Development of a relational workplace social capital scale for Japanese nurses

BACKGROUND@#Although nurses' workplace social capital for a healthy work environment has received considerable attention, few scales about nurses' workplace social capital are based on the attributes of clinical settings in Japan. This study aims to develop a Relational Workplace Social Capital Scale for Japanese Nurses (RWSCS-JN), which includes bonding, linking, and bridging social capital and assessing its reliability and validity.@*METHODS@#We assessed its reliability and validity using questionnaire survey data collected from 309 nurses in the first survey and 105 nurses in the second survey in four hospitals in Japan. First, we determined the number of factors and items for the RWSCS-JN through the parallel and factor analyses after conducting the item analysis. Then, we confirmed the omega coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of the RWSCS-JN. Finally, we examined the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the RWSCS-JN score and other variables, including an existing measurement of workplace social capital, work engagement, and turnover intention.@*RESULTS@#The newly developed RWSCS-JN contained 15 items, comprising three factors as follows: bonding social capital, linking social capital, and bridging social capital. The omega coefficient and the ICC of the RWSCS-JN were 0.90 and 0.85, respectively. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the RWSCS-JN and the existing scale of the workplace social capital was 0.88 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the RWSCS-JN and work engagement was 0.36 (p < 0.01) and that of the RWSCS-JN and turnover intention was - 0.40 (p < 0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study suggests that the RWSCS-JN could be sufficiently useful for a healthy work environment in a clinical setting.

Do multiple personal roles promote working energetically in female nurses? A cross-sectional study of relevant factors promoting work engagement in female nurses

BACKGROUND@#Like most women, female nurses in the workforce experience life events such as marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing, and carry out numerous personal roles. This may result in an increase in various demands for nurses, and coping with these roles may promote work engagement. However, few studies have focused on work engagement or spillover effects, including those in the family domain, in female nurses with multiple roles. In the present study, we aimed to examine work engagement in female nurses and investigate its relationship with factors such as the presence or absence of multiple personal roles.@*METHODS@#The subjects of this study were 1225 female nurses working at three general hospitals, each with at least 200 hospital beds in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The cross-sectional design of the study used anonymous self-administered questionnaires. Responses were received from 650 nurses (response rate 53.1%), of which 612 were valid (valid response rate 50.0%). Multiple regression analysis was performed on the 612 responses regarding associations between work engagement and the presence or absence of multiple roles (role as a wife or mother), spillover effects, coping characteristics, job demands, and job resources.@*RESULTS@#In general, the work engagement of female nurses was low, as is the case with other female workers in Japan, but work engagement was higher among female nurses with multiple roles than among those without. The regression analysis showed that factors associated with better work engagement in female nurses were family-to-work positive spillover, job resources, coping strategies including "changing a point of view," "active solution for problems," "avoidance and suppression," and the presence of multiple roles.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The results indicate that in addition to resources in the work domain, a family-to-work positive spillover effect, which is a variable in the non-work domain, may also promote energetic work among female nurses. Therefore, it is necessary for nurses to receive support at work and use effective coping strategies.

A comparative study of the physiological and psychological effects of forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on working age people with and without depressive tendencies

BACKGROUND@#In recent years, many of Japanese workers have complained of fatigue and stress, considering them as risk factors for depression. Studies have found that "forest bathing" (Shinrin-yoku) has positive physiological effects, such as blood pressure reduction, improvement of autonomic and immune functions, as well as psychological effects of alleviating depression and improving mental health. In this study, we investigate the physiological and psychological effects of "forest bathing" on people of a working age with and without depressive tendencies.@*METHODS@#We conducted physiological measurements and psychological surveys before and after forest bathing with subjects who participated in day-long sessions of forest bathing, at a forest therapy base located in Hiroshima Prefecture. After excluding severely depressed individuals, the participants were classified into two groups: those with depressive tendencies (5 ≤ K6 ≤ 12) and those without depressive tendencies (K6 < 5) for comparative study. The evaluation indices measured were systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), autonomic functions, and profile of mood states (POMS).@*RESULTS@#Of the 155 participants, 37% had depressive tendencies, without any differences observed between males and females. All participants showed significant decrease in SBP, DBP, and in negative POMS items after a forest bathing session. Before the session, those with depressive tendencies scored significantly higher on the POMS negative items than those without depressive tendencies. After forest bathing, those with depressive tendencies demonstrated significantly greater improvement in many of POMS items than those without depressive tendencies, and many of them no longer differed between those with and without depressive tendencies.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Examining the physiological and psychological effects of a day-long session of forest bathing on a working age group demonstrated significant positive effects on mental health, especially in those with depressive tendencies. Not applicable; this is not a report of intervention trial.

