Yoneatsu Osaki - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Yoneatsu Osaki
Cancer Biomarkers, Jul 19, 2017
Sleep, 2021
Study Objectives To determine the prevalence of and risk-factors for difficulty waking up for sch... more Study Objectives To determine the prevalence of and risk-factors for difficulty waking up for school among adolescents. Methods We used a self-administered questionnaire (140 junior high schools [JHSs]; 124 senior high schools [SHSs]) selected randomly in 2012 from throughout Japan. Results Total response rate: 60.7%. Data from 38 494 JHS and 61 556 SHS students were analyzed. The prevalence of at least one instance of school tardiness/absence due to difficulty waking up over a 30-day period was 10.9 (95% confidence-interval:10.5–11.3)%/2.9(2.7–3.1)% for JHS-boys and 7.7(7.3–8.1)%/2.0(1.8–2.2)% for JHS-girls. The prevalence was 15.5(15.1–15.9)%/5.6(5.3–5.9)% for SHS-boys and 14.4(14.0–14.8)%/5.9(5.6–6.2)% for SHS-girls. We used ordinal regression to identify the risk factors associated with the experience of school tardiness/absence. Factors significantly associated with school tardiness in all four groups (JHS boys/girls, SHS boys/girls) were “no-participation-in-club-activities,” ...
Research Square (Research Square), Feb 7, 2020
Background From among the global public health concerns, smoking remains one of the most crucial ... more Background From among the global public health concerns, smoking remains one of the most crucial challenges. Especially for adolescents, the increase in the use of electronic cigarettes is controversial, as its use may lead to established smoking. In Japan, where a unique tobacco regulation system exists, the heat-not-burn tobacco market has been growing. However, the prevalence and association of combustible cigarettes and new tobacco-related products have not yet been closely investigated among Japanese adolescents. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of smoking among adolescents, including new types of tobacco-related products, and to compare the characteristics of their users. Methods The 2017 Lifestyle Survey of Adolescents is a nationally-representative survey collected in Japan. From the national school directory, 98 junior high schools and 86 high schools were randomly sampled throughout Japan. The students completed an anonymous questionnaire at school. We calculated the prevalence of use for each type of tobacco product. Then, the use of a combination of products and the characteristics of different types of products were examined. Results In total, 64,152 students from 48 junior high schools and 55 high schools were included the analysis (school response rate = 56%, M age = 15.7 years, 53.9% boys). The age-adjusted rate of ever (current) use of electronic cigarettes was 2.1% (0.7%) in junior high school and 3.5% (1.0%) in high school; that of combustible cigarettes was 2.6% (0.6%) in junior high school and 5.1% (1.5%) in high school. The rate of heat-not-burn tobacco use was lower relative to other products: 1.1% (0.5%) in junior high school and 2.2% (0.9%) in high school. An examination of the combined use of the three products identified a high number of dual users. Comparisons between different types of users indicated different backgrounds for combustible cigarette users and new product users. Conclusions The prevalence of new tobacco-alternative products is growing in popularity among Japanese adolescents. Dual use is common, and many adolescents use new products only. Moreover, e-cigarettes might attract a broader range of groups to smoking. Continuous monitoring and research are needed to investigate their influence as a possible gateway to tobacco smoking. Background Smoking is a preventable health risk factor that results in numerous diseases and deaths [1,2]. important. Thus, from the 2017 Lifestyle Survey of Adolescents, we obtained data on junior high and high school students' smoking habits and their use of the new types of tobacco-related products in Japan. Our study aimed to clarify the prevalence of smoking of combustible cigarettes and new tobacco products, as well as the combined use of these products and to compare the background of adolescent users of different types of products. Methods Study population This study aimed to evaluate the nationwide prevalence of use of cigarettes and alternative tobacco products. Considering sampling bias, this study involved a cross-sectional random sample survey with single-stage cluster sampling [24], wherein the school was set as the cluster unit. Using the national school directory, junior high schools attended by students aged 12 to 15 and high schools, attended by students aged 15 to 18, throughout Japan were randomly selected, and the survey was distributed to all students in these schools in 2017. A total of 98 of Japan's 10,325 junior high schools and 86 of the 4,907 high schools were sampled. The proportion of private schools was 8.2% of junior high schools and 19.8% of high schools. The survey period was from December 2017 to February 2018. Data collection Current C use Current EC use Current HNB use % 95% CI % 95% CI % 95%
Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2018
