著者
Hideki Nagata Katsuyuki Miura Sachiko Tanaka Aya Kadota Takehito Hayakawa Keiko Kondo Akira Fujiyoshi Naoyuki Takashima Yoshikuni Kita Akira Okayama Tomonori Okamura Hirotsugu Ueshima
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.3, pp.136-141, 2023-03-05 (Released:2023-03-05)
参考文献数
25
被引用文献数
6

Background: Basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL and IADL, respectively) are known predictors of mortality. However, the relationship between higher-level functional capacity (HLFC) and mortality and related sex differences have rarely been investigated.Methods: A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted in 1,824 older residents (≥65 years) with independent BADL from 300 randomly selected areas in Japan from 1995, and the participants were followed up until 2010. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, the relationship between HLFC and mortality risk was investigated, with adjustment for possible confounders. HLFC was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. Baseline data were collected using a questionnaire or by home-visit interviews.Results: During an average 12.2-year follow-up, all-cause death was observed in 836 (45.8%) participants. Impaired HLFC was significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.65). Lower social role was significantly associated with higher mortality risk in men (HR 1.38; 95% CI, 1.13–1.68). Lower IADL and intellectual activity were significantly associated with higher mortality risk in women (HR 1.50; 95% CI, 1.15–1.95 and HR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.19–1.79, respectively). The relationship between HLFC and mortality risk showed a similar tendency among cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, and pneumonia.Conclusion: Impaired HLFC was associated with a high risk of all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older people with independent BADL. In particular, social role in men and IADL and intellectual activity in women were associated with long-term mortality risk.
著者
Mami Ishikuro Taku Obara Keiko Murakami Fumihiko Ueno Aoi Noda Masahiro Kikuya Junichi Sugawara Hirohito Metoki Shinichi Kuriyama
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.3, pp.127-135, 2023-03-05 (Released:2023-03-05)
参考文献数
31
被引用文献数
5

Background: The present study analyzed the relation of disaster exposure prior to pregnancy with maternal characteristics and obstetric outcomes.Methods: The participants were 13,148 pregnant women recruited from 2013 to 2017. The women were classified into three groups by the severity of housing damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011: group A, house was not destroyed/did not live in the disaster area; group B, half/part of the house was destroyed; and group C, house was totally/mostly destroyed. Maternal characteristics, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and gestational weeks were obtained using questionnaires and medical records. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the relation between disaster exposure and maternal characteristics, HDP, and GDM. A structural equation model was applied to investigate the relation of disaster exposure with HDP and gestational weeks.Results: The homes of about 11% of the women were totally/mostly destroyed. For groups B and C compared with those in group A, the adjusted ORs for HDP were 1.04 and 1.26 (P for trend = 0.01), and for GDM were 0.89 and 1.14 (P for trend = 0.9), respectively. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) mediated 23.2% of the relation between disaster exposure and HDP. Disaster exposure was associated with gestational weeks.Conclusion: Disaster exposure at least 2.5 years before pregnancy was found to be associated with maternal characteristics and the prevalence of HDP. Pre-pregnancy BMI mediated the relation between disaster exposure and the prevalence of HDP, and gestational weeks were reduced through HDP.
著者
Tzu-Yi Lu Chih-Da Wu Yen-Tsung Huang Yu-Cheng Chen Chien-Jen Chen Hwai-I Yang Wen-Chi Pan
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.JE20220262, (Released:2023-03-11)
参考文献数
52

