‘asbestos’ in 1987, the word ‘pollution’ (40%) appeared most frequently, followed by ‘removal’ (31%) and ‘campaign’ (29%). For combinations of words, the following occurred most frequently: ‘campaign and expulsion’ (26%) followed by ‘removal and campaign’ (14%). Of 293 headlines in 2005, the following words appeared: ‘hazard’ (31%), ‘person’ (16%) and ‘death’ (13%). For combinations, the following appeared: ‘person and death’ (9%). Asbestos pollution and removal campaigns were reported in 1987, but the death of citizens was reported in 2005.

Conclusions Text mining with network analysis, which presents one of the methods for visualization of text data, suggests the following insight. Insufficient steps against asbestos had been taken for 20 years, which is compatible with the latency period. It has resulted in widespread exposure to asbestos and more severe asbestos-related public health problems among citizens. This methodology suggests that analyzing text data by this method can serve future surveillance and efficient use of epidemiological knowledge.

Keywords: public health, statistical methods.
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