Purpose Dietary behaviors and sleep are important lifestyle factors to protect adolescent health.... more Purpose Dietary behaviors and sleep are important lifestyle factors to protect adolescent health. However, little is known about how dietary behaviors are related to sleep disturbances. The purpose of this study was to conduct a large-scale survey among Japanese adolescents to verify the association between unhealthy dietary behaviors and sleep disturbances. Methods This study included 65,688 and 99,581 students enrolled in 140 and 120 randomly selected junior and senior high schools, respectively. A total of 85,931 self-administered questionnaires were collected from 79 junior and 77 senior high schools from 2014 to 2015. The survey included questions on sleep patterns, dietary behaviors, alcohol consumption, and smoking, as well as questions on mental health. For dietary behaviors, we adopted the items on meal habits in the National Health and Nutrition Survey including, the frequency of eating breakfast, the frequency of family meals, and subjective diet quality. We performed a multivariate analysis on the relationship between the dietary behaviors and sleep disturbance. Results Data from 84,988 questionnaires were analyzed. Boys and girls with less healthy dietary behaviors had a significantly higher prevalence for each sleep disturbance. Subjective sleep quality and insomnia were significantly associated with breakfast frequency, family meal frequency, and diet quality. Short sleep duration was significantly associated with breakfast frequency and family meal frequency, but not with subjective diet quality. Conclusions Our study suggested that sleep and dietary behaviors affect one another. Those involved in public health education should encourage adolescents to establish healthy sleep patterns as well as healthy dietary behaviors.
Sleep, 2004
Study Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in Japanese adolescen... more Study Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in Japanese adolescents. Design and Setting: The survey was designed as a cross-sectional sampling. The targets of the survey were junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Sample schools were selected by stratified cluster sampling. Self-reported anonymous questionnaires were sent to sample schools for all students to fill out. Participants: A total of 107,907 adolescents responded, and 106,297 questionnaires were subjected to analysis. Measurements and Results: The overall prevalences of sleep problems in the month preceding the questionnaire were difficulty initiating sleep (boys: 15.3%, girls: 16.0%); nocturnal sleep duration less than 6 hours (boys: 28.7%, girls: 32.6%); excessive daytime sleepiness (boys: 33.3%, girls: 39.2%), and subjectively insufficient sleep (boys: 38.1%, girls: 39.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female sex, being a senior high-school student, and having an unhealthy lifestyle (psychological stress, smoking, and drinking alcohol) were risk factors for sleep problems. Conclusion: Self-reported sleep problems in Japanese adolescents were common and were associated with multiple factors. There is a need for health education directed at solving sleep problems in Japanese adolescents.
Fukushima journal of medical science, Jan 11, 2015
Nicotine in cigarettes is metabolized primarily by CYP2A6-catalyzed oxidation. The CYP2A6*4 allel... more Nicotine in cigarettes is metabolized primarily by CYP2A6-catalyzed oxidation. The CYP2A6*4 allele, in which CYP2A6 is a homozygous whole-deletion variant, completely lacks enzyme activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CYP2A6*4 genetic polymorphism on smoking behavior and nicotine dependence in a general population of Japanese men. The subjects were 124 healthy Japanese men who gave informed consent to give saliva samples. The survey items included general information, smoking behaviors and nicotine dependence. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to analyze the genetic polymorphisms of CYP2A6. The subjects were classified into two groups: Group W (CYP2A6*4 absence: *1A/*1A, *1A/*1B and *1B/*1B) and Group D (CYP2A6*4 presence: *1B/*4A, *4A/*4A, *1A/*4A or *1B/*4D, and *1A/*4D). We analyzed the differences in the survey items between the two groups. There were no significant differences in smoking behaviors betw...
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1986
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
International Journal of Drug Policy, 2006
The purpose of this article is to outline alcohol consumption patterns and related problems, alco... more The purpose of this article is to outline alcohol consumption patterns and related problems, alcohol control policy and prevention programmes in Japan, which are not well-known in other countries. In Japan, per capita alcohol consumption is no longer increasing and has even started to decrease. At the same time, diversification of drinking populations has made a rapid progress. For the last several decades, alcohol consumption in non-traditional drinking populations, such as women and young people, has been on a steep rise. Consequently, in addition to traditional drinking problems observed among adult males, the magnitude of problems among these non-traditional populations has expanded. Alcohol policy and prevention programmes, however, have not developed to adequately control these problems. Availability of alcoholic beverages, including to underage populations, remains very high. Legislation related to alcohol control has not been well enforced, with the exception of the Road Traffic Law. Tax systems on alcoholic beverages are not relevant to the suppression of alcohol consumption. Moreover, there are virtually no restrictions on advertising or sponsorship and no provisions concerning an alcohol-free environment. Prevention programmes and activities to reduce harm from drinking have been carried out, especially for underage drinking, but they are insufficient to tackle the existing problems. Comprehensive discussions on alcohol policy and implementation of effective prevention programmes with participation of all sectors concerned are necessary, in parallel with actions taken by the WHO and other organisations.
