Work-family conflict and self-rated health among Japanese workers: How household income modifies associations.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Tomoko; Honjo, Kaori; Eshak, Ehab Salah; Iso, Hiroyasu; Sawada, Norie; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2017-01-01

To examine associations between work-family conflict and self-rated health among Japanese workers and to determine whether the associations differed by household income. Data was derived from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation in Saku area in 2011-2012 (7,663 men and 7,070 women). Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for poor self-rated health by work-family conflict consisting of two dimensions (work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts) were calculated by gender and household income. Multivariate ORs of high work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts for poor self-rated health were 2.46 (95% CI; 2.04-2.97) for men and 3.54 (95% CI; 2.92-4.30) for women, with reference to the low work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts (p-value for gender interaction = 0.02). Subgroup analysis indicated that health effects of work-family conflict were likely to be more evident in the low income group only among women. Work-family conflict was associated with poor self-rated health among middle-aged Japanese men and women; its health impact was relatively stronger among women, and particularly economically disadvantaged women.

Lung, gastric and colorectal cancer mortality by occupation and industry among working-aged men in Japan

PubMed Central

Eguchi, Hisashi; Wada, Koji; Prieto-Merino, David; Smith, Derek R.

2017-01-01

We examined occupational and industrial differences in lung, gastric, and colorectal cancer risk among Japanese men of working age (25–64 years) using the 2010 Japanese national survey data for occupation and industry-specific death rates. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the age-adjusted incident rate ratios by lung, gastric, and colorectal cancers, with manufacturing used as the referent occupation or industry. Unemployed Japanese men and those in manufacturing had an 8–11-fold increased risk of lung, gastric and colorectal cancer. The highest mortality rates for lung and colorectal cancer by occupation were “administrative and managerial” (by occupation) and “mining” (by industry). For gastric cancer, the highest mortality rate was “agriculture” (by occupation) and “mining” (by industry). By occupation; Japanese men in service occupations, those in administrative and managerial positions, those in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and those in professional and engineering categories had higher relative mortality risks for lung, gastric, and colorectal cancers. By industry; mining, electricity and gas, fisheries, and agriculture and forestry had the higher mortality risks for those cancers. Unemployed men had higher mortality rates than men in any occupation and industry for all three cancers. Overall, this study suggests that for Japanese men, occupations and industries may be a key social determinant of health. PMID:28230191

Socioeconomic status and self-reported health among middle-aged Japanese men: results from a nationwide longitudinal study.

PubMed

Wada, Koji; Higuchi, Yoshiyuki; Smith, Derek R

2015-06-24

To examine potential associations between socioeconomic factors and self-rated health among a national sample of Japanese men aged 50-59 years between 2005 and 2010, including the 2008 global financial crisis. Prospective cohort study. Randomly selected 2515 census areas from a total of 1.8 million census areas in Japan. This study utilised data from a national, longitudinal survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Starting in 2005, 16,738 Japanese men aged 50-59 years were recruited and sent a questionnaire each year. We analysed data for the 6-year period (2005-2010) from participants who had worked for over 20 years in the same industry (n=9727). We focused on worsening self-rated health status by occupation, education and employment contract. Working in the manufacturing industry was associated with worsening self-rated health scores when compared to those working in management (HR=1.19; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.37). A relationship between education level and worsening self-rated health was also identified as follows: junior high school (HR=1.49; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.69), high school (HR=1.29; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.42), and vocational college (HR=1.25; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.46), when compared with those holding university-level qualifications. Precarious employment (HR=1.17; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.37) was also associated with worsening self-rated health status in the current study. This study suggests that working in manufacturing for more than 20 years and having lower education levels may have a significant impact on the self-rated health of middle-aged Japanese men. This may reflect a progressive decline in Japanese working conditions following the global financial crisis and/or the impact of lower socioeconomic status. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Prostate cancer in native Japanese and Japanese-American men: effects of dietary differences on prostatic tissue.

PubMed

Marks, Leonard S; Kojima, Munekado; Demarzo, Angelo; Heber, David; Bostwick, David G; Qian, Junqi; Dorey, Frederick J; Veltri, Robert W; Mohler, James L; Partin, Alan W

2004-10-01

To investigate the relationship between diet and prostate cancer (CaP) among native Japanese (NJ) and second-generation or third-generation Japanese-American (J-A) men--focusing on the effects of animal fat and soy on prostatic tissues. The subjects were 50 Japanese men undergoing radical prostatectomy, 25 NJ living in Nagoya, Japan and 25 U.S.-born J-A men, living in Los Angeles, California. A priori, the NJ men were believed to be a low-fat, high-soy group and the J-A men, a high-fat, low-soy group. The studies included postoperative measurements of diet (Block questionnaire), body fat (bioimpedance), blood, urine, and prostatic biomarkers in malignant and adjacent normal tissue, using a tissue microarray made from the original paraffin blocks. The NJ and J-A men were similar in age (65 to 70 years old; P <0.05), prostate-specific antigen level (7.1 to 8.6 ng/mL), prostate volume (35 to 38 cm3), and Gleason score (5.6 to 6.6), but their body composition differed. J-A men had more body fat (24% versus 19%), higher serum triglyceride levels (245 versus 106 mg/dL), lower estradiol levels (27 versus 31 ng/mL), and much lower urinary soy-metabolite levels (1:3) than NJ men (P <0.02). In both NJ and J-A groups, expression of numerous tissue biomarkers separated normal from CaP tissue, including markers for apoptosis (Bcl-2, caspase-3), growth factor receptors (epidermal growth factor receptor), racemase, 5-lipoxygenase, kinase inhibition (p27), and cell proliferation (Ki-67; all P <0.02). Furthermore, within both normal and CaP tissues, caspase-3 and 5-lipoxygenase were expressed more in NJ than in J-A men (P <0.01). Nuclear morphometry showed that the chromatin in each of the four groups (normal versus CaP, NJ versus J-A) was different (area under the curve 85% to 94%, P <0.01), despite fundamental genetic homogeneity. NJ and J-A men, products of similar genetics but differing environments, were shown to have differences in body composition that could influence Ca

How the Japanese work.

PubMed

Chambers, D W

1998-01-01

The Japanese do not work harder or even use different approaches so much as they aim for a different result--one that balances process and results and extends the definition of quality beyond the product itself to include cost and convenience to the customer as well. Ten methods of the Japanese kaizen culture of work are presented with applications and contrasts to American dentistry.

Cross-Sectional Comparison of Coronary Artery Calcium Scores Between Caucasian Men in the United States and Japanese Men in Japan

PubMed Central

Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Kadowaki, Takashi; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Zaid, Maryam; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Sekikawa, Akira; Budoff, Matthew J.; Liu, Kiang; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Kadowaki, Takashi; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Zaid, Maryam; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Miura, Katsuyuki; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Sekikawa, Akira; Budoff, Matthew J.; Liu, Kiang

2014-01-01

The incidence of coronary heart disease in the United States has declined, and prevalences of several coronary disease risk factors have become comparable to those in Japan. Therefore, the burden of coronary atherosclerosis may be closer among younger persons in the 2 countries. We aimed to compare prevalences of coronary atherosclerosis, measured with coronary artery calcium scores, between men in the 2 countries by age group (45–54, 55–64, or 65–74 years). We used community-based samples of Caucasian men in the United States (2000–2002; n = 1,067) and Japanese men in Japan (2006–2008; n = 832) aged 45–74 years, stratifying them into groups with 0, 1, 2, or ≥3 of the following risk factors: current smoking, overweight, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. We calculated adjusted odds ratios of US Caucasian men's having Agatston scores of ≥10, ≥100, and ≥400 with reference to Japanese men. Overall, the odds of Caucasian men having each Agatston cutoff point were greater. The ethnic difference, however, became smaller in younger age groups. For example, adjusted odds ratios for Caucasian men's having an Agatston score of ≥100 were 2.05, 2.43, and 3.86 among those aged 45–54, 55–64, and 65–74 years, respectively. Caucasian men in the United States had a higher burden of coronary atherosclerosis than Japanese men, but the ethnic difference was smaller in younger age groups. PMID:25125689

Effects of a westernized lifestyle on the association between fasting serum nonesterified fatty acids and insulin secretion in Japanese men.

PubMed

Kamei, Nozomu; Yamane, Kiminori; Nakanishi, Shuhei; Ishida, Kazufumi; Ohtaki, Megu; Okubo, Masamichi; Kohno, Nobuoki

2005-06-01

The effects of the prolonged elevation of nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels on insulin secretion have been controversial and thought to be sex-specific. To investigate the association between a westernized lifestyle and the effects of NEFA on insulin secretion in Japanese men, we examined 67 nondiabetic Japanese-American men and 220 nondiabetic native Japanese men who underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Most Japanese Americans we surveyed are genetically identical to Japanese living in Japan, but their lifestyle is more westernized. Sets of multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the sum of the immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels during the OGTT ((Sigma)IRI) and clinical parameters. Japanese Americans had higher levels of fasting IRI, (Sigma)IRI, and a higher insulin resistance index (homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) than native Japanese, whereas there were no significant differences in fasting NEFA and triglyceride levels. A multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, fasting triglycerides, and body mass index (BMI) demonstrated that the fasting NEFA level was an independent determinant of the (Sigma)IRI only in Japanese-American men ( P = .001), but not in native Japanese men ( P = .054). Even when HOMA-IR was included in models instead of BMI, the NEFA level was a significant variable of (Sigma)IRI only in Japanese Americans ( P < .001), and not in native Japanese ( P = .098). In addition, a multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, fasting triglycerides, and BMI demonstrated that the fasting NEFA level was the only independent determinant of (Sigma)C-peptide in Japanese-American men ( P = .041). In conclusion, NEFA seems to be associated with insulin secretion independent of obesity or HOMA-IR. A westernized lifestyle may increase the effects of serum fasting NEFA levels on total insulin secretion after a glucose load in Japanese men.

The Impact of Japanese Corporate Transnationalism on Men's Involvement in Family Life and Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yasuike, Akiko

2011-01-01

This study examines the ways in which Japanese corporate transnationalism affects husbands' involvement in family life and marital relationships primarily from a perspective of wives. It is based on interviews with 22 Japanese wives and 4 husbands. Studies of Japanese corporate transnationalism treat men as mere supervisors to local workers or…

Body mass index influences prostate cancer risk at biopsy in Japanese men.

PubMed

Masuda, Hitoshi; Kagawa, Makoto; Kawakami, Satoru; Numao, Noboru; Matsuoka, Yoh; Yokoyama, Minato; Yamamoto, Shinya; Yonese, Junji; Fukui, Iwao; Kihara, Kazunori

2013-07-01

To determine the relationship between body mass index and prostate cancer risk at biopsy in Japanese men, and to compared the risk with that of Caucasian men. We retrospectively evaluated 3966 men with prostate-specific antigen levels from 2.5 to 19.9 ng/mL who underwent an initial extended prostate biopsy. Using logistic regression, odds ratios of each body mass index category for risk of prostate cancer and high-grade disease (Gleason score ≥4 + 3) were estimated after controlling for age, prostate-specific antigen, %free prostate-specific antigen, prostate volume, digital rectal examination findings, family history of prostate cancer and the number of biopsy cores. Patients were divided into six categories according to their body mass index (kg/m(2) ) as follows: <21.0, 21.0-22.9, 23.0-24.9, 25.0-26.9, 27.0-29.9 and ≥30.0. A significant positive association was observed between body mass index and prostate cancer risk at biopsy, with an increased risk observed in men whose body mass index was ≥27.0 compared with the reference group. A significantly increased risk starting at body mass index ≥25.0 was found in high-grade disease. In contrast to our results, there has been no reported increase in the risk of prostate cancer at biopsy in Caucasians within the overweight range (body mass index of 25.0-29.9 based on World Health Organization classification). Japanese men within the overweight body mass index range who have an elevated prostate-specific antigen level also have a significant risk of harboring prostate cancer, especially high-grade disease. Overweight Japanese might be at greater prostate cancer risk at biopsy than overweight Caucasians. © 2012 The Japanese Urological Association.

