A prospective cohort study of soy product intake and stomach cancer death.

The relationship between intake of soy products and death from stomach cancer was examined in a community-based prospective study of Japanese men and women in Takayama, Japan. Over 7 years of follow-up, 121 deaths from stomach cancer (81 men and 40 women) occurred among 30,304 (13,880 men and 16,424 women) participants who were at least 35 years of age. Diet including the intake of soy products and isoflavones was assessed by a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire at the beginning of the study. In men, the highest compared to the lowest tertile of total soy product intake was significantly inversely associated with death from stomach cancer after controlling for covariates (hazard ratios=0.50; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.26-0.93, P for trend=0.03). Decreased hazard ratios for the highest compared to the lowest tertiles of total soy product intake (hazard ratios=0.49; 95% CI 0.22-1.13) was observed in women, although this association was of marginal significance. These data suggest that soy intake may reduce the risk of death from stomach cancer.

Soy product intake and premenopausal hysterectomy in a follow-up study of Japanese women.

OBJECTIVE: The estrogenicity of dietary soy may increase the risk of diseases, such as uterine leiomyoma and endometriosis, which originate from uterine tissue and are predominant indications for hysterectomy. We sought to determine whether soy product intake is associated with an increased risk of premenopausal hysterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Takayama City, Gifu, Japan. SUBJECTS: A cohort of 1172 female residents randomly selected from participants in the Takayama Study who were aged 35-54 and premenopausal at the time they entered the study in 1992. MEASUREMENTS: Diet including soy product and isoflavone intake was assessed by a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Information on the onset of menopause and hysterectomy were obtained by a follow-up mail questionnaire in 1998. RESULTS: During the 6 y study period, 31 women underwent premenopausal hysterectomies. The second tertile of isoflavone intake was significantly associated with an decreased risk of premenopausal hysterectomy compared to the lowest tertile of intake after controlling for age and total energy (rate ratio=0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.13-0.97), although the dose-response relationship was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that soy product intake may be inversely associated with diagnoses leading to hysterectomy. Future studies focusing on specific diseases will be required to examine this possibility. SPONSORSHIP: Grants from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan.

Soy product intake and hot flashes in Japanese women: results from a community-based prospective study.

The association between soy product intake and the occurrence of hot flashes was examined in a cohort of 1,106 female residents of Takayama, Gifu, JAPAN: The women were aged 35-54 years and premenopausal at their entry into the study in 1992. Diet, including intake of soy products and isoflavones, was assessed by means of a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at study entry. A follow-up mail questionnaire asking about experiences of hot flashes was sent in 1998. During the 6 years of the study period, 101 women had new moderate or severe hot flashes according to the Kupperman test of menopausal distress. After data were controlled for age, total energy intake, and menopausal status, hot flashes were significantly inversely associated with consumption of soy products in terms of both total amount (highest tertile of soy product intake (g/day) vs. lowest: hazard ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval: 0.28, 0.79; p for trend = 0.005) and isoflavone intake (highest tertile of isoflavone intake (mg/day) vs. lowest: hazard ratio = 0.42; 95% confidence interval: 0.25, 0.72; p for trend = 0.002). These data suggest that consumption of soy products has a protective effect against hot flashes.

Effect of soymilk consumption on serum estrogen and androgen concentrations in Japanese men.

Soy consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The mechanism for this association may involve the effect of soy on the endocrine system. We conducted a randomized dietary intervention study to determine the effects of soy consumption on serum levels of steroid hormones in men. Thirty-five men were randomly assigned to either a soymilk-supplemented group or a control group. The men in the soy-supplemented group were asked to consume 400 ml of soymilk daily for 8 weeks. The men in the control group maintained their usual diet. Blood samples were obtained just before the initiation of the dietary period and thereafter every two weeks for 12 weeks. Changes in hormone concentrations were analyzed and compared between the two groups using the mixed linear regression model against weeks from the start of the dietary period. The mean (SD) soymilk intake estimated from dietary records during the dietary study period was 342.9 (SD, 74.2) ml in the soymilk-supplemented group. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of changes in serum estrone concentrations, which tended to decrease in the soy-supplemented group and increase in the control group over time. None of the other hormones measured (estradiol, total and free-testosterone, or sex hormone-binding globulin) showed any statistical difference between the two groups in terms of patterns of change. The results of the study indicate that soymilk consumption may modify circulating estrone concentrations in men.