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
Recently, while the medical technology developed remarkably on the one hand, the soscial need for... more Recently, while the medical technology developed remarkably on the one hand, the soscial need for preventive medicine largely increased on the other. In Japan, it is an urgent problem of the medical education how to create effective methodology and technology of the preventive medicine that can attract students who generally prefer to become professionals in clinical medicine. Since 1978 we have practiced an educational programme in which each student looks after one family picked up from the agricultural district for one year, caring for the health of the family members and helping them out of health problems, if there are any. In this way students can learn primary health care and community health of their own will. Compared with the traditional method, this method is effective in making the students understand with real interest the meanings of comprehensive primary health care through concerning themselves in the health care of a family as "a socio-economical-psycho-complex".
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
Obesity research & clinical practice
To date, there have been few intervention studies concerning the association of metabolic syndrom... more To date, there have been few intervention studies concerning the association of metabolic syndrome with beta 3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) Trp64Arg polymorphism, although ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism has been reported to be associated with weight gain and insulin resistance by several intervention programs. We examined the influence of ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism on the improvement of metabolic syndrome by an exercise-based intervention program. Thirty-six male employees who satisfied the metabolic syndrome criteria participated in a three-month exercise-based intervention program (average age, 49 ± 6 years old). The improvement rate of metabolic syndrome after the intervention was compared between subjects with and without ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism. The Mantel-Haenszel test was employed to adjust the age, diet, and exercise in analysis of the influence of ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism on metabolic syndrome. The Trp64Arg genotype of the β3-adrenoceptor gene was examined in peripheral...
Nihon Arukōru Yakubutsu Igakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of alcohol studies & drug dependence, 2011
A nationwide survey was conducted on smoking and alcohol use among junior and senior high school ... more A nationwide survey was conducted on smoking and alcohol use among junior and senior high school students and their parents in Japan. The analyses were performed to assess whether parents' smoking or drinking behavior, health knowledge, and attitude toward their children's smoking or drinking behavior influenced their children's behavior using linked datasets of students and parent answers. The number of schools that responded was 24 out of 40 sampled schools. A total of 11,362 questionnaire data sets from students and parents were applied to the analyses. The influence of parental factors including smoking, alcohol use, knowledge, and attitudes were used as the covariates on students' smoking or alcohol use as independent variables. The data were analyzed using a multiple logistic analysis. The analysis revealed that the parental attitudes of children's smoking or alcohol use were important risk factors as well as parental smoking or drinking behaviors. Converse...
Nihon Arukōru Yakubutsu Igakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of alcohol studies & drug dependence, 2005
To investigate the characteristics of alcohol use among Japanese adults and prevalence of alcohol... more To investigate the characteristics of alcohol use among Japanese adults and prevalence of alcohol dependence in Japan, we conducted a nationwide survey on alcohol drinking behavior and alcohol dependence among Japanese adults using a representative sampling method. We sampled 3500 adults from throughout the entire country using a stratified random sampling method with two-step stratification, and carried out a home visit interview survey. A total of 2547 people (72.8%) responded to the survey. The survey period was June, 2003. The questionnaire contained questions about the frequency and quantity of alcohol use, 'hazardous use of alcohol' and 'alcohol dependence' according to the ICD-10 definition, several screening scales on problem use of alcohol (CAGE, KAST, AUDIT), life-time prevalence of 24 alcohol related diseases, smoking status, dysgryphia, and nightcap drinking. The number of respondents was, 1184 males, and 1363 females. Lifetime alcohol drinking, and weekl...
[Nihon kōshū eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health, 1993
Health plans of 47 prefectural governments based on the Medical Law of 1985, were evaluated regar... more Health plans of 47 prefectural governments based on the Medical Law of 1985, were evaluated regarding four health planning factors: final goal, implementation plan, development of resources, and evaluation planning. Results of the evaluation showed that 8.5% of the 47 prefectures had defined future level of health based on numerical goals. On the other hand, all of the prefectures had developed numerical goals specifying the number of hospital beds in each medical district. A major component of health planning is improvement in the accomplishment of the implementation plan. There were 14 prefectures which had numerical goals for the upgrading of facilities and for manpower development to meet future health care activities. The following factors are required in the health planning to meet the needs for improving the health status of the population. 1) Including in the future health goals, in addition to the number of medical bed in regional areas, objective levels of health that shou...