Less subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan than in white men in the United States in the post World-War-II birth cohort

PubMed Central

Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kadowaki, Takashi; El-Saed, Aiman; Okamura, Tomonori; Takamiya, Tomoko; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Murata, Kiyoshi; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Evans, Rhobert W.; Kita, Yoshikuni; Kuller, Lewis H.

2013-01-01

Coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence and mortality remain very low in Japan despite major dietary changes and increases in CHD risk factors that should have resulted in substantial increase in CHD rates (Japanese paradox). Primary genetic effects are unlikely, given the substantial increase in CHD in migrant Japanese to the U.S. For men aged 40–49, levels of total cholesterol and blood pressure have been similar in Japan and the U.S. throughout their lifetime. The authors tested the hypothesis that levels of subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (IMT), in men aged 40–49 are similar in Japan and the U.S. The authors conducted a population-based study of 493 randomly-selected men: 250 men in Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan, and 243 white men in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2002–2005. The Japanese had a less favorable profile of many risk factors than the whites. Prevalence ratio for the presence of coronary calcium score ≥10 in the Japanese compared to the whites was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.35, 0.76). Mean (SE) IMT was significantly lower in the Japanese (0.616 (0.005) versus 0.672 (0.005) mm, p<0.01). Both associations remained significant after adjusting for risk factors. The findings warrant further investigations. PMID:17244636

Clinicopathological importance of anterior prostate cancer in Japanese Men.

PubMed

Sato, Shun; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Kimura, Takahiro; Egawa, Shin; Furusato, Bungo; Ikegami, Masahiro

2017-03-01

Prostate cancer of transition zone origin or anterior location has been recognized as infrequent, smaller in size and indolent, whereas, our previous report showed that transition zone/anterior cancer was frequently experienced in Japanese men. The current study was conducted to show clinicopathological characteristics of transition zone/anterior cancer. A total of 201 radical prostatectomy specimens were categorized as cancer of anterior or posterior prostate where more than two thirds of the tumor existed in the specific area. Clinicopathological characteristics including Gleason score, pathological stage, lymph node metastasis, extraprostatic extension, surgical incision into the prostate (shown as pT2+), and surgical margin status were compared between anterior and posterior cases. Cases were divided as 83, 73, and 45 of anterior, posterior cancer, and no dominance, respectively. Anterior cancers included significant numbers of high grade tumors (13/83 cases: 15.7%), which was less than posterior cancers (28.8%: 21/73). The cases in pT2+ were significantly more frequent in anterior cases than posterior ones (22.9% vs. 4.1%). No seminal vesicle invasion was shown in anterior cases. Thus, although anterior cancers are less aggressive than posterior cancers, a significant numbers of clinically important cancers were located in the anterior portion in Japanese men. © 2017 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Waist circumference and insulin resistance: a cross-sectional study of Japanese men

PubMed Central

Tabata, Shinji; Yoshimitsu, Shinichiro; Hamachi, Tadamichi; Abe, Hiroshi; Ohnaka, Keizo; Kono, Suminori

2009-01-01

Background Visceral obesity is positively related to insulin resistance. The nature of the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance has not been known in Japanese populations. This study examined the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance and evaluated the optimal cutoff point for waist circumference in relation to insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men. Methods Study subjects included 4800 Japanese men aged 39 to 60 years. Insulin resistance was evaluated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The relationship of waist circumference with HOMA-IR was assessed by use of adjusted means of HOMA-IR and odds ratios of elevated HOMA-IR defined as the highest quintile (≥2.00). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis using Youden index and the area under curve (AUC) was employed to determine optimal cutoffs of waist circumference in relation to HOMA-IR. Results Adjusted geometric means of HOMA-IR and prevalence odds of elevated HOMA-IR were progressively higher with increasing levels of waist circumference. In the ROC curve analysis, the highest value of Youden index was obtained for a cutoff point of 85 cm in waist circumference across different values of HOMA-IR. Multiple logistic regression analysis also indicated that the AUC was consistently the largest for a waist circumference of 85 cm. Conclusion Waist circumference is linearly related to insulin resistance, and 85 cm in waist circumference is an optimal cutoff in predicting insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men. PMID:19138424

Antitrypsin and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among Japanese-American men.

PubMed

Roberts, A; Kagan, A; Rhoads, G G; Pierce, J A; Bruce, R M

1977-10-01

A total of 161 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) plus 100 control subjects (identified during a study of heart disease in 6,860 Japanese-American men aged 52 to 75 years who were residing in Hawaii) were analyzed for phenotype in search of the antitrypsin gene Z, which has been shown to be associated with pulmonary emphysema in other racial groups. No carriers of the Z gene were found, and the question of whether the rarity or absence of this gene relates to a low frequency of COPD among Japanese-Americans is reviewed.

Less subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan than in White men in the United States in the post-World War II birth cohort.

PubMed

Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kadowaki, Takashi; El-Saed, Aiman; Okamura, Tomonori; Takamiya, Tomoko; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Murata, Kiyoshi; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Evans, Rhobert W; Kita, Yoshikuni; Kuller, Lewis H

2007-03-15

Coronary heart disease incidence and mortality remain very low in Japan despite major dietary changes and increases in risk factors that should have resulted in a substantial increase in coronary heart disease rates (Japanese paradox). Primary genetic effects are unlikely, given the substantial increase in coronary heart disease in Japanese migrating to the United States. For men aged 40-49 years, levels of total cholesterol and blood pressure have been similar in Japan and the United States throughout their lifetimes. The authors tested the hypothesis that levels of subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery in men aged 40-49 years are similar in Japan and the United States. They conducted a population-based study of 493 randomly selected men: 250 in Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan, and 243 White men in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 2002-2005. Compared with the Whites, the Japanese had a less favorable profile regarding many risk factors. The prevalence ratio for the presence of a coronary calcium score of > or =10 for the Japanese compared with the Whites was 0.52 (95% confidence interval: 0.35, 0.76). Mean intima-media thickness was significantly lower in the Japanese (0.616 mm (standard error, 0.005) vs. 0.672 (standard error, 0.005) mm, p < 0.01). Both associations remained significant after adjusting for risk factors. The findings warrant further investigations.

A cross-sectional study of the association between working hours and sleep duration among the Japanese working population.

PubMed

Ohtsu, Tadahiro; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Aritake, Sayaka; Mishima, Kazuo; Uchiyama, Makoto; Akashiba, Tsuneto; Uchimura, Naohisa; Nakaji, Shigeyuki; Munezawa, Takeshi; Kokaze, Akatsuki; Ohida, Takashi

2013-01-01

This study aimed to clarify the association between long working hours and short sleep duration among Japanese workers. We selected 4,000 households from across Japan by stratified random sampling and conducted an interview survey of a total of 662 participants (372 men; 290 women) in November 2009. Logistic regression analyses were performed using "sleep duration <6 hours per day" as a dependent variable to examine the association between working hours/overtime hours and short sleep duration. When male participants who worked for ≥7 but <9 hours per day were used as a reference, the odds ratio (OR) for short sleep duration in those who worked for ≥ 11 hours was 8.62 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.94-18.86). With regard to overtime hours among men, when participants without overtime were used as a reference, the OR for those whose period of overtime was ≥ 3 hours but <4 hours was 3.59 (95% CI: 1.42-9.08). For both men and women, those with long weekday working hours tended to have a short sleep duration during weekdays and holidays. It is essential to avoid working long hours in order to prevent short sleep duration.

Long working hours and risk for hypertension in Japanese male white collar workers.

PubMed

Nakanishi, N; Yoshida, H; Nagano, K; Kawashimo, H; Nakamura, K; Tatara, K

2001-05-01

To evaluate the association of long working hours with the risk for hypertension. A five year prospective cohort study. Work site in Osaka, Japan. 941 hypertension free Japanese male white collar workers aged 35-54 years were prospectively examined by serial annual health examinations. Men in whom borderline hypertension and hypertension were found during repeated surveys were defined as incidental cases of borderline hypertension and hypertension. 336 and 88 men developed hypertension above the borderline level and definite hypertension during the 3940 and 4531 person years, respectively. After controlling for potential predictors of hypertension, the relative risk for hypertension above the borderline level, compared with those who worked < 8.0 hours per day, was 0.63 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.43, 0.91) for those who worked 10.0-10.9 hours per day and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.74) for those who worked > or = 11.0 hours per day. The relative risk for definite hypertension, compared with those who worked < 8.0 hours per day, was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.95) for those who worked > or = 11.0 hours per day. The multivariate adjusted slopes of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) during five years of follow up decreased as working hours per day increased. From the multiple regression analyses, working hours per day remained as an independent negative factor for the slopes of systolic blood pressure, DBP, and MABP. These results indicate that long working hours are negatively associated with the risk for hypertension in Japanese male white collar workers.

Associations of gender role attitudes with fertility intentions: A Japanese population-based study on single men and women of reproductive ages.

PubMed

Kato, Tsuguhiko

2018-06-01

Japan has been experiencing low fertility for many years. In this study, I investigated the relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions among Japanese single men and women of reproductive ages. Utilizing the Longitudinal Survey of Adults in the 21st Century data, 8944 men and 7924 women aged 20-34 years with single, childless status were analyzed. Gender role attitudes were assessed by participants' preferences for the division of labor between a man and a woman: income earning, housework, and childcare. Those who preferred men to earn income and women to perform housework and childcare were considered to have traditional attitudes, whereas those who preferred women and men to share these responsibilities were considered to have egalitarian attitudes. Outcomes were fertility intentions measured by a desire to have children and ideal number of children. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Egalitarian attitudes about income earning and housework were associated with low fertility intentions (a lesser desire for children) compared to traditional attitudes: adjusted odds ratios were 1.56 [1.36, 1.80] for men and 1.47 [1.26, 1.72] for women with income earning. Men's preference for sharing childcare responsibility was associated with high fertility intentions. Japanese society has not shifted away from the traditional division of labor despite the increase in female labor force participation. Low fertility intentions among Japanese men and women with egalitarian attitudes suggest that institutional support for balancing work and family may be necessary to improve the low fertility trend. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Men of Destiny: The American and Filipino Guerillas during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited Men of Destiny: The American and Filipino Guerillas During the Japanese Occupation of the...Destiny: The American and Filipino Guerrillas During the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c...American and Filipino guerrillas that fought against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines were key in providing direction to resistance efforts and

Food groups and weight gain in Japanese men.

PubMed

Ibe, Y; Takahashi, Y; Sone, H

2014-06-01

Identifying subjects at high risk of weight gain according to consumption of food groups is important for individualizing nutritional education, but prospective studies of this issue have been few. We determined whether intake of specific food groups could predict future weight gain. We evaluated data from health checkups on 1236 Japanese men aged 28 to 87 years in 2005 and 2006. Dietary intake was assessed by a 24-h dietary recall at baseline. Weight change was measured after 1 year. Weight increased in 44.7% (n = 553) of participants. Multivariate regression analysis involving many food groups showed a significant association between sugar intake and weight gain after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), total energy intake, alcohol, smoking and regular physical exercise (β = 0.22, P = 0.04). The effect of intake of 'fats and oils' was significant when adjusted for age and BMI, however, it became insignificant after adjustment for age, BMI and total energy intake. Intake of sugar, which was evaluated as a food group, was predictive of subsequent weight gain among Japanese men, even after adjustment for many confounders. This corroborates the evidence so far concerning the links between sugar intake and weight gain. Further long-term research is required to give robust recommendation to the public. © 2014 The Authors. Clinical Obesity © 2014 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Use of spoken and written Japanese did not protect Japanese-American men from cognitive decline in late life.