Association of diet with the onset of menopause in Japanese women.

A prospective study was conducted in Takayama, Gifu, Japan, to evaluate the association between diet and the onset of menopause. A total of 1,130 female residents aged 35-54 years who were premenopausal and completed a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire in 1992 were contacted by mail with a follow-up questionnaire in 1998 to update information on menopause. Onset of menopause was defined as a woman's age at the last menstrual period prior to stopping menstruation for 12 months. During the 6-year study period, 296 women experienced natural menopause. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios of the onset of menopause after controlling for age, total energy, body mass index, years of smoking, and age at which regular menstrual cycle began. The authors found that green and yellow vegetable intake was significantly inversely associated with the 6-year incidence of menopause (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.95 for the highest vs. lowest tertile of intake, p for trend = 0.02). Association of carotene intake with the incidence of menopause was of borderline significance (hazard ratio = 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 1.04, p for trend = 0.07).

Hypocholesterolemic effect of soymilk supplementation with usual diet in premenopausal normolipidemic Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: The hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein concentrates on normolipidemic subjects still remains unclear. Our objective is to assess the effect of soymilk supplementation, a whole soy product, with usual diet on serum lipids in normolipidemic subjects. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial on 60 premenopausal normolipidemic Japanese women. After excluding 8 subjects whose initial serum concentration of total cholesterol or triacylglycerol was higher than 220 mg/dL (5.69 mmol/L) or 160 mg/dL (1.81 mmol/L), respectively, we encouraged the subjects in the soymilk-supplemented group (n = 27) to consume 400 mL (408 g) of commercial regular soymilk daily during two menstrual cycles. There were no significant differences in variables, including nutrient intake, between the soymilk-supplemented and control (n = 25) groups before the intervention. RESULTS: After the trial, we observed a significant decrease of 10.9 mg/dL, or 5.3%, in serum concentration of total cholesterol in the soymilk-supplemented group. During the intervention, nutrient intake assessment showed significant increases in nutrient densities of vitamin E, polyunsaturated fatty acids, isoflavones, and P/S ratio and decreases in total energy and nutrient densities of vitamin C and green tea in this group. A statistically significant decrease in serum total cholesterol could still be observed even after excluding the estimated hypocholesterolemic effects of soymilk's polyunsaturated fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the hypocholesterolemic effect of soymilk, a traditional whole soy product, in Asian countries in normolipidemic subjects.

Eysenck's personality and tobacco/nicotine dependence in male ever-smokers in Japan.

To examine the relationship between Eysenck's personality traits and tobacco/nicotine dependence in a male population, a random sample of 200 male ever-smokers aged 35 or older from a community in Japan were interviewed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), which yielded ICD-10, DSM-III-R and DSM-IV diagnoses of tobacco/nicotine dependence. They were also asked to complete the Fagerstrom Tobacco Questionnaire (FTQ) and the short-form Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised. A total of 136 subjects completed both the interview and the questionnaire. Neuroticism scores were significantly higher in those who had lifetime diagnosis of tobacco/nicotine dependence according to ICD-10, DSM-IV, or FTQ criteria than nondependent ever-smokers (p < 0.05). Lie scores were significantly lower in DSM-III-R or DSM-IV tobacco/nicotine dependence than in nondependent ever-smokers (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression indicated that neuroticism was significantly associated with a higher risk of ICD-10 tobacco/nicotine dependence (p < 0.05), after controlling for age, education, employment status and smoking behaviors; lie score was significantly associated with a lower risk of DSM-III-R tobacco/nicotine dependence (p < 0.05). It is suggested that neuroticism is associated with a higher risk of tobacco/nicotine dependence in male Japanese ever-smokers. A nonconforming and rebellious attitude or reporting bias represented by higher lie score may be associated with lower rates of tobacco/nicotine dependence.