Tobacco Control, 2006
As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of... more As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of two nationwide surveys on adolescent smoking behaviour were compared. Design: Descriptive study on smoking behaviour among high school students was conducted. Selfreporting anonymous questionnaires were administered to 115 814 students in 1996 and 106 297 in 2000 through randomly sampled junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Main outcome measures: Smoking prevalence, proportion of smokers by usual sources of cigarettes, national estimated cigarettes consumed by minors, share of cigarette brands smoked by high school students. Results: The experiment rate among junior high school boys decreased in 2000 compared with that in 1996, whereas current and daily smoking rates did not. Although prevalence among Japanese girls was much lower than that among boys, prevalence among girls increased in 2000. The main source of cigarettes among high school smokers was vending machines. The proportion of smokers who usually purchased cigarettes from vending machines increased in 2000, in spite of the 1998 introduction of restrictions on night-time operations. Japanese adolescents were more likely than adults to smoke American cigarette brands, and the adolescent market share of American brands has increased rapidly, especially for menthol brands. Conclusions: This survey revealed the seriousness of the problem of smoking behaviour among Japanese high school students, and suggested that this behaviour may be influenced by social environmental factors, including the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. Action should be taken to reduce the prevalence and impact of pro-tobacco marketing messages and to abolish cigarette vending machines.
Preventive Medicine, 2008
Objective. To assess whether the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase ... more Objective. To assess whether the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene possibly mediates the relation of blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Method. Regular health examination in 2003 of 1,694 Japanese workers from the Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Results. The frequencies of the Glu/Glu, Glu/Asp, and Asp/Asp genotypes were 85.9%, 13.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and lifestyle (drinking, smoking, exercise and stress), the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension associated with high (≥ 220 mg/dl or under treatment) total cholesterol was 2.08 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.02-4.24) among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele versus 1.18 (95% CI 0.89-1.55, p for interaction = 0.50) among non-carriers. Similarly, the ORs of hypertension associated with counseling-need (120-139 mg/dl) and high (≥140 mg/dl) levels of LDL cholesterol among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele were significantly higher than those among non-carriers, at 2.65 (95% CI 1.16-6.01) versus 1.03 (95% CI 0.77-1.39, p for interaction = 0.01), and 2.80 (95% CI 1.33-5.89) versus 0.95 (95% CI 0.71-1.26, p for interaction = 0.04), respectively. Conclusion. These results indicate that the eNOS 298Asp allele, which is weakly associated with hypertension, may increase the risk of hypertension when associated with high serum lipid levels.
Preventive Medicine, 2004
Background. A survey on smoking behavior and relating factors among university students is necess... more Background. A survey on smoking behavior and relating factors among university students is necessary for establishing antismoking measures toward younger generation. To determine brand preferences of young smokers, we conducted a cross-sectional survey for students in a university. Methods. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by the students at their annual health examinations. A total of 5688 students out of 7136 responded this survey (79.7%). The questionnaire included questions about smoking status, number of cigarettes smoked, brand preference, etc. Results. Smoking prevalence was 55.2% for males and 12.0% for females. Estimated consumption of Japanese-brand cigarettes was 46.8% for males and 36.1% for females, whereas that of American-brand cigarettes was 36.3% for males and 45.1% for females. These values are much higher than the market share of imported cigarettes in Japan (17.1% in 1992). Five American brands ranked in the top 10 brands among these university students, whereas only one American brand was ranked in the top 10 brands in the Japanese market in 1992. Smokers who prefer cigarettes with higher nicotine ratings were more likely to have a higher consumption rate than otherwise. Conclusion. Cigarette brand preference is an important aspect to realize the smoking behavior among young smokers.