PubMed

Crane, Paul K; Gruhl, Jonathan C; Erosheva, Elena A; Gibbons, Laura E; McCurry, Susan M; Rhoads, Kristoffer; Nguyen, Viet; Arani, Keerthi; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2010-11-01

Spoken bilingualism may be associated with cognitive reserve. Mastering a complicated written language may be associated with additional reserve. We sought to determine if midlife use of spoken and written Japanese was associated with lower rates of late life cognitive decline. Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, born 1900-1919, free of dementia in 1991, and categorized based on midlife self-reported use of spoken and written Japanese (total n included in primary analysis = 2,520). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument scored using item response theory. We used mixed effects models, controlling for age, income, education, smoking status, apolipoprotein E e4 alleles, and number of study visits. Rates of cognitive decline were not related to use of spoken or written Japanese. This finding was consistent across numerous sensitivity analyses. We did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that multilingualism is associated with cognitive reserve.

Use of Spoken and Written Japanese Did Not Protect Japanese-American Men From Cognitive Decline in Late Life

PubMed Central

Gruhl, Jonathan C.; Erosheva, Elena A.; Gibbons, Laura E.; McCurry, Susan M.; Rhoads, Kristoffer; Nguyen, Viet; Arani, Keerthi; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2010-01-01

Objectives. Spoken bilingualism may be associated with cognitive reserve. Mastering a complicated written language may be associated with additional reserve. We sought to determine if midlife use of spoken and written Japanese was associated with lower rates of late life cognitive decline. Methods. Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, born 1900–1919, free of dementia in 1991, and categorized based on midlife self-reported use of spoken and written Japanese (total n included in primary analysis = 2,520). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument scored using item response theory. We used mixed effects models, controlling for age, income, education, smoking status, apolipoprotein E e4 alleles, and number of study visits. Results. Rates of cognitive decline were not related to use of spoken or written Japanese. This finding was consistent across numerous sensitivity analyses. Discussion. We did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that multilingualism is associated with cognitive reserve. PMID:20639282

Sex differences in factors contributing to family-to-work and work-to-family conflict in Japanese civil servants.

PubMed

Fujimura, Yuko; Sekine, Michikazu; Tatsuse, Takashi

2014-01-01

As the number of dual-earner couples in Japan has increased, work-life balance has become important. This study aimed to examine the factors that contribute to work-family conflict. The participants included 3,594 (2,332 men and 1,262 women) civil servants aged 20-59 working for local government on the west coast of Japan. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether work, family, or lifestyle characteristics were associated with work-family conflict. For men, family-to-work conflict was associated with being elderly, having low-grade employment, working long hours, raising children, and sleeping shorter hours. For women, being married and raising children were strong determinants of family-to-work conflict, and being middle-aged, working long hours, and sleeping shorter hours were also associated with this type of conflict. Regarding work-to-family conflict, working long hours was the strongest determinant of conflict in both sexes. In men, being elderly, living with family, eating dinner late, and sleeping shorter hours were also associated with work-to-family conflict. In women, having high-grade employment, being married, raising children, and eating dinner late were associated with work-to-family conflict. This study showed that working long hours was the primary determinant of work-to-family conflict in both sexes and that being married and raising children were strong factors of family-to-work conflict in women only. Sex differences may reflect divergence of the social and domestic roles of men and women in Japanese society. To improve the work-life balance, general and sex-specific health policies may be required.

Generational Differences in Japanese Attitudes toward Women's Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Traditional ideals discourage Japanese women from working outside the home. This study was conducted to explore generational differences in Japanese attitudes toward women's employment and to interpret those differences in terms of social change. Questionnaires were distributed to approximately 900 Japanese men and women. Subjects were classified…

Development of prediction equations for estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass in Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Furushima, Taishi; Miyachi, Motohiko; Iemitsu, Motoyuki; Murakami, Haruka; Kawano, Hiroshi; Gando, Yuko; Kawakami, Ryoko; Sanada, Kiyoshi

2017-08-29

This study aimed to develop and cross-validate prediction equations for estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and to examine the relationship between sarcopenia defined by the prediction equations and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) or osteoporosis in Japanese men and women. Subjects were healthy men and women aged 20-90 years, who were randomly allocated to the following two groups: the development group (D group; 257 men, 913 women) and the cross-validation group (V group; 119 men, 112 women). To develop prediction equations, stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed on data obtained from the D group, using ASM measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a dependent variable and five easily obtainable measures (age, height, weight, waist circumference, and handgrip strength) as independent variables. When the prediction equations for ASM estimation were applied to the V group, a significant correlation was found between DXA-measured ASM and predicted ASM in both men and women (R 2  = 0.81 and R 2  = 0.72). Our prediction equations had higher R 2 values compared to previously developed equations (R 2  = 0.75-0.59 and R 2  = 0.69-0.40) in both men and women. Moreover, sarcopenia defined by predicted ASM was related to risk factors for osteoporosis and CVD, as well as sarcopenia defined by DXA-measured ASM. In this study, novel prediction equations were developed and cross-validated in Japanese men and women. Our analyses validated the clinical significance of these prediction equations and showed that previously reported equations were not applicable in a Japanese population.

Sex inequalities in physical and mental functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese civil servants: role of job demand, control and work hours.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Tatsuse, Takashi; Kagamimori, Sadanobu; Chandola, Tarani; Cable, Noriko; Marmot, Michael; Martikainen, Pekka; Lallukka, Tea; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero

2011-08-01

In general, women report more physical and mental symptoms than men. International comparisons of countries with different welfare state regimes may provide further understanding of the social determinants of sex inequalities in health. This study aims to evaluate (1) whether there are sex inequalities in health functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36), and (2) whether work characteristics contribute to the sex inequalities in health among employees from Britain, Finland, and Japan, representing liberal, social democratic, and conservative welfare state regimes, respectively. The participants were 7340 (5122 men and 2218 women) British employees, 2297 (1638 men and 659 women) Japanese employees, and 8164 (1649 men and 6515 women) Finnish employees. All the participants were civil servants aged 40-60 years. We found that more women than men tended to have disadvantaged work characteristics (i.e. low employment grade, low job control, high job demands, and long work hours) but such sex differences were relatively smaller among employees from Finland, where more gender equal policies exist than Britain and Japan. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of women for poor physical functioning was the largest for British women (OR = 2.08), followed by for Japanese women (OR = 1.72), and then for Finnish women (OR = 1.51). The age-adjusted OR of women for poor mental functioning was the largest for Japanese women (OR = 1.91), followed by for British women (OR = 1.45), and then for Finnish women (OR = 1.07). Thus, sex differences in physical and mental health was the smallest in the Finnish population. The larger the sex differences in work characteristics, the larger the sex differences in health and the reduction in the sex differences in health after adjustment for work characteristics. These results suggest that egalitarian and gender equal policies may contribute to smaller sex differences in health, through smaller differences in disadvantaged work

Sex Inequalities in Physical and Mental Functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese Civil Servants: Role of Job Demand, Control and Work Hours

PubMed Central

Sekine, Michikazu; Tatsuse, Takashi; Kagamimori, Sadanobu; Chandola, Tarani; Cable, Noriko; Marmot, Michael; Martikainen, Pekka; Lallukka, Tea; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero

2011-01-01

In general, women report more physical and mental symptoms than men. International comparisons of countries with different welfare state regimes may provide further understanding of the social determinants of sex inequalities in health. This study aims to evaluate (1) whether there are sex inequalities in health functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36), and (2) whether work characteristics contribute to the sex inequalities in health among employees from Britain, Finland, and Japan, representing liberal, social democratic, and conservative welfare state regimes, respectively. The participants were 7340 (5122 men and 2218 women) British employees, 2297 (1638 men and 659 women) Japanese employees, and 8164 (1649 men and 6515 women) Finnish employees. All the participants were civil servants aged 40-60 years. We found that more women than men tended to have disadvantaged work characteristics (i.e. low employment grade, low job control, high job demands, and long work hours) but such sex differences were relatively smaller among employees from Finland, where more gender equal policies exist than Britain and Japan. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of women for poor physical functioning was the largest for British women (OR=2.08), followed by for Japanese women (OR=1.72), and then for Finnish women (OR=1.51). The age-adjusted OR of women for poor mental functioning was the largest for Japanese women (OR=1.91), followed by for British women (OR=1.45), and then for Finnish women (OR=1.07). Thus, sex differences in physical and mental health was the smallest in the Finnish population. The larger the sex differences in work characteristics, the larger the sex differences in health and the reduction in the sex differences in health after adjustment for work characteristics. These results suggest that egalitarian and gender equal policies may contribute to smaller sex differences in health, through smaller differences in disadvantaged work characteristics between

High Serum Adiponectin Level Is a Risk Factor for Anemia in Japanese Men: A Prospective Observational Study of 1,029 Japanese Subjects

PubMed Central

Kohno, Kei; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Shiono, Yosuke; Suzuki, Ikuko; Kato, Yuichi; Sho, Ri; Otani, Katsumi; Ishizawa, Kenichi; Yamashita, Hidetoshi; Kubota, Isao; Ueno, Yoshiyuki; Kato, Takeo; Fukao, Akira; Kayama, Takamasa

2016-01-01

Erythroid abnormalities including anemia and polycythemia are often observed in the general clinical setting. Because recent studies reported that adiponectin negatively affects hematopoiesis, we performed a prospective observational study to assess the relationship between anemia and adiponectin, as well as other parameters, in 1029 Japanese subjects (477 men and 552 women) 40 years of age and older. Body measurements, blood tests, and nutrition intake studies were performed at baseline, and 5 to 7 years later (follow-up). Hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Hct) levels in men with high serum adiponectin levels were lower at follow-up than at baseline. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, body mass index, adiponectin, and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were significantly associated with erythroid-related variables (red blood cells, Hb, and Hct) in both men and women (P <0.05). In a logistic regression analysis, adiponectin, fasting blood glucose, and β-natriuretic peptide were significant risk factors for anemia in men, and blood urea nitrogen and amylase were significant risk factors in women. Physical features and nutrient intake were not risk factors for anemia. Our study demonstrates, both clinically and epidemiologically, that a high serum adiponectin level decreases the amounts of erythroid-related variables and is a risk factor for anemia in Japanese men. PMID:27918575

Diet based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and subsequent mortality among men and women in a general Japanese population.

PubMed

Oba, Shino; Nagata, Chisato; Nakamura, Kozue; Fujii, Kaori; Kawachi, Toshiaki; Takatsuka, Naoyoshi; Shimizu, Hiroyuki

2009-09-01

The Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was developed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery to promote healthful diets. Adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was evaluated in terms of future mortality in a prospective cohort study. A prospective cohort study among men and women in a general Japanese population. The cohort consisted of 13,355 men and 15,724 women residing in Takayama, Japan, in 1992. At baseline, a food frequency questionnaire was administered, and adherence to the food guide was measured based on consuming the recommended number of servings of grains, vegetables, fish and meat, milk, and fruits, as well as total daily energy intake and energy from snacks and alcoholic beverages. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the recommendations on a scale of 0 to 70. Based on data obtained from the Office of the National Vital Statistics, deaths occurring among members of the cohort were prospectively noted from 1992 to 1999. To assess the magnitude of association of adherence scores with subsequent mortality, a Cox proportional hazard model was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among women, the adherence score was significantly associated with a lower risk of mortality from all causes (comparing highest and lowest quartiles of the score, HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.94, P for trend 0.01) in a multivariate analysis; noncardiovascular, noncancer causes (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.96, P for trend 0.04) and cardiovascular disease (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.04, P for trend0.05). No statistically significant association was observed between the adherence score and mortality among men. The results suggest that diets based on the food guide have the benefit of reducing future mortality in women.

Association between lifestyle factors and plasma adiponectin levels in Japanese men.