Rationality/antiemotionality personality and selected chronic diseases in a community population in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationships of the rationality/antiemotionality (R/A) personality with past histories of seven chronic diseases and current smoking habits in a community population in Japan. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted of all residents aged 35 years old or over (n = 37,287) in Takayama city, Gifu prefecture, Japan; the response rate was 90.3%. Data from 13,091 males and 14,061 females who completed all relevant questions were analyzed. The subjects were asked to complete an 11-item R/A personality scale developed by Grossarth-Maticek et al. (1985). Past histories of seven major chronic diseases and current smoking habit were also asked in the questionnaire. RESULTS: Among males, the R/A scale score was significantly lower in those who had stroke, diabetes or allergy than in those who did not. Among females, the R/A scale score was significantly lower in those who had stroke, allergy or stomach cancer than in those who did not. Among females, current smokers had significantly lower R/A scores than non-smokers. After controlling for age, smoking and drinking, the R/A score was significantly and negatively associated with stroke among males and females; it was significantly and negatively associated with diabetes and allergy among males. CONCLUSION: Our findings are contrary to those observed in Yugoslavia and West Germany, and suggest a cultural difference in the relationship between the R/A personality and disease occurrence.

Relationships between types of fat consumed and serum estrogen and androgen concentrations in Japanese men.

The relationships between types of fat consumed and serum concentrations of estrone, estradiol, total and free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin were examined in 69 Japanese men aged 43-88 years. Diet was assessed by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Intake of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats was inversely correlated with serum total testosterone after controlling for age, total energy, body mass index, alcohol intake, and smoking status, but the correlation was statistically significant only for polyunsaturated fat (r = -0.29, p = 0.02). Intakes of eicosapentanoic and docosahexaenoic acids, n-3 fatty acids from fish, were significantly inversely correlated with total testosterone (r = -0.25, p = 0.04 and r = -0.32, p = 0.01, respectively). Serum estrone, estradiol, and free testosterone were not significantly correlated with any type of fat studied. The correlations of total testosterone with n-3 fatty acids from fish remained significant after additional adjustment for the other categories of fat (r = -0.27, p = 0. 03 for eicosapentanoic acid and r = -0.32, p = 0.01 for docosahexaenoic acid), while the correlations with saturated and monounsaturated fats became nearly null after the adjustment.

Total and monounsaturated fat intake and serum estrogen concentrations in premenopausal Japanese women.

The relationships between fat intake and serum estrone, estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin were examined cross-sectionally in 60 premenopausal Japanese women. Blood samples were collected on Day 11 of the menstrual cycle. Intake of fats, classified according to fat type, and other macro- and micronutrients was estimated on the basis of daily diet records from Day 2 through Day 10 of the cycle. Total fat intake was significantly correlated with serum estrone concentration (Spearman r = 0.30, p = 0.02) and marginally significantly correlated with serum estradiol concentration (r = 0.26, p = 0.05) after controlling for age, total energy, and number of days before the next menses. Monounsaturated fat intake was significantly correlated with serum estrone (r = 0.32, p = 0.02) and serum estradiol (r = 0.27, p = 0.045). These data suggest an effect of dietary fat on serum estrogen concentrations.

Evaluation of a screening program on reduction of gastric cancer mortality in Japan: preliminary results from a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Systematic population-based screening for gastric cancer is widely spread in Japan. However, the case-control study method has been the main method used to evaluate the effectiveness of the screen ing to reduce gastric cancer mortality in Japan. METHODS: This article presents a population-based cohort study. A questionnaire about lifestyles and dietary habits was distributed to 36,990 residents in a city of Japan. The response rate to the questionnaire was 92.0%. After ineligible responders had been excluded, 24,134 subjects were classified into screened and un screened groups according to their self-reports of participation in the screening the previous year. We followed them up for 40 months and linked resident death records in the city. We compared mortality from gastric cancer and all other causes between the groups by us ing the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The follow-up period was 78,156.6 person-years from September 1992 to December 1995. The multivariate relative risks for gastric cancer death of the screened group in comparison with the unscreened group were 0.72 (95% CI 0.31-1.66) among males and 1.46 (95% CI 0.43-4.90) among females. CONCLUSION: Although our data are preliminary, we were unable to demonstrate a large contribution of the present screening program to decreasing gastric cancer mortality. Further follow-up is needed to in crease the precision.