Background: Ambient particulate matter is classified as a human Class 1 carcinogen, and recent studies found a positive relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and liver cancer. Nevertheless, little is known which specific metal constituent contributes to the development of liver cancer.Objective: To evaluate the association of long-term exposure to metal constituents in PM2.5 with the risk of liver cancer using a Taiwanese cohort study.Methods: A total of 13,511 Taiwanese participants were recruited from the REVEAL-HBV in 1991-1992. Participants’ long-term exposure to eight metal constituents (Ba, Cu, Mn, Sb, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cd) in PM2.5 was based on ambient measurement in 2002-2006 followed by a land-use regression model for spatial interpolation. We ascertained newly developed liver cancer (i.e. hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) through data linkage with the Taiwan Cancer Registry and national health death certification in 1991-2014. A Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to assess the association between exposure to PM2.5 metal component and HCC.Results: We identified 322 newly developed HCC with a median follow-up of 23.1 years. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 Cu was positively associated with a risk of liver cancer. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.25; p-value=0.023) with one unit increment on Cu normalized by PM2.5 mass concentration in the logarithmic scale. The PM2.5 Cu-HCC association remained statistically significant with adjustment for co-exposures to other metal constituents in PM2.5.Conclusions: Our findings suggest PM2.5 containing Cu may attribute to the association of PM2.5 exposure with liver cancer.
著者
Ami Fukunaga Yosuke Inoue Tohru Nakagawa Toru Honda Shuichiro Yamamoto Hiroko Okazaki Makoto Yamamoto Toshiaki Miyamoto Takeshi Kochi Masafumi Eguchi Naoki Gommori Kenya Yamamoto Ai Hori Maki Konishi Nobumi Katayama Isamu Kabe Seitaro Dohi Tetsuya Mizoue
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.JE20220245, (Released:2023-03-11)
参考文献数
23

Background: Diabetes and prediabetes have been linked with morbidity or mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other physical disorders among working-age populations, but less is known about outcomes directly related to labor loss (e.g., long-term sickness absence (LTSA) or pre-retirement death due to physical disorders).This prospective study aimed to examine the association of diabetes and prediabetes with the risk of a composite outcome of LTSA and pre-retirement death due to physical disorders. The present study also examined the associations of severe outcomes (LTSA or death) due to specific physical disorders or injuries/external causes in relation to diabetes and prediabetes.Methods: Data were derived from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health study. A total of 60,519 workers from 12 companies were followed for eight years. Diabetes and prediabetes were defined based on the American Diabetes Association criteria. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine the association between diabetes/prediabetes and severe outcomes due to physical disorders or injuries/external causes.Results: The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of severe outcomes due to all physical disorders were 1.22 (1.02–1.45) and 2.32 (2.04–2.64) for prediabetes and diabetes, respectively. In cause-specific analyses, an increased risk was observed for severe outcomes due to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and injuries/external causes in relation to either or both diabetes and prediabetes.Conclusions: Diabetes and prediabetes were associated with an increased risk of severe outcomes due to physical disorders or injuries/external causes among Japanese workers.
著者
Noriko Fujiwara Naoki Shimada Masanori Nojima Keisuke Ariyoshi Norie Sawada Motoki Iwasaki Shoichiro Tsugane
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.3, pp.120-126, 2023-03-05 (Released:2023-03-05)
参考文献数
18
被引用文献数
3

Background: The place of death and related factor, such as diseases, symptoms, family burden, and cost, has been examined, but social background and lifestyle were not considered in most studies. Here, we assessed factors that are associated with the place of death using the largest cohort study in Japan.Methods: A total of 17,781 deaths from the cohort study were assessed. The study database was created from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study), in which demographic data were collected from Japanese Vital Statistics. Adjusted odds ratios for home death were calculated using logistic regression.Results: Multivariate analysis adjusted for various factors showed that unmarried status (odds ratio [OR] 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0–2.9), unemployed male (OR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.5), and high drinking level in male (OR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.6) were associated with home death. Regarding the cause of death, cardiovascular disease (OR 3.3; 95% CI, 2.9–3.8), cerebrovascular disease (OR 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6–2.2), and external factors (OR 4.1; 95% CI, 3.5–4.8) were significantly associated with home death, compared with cancer. The risk of death at home was significantly higher among unmarried subjects stratified by cause of death (cardiovascular disease: OR 3.2; 95% CI, 2.2–4.7; cerebrovascular disease: OR :5.1; 95% CI, 2.9–9.1; respiratory disease: OR 3.4; 95% CI, 1.6–7.6; and external factors: OR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4–3.7), but for cancer, the risk of death at home tended to be higher among married participants.Conclusion: This study found that various factors are associated with home death using the largest cohort study in Japan. There is a high possibility of home deaths in people with fewer social connections and in those with diseases leading to sudden death.
著者
Kanami Tanigawa Satoyo Ikehara Meishan Cui Yoko Kawanishi Tadashi Kimura Kimiko Ueda Kazumasa Yamagishi Hiroyasu Iso
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.3, pp.113-119, 2023-03-05 (Released:2023-03-05)
参考文献数
42
被引用文献数
1