PubMed

Tsukinoki, Rumi; Morimoto, Kanehisa; Nakayama, Kunio

2005-11-02

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-specific protein that plays a role in obesity, insulin resistant, lipid metabolism, and anti-inflammation. Hypoadiponectinemia may be associated with a higher risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Some studies suggest that adiponectin levels are modulated by lifestyle factors, but little is known about the associations between lifestyle factors and plasma adiponectin levels in Japanese people. We therefore investigated the associations between lifestyle factors and plasma adiponectin levels in general Japanese men. The subjects were 202 Japanese male workers who participated in an annual health check. They provided details about anthropometrical data, blood collection, their use of prescribed medication, and the clinical history of their families. They also completed a self-administered questionnaire about their lifestyles. Subjects with plasma adiponectin levels below 4.0 microg/ml had significantly lower levels of HDL cholesterol and higher levels of BMI, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, FBG, and platelets than did subjects with higher adiponectin levels. In multiple logistic regression after multiple adjustment, a plasma adiponectin level below 4.0 microg/ml was significantly associated with smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-4.30), a daily diet rich in deep-yellow vegetables (OR = 0.25, 95% CI= 0.07-0.91), frequent eating out (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.19-5.08), and physical exercise two or more times a week (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.06-0.74). Our findings show that adiponectin levels in general Japanese men are independently related to smoking, dietary factors, and physical exercise. We think that lifestyle habits might independently modulate adiponectin levels and that adiponectin might be the useful biomarker helping people to avoid developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by modifying their lifestyles.

Association of smoking behavior and socio-demographic factors, work, lifestyle and mental health of Japanese civil servants.

PubMed

Hu, Lizhen; Sekine, Michikazu; Gaina, Alexandru; Nasermoaddeli, Ali; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2007-11-01

Few studies have examined the individual and social impact of smoking behavior in the Japanese population. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between smoking behavior and socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, mental health and work characteristics of Japanese civil servants. A self-administered questionnaire survey of 1,439 employees (821 men and 618 women) aged 20-64 yr was conducted in a local government department in 2001. The questionnaire included items on socio-demographic factors, education level, grade of employment, lifestyle, affect balance scale, and work characteristics. Smoking status was divided into current smoker, ex-smoker and never smoked. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between smoking and the other items. Men presented a higher smoking prevalence rate than women (53.1% vs. 4.9%). In men, a strong relationship between current smoker and advanced age (40 yr or older), low education level, less physical activity, irregular breakfast and negative affect balance was found. Among men with a low education, the prevalence of smoking cessation was significantly lower in comparison to men with a high education. In women, being young (20-29 yr), unmarried (single or other), having a hobby, and irregular breakfast were associated with smoking behavior. Furthermore, smoking cessation was significantly associated with having a hobby and negative affect balance. The above results suggest that socio-demographic, lifestyle and mental health characteristics are independently associated with current smoking. These factors should be considered in smoking cessation policies as program components.

Role of selected polymorphisms in determining muscle fiber composition in Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Kumagai, Hiroshi; Tobina, Takuro; Ichinoseki-Sekine, Noriko; Kakigi, Ryo; Tsuzuki, Takamasa; Zempo, Hirofumi; Shiose, Keisuke; Yoshimura, Eiichi; Kumahara, Hideaki; Ayabe, Makoto; Higaki, Yasuki; Yamada, Ryo; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Kiyonaga, Akira; Naito, Hisashi; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Fuku, Noriyuki

2018-05-01

Genetic polymorphisms and sex differences are suggested to affect muscle fiber composition; however, no study has investigated the effects of genetic polymorphisms on muscle fiber composition with respect to sex differences. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of genetic polymorphisms on muscle fiber composition with respect to sex differences in the Japanese population. The present study included 211 healthy Japanese individuals (102 men and 109 women). Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis to determine the proportion of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms (MHC-I, MHC-IIa, and MHC-IIx). Moreover, we analyzed polymorphisms in α-actinin-3 gene ( ACTN3; rs1815739 ), angiotensin-converting enzyme gene ( ACE; rs4341 ), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α gene ( rs11549465 ), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 gene ( rs1870377 ), and angiotensin II receptor, type 2 gene ( rs11091046 ), by TaqMan single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays. The proportion of MHC-I was 9.8% lower in men than in women, whereas the proportion of MHC-IIa and MHC-IIx was higher in men than in women (5.0 and 4.6%, respectively). Men with the ACTN3 RR + RX genotype had a 4.8% higher proportion of MHC-IIx than those with the ACTN3 XX genotype. Moreover, men with the ACE ID + DD genotype had a 4.7% higher proportion of MHC-I than those with the ACE II genotype. Furthermore, a combined genotype of ACTN3 R577X and ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) was significantly correlated with the proportion of MHC-I ( r = -0.23) and MHC-IIx ( r = 0.27) in men. In contrast, no significant correlation was observed between the examined polymorphisms and muscle fiber composition in women. These results suggest that the ACTN3 R577X and ACE I/D polymorphisms independently affect the proportion of human skeletal muscle fibers MHC-I and MHC-IIx in men but not in women. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In men, the RR + RX genotype of the α-actinin-3 gene ( ACTN3) R577X polymorphism was

Risk Factor Effects and Total Mortality in Older Japanese Men in Japan and Hawaii

PubMed Central

Abbott, Robert D.; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Hozawa, Atsushi; Okamura, Tomonori; Kadowaki, Takashi; Miura, Katsuyuki; Okuda, Nagako; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Okayama, Akira; Kita, Yoshikuni; Rodriguez, Beatriz L.; Yano, Katsuhiko; Curb, J. David

2017-01-01

Purpose To identify factors related to total mortality in older Japanese men in Japan and Hawaii. Methods Baseline data were collected from 1980 to 1982 in 1,379 men in Hawaii and 954 men in Japan. Ages ranged from 61 to 81 years with mortality follow-up over a 19 year period. Results Compared to Japan, men in Hawaii had a 2-fold excess of diabetes and a 4-fold excess of prevalent coronary heart disease (p<0.001). Total cholesterol and body mass index were also higher in Hawaii (p<0.001). In contrast, men in Japan had higher systolic blood pressure and were nearly 3-times more likely to smoke cigarettes (p<0.001). Although each cohort had elements of a poor risk factor profile, there was a 1.4-fold excess in the risk of death in Japan (49.4 vs. 36.2/1,000 person-years, p<0.001). While mortality was similar after risk factor adjustment, only blood pressure and cigarette smoking accounted for the higher risk of death in Japan. Conclusions Cigarette smoking and hypertension explain much of the excess mortality in Japan versus Hawaii. In this comparison of genetically similar cohorts, evidence further suggests that Japanese in Japan are equally susceptible to develop the same adverse risk factor conditions that exist in Hawaii. PMID:19041590

Body Mass Index and Kidney Stones: A Cohort Study of Japanese Men

PubMed Central

Yoshimura, Eiichi; Sawada, Susumu S.; Lee, I-Min; Gando, Yuko; Kamada, Masamitsu; Matsushita, Munehiro; Kawakami, Ryoko; Ando, Ryosuke; Okamoto, Takashi; Tsukamoto, Koji; Miyachi, Motohiko; Blair, Steven N.

2016-01-01

Background In Japan, the incidence of kidney stones has increased markedly in recent decades. Major causes of kidney stones remain unclear, and limited data are available on the relationship between overweight/obesity and the incidence of kidney stones. We therefore evaluated body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of kidney stones in Japanese men. Methods Of the workers at a gas company, 5984 males aged 20–40 years underwent a medical examination in 1985 (baseline). This study includes 4074 of the men, who were free of kidney stones at baseline and underwent a second medical examination performed between April 2004 and March 2005. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight in 1985, and men were categorized into tertiles. The development of kidney stones during follow-up was based on self-reports from questionnaires at the second medical examination. Results The average duration of follow-up was 19 years, with 258 participants developing kidney stones during this period. Using the lowest BMI (1st tertile) group as a reference, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for the 2nd and 3rd BMI tertiles were: 1.26 (95% CI, 0.92–1.73) and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.06–1.96), respectively (P for trend = 0.019). After additionally adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, systolic blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, the hazard ratios were 1.28 (95% CI, 0.93–1.76) and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.02–1.97), respectively (P for trend = 0.041). Conclusions These results suggest that increased BMI is a risk factor for kidney stones in Japanese men. PMID:26616396

Body Mass Index and Kidney Stones: A Cohort Study of Japanese Men.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Eiichi; Sawada, Susumu S; Lee, I-Min; Gando, Yuko; Kamada, Masamitsu; Matsushita, Munehiro; Kawakami, Ryoko; Ando, Ryosuke; Okamoto, Takashi; Tsukamoto, Koji; Miyachi, Motohiko; Blair, Steven N

2016-01-01

In Japan, the incidence of kidney stones has increased markedly in recent decades. Major causes of kidney stones remain unclear, and limited data are available on the relationship between overweight/obesity and the incidence of kidney stones. We therefore evaluated body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of kidney stones in Japanese men. Of the workers at a gas company, 5984 males aged 20-40 years underwent a medical examination in 1985 (baseline). This study includes 4074 of the men, who were free of kidney stones at baseline and underwent a second medical examination performed between April 2004 and March 2005. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight in 1985, and men were categorized into tertiles. The development of kidney stones during follow-up was based on self-reports from questionnaires at the second medical examination. The average duration of follow-up was 19 years, with 258 participants developing kidney stones during this period. Using the lowest BMI (1st tertile) group as a reference, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for the 2nd and 3rd BMI tertiles were: 1.26 (95% CI, 0.92-1.73) and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.06-1.96), respectively (P for trend = 0.019). After additionally adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, systolic blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, the hazard ratios were 1.28 (95% CI, 0.93-1.76) and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.02-1.97), respectively (P for trend = 0.041). These results suggest that increased BMI is a risk factor for kidney stones in Japanese men.

Association of lifestyle with serum lipid levels: a study of middle-aged Japanese men.

PubMed

Nakanishi, N; Tatara, K; Nakamura, K; Suzuki, K

2000-07-01

Cross-sectional associations between lifestyle and serum lipid levels were examined in 1591 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 59 years in Osaka, Japan. From multiple linear regression analyses, significant correlates with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and Log triglyceride levels and the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol were, in the order of relative importance: BMI, alcohol intake (negative) and age for LDL cholesterol level; BMI (negative), cigarette smoking (negative), alcohol intake, consideration for nutritional balance, hours of brisk walking, hours of walking at an ordinary pace and physical exercise for HDL cholesterol level; BMI, cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), hours of work (negative), alcohol intake and coffee drinking (negative) for Log triglyceride level; and BMI, alcohol intake (negative), cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), age, hours of brisk walking (negative) and the frequency of snack intake between meals for the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Our data suggest that obesity, cigarette smoking and snack intake between meals are atherogenic whereas alcohol consumption, consideration for nutritional balance and walking long hours, especially at a brisk pace, are anti-atherogenic in middle-aged Japanese men.

Distribution of Human Papillomavirus Genotype in Anal Condyloma Acuminatum Among Japanese Men: The Higher Prevalence of High Risk Human Papillomavirus in Men Who Have Sex with Men with HIV Infection.

PubMed

Furukawa, Satomi; Uota, Shin; Yamana, Tetsuo; Sahara, Rikisaburo; Iihara, Kuniko; Yokomaku, Yoshiyuki; Iwatani, Yasumasa; Sugiura, Wataru

2018-04-01

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is known to cause anal condyloma acuminatum (CA) and squamous cell carcinoma. Men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV infection are frequently co-infected with HPV, especially high risk HPV (HR-HPV) that causes anal squamous cell carcinoma. However, there are few reports of HPV genotype studies in anal lesion of Japanese men. We tried to estimate the distribution of HPV genotypes in anal CA tissue specimens from the Japanese men to elucidate the risk of anal cancer. A total of 62 patients who had anal CA surgically excised were enrolled. They included 27 HIV-positive MSM, 18 HIV-negative MSM, 1 HIV-positive man who have sex with women (MSW), and 16 HIV-negative MSW. HPV genotypes in anal CA tissue were determined by the polymerase chain reaction technique with reverse line blot hybridization. HR-HPV was detected in 45.2% of the CA tissue specimens and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) was observed in 15.3%. Moreover, the prevalence of HR-HPV in the HIV-positive MSM (70.4%) was higher than the HIV-negative MSM (33.3%, p = .0311) or the HIV-negative MSW (18.8%, p = .0016). The conditional logistic regression analysis suggested HIV positivity as the primary risk factor for the HR-HPV infection in CA. In addition, HSIL was detected in higher frequency in CA tissues from HIV-positive MSM (25.9%) than HIV-negative MSW (0.0%, p = .0346). HR-HPV and HSIL were frequently detected in anal CA tissues from Japanese MSM patients with HIV infection, suggesting the necessity of surveillance for this population.