Depressive symptoms and occurrence of type 2 diabetes among Japanese men.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In 1984, 2,764 male employees of an electrical company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire including the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). They were followed for the next 8 years, and 2,380 (86%) responded to the follow-up survey in 1992. During the follow-up survey, occurrence of type 2 diabetes was diagnosed according to World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS: A total of 41 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified during the 8-year follow-up survey. After controlling for other known risk factors for type 2 diabetes, a proportional hazard analysis indicated that subjects who had moderate or severe levels of depressive symptoms (> or = 48 on the SDS) at baseline had a 2.3 times higher risk of having type 2 diabetes at the follow-up survey than those who were not depressed (< or = 39 on the SDS) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms may be associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Overtime, psychosocial working conditions, and occurrence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Japanese men.

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the effects of overtime and psychosocial job conditions on the occurrence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Japan. DESIGN: An eight year prospective cohort study. SETTING: An electrical company in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: In 1984, a mailed questionnaire was sent to industrial workers of an electrical company in Japan. After excluding those who had a history of diabetes mellitus or other chronic diseases, 2597 male respondents were prospectively followed up for the succeeding eight years. Data from 2194 (84%) who were completely followed up were analysed. The occurrence of NIDDM during the follow up period was assessed according to the WHO criteria on the basis of an annual screening programme. MAIN RESULTS: The age adjusted incidence of NIDDM was significantly higher in those who worked overtime more than 50 hours per month than in those who worked 25 hours or less per month (p < 0.05). It was significantly higher in those who worked with new technology at baseline than in those who did not (p < 0.05). Cox's proportional hazard model indicated that those who worked overtime more than 50 hours per month had 3.7 times higher risk of NIDDM after controlling for known risk factors (p < 0.01) and those who worked with new technology had 2.4 times higher risk of NIDDM (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that longer overtime and use of new technology are risk factors of NIDDM in Japanese men.

Development of a screening questionnaire for tobacco/nicotine dependence according to ICD-10, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV.

A 10-item questionnaire (the Tobacco Dependence Screener; TDS) for screening of tobacco/nicotine dependence according to ICD-10, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV was newly developed. The reliability and validity were assessed in three samples of smokers in Japan. A total of 58 male smokers completed the TDS and the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ), and they were interviewed using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview (Sample 1). A total of 118 male and 36 female smoking outpatients completed the TDS and the FTQ and provided a breath sample for carbon monoxide measurement (Sample 2). A total of 194 male smokers joined a health education program using a health risk appraisal (HRA) and reported their smoking status and completed the TDS 6 months after receiving the HRA results (Sample 3). The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the TDS ranged from .74 to .81 among the samples, whereas those for the FTQ ranged from .41 to .64. Receiver operator characteristic analyses indicated that the TDS had a better screening performance for ICD-10, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV diagnoses than did the FFQ. The TDS score significantly and positively correlated with the severity of the diagnoses, the carbon monoxide levels, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and years of smoking. The TDS score was significantly lower in those who quit smoking than in those who did not quit smoking after the HRA. It is suggested that the TDS is a reliable and useful screening questionnaire for tobacco/nicotine dependence according to ICD-10, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV.