Parasitology Research, 1988
Many parasitologists have paid attention to the trace elements contained in tapeworms for their p... more Many parasitologists have paid attention to the trace elements contained in tapeworms for their physiological and taxonomical significance, but the function of these elements in the worm body is still poorly known (Smyth 1969; von Brand 1979). It is well known that numerous granules called calcareous corpuscles are distributed in the body of tapeworms, especially abundantly in plerocercoids. The function
Cancer Biomarkers, Jul 19, 2017
Sleep, 2021
Study Objectives To determine the prevalence of and risk-factors for difficulty waking up for sch... more Study Objectives To determine the prevalence of and risk-factors for difficulty waking up for school among adolescents. Methods We used a self-administered questionnaire (140 junior high schools [JHSs]; 124 senior high schools [SHSs]) selected randomly in 2012 from throughout Japan. Results Total response rate: 60.7%. Data from 38 494 JHS and 61 556 SHS students were analyzed. The prevalence of at least one instance of school tardiness/absence due to difficulty waking up over a 30-day period was 10.9 (95% confidence-interval:10.5–11.3)%/2.9(2.7–3.1)% for JHS-boys and 7.7(7.3–8.1)%/2.0(1.8–2.2)% for JHS-girls. The prevalence was 15.5(15.1–15.9)%/5.6(5.3–5.9)% for SHS-boys and 14.4(14.0–14.8)%/5.9(5.6–6.2)% for SHS-girls. We used ordinal regression to identify the risk factors associated with the experience of school tardiness/absence. Factors significantly associated with school tardiness in all four groups (JHS boys/girls, SHS boys/girls) were “no-participation-in-club-activities,” ...
Research Square (Research Square), Feb 7, 2020
Background From among the global public health concerns, smoking remains one of the most crucial ... more Background From among the global public health concerns, smoking remains one of the most crucial challenges. Especially for adolescents, the increase in the use of electronic cigarettes is controversial, as its use may lead to established smoking. In Japan, where a unique tobacco regulation system exists, the heat-not-burn tobacco market has been growing. However, the prevalence and association of combustible cigarettes and new tobacco-related products have not yet been closely investigated among Japanese adolescents. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of smoking among adolescents, including new types of tobacco-related products, and to compare the characteristics of their users. Methods The 2017 Lifestyle Survey of Adolescents is a nationally-representative survey collected in Japan. From the national school directory, 98 junior high schools and 86 high schools were randomly sampled throughout Japan. The students completed an anonymous questionnaire at school. We calculated the prevalence of use for each type of tobacco product. Then, the use of a combination of products and the characteristics of different types of products were examined. Results In total, 64,152 students from 48 junior high schools and 55 high schools were included the analysis (school response rate = 56%, M age = 15.7 years, 53.9% boys). The age-adjusted rate of ever (current) use of electronic cigarettes was 2.1% (0.7%) in junior high school and 3.5% (1.0%) in high school; that of combustible cigarettes was 2.6% (0.6%) in junior high school and 5.1% (1.5%) in high school. The rate of heat-not-burn tobacco use was lower relative to other products: 1.1% (0.5%) in junior high school and 2.2% (0.9%) in high school. An examination of the combined use of the three products identified a high number of dual users. Comparisons between different types of users indicated different backgrounds for combustible cigarette users and new product users. Conclusions The prevalence of new tobacco-alternative products is growing in popularity among Japanese adolescents. Dual use is common, and many adolescents use new products only. Moreover, e-cigarettes might attract a broader range of groups to smoking. Continuous monitoring and research are needed to investigate their influence as a possible gateway to tobacco smoking. Background Smoking is a preventable health risk factor that results in numerous diseases and deaths [1,2]. important. Thus, from the 2017 Lifestyle Survey of Adolescents, we obtained data on junior high and high school students' smoking habits and their use of the new types of tobacco-related products in Japan. Our study aimed to clarify the prevalence of smoking of combustible cigarettes and new tobacco products, as well as the combined use of these products and to compare the background of adolescent users of different types of products. Methods Study population This study aimed to evaluate the nationwide prevalence of use of cigarettes and alternative tobacco products. Considering sampling bias, this study involved a cross-sectional random sample survey with single-stage cluster sampling [24], wherein the school was set as the cluster unit. Using the national school directory, junior high schools attended by students aged 12 to 15 and high schools, attended by students aged 15 to 18, throughout Japan were randomly selected, and the survey was distributed to all students in these schools in 2017. A total of 98 of Japan's 10,325 junior high schools and 86 of the 4,907 high schools were sampled. The proportion of private schools was 8.2% of junior high schools and 19.8% of high schools. The survey period was from December 2017 to February 2018. Data collection Current C use Current EC use Current HNB use % 95% CI % 95% CI % 95%
Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2018
