Transitional Changes in the Prevalence of Dental Caries in Children and Preventive Strategies: A Review of Nationwide Annual Surveys in Japan.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the efficacy of strategies for preventing dental caries in Japanese children by examining trends over time in the prevalence of dental caries, the number of decayed, missing, or filled teeth (the DMFT index), and their association with factors affecting oral hygiene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several national surveys performed between 1955 and 2015 were reviewed. The prevalence of dental caries in children aged 5-15 years, the DMFT index in children aged 9 or 14 years, individual consumption of added sugars and snacks, the number of dentists in Japan, and the percentage of children who received fluoride varnish were analysed. Additionally, the relative poverty rate among Japanese children was assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of caries and the DMFT index in Japanese children reflected the trend of individual added-sugar consumption from 1955 to 2015, and also seemed to decrease inversely with the number of dentists and the percentage of children who had received fluoride varnish since 1969. However, there seemed to be no relation to the relative poverty rate. CONCLUSION: The main preventive strategies for caries in Japan are to reduce sugar intake and educate school children and their caregivers about oral hygiene.

Immune status of representative infectious diseases among Japanese female university students.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the immune status of representative infectious diseases among Japanese youth, we retrospectively investigated serum antibody levels in university students, partly comparing these to immunization records and infectious disease histories confirmed by the maternal and child health (MCH) handbooks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 168 Japanese female university students, aged 20-21 years, were included. Data were collected from examinations of antibody titers against measles, rubella, varicella-zoster (VZ), mumps, and hepatitis B (HB) and C (HC) viruses, and from QuantiFERON®-TB Gold tests, between 2011 and 2015. Records of immunization and infectious disease histories were available from MCH handbooks for students who agreed with the use of their data for this study (n=23). RESULTS: All students had positive antibodies, detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), against measles, rubella, VZ, and mumps; however, seroprevalences within the range of seroprotective antibody levels were 38.1% (64/168), 67.9% (114/168), 95.9% (141/147), and 89.8% (132/147), respectively. The students had probably not been infected with HB, HC, or tuberculosis at the time of the examinations. DISCUSSION: The study indicated that a two-dose vaccine for measles and rubella (MR) might not be sufficient to produce antibodies at seroprotective levels. Therefore, we propose that health care workers, including students, should receive an additional MR vaccine, even if they have received two doses of MR vaccine or if they have unknown histories of immunizations or infectious diseases. Further investigations in these areas will be needed.

Japanese university students' views on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals based on previous encounters.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the acceptability of sexual minorities according to Japanese youth, we conducted a survey targeting university students. METHODS: Participants were second- to fourth-year students (n=945) at Ibaraki University, Japan, who were randomly chosen for the survey to measure their attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. We divided the respondents into two groups: one group who had encounters with LGBT people, and one group with no such experience. Chi-square tests were used to compare responses between the groups. RESULTS: More than 60% of the students considered LGBT people to be acceptable; the group with prior encounters had greater levels of acceptance compared to the group without such encounters. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to clarify the acceptability of sexual minorities among university students in Japan. Our data suggested that having contact with LGBT people in school life may help build an inclusive educational system.

Recognition of, interest in, and understanding of induced pluripotent stem cells and regenerative medicine in Japanese students.

We studied the recognition of, interest in, and understanding of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and regenerative medicine in a total of 2659 junior high school, senior high school, and university students. The number of valid responses received was 2396 (90.1%). We report the following seven observations [1]. More than 80% of students reported recognition of iPS cells, regenerative medicine, and Professor Shinya Yamanaka, and a similar number were interested in and supportive of regenerative medicine [2]. Regenerative medicine was viewed as a medical treatment option. However, females were more cautious regarding use of regenerative medicine as a treatment compared with males [3]. Approximately 90% of students were interested in the latest medical care. Among the new treatment methods, they more frequently selected those that they were more familiar with and perceived less invasive to be ideal [4]. Regarding organ or tissue donation in regenerative medicine, students focused more on the characteristics of the donors [5]. Approximately 90% were supportive of storing their own cells. However, approximately 50% of students supported storing iPS cells for use in regenerative medicine [6]. Most students were anxious regarding the side effects, safety, and treatment costs of regenerative medicine, but supported the need of education regarding regenerative medicine [7]. More than 70% of students thought that education of regenerative medicine was necessary for the public. These findings suggest the importance of social approach, in addition to medical approach such as research and development, to improve QOL in community by developing the public understanding of regenerative medicine through science communication and school education, for the establishment of systems to promote this field.