Validity and reproducibility of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire for a cohort study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: A self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire (Qx) was developed for a population-based cohort study on cancer in Takayama, Japan. METHODS: The Qx was tested among 58 male and 59 female volunteers. Average daily nutrient intakes for the previous year calculated from the Qx were compared with those from 3-day food records and four 24-h recalls. The Qx was also validated among 37 volunteers by comparing the nutrient intakes calculated from the Qx with 12 1-day food records during a year. We also calculated the intra-class correlation coefficients for various nutrients between the Qx and the second Qx administered by the same volunteers 1 year after the first survey. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficients between total energy from the Qx and 3-day records were 0.38 for men and 0.25 for women and those between the Qx and 24-h recalls were 0.19 and -0.02 for men and women, respectively. Correlations between the several nutrients from the Qx and 3-day records ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 for both men and women. These correlations after energy adjustment ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 for men and from 0.1 to 0.7 for women. In general, the correlations for various nutrients between the Qx and 12 1-day records were higher than those described above. The intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.46 to 0.78 in men and from 0.36 to 0.67, except for vitamin C in women. When the information on portion size was excluded, almost all of the above indices showed somewhat lower figures. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that our food frequency questionnaire with portion size information can be used to estimate nutrient intakes of each individual.

Serum concentrations of carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, fatty acids, and lipid peroxides among Japanese in Japan, and Japanese and Caucasians in the US.

Serum concentrations of carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, fatty acids, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured in 217 Japanese residents of Japan, and in 99 Japanese and 100 Caucasian residents of the US, aged from 50 y to 74 y. In females, serum values of carotenoids such as beta-carotene (BC) and zeaxanthin & lutein (ZL) were highest among Japanese in Japan, followed by Japanese in the US and Caucasians in the US. In males, these values, except for serum BC values, were also highest among Japanese in Japan. Moreover, serum values of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were significantly higher among Japanese in Japan than among Japanese and Caucasians in the US in both sexes. In contrast, serum values of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid were lowest among Japanese in Japan. For women, serum levels of n-9 unsaturated fatty acids were lowest among Japanese living in Japan. Serum TBARS values were highest among Japanese in Japan, followed by Japanese in the US and Caucasians in the US. A significant positive correlation was observed between serum values of TBARS and n-3 PUFAs among Japanese both in Japan and in the US. Serum TBARS values showed a significant inverse relationship with the serum values of BC and ZL among Japanese in Japan and with those of BC among Japanese in the US. These relationships were not always observed among Caucasians in the US. The results of this study suggest that the high TBARS values among Japanese in Japan may depend in part on lipid peroxidation induced in vitro by n-3PUFAs, while high reduction of lipid peroxidation could be expected among Japanese in Japan with high antioxidants such as BC and ZL. In conclusion, serum levels of nonprovitamin A carotenoids such as ZL may be a useful intake marker of vegetables. Dietary intakes of dark green vegetables and fish rich in n-3PUFAs might be more important in the prevention of some sites of cancer and of ischemic heart disease.

Effect of soymilk consumption on serum estrogen concentrations in premenopausal Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: Estrogens have been implicated in the development of breast cancer. Preliminary evidence suggests that consumption of soy products, which contain isoflavones (phytoestrogens), can reduce serum estrogen levels. Our purpose was to determine the effect of soy consumption on serum estrogen levels in premenopausal women by use of a dietary intervention approach. METHODS: Premenopausal Japanese women were randomly assigned to receive either a soymilk-supplemented diet (n = 31) or a normal (control) diet (n = 29). The women in the soymilk-supplemented group were asked to consume about 400 mL of soymilk (containing about 109 mg of isoflavones) daily during a study period that involved three consecutive menstrual cycles. Follicular-phase blood samples were to be obtained in the menstrual cycles preceding (cycle 1) and following (cycle 3) the 2-month dietary intervention. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: At the end of the study period, estrone and estradiol levels were decreased by 23% and 27%, respectively, in the soymilk-supplemented group and were increased by 0.6% and 4%, respectively, in the control group. The changes for each hormone between the two groups were not statistically significantly different. In the soymilk-supplemented group, menstrual cycle length was increased by nearly 2 days, and, in the control group, it was decreased by approximately 1 day, a difference that was not statistically significant. A subgroup analysis restricted to subjects who provided follicular-phase blood samples on the same day or 1 day apart in menstrual cycles 1 and 3 showed a reduction in serum estrone levels in the soymilk-supplemented group that was of borderline statistical significance (P = .07 for change in serum estrone level in soymilk-supplemented group versus control group). CONCLUSION: Much larger studies will be required to confirm the ability of soy products to reduce serum estrogen levels.