Impact of serum uric acid on incident hypertension in a worksite population of Japanese men.

PubMed

Kansui, Yasuo; Matsumura, Kiyoshi; Morinaga, Yuki; Inoue, Minako; Kiyohara, Kanako; Ohta, Yuko; Goto, Kenichi; Ohtsubo, Toshio; Ooboshi, Hiroaki; Kitazono, Takanari

2018-07-01

Higher levels of serum uric acid are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, which may be confounded by comorbidities. We investigated the effects of serum uric acid on the risk of hypertension in Japanese men at a worksite. We evaluated a total of 2335 Japanese male workers without hypertension who ranged in age from 18 to 64 years at a worksite in 2009. These men were followed for 6 years from 2009 to 2015. During the follow-up period, 380 individuals developed hypertension. The odds ratio for the incident hypertension was estimated according to quartiles of serum uric acid levels of 5.1 or less, 5.2-5.8, 5.9-6.6, and at least 6.7 mg/dl. The multivariable-adjusted risk of incident hypertension was significantly higher in the highest serum uric acid quartile than in the lowest: odds ratio 1.00 (reference) for the lowest quartile, 1.34 (0.91-1.97) for the second quartile, 1.42 (0.97-2.06) for the third quartile, and 1.65 (1.14-2.40) for the highest quartile. In stratified analyses, the association between serum uric acid and incident hypertension was significant in the patients of aged below 45 years and without comorbidities, namely diabetes and low levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Serum uric acid levels were associated with the future incidence of hypertension, and the association was observed in the younger individuals, those without diabetes, and those with preserved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in a worksite population of Japanese men.

Association between Pulse Wave Velocity and Coronary Artery Calcification in Japanese men.

PubMed

Torii, Sayuki; Arima, Hisatomi; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Kadota, Aya; Takashima, Naoyuki; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Saito, Yoshino; Miyagawa, Naoko; Zaid, Maryam; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Abbott, Robert D; Horie, Minoru; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2015-01-01

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a simple and valid clinical method for assessing arterial stiffness. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an intermediate stage in the process leading to overt cardiovascular disease (CVD) and an established determinant of coronary artery disease. This study aimed to examine the association between PWV and CAC in a population-based sample of Japanese men. This is a cross-sectional study of 986 randomly selected men aged 40-79 years from Shiga, Japan. CVD-free participants were examined from 2006 to 2008. Brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) was measured using an automatic waveform analyzer. CAC was assessed using computed tomography. Agatston scores ≥ 10 were defined as the presence of CAC. Prevalence of CAC progressively increased with rising levels of baPWV: 20.6%, 41.7%, 56.3%, and 66.7% across baPWV quartiles ＜ 1378, 1378-1563, 1564-1849, and ＞ 1849 cm/s (P ＜ 0.001 for trend). Associations remained significant after adjusting for age and other factors, including body mass index, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, drinking, smoking and exercise status, and the use of medication to treat hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes (P=0.042 for trend). The optimal cutoff level of baPWV to detect CAC was 1612 cm/s using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Arterial stiffness as defined by an elevated baPWV is associated with an increased prevalence of CAC in a general population-based setting among Japanese men.

Aortic pulse wave velocity predicts cardiovascular mortality in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men.

PubMed

Inoue, Noriko; Maeda, Ryo; Kawakami, Hideshi; Shokawa, Tomoki; Yamamoto, Hideya; Ito, Chikako; Sasaki, Hideo

2009-03-01

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is widely used as a noninvasive index of arterial stiffness and was used in the present study to investigate the relationship between PWV and cardiovascular mortality in the middle-aged and elderly Japanese population using a longitudinal study design. From 1988 to 2003, a total of 3,960 men (50-69 years old at baseline) who underwent medical check-ups and measurement of PWV, which was standardized for diastolic blood pressure, were recruited and divided into 4 groups according to the PWV values. The average follow-up period was 8.2 years. Mortality from all-causes and from cardiovascular disease significantly increased as PWV increased in the entire follow-up period. Multivariate-adjusted relative risks of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality for the highest quartile of PWV (>9.0 m/s) were 1.28 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.68) and 1.83 (95%CI 1.02-3.29), respectively, compared with the lowest quartile (<7.5 m/s). An increased PWV can predict cardiovascular mortality in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men.

Changes in body weight are significantly associated with changes in fasting plasma glucose and HDL cholesterol in Japanese men without abdominal obesity (waist circumference < 85 cm).

PubMed

Oda, Eiji; Kawai, Ryu

2011-06-01

The aims are to examine whether changes in body weight (dBW) are associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese men without abdominal obesity (waist circumference (WC) < 85 cm) and which anthropometric index, dBW or changes in WC (dWC), is more strongly associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors in men without abdominal obesity. It is a retrospective study in 692 Japanese men without abdominal obesity who took annual health screening tests consecutively over one year. Standardized linear regression coefficients (SRCs) of dBW and dWC were calculated for changes in systolic blood pressure (dSBP), diastolic blood pressure (dDBP), fasting plasma glucose (dFPG), triglycerides (dTG), HDL cholesterol (dHDL), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (dCRP). The SRCs of dBW for dFPG and dHDL were significant in all men and in men with each risk factor corresponding to the component of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The SRCs of dWC for dTG and dCRP were significant in all men but not in men with each risk factor corresponding to the MetS component. In conclusions, dBW were significantly associated with dFPG and dHDL in Japanese men without abdominal obesity. Therefore, abdominal obesity should not be considered as a necessary component of MetS in Japanese men. dBW may be more useful than dWC as a marker of changes in cardiovascular risk factors in lifestyle intervention programs.

Utilization of bar and izakaya-pub establishments among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men to mitigate stress

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Japanese suicide rate is one of the highest among industrialized nations, especially following the economic crisis of the 1990s, with more than 30000 suicides every year since 1998. Previous studies have pointed out to relationships between overwork and/or job stress, and death and other health risks, and suggested several possible avenues for releasing stress and emotional burden, including suicidal ideation, through talking with intimate friends, family, and specialists, such as counselors and physicians. The present study was performed to explore the potential role of owners and managers of bars and izakaya-pub establishments in mitigating stress of middle-aged and elderly Japanese men by having informal conversations with them. A self-administered questionnaire was posted to all bars and izakaya-pubs registered in Ohmura-city, Nagasaki prefecture, in December 2009. Among 260 bars and izakaya-pubs, a total of 103 owners and managers completed the questionnaire. More than half of the respondents experienced engaging in conversations with their customers regarding customers’ various personal and private issues. The most frequently talked about problem was that regarding work (56.3%). Regardless of sex and age of the respondents, those with longer working experience in bar and izakaya-pub establishments were more likely to have had customers confiding in them financial problems including debts/loans (adjusted odds ratio: 5.48, p = 0.033). Owners and managers of bars and izakaya-pubs may be in a position to act as “listeners”, to whom middle-aged and elderly men can talk about their personal problems casually and without having to worry about conflict of interests, and direct those in need to professional counseling. PMID:22708695

Utilization of bar and izakaya-pub establishments among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men to mitigate stress.

PubMed

Ohnishi, Mayumi; Nakao, Rieko; Kawasaki, Ryokko; Nitta, Akiko; Hamada, Yukari; Nakane, Hideyuki

2012-06-18

Japanese suicide rate is one of the highest among industrialized nations, especially following the economic crisis of the 1990s, with more than 30000 suicides every year since 1998. Previous studies have pointed out to relationships between overwork and/or job stress, and death and other health risks, and suggested several possible avenues for releasing stress and emotional burden, including suicidal ideation, through talking with intimate friends, family, and specialists, such as counselors and physicians. The present study was performed to explore the potential role of owners and managers of bars and izakaya-pub establishments in mitigating stress of middle-aged and elderly Japanese men by having informal conversations with them. A self-administered questionnaire was posted to all bars and izakaya-pubs registered in Ohmura-city, Nagasaki prefecture, in December 2009. Among 260 bars and izakaya-pubs, a total of 103 owners and managers completed the questionnaire. More than half of the respondents experienced engaging in conversations with their customers regarding customers' various personal and private issues. The most frequently talked about problem was that regarding work (56.3%). Regardless of sex and age of the respondents, those with longer working experience in bar and izakaya-pub establishments were more likely to have had customers confiding in them financial problems including debts/loans (adjusted odds ratio: 5.48, p = 0.033). Owners and managers of bars and izakaya-pubs may be in a position to act as "listeners", to whom middle-aged and elderly men can talk about their personal problems casually and without having to worry about conflict of interests, and direct those in need to professional counseling.

Older men, work and health.

PubMed

Granville, G; Evandrou, M

2010-05-01

To consider the complex interrelationships between work and health among older men, drawing out the importance of considering gender difference in approaches to occupational medicine. The method used in the literature search was to review national and international research published in English since 1990 on the health and work of older men. Journal articles were the primary source. Databases used included Web of Science, CSA Illumina Social Sciences, CINAHL, Medline and ANGINFO. The review of the evidence was structured in terms of key themes emerging from the literature into which issues of gender, ethnicity, age and socio-economic inequalities were cross cut. The current paper now focuses on two of those themes that have particular relevance to occupational medicine: work-caused and work-related ill-health, and secondly promoting workplace health. It begins by setting the scene with a profile of older men in the labour market. Two key themes emerge from the review, which are of particular significance. One is the central role that work plays in the lives and identity of men and therefore the impact this has on their health, both in and out of work. Secondly, the occupational histories of men expose them to work-related and work-caused ill-health, which has consequences for life expectancy and chronic disease in old age. These findings have implications for future research, policy formulation and implementation, and for public health practice.

LOX-1 ligands containing apolipoprotein B and carotid intima-media thickness in middle-aged community-dwelling US Caucasian and Japanese men

PubMed Central

Okamura, Tomonori; Sekikawa, Akira; Sawamura, Tatsuya; Kadowaki, Takashi; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; Mackey, Rachel H.; Kadota, Aya; Evans, Rhobert W.; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Higashiyama, Aya; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Abbott, Robert D.; Miura, Katsuyuki; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Fujita, Yoshiko; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Miyamatsu, Naomi; Kakino, Akemi; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Murata, Kiyoshi; Horie, Minoru; Mitsunami, Kenichi; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Kuller, Lewis H.; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2013-01-01

Objective The serum level of LOX-1 ligand containing ApoB (LAB) may reflect atherogenicity better than LDL cholesterol (LDLC), total LDL particles and usual measurement of oxidized LDL. The association between LAB and intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery was investigated by ultrasound in US and Japan men. Methods Participants were 297 US Caucasian and 310 Japanese men, aged 40 to 49 years without past history of cardiovascular disease. Serum LAB levels were measured by ELISAs with recombinant LOX-1 and monoclonal anti–apolipoprotein B antibody. Results Serum LAB levels [median (interquartile range), μg/L] were 1,321 (936, 1730) in US Caucasians and 940 (688, 1259) in Japanese. For Caucasian men, average IMT was higher in higher LAB quartile, which was 0.653, 0.667, 0.688, and 0.702 mm, respectively (p for trend= 0.02). Linear regression analysis showed serum LAB was significantly associated with IMT after adjustment for LDLC or total LDL particles in addition to other traditional or novel risk factors for atherosclerosis such as C-reactive protein. However, there was no significant relationship between LAB and IMT in Japanese men. Conclusion Serum LAB, a new candidate biomarker for residual risk, was associated with an increased carotid IMT in US Caucasian men independently of various risk factors; however, ethnic difference should be clarified in the future. PMID:23683938

LOX-1 ligands containing apolipoprotein B and carotid intima-media thickness in middle-aged community-dwelling US Caucasian and Japanese men.