Background: Both short and long interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) have been associated with risk of preterm birth, but the evidence is limited in Asians. It is also uncertain whether the association is modified by dietary folate intake or folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Thus, we examined associations between IPI and risk of preterm birth and effect modification of those associations by dietary intake of folate and supplementation with folic acid on the basis of a nationwide birth cohort study.Methods: Among 103,062 pregnancies registered in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, 55,203 singleton live-birth pregnancies were included in the analysis. We calculated IPI using birth date, gestational age at birth of offspring, and birth data of the latest offspring. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the risk of preterm birth were estimated according to IPI categories.Results: Both <6-month and ≥120-month IPIs were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, compared with an 18–23-month IPI. The multivariable ORs were 1.63 (95% CI, 1.30–2.04) for <6-month and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.11–1.79) for ≥120-month IPIs. These associations were confined to women with inadequate intake of dietary folate and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Multivariable ORs were 1.76 (95% CI, 1.35–2.29) for <6-month IPI and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.24–2.19) for ≥120-month IPI.Conclusion: Both <6-month and ≥120-month IPIs were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. These higher risks were confined to women with inadequate intake of dietary folate and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy.
著者
Masako Shimoda Kayo Kaneko Takeshi Nakagawa Naoko Kawano Rei Otsuka Atsuhiko Ota Hisao Naito Masaaki Matsunaga Naohiro Ichino Hiroya Yamada Chifa Chiang Yoshihisa Hirakawa Koji Tamakoshi Atsuko Aoyama Hiroshi Yatsuya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.2, pp.76-81, 2023-02-05 (Released:2023-02-05)
参考文献数
33
被引用文献数
2

Background: There is limited evidence regarding the relationship between Diabetes mellitus (DM) in middle age and mild cognitive impairment after a follow-up. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in middle age and cognitive function assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) in later life, following over 15 years of follow-up in the Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study in Japan.Methods: Participants were 253 former local government employees aged 60–79 years in 2018 who participated in a baseline survey conducted in 2002. Using baseline FBG levels and self-reported history, participants were classified into the normal, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and, and DM groups. Total MoCA-J score ranges from 0 to 30, and cognitive impairment was defined as MoCA-J score ≤25 in this study. A general linear model was used to estimate the mean MoCA-J scores in the FBG groups, adjusted for age, sex, educational year, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.Results: The mean MoCA-J score in the total population was 25.0, and the prevalence of MoCA-J score ≤25 was 49.0%. Multivariable-adjusted total MoCA-J scores were 25.2, 24.8, and 23.4 in the normal, IFG, and DM groups, respectively. The odds ratio of MoCA-J score ≤25 in the DM group was 3.29.Conclusion: FBG level in middle age was negatively associated with total MoCA-J scores assessed later in life, independent of confounding variables.
著者
Koki Ibayashi Yoshihisa Fujino Masakazu Mimaki Kenji Fujimoto Shinya Matsuda Yu-ichi Goto
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.2, pp.68-75, 2023-02-05 (Released:2023-02-05)
参考文献数
33
被引用文献数
4