Awareness survey of so-called Dappou drugs or Kiken drugs (New Psychoactive Substances) among University Students in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Spread of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is a worldwide problem. In Japan, NPSs with psychoactive ingredients are called as "dappou drugs" or "kiken drugs." Their potential effect on the Japanese society cannot be ignored. FINDINGS: We conducted an awareness survey of So-called Dappou Drugs or Kiken Drugs among the students of Ibaraki University, a national university in Japan, in April 2014. 3976 students (2425 men, 1406 women and 145 unspecified) participated in this study. 2813 (70.7 %) respondents were aware of dappou drugs. Only 39.5 % of the respondents selected the option of "ingredients that cause delusions and/or hallucinations may be included" in dappou drugs. 23.4 % of the respondents selected "the number of (dappou drug) users requiring emergency hospitalization due to acute intoxication is increasing". Of the respondents, 19 (0.5 %) reported that they had been invited to use dappou drugs previously, and 40 (1.0 %) had witnessed and/or heard of somebody close to them using the drugs. Those who drank alcohol every day and those who smoked had a higher chance of witnessing and/or hearing of somebody close to them using dappou drugs than those who did not drink or smoke, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Japanese university students do not have sufficient knowledge about dappou drugs or kiken drugs to protect themselves from potential drug misuse. It is both important and urgent to educate Japanese university students about the harmful effects of dappou drugs; in addition, it is important to provide such knowledge before the students are allowed to legally drink and smoke.

Body proportion chart for evaluating changes in stature, sitting height and leg length in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Studies by longitudinal sample to evaluate trends in stature, sitting height, leg length and body proportions together in Japanese children are scarce. AIM: Trends in stature, sitting height, leg length and LUR (lower segment and upper segment ratio) were evaluated with a graphical method (Body Proportion Chart). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Longitudinal data for 520 boys and 306 girls who had 12 consecutive yearly measurements from 6.5-17.5 years of age were used. RESULTS: Estimated growth rates of leg length were greater than those of sitting height in pre-adolescence in both sexes. Leg length was slightly longer in girls than in boys for a short period early in adolescence, but sitting height in girls exceeded that in boys for a longer period. LUR attained peak values between 12.5-13.5 years in girls (LUR = 85.7) and between 13.5-14.5 years in boys (LUR = 89.2). After attaining maximum LUR, leg length was stable, although sitting height continued to increase slightly in both sexes. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the usefulness of the Body Proportion Chart method for identifying changes in body proportions during adolescence.

Age change of power in weight/height(p) indices used as indicators of adiposity in Japanese.

Data from the Statistical Report on School Health and Hygiene were used to identify the entire process of the power of height p in the weight-for-height index W/H(p). The appropriate power of height p was determined by clarifying the allometric relationship, giving an index of relative weight, which is highly correlated with weight but uncorrelated with height for age. The procedure is equivalent to fitting a straight line on a log-log scale to the tabulated weights by height in different age groups. The p values show directional changes from 5 to 17 years of age in both sexes. The optimal p value is approximately 2 in preschool children but increases gradually to over 3 at 10 years in males and 11 years in females, and then falls back to 2 after puberty. The largest p value occurs 18 months earlier in females than in males, and the pattern is the same in the present samples and American samples. Because there are remarkable changes between 12 to 14 years in females and 14 to 16 years in males, the general weight-for-height indices with the precise power of height are preferable at these ages. A fixed power 3.0 is suggested for children between 3 and 12 years irrespective of sex or race.