Association between the type of physical activity and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older adult residents of a semi-mountainous area in Japan

BACKGROUND@#Physical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome. However, it is unclear whether exercise or daily physical activity is more beneficial for residents of semi-mountainous areas. This study aimed to identify whether daily physical activity is more beneficial than exercise for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older residents in semi-mountainous areas.@*METHODS@#We analyzed secondary data of 636 people who underwent a specific health checkup in a semi-mountainous area of Japan. Physical activity was classified into four types: inactivity (I-type; without exercise and without daily physical activity), only exercise (E-type; with exercise and without daily physical activity), only daily physical activity (D-type; without exercise and with daily physical activity), and full physical activity type (F-type; with exercise and with daily physical activity). We compared the means of risk factors for metabolic syndrome by these four types, followed by logistic regression analysis, to identify whether and to what extent the D-type was less likely to have metabolic syndrome than the E-type.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 28.5% (men 45.7%, women 15.8%). The proportions of men with exercise and daily physical activity were 38.7% and 52.8%, respectively. For women, the proportions were 33.0% and 47.1%, respectively. In women, the D-type had the significantly lowest BMI, smallest waist circumference, highest HDL-C, and lowest prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the four types; the same was not observed in men. Additionally, D-type activity was more strongly associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than E-type activity in women (adjusted odds ratio 0.24; 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.85, P = 0.028).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared to middle-aged and older women residents with exercise in a semi-mountainous area of Japan, those with daily physical activity may effectively prevent metabolic syndrome.

Homecare protective and risk factors for early childhood caries in Japan

BACKGROUND@#Early childhood caries (ECC) affects children across Japan and throughout the world. Thus, it is important to identify dietary and dental care habits that either promote oral health or cause ECC. The objective of this study was to identify protective and risk factors associated with ECC in Japan.@*METHODS@#In a typical rural Japanese community, we selected children born between 2004 and 2008 who had received checkups at their community health center including oral examinations conducted by dentists. We obtained data from children's records and from a questionnaire filled out by parents. We enrolled only children who at their checkup for 18-month-olds had no caries, and we obtained data about them at their checkup for 3-year-olds. We classified children as either having caries (treated or untreated) or being caries-free. We conducted bivariate analyses using data on child/family demographic characteristics, child's dietary habits, and child/parental oral health habits. We also conducted logistic regression analysis to control for variables and identify predictors of the presence/absence of caries.@*RESULTS@#Five hundred sixty six children (278 boys, 288 girls) were enrolled and followed. After 2 years, 173 children (30.6%) presented with caries. Logistic regression analysis predicting caries at follow-up identified the interaction term "bottlefed overnight and brushed irregularly" at 18 months of age as a highly significant predictor of developing caries-adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 14.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-199.71. Two variables measured at follow-up were also significant predictors: having low levels of dental plaque (AOR 2.41, 95% CI 1.34-4.35) and having a mother who had untreated caries (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.09-3.12).@*CONCLUSION@#Public health efforts should encourage parents to eliminate bottle feeding overnight and promote brushing twice daily as children's teeth begin to erupt. Greater efforts should be made to teach parents and daytime caregivers how to brush effectively to remove all plaque. Health professionals should pay close attention to mothers' oral health status. Mothers with caries should receive prompt treatment and be assisted in developing better dietary and oral health habits that will benefit themselves and their children. Policies and programs should focus more on family oral health rather than just child oral health.

Socio-cultural Factors Affecting the Health of Pregnant and Puerperal Brazilian Women in Japan / 国際保健医療

<p>  In this study, we aimed to clarify the socio-cultural factors affecting the mental and physical health of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan. The study participants were 18 pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in two prefectures with large Brazilian populations. A Japanese investigator and a Portuguese interpreter comprised the team, and conducted semi-structured interviews at the participants’ homes. The study period was between 2013 and 2014. The interviews were carried out using the Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking theory. Analytical ethnography was used for data coding and theme extraction.</p><p>  The results revealed that “worry” and “shoulder and back pain” were the most common mental and physical symptoms, followed by “headache,” “irritability and anger,” “insomnia and sleeplessness,” and “anxiety.” The reasons given for these included: “pregnancy and child rearing;” “anxiety about work and income;” “complications of being a foreigner;” and “the absence of someone to depend upon.” Moreover, the following five core categories of socio-cultural factors influencing these causes were extracted: “equal and deeply connected family;” “strength to continue working;” “choosing the right conditions to settle down in;” “low satisfaction with the healthcare system;” and “the blessings of God.” </p><p>  Pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan have various mental and physical distress symptoms, and our findings revealed that differences between Brazilian and Japanese patterns of family life and religion were the major influencers on these. These findings must be understood to provide intervention in order to lead pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women to appropriate health behaviors.</p>

Development of data converter system from the international health dictionary to an electronic book / 国際保健医療

A Japanese international health dictionary has been freely accessible to the public through the official website of Japan Association for International Health (JAIH). Since it is accessible only in an online environment, it can not be used in an offline environment, a common condition for field workers in developing countries. Converting the dictionary to an offline format would be the solution. Therefore, a program which reformats the up-to-date online dictionary in the official website of JAIH to popular “Electronic Book” format was developed. The resultant program will automatically execute batch processing without any manual operation.

A multi-agent-based model on the ripple effect from school-based interventions to the broader community: an <i>in silico</i> experiment / 国際保健医療

<b>Objectives:</b> School-based interventions in developing countries typically expect schoolchildren to serve as health messengers to their families as well as to the broader community. This study computationally simulates the dynamics of pervading or disappearing health information in the minds of community members after school-based interventions.<BR><b>Methods:</b> A multi-agent-based model was developed as an artificial community in the laboratory. The ripple effect of the school-based intervention was then simulated and monitored for 100 days under various conditions.<BR><b>Results:</b> If the probability that health information transmits among family members is greater than 0.05, the school-based intervention influences 60% to 70% of community members; by contrast, if the probability is less than 0.01, the impact disappears from the community. However, repeated interventions at 10-day intervals can shift the trend from disappearing to pervading in this latter case.<BR><b>Conclusion:</b> In a community that has lower transmission probabilities, repeated interventions at shorter intervals are necessary to keep health information in the minds of community members.

Human Resource Development in International Medical Cooperation in the United Kingdom / 国際保健医療

Medical doctors in the United Kingdom who wish to work overseas have severe problems such as job security on return, childcare, and uncertain career due to lack of institutionalised career path in the field of international medical cooperation. The same applies in Japan. It is, however, different from Japan that media for job opportunities and career related information have been far developed.<br>Recently, Department of Health, the UK has started to encourage human resource development in the field, which hold out the hope to extricate from severe situation of human resources in the future.