PubMed

Okamura, Tomonori; Sekikawa, Akira; Sawamura, Tatsuya; Kadowaki, Takashi; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; Mackey, Rachel H; Kadota, Aya; Evans, Rhobert W; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Higashiyama, Aya; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Abbott, Robert D; Miura, Katsuyuki; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Fujita, Yoshiko; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Miyamatsu, Naomi; Kakino, Akemi; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Murata, Kiyoshi; Horie, Minoru; Mitsunami, Kenichi; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Kuller, Lewis H; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2013-07-01

The serum level of LOX-1 ligand containing ApoB (LAB) may reflect atherogenicity better than LDL cholesterol (LDLC), total LDL particles and usual measurement of oxidized LDL. The association between LAB and intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery was investigated by ultrasound in US and Japan men. Participants were 297 US Caucasian and 310 Japanese men, aged 40-49 years without past history of cardiovascular disease. Serum LAB levels were measured by ELISAs with recombinant LOX-1 and monoclonal anti-apolipoprotein B antibody. Serum LAB levels [median (interquartile range), μg/L] were 1321 (936, 1730) in US Caucasians and 940 (688, 1259) in Japanese. For Caucasian men, average IMT was higher in higher LAB quartile, which was 0.653, 0.667, 0.688, and 0.702 mm, respectively (p for trend = 0.02). Linear regression analysis showed serum LAB was significantly associated with IMT after adjustment for LDLC or total LDL particles in addition to other traditional or novel risk factors for atherosclerosis such as C-reactive protein. However, there was no significant relationship between LAB and IMT in Japanese men. Serum LAB, a new candidate biomarker for residual risk, was associated with an increased carotid IMT in US Caucasian men independently of various risk factors; however, ethnic difference should be clarified in the future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of cigarette smoking on coronary artery and aortic calcium among random samples from populations of middle-age Japanese and Korean men

PubMed Central

Hirooka, Nobutaka; Kadowaki, Takashi; Sekikawa, Akira; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Choo, Jina; Miura, Katsuyuki; Okamura, Tomonori; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Kadota, Aya; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Masaki, Kamal; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Kuller, Lewis H.; Curb, J. David; Shin, Chol

2012-01-01

Background Cigarette smoking is a risk factor of coronary heart disease (CHD). Vascular calcification such as coronary artery calcium (CAC) and aortic calcium (AC) is associated with CHD. We hypothesized that cigarette smoking is associated with coronary artery and aortic calcifications in Japanese and Koreans with high smoking prevalence. Methods Random samples from populations of 313 Japanese and 302 Korean men aged 40 to 49 were examined for calcification of the coronary artery and aorta using electron beam computed tomography. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) and aortic calcium (AC) were quantified using the Agatston score. We examined the associations of cigarette smoking with CAC and AC after adjusting for conventional risk factors and alcohol consumption. Current and past smokers were combined and categorized into two groups using median pack-years as a cutoff point in each of Japanese and Koreans. The never smoker group was used as a reference for the multiple logistic regression analyses. Results The odds ratios of CAC (score ≥10) for smokers with higher pack-years were 2.9 in Japanese (P<0.05) and 1.3 in Koreans (non-significant) compared to never smokers. The odds ratios of AC (score ≥100) for smokers with higher pack-years were 10.4 in Japanese (P<0.05) and 3.6 in Koreans (P<0.05). Conclusion Cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with CAC and AC in Japanese men, while cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with AC but not significantly with CAC in Korean men. PMID:22844083

Relationships among the serum omega fatty acid levels, serum C-reactive protein levels and arterial stiffness/wave reflection in Japanese men.

PubMed

Tomiyama, Hirofumi; Matsumoto, Chisa; Odaira, Mari; Yamada, Jiko; Yoshida, Masanobu; Shiina, Kazuki; Nagata, Mikio; Yamashina, Akira

2011-08-01

We examined the relationship among the serum omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid (O3FA and O6FA) levels, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and arterial stiffness/wave reflection (AS/WR) in healthy Japanese men. In 2206 Japanese healthy men, parameters related to the AS/WR (i.e., brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and radial arterial pulse wave analysis) were measured. No significant inverse relationships were observed between the serum O3FA levels and the AS/WR-related parameters. Adjusted values of the AS/WR-related parameters and serum CRP levels were higher in the subjects with serum O6FA levels in the highest tertile than in those with serum O6FA levels in the lowest tertile. In healthy Japanese men with known high dietary intakes of O3FAs, the serum O3FA levels may not reflect the pathophysiological abnormalities related to AS/WR. Increased serum O6FA levels appeared to be independently associated with the unfavorable conditions related to AS/WR and inflammation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynapenic Obesity and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Middle-Aged Japanese Men

PubMed Central

Kawakami, Ryoko; Sawada, Susumu S.; Lee, I-Min; Matsushita, Munehiro; Gando, Yuko; Okamoto, Takashi; Tsukamoto, Koji; Higuchi, Mitsuru; Miyachi, Motohiko; Blair, Steven N.

2015-01-01

Background The independent and combined associations of muscle strength and obesity on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men remain unclear. Methods Hand grip strength was cross-sectionally evaluated between 2011 and 2013 to assess muscle strength in 5039 male workers aged 40 to 64 years. Weight and height were measured, and overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes, defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL and/or hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes, was evaluated. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes were obtained using a logistic regression model. Results In total, 611 participants had type 2 diabetes, and 1763 participants were overweight/obese. After adjustment for covariates, we found an inverse association between muscle strength and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (P for trend <0.01). In addition, when the analyses were stratified by obesity status, the multivariable-adjusted OR per 2-standard-deviation increase in muscle strength was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.49–0.83) in the overweight/obese group, compared to a weaker relationship in the normal-weight group (OR 0.79 per 2-standard-deviation increase; 95% CI, 0.60–1.06). Conclusions Dynapenia, an age-related decrease in muscle strength, is associated with increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and this relationship is stronger in overweight/obese middle-aged Japanese men than in normal-weight men. PMID:26256772

Acculturation factors and metabolic syndrome among Japanese-Brazilian men in Japan: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

PubMed

Tashiro, Marie; Yasuoka, Junko; Poudel, Krishna C; Noto, Hiroshi; Masuo, Miho; Jimba, Masamine

2014-02-01

This study examines the acculturation effects on metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its related factors, among immigrant Japanese-Brazilian men in Japan. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized. In the quantitative study (n = 149), multiple logistic regression analyses estimated the impact of length of residence and arrival age on MetS. For the qualitative study, five focus group discussions were conducted with participants (n = 26) from the quantitative study sample. The oldest arrival age group was more likely to have MetS (OR, 95% CI 4.41, 1.09-17.78) after adjusting for covariates; whereas, length of residence had no association with MetS. The oldest arrival age group, with shorter residence period, was also associated with increased MetS prevalence. Qualitative results identified participants' Brazilian dietary habits as being potential risk factors for MetS. Japanese-Brazilian immigrant men with older arrival age in Japan were more likely to suffer from MetS, especially shortly after arrival.

Examination of important life experiences of the oldest-old: cross-cultural comparisons of U.S. and Japanese centenarians.

PubMed

da Rosa, Grace; Martin, Peter; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Hirose, Nobuyoshi; Ishioka, Yoshiko; Poon, Leonard W

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the most important life events reported by U.S. and Japanese centenarians. This study included a population-based sample of 239 U.S. centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study and 304 Japanese centenarians from the Tokyo Centenarian Study. Two open-ended life events questions were categorized and grouped into different life event domains. Several cross-tabulations were computed to investigate culture and gender differences in most important life event domains. Next, four configural frequency analyses were conducted using Neuroticism, Extraversion, and the first most often mentioned life event domain for each sample (i.e., marriage and historical life events). Results suggest that events related to marriage were the most frequent important event domains mentioned by U.S. centenarians. The Japanese sample was more likely to report historical events. Men from the U.S. were more likely to report events related to work and retirement compared to U.S. women, and U.S. women reported events related to family as the most important life events when compared to U.S. men. Japanese women considered events related to marriage, death and grief as the most important life events when compared to Japanese men. In addition, Japanese men reported events related to work and retirement as the most important life events. A cross-cultural difference was found in life events: U.S. centenarians were more likely to mention positive experiences related to marriage and children, whereas Japanese centenarians reported mostly negative and traumatic experiences such as historical, death/grief, and work/retirement events.

Oncological Outcomes in Japanese Men Undergoing Orchiectomy for Stage I Testicular Germ Cell Tumor

PubMed Central

Harada, Ken-ichi; Miyake, Hideaki; Ogawa, Takayoshi; Inoue, Taka-aki; Fujisawa, Masato

2015-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to retrospectively review oncological outcomes in patients with stage I testicular germ cell tumor (GCT). Patients and Methods This study included 265 consecutive Japanese men undergoing orchiectomy for stage I testicular GCT, and a retrospective review of their records was performed. Results Of these 265 patients, 192 and 73 were pathologically classified with seminoma and nonseminoma, respectively. Prophylactic radiation and chemotherapy were performed in 62 patients with seminoma and 6 with nonseminoma, respectively. Disease recurrence occurred in 12 seminoma patients, of whom 11 had not received prophylactic radiation therapy; however, all 12 achieved a complete response to bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin therapy. Of the nonseminoma patients, 19 experienced disease recurrence and were then treated with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin followed additionally by the surgical resection of residual tumors and salvage chemotherapy in 7 and 4, respectively. There was no cancer-specific death in the 265 patients, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates in patients with seminoma and nonseminoma were 92.6 and 72.8%, respectively. Furthermore, following factors appeared to be significantly associated with recurrence-free survival in these patients: age, T classification, microvascular invasion and adjuvant therapy for those with seminoma, and microvascular invasion for those with nonseminoma. Conclusions Despite a generally favorable prognosis in Japanese men with stage I testicular GCT, intensive follow-up or prophylactic therapy should be considered for men with possible risk factors of disease recurrence. PMID:26889123

Attempted suicide, psychological health and exposure to harassment among Japanese homosexual, bisexual or other men questioning their sexual orientation recruited via the internet.

PubMed

Hidaka, Y; Operario, D

2006-11-01

To investigate the rates of attempted suicide and its association with psychological distress, experiences of bullying and verbal harassment, and demographic characteristics among Japanese homosexual, bisexual or other men questioning their sexual orientation. A cross-sectional design using Japanese participants recruited through the internet. Of the 1025 respondents, 154 (15%) of the men reported a history of attempted suicide, 716 (70%) showed high levels of anxiety and 133 (13%) showed high levels of depression. 851 (83%) experienced school bullying and 615 (60%) were verbally harassed because of being perceived by others as homosexual. Independent correlates of attempted suicide were psychological distress, history of being verbally harassed, history of sex with a woman, history of meeting a male through the internet, disclosing sexual orientation to six or more friends and not having a university degree. Mental health services and prevention programmes are needed to deal with the psychological consequences of social stigma for Japanese men who are homosexual, bisexual or questioning their sexual orientation.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum and homocysteine concentrations in Japanese men and women: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kume, Ayami; Kurotani, Kayo; Sato, Masao; Ejima, Yuko; Pham, Ngoc Minh; Nanri, Akiko; Kuwahara, Keisuke; Mizoue, Tetsuya

2013-06-10

Supplementation studies have suggested a role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in homocysteine metabolism, but the evidence is limited and inconsistent among studies that measured blood levels of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs. We examined the association between blood levels of PUFAs and homocysteine in Japanese men and women. The subjects were 496 employees (290 men and 206 women) of 2 municipal offices in Japan. Fatty acid composition in serum phospholipids and cholesterol ester (CE) was measured using gas-liquid chromatography. Multiple regression was used to calculate means of homocysteine concentrations according to PUFA tertile with adjustment for potential confounders. Serum homocysteine concentration decreased with increasing levels of total n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in serum phospholipids and CE with adjustment for age, sex and workplace. However, only DHA in serum phospholipids remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for other potential confounders including serum folate (P-trend = 0.04). N-6 PUFAs were not significantly associated with homocysteine concentrations. Higher proportion of DHA in serum phospholipids may be associated with lower homocysteine concentrations in Japanese men and women.