Purpose Dietary behaviors and sleep are important lifestyle factors to protect adolescent health.... more Purpose Dietary behaviors and sleep are important lifestyle factors to protect adolescent health. However, little is known about how dietary behaviors are related to sleep disturbances. The purpose of this study was to conduct a large-scale survey among Japanese adolescents to verify the association between unhealthy dietary behaviors and sleep disturbances. Methods This study included 65,688 and 99,581 students enrolled in 140 and 120 randomly selected junior and senior high schools, respectively. A total of 85,931 self-administered questionnaires were collected from 79 junior and 77 senior high schools from 2014 to 2015. The survey included questions on sleep patterns, dietary behaviors, alcohol consumption, and smoking, as well as questions on mental health. For dietary behaviors, we adopted the items on meal habits in the National Health and Nutrition Survey including, the frequency of eating breakfast, the frequency of family meals, and subjective diet quality. We performed a multivariate analysis on the relationship between the dietary behaviors and sleep disturbance. Results Data from 84,988 questionnaires were analyzed. Boys and girls with less healthy dietary behaviors had a significantly higher prevalence for each sleep disturbance. Subjective sleep quality and insomnia were significantly associated with breakfast frequency, family meal frequency, and diet quality. Short sleep duration was significantly associated with breakfast frequency and family meal frequency, but not with subjective diet quality. Conclusions Our study suggested that sleep and dietary behaviors affect one another. Those involved in public health education should encourage adolescents to establish healthy sleep patterns as well as healthy dietary behaviors.
Sleep, 2004
Study Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in Japanese adolescen... more Study Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in Japanese adolescents. Design and Setting: The survey was designed as a cross-sectional sampling. The targets of the survey were junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Sample schools were selected by stratified cluster sampling. Self-reported anonymous questionnaires were sent to sample schools for all students to fill out. Participants: A total of 107,907 adolescents responded, and 106,297 questionnaires were subjected to analysis. Measurements and Results: The overall prevalences of sleep problems in the month preceding the questionnaire were difficulty initiating sleep (boys: 15.3%, girls: 16.0%); nocturnal sleep duration less than 6 hours (boys: 28.7%, girls: 32.6%); excessive daytime sleepiness (boys: 33.3%, girls: 39.2%), and subjectively insufficient sleep (boys: 38.1%, girls: 39.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female sex, being a senior high-school student, and having an unhealthy lifestyle (psychological stress, smoking, and drinking alcohol) were risk factors for sleep problems. Conclusion: Self-reported sleep problems in Japanese adolescents were common and were associated with multiple factors. There is a need for health education directed at solving sleep problems in Japanese adolescents.
Fukushima journal of medical science, Jan 11, 2015
Nicotine in cigarettes is metabolized primarily by CYP2A6-catalyzed oxidation. The CYP2A6*4 allel... more Nicotine in cigarettes is metabolized primarily by CYP2A6-catalyzed oxidation. The CYP2A6*4 allele, in which CYP2A6 is a homozygous whole-deletion variant, completely lacks enzyme activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CYP2A6*4 genetic polymorphism on smoking behavior and nicotine dependence in a general population of Japanese men. The subjects were 124 healthy Japanese men who gave informed consent to give saliva samples. The survey items included general information, smoking behaviors and nicotine dependence. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to analyze the genetic polymorphisms of CYP2A6. The subjects were classified into two groups: Group W (CYP2A6*4 absence: *1A/*1A, *1A/*1B and *1B/*1B) and Group D (CYP2A6*4 presence: *1B/*4A, *4A/*4A, *1A/*4A or *1B/*4D, and *1A/*4D). We analyzed the differences in the survey items between the two groups. There were no significant differences in smoking behaviors betw...
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1986
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
International Journal of Drug Policy, 2006
The purpose of this article is to outline alcohol consumption patterns and related problems, alco... more The purpose of this article is to outline alcohol consumption patterns and related problems, alcohol control policy and prevention programmes in Japan, which are not well-known in other countries. In Japan, per capita alcohol consumption is no longer increasing and has even started to decrease. At the same time, diversification of drinking populations has made a rapid progress. For the last several decades, alcohol consumption in non-traditional drinking populations, such as women and young people, has been on a steep rise. Consequently, in addition to traditional drinking problems observed among adult males, the magnitude of problems among these non-traditional populations has expanded. Alcohol policy and prevention programmes, however, have not developed to adequately control these problems. Availability of alcoholic beverages, including to underage populations, remains very high. Legislation related to alcohol control has not been well enforced, with the exception of the Road Traffic Law. Tax systems on alcoholic beverages are not relevant to the suppression of alcohol consumption. Moreover, there are virtually no restrictions on advertising or sponsorship and no provisions concerning an alcohol-free environment. Prevention programmes and activities to reduce harm from drinking have been carried out, especially for underage drinking, but they are insufficient to tackle the existing problems. Comprehensive discussions on alcohol policy and implementation of effective prevention programmes with participation of all sectors concerned are necessary, in parallel with actions taken by the WHO and other organisations.
