Gender differences in the fear of terrorism among Japanese individuals in the Washington, D.C. area

IntroductionFew studies have focused on public responses to terror threat among the Asian community in the United States. An Internet-based survey was conducted among 87 Japanese individuals living in the Washington, D.C. area to examine the risk factors for perceiving high fear of terrorism.MethodsThe subjects were members of four Japanese community organizations based in the greater Washington region. Their degree of the fear of terrorism was assessed using a five-point Likert scale (Fear of Terrorism Score; FTS), ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). A score of 2 or more was defined as a high FTS.ResultsBivariate analysis revealed that a high FTS was associated with being ≥36 years old, female, married, a permanent U.S. resident, a housewife, and having lived in the Washington or New York area during the September 11, 2001 attacks (p < 0.05). In a multivariate model, being female was a predictor of high FTS (odds ratio = 6.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–40.8, p = 0.024).ConclusionsJapanese women living in the Washington area were six times more likely to perceive high fear of terrorism than men.