Working with difference: Thematic concepts of Japanese nurses working in New Zealand.

PubMed

Healee, David; Inada, Kumiko

2016-03-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences experienced by Japanese nurses working in New Zealand from an organizational and personal perspective, using a qualitative approach. Interview data was analyzed using a thematic method to abstract increasing levels of themes until one main theme explained the data: finding a voice. This core theme demonstrated that Japanese nurses had to learn to accommodate difference while learning to speak up. Moreover, this needed to occur through a number of cultural filters. The principal conclusion was that migrant nurses face multiple personal and organizational challenges when working in a new environment. Finding a voice is the method in which nurses learn to communicate and work within new healthcare settings. Nurses use a number of filters to manage the transition. The host country needs to recognize these differences and accommodate them through orientation modules. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in a population-based prospective cohort of Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung-Jae; Inoue, Manami; Otani, Tetsuya; Iwasaki, Motoki; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2007-09-15

We prospectively examined the association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing colorectal cancer in a large population-based cohort study (the JPHC Study) of Japanese men and women. Data were analyzed from a population-based cohort of 96,162 subjects (46,023 men and 50,139 women). A total of 1,163 incident colorectal cancers were identified during the follow-up period, including 763 cases of colon cancer and 400 of rectal cancer. We observed a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing invasive colon cancer among women. Compared with those who almost never consumed coffee, women who regularly consumed 3 or more cups of coffee per day had a RR of 0.44 (95% CI = 0.19-1.04; p for trend = 0.04) after adjustment for potential confounding factors. However, no significant association was found for rectal cancer in women. In men, no significant decrease was observed in any colorectal cancer site. Further, additional analyses on the association of green tea consumption with colorectal cancer risk found no significant association in men or women. These findings suggest that coffee consumption may lower the risk of colon cancer among Japanese women. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evaluation of anthropometric parameters and physical fitness in elderly Japanese.

PubMed

Miyatake, Nobuyuki; Miyachi, Motohiko; Tabata, Izumi; Numata, Takeyuki

2012-01-01

We evaluated anthropometric parameters and physical fitness in elderly Japanese. A total of 2,106 elderly Japanese (749 men and 1,357 women), aged 60-79 years, were enrolled in a cross-sectional investigation study. Anthropometric parameters and physical fitness, i.e., muscle strength and flexibility, were measured. Of the 2,106 subjects, 569 subjects (302 men and 267 women) were further evaluated for aerobic exercise level, using the ventilatory threshold (VT). Muscle strength in subjects in their 70s was significantly lower than that in subjects in their 60s in both sexes. Two hundred and twenty-nine men (30.6%) and 540 women (39.8%) were taking no medications. In men, anthropometric parameters were significantly lower and muscle strength, flexibility, and work rate at VT were significantly higher in subjects without medications than these values in subjects with medications. In women, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and abdominal circumference were significantly lower, and muscle strength was significantly higher in subjects without medications than these values in subjects with medications. This mean value may provide a useful database for evaluating anthropometric parameters and physical fitness in elderly Japanese subjects.

Socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning of Japanese civil servants: explanations from work and family characteristics.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2006-07-01

Poor physical and mental functioning is more common among people of low socioeconomic status (SES) and those with disadvantaged work and family characteristics. This study aims to clarify whether the SES inequalities in functioning can be explained by the SES differences in work and family characteristics. The subjects were 3787 male and female civil servants, aged 20-65, working in a local government on the west coast of Japan. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine (1) whether there were employment-grade (SES) differences in poor physical and mental functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and (2) whether these SES differences were explained by work and family characteristics. In general, low control at work, high demands, low social support, short and long work hours, shift work, being unmarried, high family-to-work conflict and high work-to-family conflict were independently associated with poor physical and mental functioning in both men and women. In men, the age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of low-grade employees for poor physical functioning was 1.93 (95% confidence interval: 1.38-2.69) in comparison to high-grade employees. The grade difference was mildly attenuated, when adjusted for work and family characteristics (OR = 1.72)(1.20-2.47). The age-adjusted OR of the low-grade employees for poor mental functioning was 1.88 (1.29-2.74). The grade difference was attenuated and no longer significant when adjusted for work and family characteristics (OR = 1.51)(0.99-2.31). Among women, there were no significant grade-differences in poor physical and mental functioning. Although longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal nature of these associations, improvements in SES differences in work and family characteristics may be important for reducing SES inequalities in physical and mental functioning among Japanese men. The different patterns of SES inequalities in health between men and women deserve further research.

Overtime work and prevalence of diabetes in Japanese employees: Japan epidemiology collaboration on occupational health study.

PubMed

Kuwahara, Keisuke; Imai, Teppei; Nishihara, Akiko; Nakagawa, Tohru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Honda, Toru; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Kochi, Takeshi; Eguchi, Masafumi; Uehara, Akihiko; Kuroda, Reiko; Omoto, Daisuke; Kurotani, Kayo; Pham, Ngoc Minh; Nanri, Akiko; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kunugita, Naoki; Dohi, Seitaro

2014-01-01

Epidemiologic evidence on long working hour and diabetes has been conflicting. We examined the association between overtime work and prevalence of diabetes among Japanese workers. The subjects were 40,861 employees (35,170 men and 5,691 women), aged 16 to 83 years, of 4 companies in Japan. Hours of overtime were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l), hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol), or current use of anti-diabetic drug. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratio of diabetes for each category of overtime. After adjustment for age, sex, company, smoking, and BMI, there was a suggestion of U-shaped relationship between overtime work and prevalence of diabetes (P for quadratic trend = 0.07). Compared with those who worked <45 hours of overtime per month, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of diabetes were 0.86 (0.77-0.94), 0.69 (0.53-0.89), and 1.03 (0.72-1.46) for those who worked 45-79, 80-99, and ≥100 hours of overtime per month, respectively. In one company (n = 33,807), where other potential confounders including shift work, job position, type of department, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, leisure time physical activity, and family history of diabetes was additionally adjusted for, similar result was obtained (P for quadratic trend = 0.05). Long hours of overtime work may not be associated with increased prevalence of diabetes among Japanese workers.

30 CFR 77.1006 - Highwalls; men working.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Control § 77.1006 Highwalls; men working. (a) Men, other than those necessary to correct unsafe conditions... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Highwalls; men working. 77.1006 Section 77.1006 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH...

Self-reported Sleep Duration and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in a General Population of Japanese Men

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Sentaro; Arima, Hisatomi; Miyazaki, Soichiro; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Kadota, Aya; Takashima, Naoyuki; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Zaid, Maryam; Torii, Sayuki; Horie, Minoru; Murata, Kiyoshi; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2018-01-01

Aim: There are few data regarding associations between sleep duration and subclinical atherosclerosis in Japan. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations of self-reported sleep duration with calcification in the coronary arteries (CAC) and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) in Japanese men. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 1093 randomly selected men from Kusatsu City, Japan. Average sleep duration on weekdays was estimated through questionnaire; CAC by computed tomography; and carotid IMT by ultrasonography. Results: The prevalence of CAC was 50.0% for participants with sleep duration < 5.5 h, 43.9% with 5.5–6.4 h, 50.0% with 6.5–7.4 h, 49.3% with 7.5–8.4 h, and 62.5% with ≥ 8.5 h. In univariate analysis, participants with sleep duration ≥ 8.5 h had significantly higher prevalence of CAC than those with 6.5–7.4 h (p = 0.043). After adjustment for age and other risk factors, however, the association was not significant (p = 0.776). The average IMT was 0.85 mm for participants with sleep duration < 5.5 h, 0.83 mm with 5.5–6.4 h, 0.85 mm with 6.5–7.4 h, 0.88 mm with 7.5–8.4 h, and 0.90 mm with ≥ 8.5 h. None of the differences in IMT observed in crude or multivariable-adjusted analyses was significant (all p > 0.1). Conclusion: Self-reported sleep duration was not associated with increased CAC or carotid IMT in a general population of Japanese men. PMID:28747590

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale.

PubMed

Shimazu, Akihito; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Miyanaka, Daisuke; Iwata, Noboru

2010-11-05

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees.

Experience with alendronate treatment for 7 years among Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

PubMed

Iwamoto, Jun; Uzawa, Mitsuyoshi

2016-01-01

A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the outcome of alendronate treatment for 7 years among Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures. Thirty-five Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures (mean age at baseline 58.2 years) who had been treated with alendronate for over 7 years in our outpatient clinic were analyzed. The lumbar spine or total hip bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; the urinary levels of cross-linked N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and the serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were monitored; the incidence of fractures during the 7-year treatment period was then assessed. The urinary NTX and serum ALP levels decreased (-46.1% at 3 months and -21.1% at 7 years, respectively) and the lumbar spine and total hip BMD increased (+14.2 and +10.1% at 7 years, respectively), compared with the baseline values. Four patients (11.4%) experienced vertebral fractures, and one patient (2.9%) experienced a nonvertebral fracture. No serious adverse events were observed, including osteonecrosis of the jaw or atypical femoral fractures. These results suggested that alendronate suppressed bone turnover and increased the lumbar spine and total hip BMD from the baseline values over the course of the 7-year treatment period without causing any severe adverse events in Japanese men with osteoporosis or osteopenia and clinical risk factors for fractures.

Overtime Work and Prevalence of Diabetes in Japanese Employees: Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study

PubMed Central

Nishihara, Akiko; Nakagawa, Tohru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Honda, Toru; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Kochi, Takeshi; Eguchi, Masafumi; Uehara, Akihiko; Kuroda, Reiko; Omoto, Daisuke; Kurotani, Kayo; Pham, Ngoc Minh; Nanri, Akiko; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kunugita, Naoki; Dohi, Seitaro

2014-01-01

Objective Epidemiologic evidence on long working hour and diabetes has been conflicting. We examined the association between overtime work and prevalence of diabetes among Japanese workers. Methods The subjects were 40,861 employees (35,170 men and 5,691 women), aged 16 to 83 years, of 4 companies in Japan. Hours of overtime were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l), hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol), or current use of anti-diabetic drug. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratio of diabetes for each category of overtime. Results After adjustment for age, sex, company, smoking, and BMI, there was a suggestion of U-shaped relationship between overtime work and prevalence of diabetes (P for quadratic trend = 0.07). Compared with those who worked <45 hours of overtime per month, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of diabetes were 0.86 (0.77–0.94), 0.69 (0.53–0.89), and 1.03 (0.72–1.46) for those who worked 45–79, 80–99, and ≥100 hours of overtime per month, respectively. In one company (n = 33,807), where other potential confounders including shift work, job position, type of department, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, leisure time physical activity, and family history of diabetes was additionally adjusted for, similar result was obtained (P for quadratic trend = 0.05). Conclusions Long hours of overtime work may not be associated with increased prevalence of diabetes among Japanese workers. PMID:24787995

Ethnic difference in liver fat content: a cross-sectional observation among Japanese American in Hawaii, Japanese in Japan, and non-Hispanic whites in United States.