Background: To provide a better healthcare system for patients with mitochondrial diseases, it is important to understand the basic epidemiology of these conditions, including the number of patients affected. However, little information about them has appeared in Japan to date.Methods: To gather data of patients with mitochondrial diseases, we estimated the number of patients with mitochondrial diseases from April 2018 through March 2019 using a national Japanese health care claims database, the National Database (NDB). Further, we calculated the prevalence of patients, and sex ratio, age class, and geographical distribution.Results: From April 2018 through March 2019, the number of patients with mitochondrial diseases was 3,629, and the prevalence was 2.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8–3.0) per 100,000 general population. The ratio of females and males was 53 to 47, and the most frequent age class was 40–49 years old. Tokyo had the greatest number of patients with mitochondrial diseases, at 477, whereas Yamanashi had the fewest, at 13. Kagoshima had the highest prevalence of patients with mitochondrial diseases, 8.4 (95% CI, 7.1–10.0) per 100,000 population, whereas Yamanashi had the lowest, 1.6 (95% CI, 0.8–2.7).Conclusion: The number of patients with mitochondrial diseases estimated by this study, 3,269, was more than double that indicated by the Japanese government. This result may imply that about half of all patients are overlooked for reasons such as low severity of illness, suggesting that the Japanese healthcare system needs to provide additional support for these patients.
著者
Kohtaro Kikuchi Tatsuhiko Anzai Kunihiko Takahashi
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.33, no.1, pp.45-51, 2023-01-05 (Released:2023-01-05)
参考文献数
27
被引用文献数
5

Background: Japan has witnessed an unusual increase in the number of suicides among women during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. An analysis is required to identify the influencing factors during the pandemic and develop new measures for preventing suicides.Methods: Data on the number of monthly suicides were collected from the National Police Agency of Japan. The expected number of suicides among women during the pandemic was estimated using a time-series model based on pre-pandemic data, considering year-to-year trends. The observed-to-expected (O/E) ratio of suicides was estimated from March 2020 to October 2021 using job status, suicide motive, and age.Results: The number of suicides among women in Japan increased beyond the expected number until October 2021. The O/E ratio based on job status, suicide motive, and age (except self-employed, unknown job status, and women aged ≥80 years) was significantly above 1.0 from March–December 2020, and the increase in suicides continued in almost all categories in 2021.Conclusion: Although several reasons were reported for increased suicides among women in Japan during the pandemic (eg, economic downturn, financial instability, and loneliness), suicides increased irrespective of job status, suicide motive, or age. Comprehensive measures to prevent suicide might have been important during the pandemic, instead of limiting interventions to the reported specific population.
著者
Hisashi Noma
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.JE20220251, (Released:2023-01-14)
参考文献数
8

Background: The logistic regression analysis proposed by Schouten et al. (Stat Med. 1993;12:1733–1745) has been a standard method in current statistical analysis of case-cohort studies, and it enables effective estimation of risk ratio from selected subsamples, with adjustment of potential confounding factors. Schouten et al. (1993) also proposed the standard error estimate of the risk ratio estimator can be calculated by the robust variance estimator, and this method has been widely adopted.Methods and Results: We show that the robust variance estimator does not account for the duplications of case and subcohort samples and generally has certain bias, i.e., inaccurate confidence intervals and P-values are possibly obtained. To address the invalid statistical inference problem, we provide an alternative bootstrap-based valid variance estimator. Through simulation studies, the bootstrap method consistently provided more precise confidence intervals compared with those provided by the robust variance method, while retaining adequate coverage probabilities.Conclusion: The robust variance estimator has certain bias, and inadequate conclusions might be deduced from the resultant statistical analyses. The proposed bootstrap variance estimator can provide more accurate and precise interval estimates. The bootstrap method would be an alternative effective approach in practice to provide accurate evidence.
著者
Masaharu Maeda Mayumi Harigane Naoko Horikoshi Yui Takebayashi Hideki Sato Atsushi Takahashi Maho Momoi Saori Goto Yuichi Oikawa Rie Mizuki Itaru Miura Shuntaro Itagaki Hirooki Yabe Tetsuya Ohira Seiji Yasumura Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S47-S56, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
50
被引用文献数
11

A Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey (MHLS) has been conducted yearly as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey since 2012, in order to monitor different health issues related to long-term evacuation of affected people after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. This survey is a mail-based one of nearly 210,000 affected people living in the evacuation zone at the time of the disaster. Another purpose of the MHLS is to provide efficient interventions by telephone based on the results of the survey. Significant findings contributing to understanding of non-radiological health effects caused by long-term evacuation were obtained from the MHLS, directly connecting to telephone-based interventions for over 3,000 respondents per year. In this article, the mental health outcomes of the MHLS, including depressive symptoms and posttraumatic responses, are reviewed, and the usefulness of telephone-based interventions is discussed. The evidence showed that, despite improvement of core mental health outcomes, the prevalence of respondents at high risk of some psychiatric problems remained high compared to that among the general population in Japan. In particular, several mental health consequences of respondents staying outside of Fukushima Prefecture were higher than those staying inside Fukushima. Along with further efforts to increase the response rate, we need to continue and modify the MHLS to meet the requirements of the affected people and communities.
著者
Itaru Miura Masanori Nagao Hironori Nakano Kanako Okazaki Fumikazu Hayashi Mayumi Harigane Shuntaro Itagaki Hirooki Yabe Masaharu Maeda Tetsuya Ohira Tetsuo Ishikawa Seiji Yasumura Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S95-S103, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
34
被引用文献数
4

Background: The relationship between radiation levels and mental health status after a nuclear disaster is unknown. We examined the association between individual external radiation doses and psychological distress or post-traumatic stress after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 in Japan.Methods: The Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey was conducted from January 2012. Based on the estimated external radiation doses for the first 4 months, a total of 64,184 subjects were classified into <1 mSv, 1 to <2 mSv, and ≥2 mSv groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress, with the <1 mSv group as the reference, were calculated using logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, evacuation, perception of radiation risk, and subjective health status.Results: The prevalence of psychological distress/post-traumatic stress in the <1 mSv, 1 to <2 mSv, and ≥2 mSv groups was 15.1%/22.1%, 14.0%/20.1%, and 15.0%/21.7%, respectively. In women, although the ≥2 mSv group tended to have a higher risk of psychological distress with the age-adjusted OR of 1.13 (95% CI, 0.99–1.30), the adjusted OR decreased to 1.00 (95% CI, 0.86–1.16) after controlling for all variables. On the other hand, there were no dose-dependent associations between radiation dose and post-traumatic stress.Conclusion: Although external radiation doses were not associated with psychological distress, evacuation and perception of radiation risk may increase the risk of psychological distress in women in the higher dose group.
著者
Akira Sakai Masanori Nagao Hironori Nakano Tetsuya Ohira Tetsuo Ishikawa Mitsuaki Hosoya Michio Shimabukuro Atsushi Takahashi Junichiro J. Kazama Kanako Okazaki Fumikazu Hayashi Seiji Yasumura Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S84-S94, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
42
被引用文献数
6

Background: Associations have been reported between lifestyle-related diseases and evacuation after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). However, the relationship between lifestyle-related diseases and the effective radiation dose due to external exposure (EDEE) after the GEJE remains unclear.Methods: From among 72,869 residents of Fukushima Prefecture (31,982 men; 40,887 women) who underwent a comprehensive health check in fiscal year (FY) 2011, the data of 54,087 residents (22,599 men; 31,488 women) aged 16 to 84 years were analyzed. The EDEE data of 25,685 residents with incomplete results from the basic survey, performed to estimate the external radiation exposure dose, were supplemented using multiple imputation. The data were classified into three groups based on EDEE (0 to <1, 1 to <2, and ≥2 mSv groups and associations between the incidence of diseases and EDEE from FY2011 to FY2017 were examined using a Cox proportional hazards model, with FY2011 as the baseline.Results: A higher EDEE was associated with a greater incidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, liver dysfunction, and polycythemia from FY2011 to FY2017 in the age- and sex-adjusted model. However, after further adjustment for evacuation status and lifestyle-related factors, the significant associations disappeared. No association was found between EDEE and other lifestyle-related diseases.Conclusion: EDEE was not directly associated with the incidence of lifestyle-related diseases after the GEJE. However, residents with higher external radiation doses in Fukushima Prefecture might suffer from lifestyle-related diseases related to evacuation and the resultant lifestyle changes.
著者
Hyo Kyozuka Tsuyoshi Murata Shun Yasuda Kayoko Ishii Keiya Fujimori Aya Goto Seiji Yasumura Misao Ota Kenichi Hata Kohta Suzuki Akihito Nakai Tetsuya Ohira Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S57-S63, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
42
被引用文献数
5