Medical Cooperation System for Acute-Sub Acute Care and Post-ICU as Long-Term Ventilation Unit in The Community Care System / 日本農村医学会雑誌

　　From 2008 to 2014, we experienced 40 respiratory failure cases which required long-term ventilation in the post-ICU in Kakeyu Hospital. They had been referred to our hospital from acute care hospitals and most of them had been transferred on our regional medical cooperation system. Initially, we used long-term care beds for them, but as the number of serious cases increased, we moved them to acute care beds. As regards main causes of respiratory failure, post cardiac arrest syndrome topped the list with 12 cases, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, intractable neurological diseases and cervical cord injury. All these cases combined, the number came to 30 cases, accounting for 75% of all. The shortest stay in hospital was made by a patient with brain stem lymphoma. It was only 12 days, but the longest was made by a patient with post meningoencephalitis 6 years. Our care consisted not only ventilation and medical care but also giving a bath, walking with a type of wheelchair, and sunbathing at the rooftop of our hospital. In May 2014, we renovated the post-ICU from an acute care division to a physical disability patient ward. As the elderly population will increase, it is expected that the need for acute care will augment in parallel with an increase to the number of post cardiac arrest syndrome and the demand of long-term ventilation. Therefore, the community care system will need the post-ICU for cooperation with acute care hospitals.

Warming of one hand causes sustained increases in skin surface temperature and water content of the contralateral forearm / 体力科学

This study aimed to develop a new method of increasing water content in the cutaneous stratum corneum under a dry skin condition. For this purpose, the experiments were performed using 10 healthy women (age: 20 ± 5 years, height: 158 ± 4 cm, weight: 50 ± 6 kg) in winter to ensure the dry condition. The subjects immersed the right hand into a 42˚C bath for 10 min. Skin surface temperature and water content in the stratum corneum of the left forearm were simultaneously measured during and for 1 h after the hand warming. The skin surface temperature began to increase (P<0.05) 15 min after the hand warming and thereafter remained increased for 1 h. Similarly, the water content in the stratum corneum began to increase immediately after the hand warming and remained increased throughout the experiment. The present results suggest that warming of one hand is effective in enhancing skin moisture in the other forearm and thereby maintaining barrier function of the skin.

Possible effects of diets on serum lipids, fatty acids and blood pressure levels in male and female Japanese university students

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To prepare a dietary recommendation for young Japanese for the prevention of coronary heart disease, we surveyed the dietary habits, serum lipids, serum fatty acids and blood pressure levels among male and female students.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this study, 175 male and 246 female university students were interviewed for the frequency of consumption of selected food items and the habit of skipping breakfast. Serum fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of consumption of dishes cooked with oil and intake of vegetables were higher in female students than in male students. Serum n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were slightly higher in females students than in male students while that of serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was 6.4% in both sexes. For both males and females, those who skipped breakfast at least once a week were less likely to consume vegetables and fruits than those who did not. Female students who skipped breakfast were also less likely to consume fish and had lower composition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels than males. For female, the intake of milk and dairy products correlated inversely with systolic blood pressure levels and the intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids correlated inversely with diastolic blood pressure levels. For males, the intake of fruits and consumption of dishes cooked with oil correlated inversely with systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings suggest that increased intake of fish, milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables from early adulthood and a regular dietary pattern are important to reduce the risk factors for coronary heart disease.</p>

Possible Effects of Diets on Serum Lipids, Fatty Acids and Blood Pressure Levels in Male and Female Japanese University Students

Objectives: To prepare a dietary recommendation for young Japanese for the prevention of coronary heart disease, we surveyed the dietary habits, serum lipids, serum fatty acids and blood pressure levels among male and female students. Methods: In this study, 175 male and 246 female university students were interviewed for the frequency of consumption of selected food items and the habit of skipping breakfast. Serum fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results: The frequencies of consumption of dishes cooked with oil and intake of vegetables were higher in female students than in male students. Serum n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were slightly higher in female students than in male students while that of serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was 6.4% in both sexes. For both males and females, those who skipped breakfast at least once a week were less likely to consume vegetables and fruits than those who did not. Female students who skipped breakfast were also less likely to consume fish and had lower composition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels than males. For female, the intake of milk and dairy products correlated inversely with systolic blood pressure levels and the intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids correlated inversely with diastolic blood pressure levels. For males, the intake of fruits and consumption of dishes cooked with oil correlated inversely with systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increased intake of fish, milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables from early adulthood and a regular dietary pattern are important to reduce the risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Differences in Dietary Habits, Serum Fatty Acid Compositions and Other Coronary Risk Characteristics between Freshmen and Fourth-year Male University Students

Westernization of lifestyles among Japanese, in particular among young generations, is a matter of concern for future increase in coronary heart disease. We surveyed a total of 349 male university students to examine changes in lifestyles and coronary risk factors in campus life. We compared dietary habits and serum fatty acid compositions as well as other coronary risk characteristics between freshmen (n=171) and fourth-year (senior) students (n=178). Serum fatty acid compositions and dietary intakes of selected foods as well as serum lipids, blood pressures and physical characteristics were examined at the 1996 and 1997 annual health examinations. Compared to freshmen, senior students had a lower frequency of fish, vegetable, milk and egg intake, and a higher frequency of oil and fat intake. The proportions of serum saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were significantly higher among senior students than among freshmen, whereas the proportion of serum polyunsaturated fatty acids was significantly lower among senior students than among freshmen. Senior students also had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, percent body fat, smoking rate and alcohol usage than freshmen. Mean body weight and mean body mass index were not different between the two groups. Senior students generally showed Westernized dietary habits and higher coronary risk profiles than freshmen as indicated by the change of serum fatty acid compositions. Modification of these dietary habits and lifestyles may be important for the prevention of future CHD among Japanese young adults.