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
Recently, while the medical technology developed remarkably on the one hand, the soscial need for... more Recently, while the medical technology developed remarkably on the one hand, the soscial need for preventive medicine largely increased on the other. In Japan, it is an urgent problem of the medical education how to create effective methodology and technology of the preventive medicine that can attract students who generally prefer to become professionals in clinical medicine. Since 1978 we have practiced an educational programme in which each student looks after one family picked up from the agricultural district for one year, caring for the health of the family members and helping them out of health problems, if there are any. In this way students can learn primary health care and community health of their own will. Compared with the traditional method, this method is effective in making the students understand with real interest the meanings of comprehensive primary health care through concerning themselves in the health care of a family as "a socio-economical-psycho-complex".
JOURNAL OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL MEDICINE, 1987
Obesity research & clinical practice
To date, there have been few intervention studies concerning the association of metabolic syndrom... more To date, there have been few intervention studies concerning the association of metabolic syndrome with beta 3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) Trp64Arg polymorphism, although ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism has been reported to be associated with weight gain and insulin resistance by several intervention programs. We examined the influence of ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism on the improvement of metabolic syndrome by an exercise-based intervention program. Thirty-six male employees who satisfied the metabolic syndrome criteria participated in a three-month exercise-based intervention program (average age, 49 ± 6 years old). The improvement rate of metabolic syndrome after the intervention was compared between subjects with and without ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism. The Mantel-Haenszel test was employed to adjust the age, diet, and exercise in analysis of the influence of ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism on metabolic syndrome. The Trp64Arg genotype of the β3-adrenoceptor gene was examined in peripheral...
Nihon Arukōru Yakubutsu Igakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of alcohol studies & drug dependence, 2011
A nationwide survey was conducted on smoking and alcohol use among junior and senior high school ... more A nationwide survey was conducted on smoking and alcohol use among junior and senior high school students and their parents in Japan. The analyses were performed to assess whether parents' smoking or drinking behavior, health knowledge, and attitude toward their children's smoking or drinking behavior influenced their children's behavior using linked datasets of students and parent answers. The number of schools that responded was 24 out of 40 sampled schools. A total of 11,362 questionnaire data sets from students and parents were applied to the analyses. The influence of parental factors including smoking, alcohol use, knowledge, and attitudes were used as the covariates on students' smoking or alcohol use as independent variables. The data were analyzed using a multiple logistic analysis. The analysis revealed that the parental attitudes of children's smoking or alcohol use were important risk factors as well as parental smoking or drinking behaviors. Converse...
Nihon Arukōru Yakubutsu Igakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of alcohol studies & drug dependence, 2005
To investigate the characteristics of alcohol use among Japanese adults and prevalence of alcohol... more To investigate the characteristics of alcohol use among Japanese adults and prevalence of alcohol dependence in Japan, we conducted a nationwide survey on alcohol drinking behavior and alcohol dependence among Japanese adults using a representative sampling method. We sampled 3500 adults from throughout the entire country using a stratified random sampling method with two-step stratification, and carried out a home visit interview survey. A total of 2547 people (72.8%) responded to the survey. The survey period was June, 2003. The questionnaire contained questions about the frequency and quantity of alcohol use, 'hazardous use of alcohol' and 'alcohol dependence' according to the ICD-10 definition, several screening scales on problem use of alcohol (CAGE, KAST, AUDIT), life-time prevalence of 24 alcohol related diseases, smoking status, dysgryphia, and nightcap drinking. The number of respondents was, 1184 males, and 1363 females. Lifetime alcohol drinking, and weekl...
[Nihon kōshū eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health, 1993
Health plans of 47 prefectural governments based on the Medical Law of 1985, were evaluated regar... more Health plans of 47 prefectural governments based on the Medical Law of 1985, were evaluated regarding four health planning factors: final goal, implementation plan, development of resources, and evaluation planning. Results of the evaluation showed that 8.5% of the 47 prefectures had defined future level of health based on numerical goals. On the other hand, all of the prefectures had developed numerical goals specifying the number of hospital beds in each medical district. A major component of health planning is improvement in the accomplishment of the implementation plan. There were 14 prefectures which had numerical goals for the upgrading of facilities and for manpower development to meet future health care activities. The following factors are required in the health planning to meet the needs for improving the health status of the population. 1) Including in the future health goals, in addition to the number of medical bed in regional areas, objective levels of health that shou...