Effects of passive smoking on serum levels of carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol.

To evaluate the effects of passive smoking identified by urine cotinine on serum carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol, we categorized 124 residents in a rural city of Japan into 4 groups by their urine cotinine/creatinine (Cot/Cr) ratio (u.d. (undetectable); low (0-50 ng/mg); moderate (50-120 ng/mg); high (> 120 ng/mg)) and compared the serum carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol levels among these groups. We identified passive smoking by low Cot/Cr ratio level. After controlling on related factors, men with low Cot/Cr ratio showed significantly lower serum zeaxanthin/lutein levels than men with u.d. Cot/Cr ratio. The difference was still marginally significant after excluding self-reported current smokers from the low Cot/Cr group. It is suggested that low level exposure to tobacco smoke, which has been reported to be equivalent to that for passive smokers, could be associated with decreased serum zeaxanthin/lutein levels in men.

Life-time prevalence and risk factors of tobacco/nicotine dependence in male ever-smokers in Japan.

UNLABELLED: To estimate the life-time prevalence rate of tobacco/nicotine dependence and demographic variables and smoking habits associated with the disorder in male ever-smokers in Japan. DESIGN: A cross-sectional community-based interview study. SETTING: Takayama city, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 170 male ever-smokers aged 35 years or older selected randomly from a community in Japan were interviewed. The response rate was 85%. MEASUREMENTS: The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to make diagnoses of tobacco/nicotine dependence according t ICD-10, DSM-III-R and DSM-IV. The Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) was also administered and those who had a FTQ score of 7 or above were identified. FINDINGS: The life-time prevalence rates of tobacco/nicotine dependence in male ever-smokers were 42%, 26% and 32% according to ICD-10, DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria, respectively; 19% had a FTQ score of 7 or above. The ICD-10 diagnosis was significantly and negatively associated with quitting smoking (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that number of cigarettes per day when they smoked the most was significantly associated with higher life-time risks of the disorder according to DSM-III-R, DSM-IV and Fagerstrom's classification (p < 0.05). The length of cigarette smoked was associated with higher life-time risks of ICD-10 and DSM-IV diagnoses, and years of smoking were associated with higher life-time risks of ICD-10, DSM-III-R and DSM-IV diagnoses (p < 0.05). Younger birth cohorts had higher cumulative rates of the disorder according to DSM-IV (p for trend < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Life-time prevalence rates of tobacco/nicotine dependence according to ICD-10, DSM-III-R and DSM-IV in male ever-smokers in Japan were within the range of rates reported in previous US studies; rates of FTQ score of 7 or above were lower. Fagerstrom scores and diagnostic criteria appear to reflect different aspects of dependence.

Association of diet and other lifestyle with onset of menopause in Japanese women.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cross-sectional relationships of dietary and other lifestyle variables to menopause. METHODS: A total of 4186 female residents aged 45-55 in Takayama City, Japan, responded to a self-administered questionnaire (the response rate was 89.3%). Diet in the past year was assessed by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Using the logistic regression model, associations between study variables and menopausal status were estimated in terms of odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: Nulliparity and lower relative weight were significantly associated with menopause after controlling for age (P < 0.05). The association of smoking with menopause was marginally significant after controlling for age (P = 0.06). Higher intakes of fat, cholesterol, and coffee were inversely and significantly associated with later menopause after controlling for age, total energy, parity, menarche age, and relative weight (ORs for the highest tertiles of fat, cholesterol and coffee intakes were 0.78, 0.79, and 0.70, respectively, P < 0.05). The highest tertiles of calcium and soy product intakes were significantly associated with menopause after controlling for the covariates (ORs = 1.25 and 1.42, respectively, P < 0.05), but postmenopausal women who had menopause at later age showed higher calcium intake than those who had menopause at early age. CONCLUSION: Dietary factors appear to be associated with onset of menopause.