There are limited studies on the long-term effects of natural/environmental disasters, especially nuclear disasters, on obstetric outcomes. This study aimed to review the results of perinatal outcomes immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, as well as their long-term trends over 8 years, in the Fukushima Health Management Survey. The annual population-based Pregnancy and Birth Survey is conducted as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey. The Fukushima Prefecture government launched it to assess the health conditions of pregnant women and their neonates after the GEJE. The self-reported questionnaire was sent to 115,976 pregnant women by mail from January 2012, with 58,344 women responding to the questionnaire (50.3% response rate). Pregnancy complications, such as gestational hypertension, respiratory diseases, and mental disorders, increased in some women who were pregnant at the time of the earthquake and immediately after the earthquake. However, the direct effects on newborns, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies, were not immediately clear after the earthquake. Although there were significant differences in the occurrence of preterm birth and low birth weight among the districts, there was no change in the occurrences of preterm birth, low birth weight, or anomalies in newborns in Fukushima Prefecture from the fiscal year 2011 to the fiscal year 2018. Therefore, the long-term effects of the post-disaster radiation accident on perinatal outcomes are considered to be very small.
著者
Tetsuo Ishikawa Seiji Yasumura Keiichi Akahane Shunsuke Yonai Akira Sakai Osamu Kurihara Mitsuaki Hosoya Ritsu Sakata Tetsuya Ohira Hitoshi Ohto Kenji Kamiya
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.Supplement_XII, pp.S11-S22, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
35
被引用文献数
9

Background: One of the components of the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) is the Basic Survey, which estimates individual external doses for the first 4 months after the 2011 nuclear power plant accident. However, external exposure continues long-term. According to estimations by international organizations, the external dose during the first year accounts for a significant part of the long-term dose. Thus, the present study was intended to estimate the first-year doses by extrapolating the Basic Survey results.Methods: For most municipalities of non-evacuated areas, ambient dose rate had been continuously measured for at least one designated point in each municipality after the accident. In the present study, a municipality-average dose received by residents for a period was assumed to be proportional to the ambient dose measured at the designated point of that municipality during the same period. Based on this assumption, 4-month municipality-average doses calculated from the Basic Survey results were extrapolated to obtain first-year doses.Results: The extrapolated first-year doses for 49 municipalities in the non-evacuated areas had a good correlation with those estimated by UNSCEAR, although the extrapolated doses were generally higher (slope of the regression line: 1.23). The extrapolated municipality-average doses were in reasonable agreement (within 30%) with personal dosimeter measurements, suggesting that the extrapolation was reasonable.Conclusion: The present paper reports the first 4-month average doses for all 59 municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture and the extrapolated first-year doses for 49 municipalities. The extrapolated doses will be the basis for future epidemiological studies related to the FHMS.
著者
Mari Yamashita Satoshi Seino Yu Nofuji Yasuhiro Sugawara Yosuke Osuka Akihiko Kitamura Shoji Shinkai
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.12, pp.559-566, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
41
被引用文献数
5

Background: To clarify the association between psychosocial problems and frailty in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and to develop strategies for preventive long-term care in the community, we launched the Kesennuma Study in 2019. This report describes the study design and the participants’ profiles at baseline.Methods: The prospective study comprised 9,754 people (4,548 men and 5,206 women) randomly selected from community-dwelling independent adults aged 65 to 84 who were living in Kesennuma City, Miyagi. The baseline survey was conducted in October 2019. It included information on general health, socio-economic status, frailty, lifestyle, psychological factors (eg, personality, depressive moods), and social factors (eg, social isolation, social capital). A follow-up questionnaire survey is planned. Mortality, incident disability, and long-term care insurance certifications will also be collected.Results: A total of 8,150 questionnaires were returned (83.6% response rate), and 7,845 were included in the analysis (80.4%; mean age 73.6 [standard deviation, 5.5] years; 44.7% male). About 23.5% were considered frail. Regarding psychological and social functions, 42.7% had depressive moods, 29.1% were socially isolated, and only 37.0% participated in social activities at least once a month. However, 82.5% trusted their neighbors.Conclusion: While local ties were strong, low social activity and poor mental health were revealed as issues in the affected area. Focusing on the association between psychological and social factors and frailty, we aim to delay the need for long-term care for as long as possible, through exercise, nutrition, social participation, and improvement of mental health.
著者
Wei-Jie Gong Daniel Yee-Tak Fong Man-Ping Wang Tai-Hing Lam Thomas Wai-Hung Chung Sai-Yin Ho
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.12, pp.551-558, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
59
被引用文献数
8