Tobacco Control, 2006
As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of... more As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of two nationwide surveys on adolescent smoking behaviour were compared. Design: Descriptive study on smoking behaviour among high school students was conducted. Selfreporting anonymous questionnaires were administered to 115 814 students in 1996 and 106 297 in 2000 through randomly sampled junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. Main outcome measures: Smoking prevalence, proportion of smokers by usual sources of cigarettes, national estimated cigarettes consumed by minors, share of cigarette brands smoked by high school students. Results: The experiment rate among junior high school boys decreased in 2000 compared with that in 1996, whereas current and daily smoking rates did not. Although prevalence among Japanese girls was much lower than that among boys, prevalence among girls increased in 2000. The main source of cigarettes among high school smokers was vending machines. The proportion of smokers who usually purchased cigarettes from vending machines increased in 2000, in spite of the 1998 introduction of restrictions on night-time operations. Japanese adolescents were more likely than adults to smoke American cigarette brands, and the adolescent market share of American brands has increased rapidly, especially for menthol brands. Conclusions: This survey revealed the seriousness of the problem of smoking behaviour among Japanese high school students, and suggested that this behaviour may be influenced by social environmental factors, including the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. Action should be taken to reduce the prevalence and impact of pro-tobacco marketing messages and to abolish cigarette vending machines.
Preventive Medicine, 2008
Objective. To assess whether the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase ... more Objective. To assess whether the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene possibly mediates the relation of blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Method. Regular health examination in 2003 of 1,694 Japanese workers from the Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Results. The frequencies of the Glu/Glu, Glu/Asp, and Asp/Asp genotypes were 85.9%, 13.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and lifestyle (drinking, smoking, exercise and stress), the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension associated with high (≥ 220 mg/dl or under treatment) total cholesterol was 2.08 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.02-4.24) among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele versus 1.18 (95% CI 0.89-1.55, p for interaction = 0.50) among non-carriers. Similarly, the ORs of hypertension associated with counseling-need (120-139 mg/dl) and high (≥140 mg/dl) levels of LDL cholesterol among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele were significantly higher than those among non-carriers, at 2.65 (95% CI 1.16-6.01) versus 1.03 (95% CI 0.77-1.39, p for interaction = 0.01), and 2.80 (95% CI 1.33-5.89) versus 0.95 (95% CI 0.71-1.26, p for interaction = 0.04), respectively. Conclusion. These results indicate that the eNOS 298Asp allele, which is weakly associated with hypertension, may increase the risk of hypertension when associated with high serum lipid levels.
Preventive Medicine, 2004
Background. A survey on smoking behavior and relating factors among university students is necess... more Background. A survey on smoking behavior and relating factors among university students is necessary for establishing antismoking measures toward younger generation. To determine brand preferences of young smokers, we conducted a cross-sectional survey for students in a university. Methods. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by the students at their annual health examinations. A total of 5688 students out of 7136 responded this survey (79.7%). The questionnaire included questions about smoking status, number of cigarettes smoked, brand preference, etc. Results. Smoking prevalence was 55.2% for males and 12.0% for females. Estimated consumption of Japanese-brand cigarettes was 46.8% for males and 36.1% for females, whereas that of American-brand cigarettes was 36.3% for males and 45.1% for females. These values are much higher than the market share of imported cigarettes in Japan (17.1% in 1992). Five American brands ranked in the top 10 brands among these university students, whereas only one American brand was ranked in the top 10 brands in the Japanese market in 1992. Smokers who prefer cigarettes with higher nicotine ratings were more likely to have a higher consumption rate than otherwise. Conclusion. Cigarette brand preference is an important aspect to realize the smoking behavior among young smokers.
Parasitology Research, 1988
Many parasitologists have paid attention to the trace elements contained in tapeworms for their p... more Many parasitologists have paid attention to the trace elements contained in tapeworms for their physiological and taxonomical significance, but the function of these elements in the worm body is still poorly known (Smyth 1969; von Brand 1979). It is well known that numerous granules called calcareous corpuscles are distributed in the body of tapeworms, especially abundantly in plerocercoids. The function