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Article History

Received: 20 May 2025

Accepted: 7 January 2026

First Online: 3 February 2026

Declarations

:

: This study was exempt from formal ethics review by Iwate Prefectural University at the time of both the 2013 and 2018 surveys. In 2018, Yamagata University did not conduct ethics reviews for non-medical research. Nonetheless, all procedures were conducted in accordance with the institutional and academic ethics guidelines of the Japan Sociological Society, with full attention to human rights and legal compliance.

: Participation in this study was entirely voluntary. Before responding to the survey, all sample members were provided with a written explanation outlining the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the study. Participants who agreed with the explanation were considered to have given their informed consent by proceeding to complete the survey.

: Not applicable. As no personally identifiable information about participants was included in the text and there was no withdrawal request from any of the participants, consent for publication is not required.

: The author declares no competing interests.