Background: Breakfast is deemed the most important meal of the day. We examined the prospective associations of breakfast habits with emotional/behavioral problems in adolescents and potential effect modification.Methods: 115,217 Primary 6 students (United States Grade 6; mean age, 11.9; standard deviation [SD], 0.59 years) who attended the Student Health Service of Department of Health in Hong Kong in 2004/05, 2006/07, 2008/09 were followed till Secondary 6 (United States Grade 12). Emotional/behavioral problems were biennially examined using Youth Self-Report since Secondary 2 (United States Grade 8). Lifestyles were biennially examined using standardized questionnaires since Primary 6. Prospective associations of breakfast habit with emotional/behavioral problems and potential effect modification were examined using generalized estimating equations.Results: Compared with eating breakfast at home, eating breakfast away from home was significantly associated with total emotional/behavioral problems and seven syndromes, including withdrawal, somatic complaints, anxiety/depression, thought problems, attention problems, delinquent behaviors, and aggressive behaviors (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 1.22–2.04), while skipping breakfast showed stronger associations with the above problems and social problems (AORs 1.34–2.29). Stronger associations were observed in younger students for total and attention problems (P < 0.03) and in those with lower weight status for delinquent behaviors (P = 0.005).Conclusion: Eating breakfast away from home and especially skipping breakfast were prospectively associated with adolescent emotional/behavioral problems. The associations weakened with increasing age for total emotional/behavioral and attention problems, and weakened with higher weight status for delinquent behaviors, highlighting the vulnerability of younger and underweight children. If the associations are causal, increasing home breakfast may reduce adolescent emotional/behavioral problems and benefit psychosocial health.
著者
Takahisa Ohta Junzo Nagashima Wataru Fukuda Hiroyuki Sasai Naokata Ishii
出版者
Japan Epidemiological Association
雑誌
Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.32, no.12, pp.543-550, 2022-12-05 (Released:2022-12-05)
参考文献数
39
被引用文献数
1

Background: Knee extensor muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are major components of physical fitness. Because the interactive association of knee extensor muscle strength and CRF with bone health remains unclear, we aimed to investigate such association in Japanese adults.Methods: Altogether, 8,829 Japanese adults (3,731 men and 5,098 women) aged ≥45 years completed the maximum voluntary knee extension test, submaximal exercise test, medical examination, and a questionnaire on lifestyle habits. Using an osteo-sono assessment index, low bone stiffness tendency was defined as 80% under the young-adults mean. Multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after confounder adjustment.Results: Overall, 542 men (14.5%) and 978 women (19.2%) had low bone stiffness tendency. We observed an inverse association between muscle strength and low bone stiffness tendency after adjustment for CRF in both sexes (P for linear trend <0.001). Compared with the lowest CRF, the multivariable ORs for low bone stiffness tendency in the highest CRF were 0.47 (95% CI, 0.36–0.62) for men and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.82–1.35) for post-menopausal women (P < 0.001 and P = 0.704, respectively). No interactive association between muscle strength and CRF for low bone stiffness tendency existed in both sexes and irrespective of menopausal status.Conclusion: Knee extensor muscle strength and CRF were associated additively, not synergistically, with bone health. Maintaining high levels of both physical fitness components may improve musculoskeletal health in the cohort. The relationship between physical fitness and bone status should be longitudinally investigated in the future.