PubMed

Azuma, Koichiro; Curb, J David; Kadowaki, Takashi; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Masaki, Kamal H; El-Saed, Aiman; Nishio, Yoshihiko; Seto, Todd B; Okamura, Tomonori; Cetinel, Cemal; Kadota, Aya; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Miura, Katsuyuki; Evans, Rhobert W; Takamiya, Tomoko; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Miljkovic, Iva; Kuller, Lewis H; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kelley, David E; Sekikawa, Akira

2013-01-01

We recently reported that Japanese had higher liver fat at a lower level of BMI compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW). We hypothesize that ethnic difference in fat storage capacity contributes to this ethnic difference in liver fat. To examine this, we assessed liver fat among 244 Japanese-American aged 40-49, using regional computed-tomography images, along with metabolic variables. Despite the similar BMI between Japanese-Americans and NHW men, Japanese-Americans had more liver fat (liver to spleen attenuation ratio: 1.03 ± 0.22 for Japanese-Americans, and 1.07 ± 0.15 for NHW men; p < 0.05) and tended to have a greater disposition for fatty liver with an increase in BMI than NHW, indicating a clear difference between the two groups. In addition, liver fat is less in Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese men (1.03 ± 0.22 vs. 1.01 ± 0.16; p < 0.05), despite of a much higher BMI. These ethnic differences support the hypothesis that higher fat storage capacity indeed seems to be associated with less liver fat. In all the groups, liver fat content strongly correlated with triglycerides, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Nevertheless, these metabolic variables were worse in Japanese-Americans, despite of less liver fat, compared with Japanese. Moreover, CRP levels were least among Japanese with highest liver fat, and highest among NHW men with least liver fat, despite of a strong positive association between CRP and fatty liver within each population. Fat content in the liver is intermediate for Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese and NHW men, which supports the hypothesis of less fat storage capacity among Japanese, closely linked to ethnic difference in predisposition to fatty liver. © 2011 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees. PMID:21054839

Associations between psychological distress and the most concerning present personal problems among working-age men in Japan.

PubMed

Wada, Koji; Eguchi, Hisashi; Yoneoka, Daisuke; Okahisa, Jun; Smith, Derek R

2015-03-31

Personal problems are known to influence mental health among workers. The current study investigated the most concerning present personal problems which have the greatest impact on psychological distress among working-age Japanese men, rather than issues relating to work tasks or duties. We obtained data from the 2010 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The original survey interviewed 289,363 households in 5,150 randomly selected municipalities of Japan, from which 228,664 households agreed to participate. We analyzed the data pertaining to men who were 20 to 59 years of age and the head of a family. The questionnaire included occupation, employment status, the most concerning present personal problems, and a measure of psychological distress (the Kessler 6 scale). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to delineate the association between present personal problems and psychological distress. A total of 76,950 males were included in the analysis, 27.7% of whom reported some type of psychological distress. Statistical analysis revealed that psychological distress was associated with bullying and harassment (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.05, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 1.50-2.56), divorce (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.53-2.26), concerns about one's purpose in life (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.59-1.88), personal relationships with family members (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.37-1.60), personal relationships with others (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.29-1.48), own diseases (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15-1.33), and financial difficulties (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.12-1.20); when compared with problems related to work tasks or duties. Several personal factors appear to have a greater impact on the mental health of Japanese men of working age, when compared to the influence of work tasks or duties. Asking workers directly about the problems that most concern them in life might help better identify those in need psychological support

Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

PubMed

Fujita, Y; Iki, M; Tamaki, J; Kouda, K; Yura, A; Kadowaki, E; Sato, Y; Moon, J-S; Tomioka, K; Okamoto, N; Kurumatani, N

2012-02-01

A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto-bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K. Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 μg/pack) and K2 (380 μg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association. Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD. The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score < -1 SD) at the total hip and femoral neck. This association became insignificant after further adjustment for ucOC level. Habitual intake of natto was associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from further examining the association.

Significance of common variants on human chromosome 8q24 in relation to the risk of prostate cancer in native Japanese men

PubMed Central

Liu, Miao; Kurosaki, Takayuki; Suzuki, Motofumi; Enomoto, Yutaka; Nishimatsu, Hiroaki; Arai, Tomio; Sawabe, Motoji; Hosoi, Takayuki; Homma, Yukio; Kitamura, Tadaichi

2009-01-01

Background Common variants on human chromosome 8q24, rs1447295 (C/A) and rs6983267 (T/G), have been recently linked to the prevalence of prostate cancer in European and American populations. Here, we evaluated whether the single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs1447295 and rs6983267 were associated with the risk of sporadic prostate cancer as well as latent prostate cancer in a native Japanese population. Results We analyzed genomic DNA samples from 391 sporadic prostate cancer patients, 323 controls who had died from causes unrelated to cancer and 112 Japanese men who were diagnosed as having latent prostate cancer based on autopsy results. The polymorphisms were determined by allelic discrimination using a fluorescent-based TaqMan assay. The A allele of rs1447295 was significantly associated with the risk of sporadic prostate cancer (p = 0.04; age-adjusted OR, 1.34), while the G allele of rs6983267 showed a trend towards being a high-risk allele (p = 0.06; age-adjusted OR, 1.27). No significant difference between these two polymorphisms and the risk of latent prostate cancer was observed in the present Japanese population. Conclusion Known variants on human chromosome 8q24 may be risk factors for sporadic prostate cancer in native Japanese men. PMID:19602258

Associations between Rice, Noodle, and Bread Intake and Sleep Quality in Japanese Men and Women

PubMed Central

Yoneyama, Satoko; Sakurai, Masaru; Nakamura, Koshi; Morikawa, Yuko; Miura, Katsuyuki; Nakashima, Motoko; Yoshita, Katsushi; Ishizaki, Masao; Kido, Teruhiko; Naruse, Yuchi; Nogawa, Kazuhiro; Suwazono, Yasushi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Hideaki

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies have shown that a diet with a high-glycemic index is associated with good sleep quality. Therefore, we investigated the association of sleep quality with the intake of 3 common starchy foods with different glycemic indexes–rice, bread, and noodles–as well as the dietary glycemic index in a Japanese population. Methods The participants were 1,848 men and women between 20 and 60 years of age. Rice, bread, and noodle consumption was evaluated using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Sleep quality was evaluated by using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a global score >5.5 was considered to indicate poor sleep. Results Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for poor sleep across the quintiles of rice consumption were 1.00 (reference), 0.68 (0.49–0.93), 0.61 (0.43–0.85), 0.59 (0.42–0.85), and 0.54 (0.37–0.81) (p for trend = 0.015); those for the quintiles of noodle consumption were 1.00 (reference), 1.25 (0.90–1.74), 1.05 (0.75–1.47), 1.31 (0.94–1.82), and 1.82 (1.31–2.51) (p for trend = 0.002). Bread intake was not associated with sleep quality. A higher dietary glycemic index was significantly associated with a lower risk of poor sleep (p for trend = 0.020). Conclusion A high dietary glycemic index and high rice consumption are significantly associated with good sleep in Japanese men and women, whereas bread intake is not associated with sleep quality and noodle consumption is associated with poor sleep. The different associations of these starchy foods with sleep quality might be attributable to the different glycemic index of each food. PMID:25127476

How the Japanese Learn To Work. Second Edition. Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dore, Ronald; Sako, Mari

This book examines how the Japanese learn to work by exploring the following topics: common assumptions about vocational education and training (VET) that Japan brings into question; Japan's general education system and the moral quality and prestige status of the teaching and learning process; screening processes within Japan's education system…

A cross-sectional study of sarcopenia in Japanese men and women: reference values and association with cardiovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Sanada, K; Miyachi, M; Tanimoto, M; Yamamoto, K; Murakami, H; Okumura, S; Gando, Y; Suzuki, K; Tabata, I; Higuchi, M

2010-09-01

In this study of Japanese men and women, we determine reference values for sarcopenia and test the hypothesis that sarcopenia is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, independent of waist circumference. A total of 1,488 Japanese men and women aged 18-85 years participated in this study. Appendicular muscle mass (AMM) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reference values for classes 1 and 2 sarcopenia (skeletal muscle index: AMM/height2, kg m-2) in each sex were defined as values one and two standard deviations below the sex-specific means of reference values obtained in this study from young adults aged 18-40 years. The reference values for class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia were 7.77 and 6.87 kg m-2 in men and 6.12 and 5.46 kg m-2 in women. In subjects both with class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia, body mass index and % body fat were significantly lower than in normal subjects. Despite whole-blood glycohaemoglobin A1c in men with class 1 sarcopenia was significantly higher than in normal subjects, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in women both with class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia were significantly higher than in normal subjects, using one-way ANCOVA with adjustment for the covariate of waist circumference. Although sarcopenia is associated with thin body mass, it is associated with more glycation of serum proteins in men and with greater arterial stiffness in women, independent of waist circumference.

The association between reactive oxygen metabolites and metabolic syndrome in asymptomatic Japanese men.

PubMed

Kotani, Kazuhiko; Taniguchi, Nobuyuki

2011-10-01

The association between the oxidative status and metabolic syndrome (MetS) should be studied in various populations with various oxidative stress-related markers. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between oxidative status, as assessed by the reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) test, and MetS in asymptomatic Japanese men, in relation to age. The serum d-ROMs levels were measured in cardiovascular disease-free, non-smoking, non-medicated males (n = 140), who were divided into groups as follows: Group 1, < 60 years (n = 75, mean age 46 ± 9 [SD] years), and Group 2, ≥ 60 years (n = 65, mean 68 ± 6 years). The MetS was determined by the NCEP-ATP recommendations with minor modifications for a Japanese population. There was no significant difference in the d-ROMs levels between the subjects with and without MetS in Group 2 (≥ 60 years), but the subjects with MetS (n = 38, 324 ± 59 U. Curr.) exhibited significantly higher d-ROMs levels than those without MetS (n = 37, 290 ± 49 U. Curr., P < 0.01) in Group 1 (< 60 years). These differences did not change even after adjustments for basic confounders. These results suggest that oxidative status, as assessed by the d-ROMs, can be enhanced among asymptomatic younger, but not older, Japanese males with MetS. Further studies are required to establish the observed associations. Oxidative stress; Reactive oxygen species; D-ROMs; Obesity; Metabolic syndrome.

National survey of the association of depressive symptoms with the number of off duty and on-call, and sleep hours among physicians working in Japanese hospitals: a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Physicians' mental health may be adversely affected by the number of days of work and time spent on-call, and improved by sleep and days-off. The aim of this study was to determine the associations of depressive symptoms with taking days of off duty, hours of sleep, and the number of days of on-call and overnight work among physicians working in Japanese hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional study as a national survey was conducted by mail. The study population was 10,000 randomly selected physicians working in hospitals who were also members of the Japan Medical Association (response rate 40.5%). Self-reported anonymous questionnaire was sent to assess the number of days off-duty, overnight work, and on-calls, and the average number of sleep hours on days not working overnight in the previous one month. Depressive state was determined by the Japanese version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations between depressive symptoms and the studied variables. Results Among the respondents, 8.3% of men and 10.5% of women were determined to be depressed. For both men and women, depressive state was associated with having no off-duty days and averaging less than 5 hours of sleep on days not doing overnight work. Depressive state was positively associated with being on-call more than 5 days per month for men, and more than 8 days per month for women, and was negatively associated with being off-duty more than 8 days per month for men. Conclusion Some physicians need some support to maintain their mental health. Physicians who do not take enough days-off, who reduced sleep hours, and who have certain number of days on-calls may develop depressive symptoms. PMID:20222990

National survey of the association of depressive symptoms with the number of off duty and on-call, and sleep hours among physicians working in Japanese hospitals: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Wada, Koji; Yoshikawa, Toru; Goto, Takahisa; Hirai, Aizan; Matsushima, Eisuke; Nakashima, Yoshifumi; Akaho, Rie; Kido, Michiko; Hosaka, Takashi

2010-03-12

Physicians' mental health may be adversely affected by the number of days of work and time spent on-call, and improved by sleep and days-off. The aim of this study was to determine the associations of depressive symptoms with taking days of off duty, hours of sleep, and the number of days of on-call and overnight work among physicians working in Japanese hospitals. A cross-sectional study as a national survey was conducted by mail. The study population was 10,000 randomly selected physicians working in hospitals who were also members of the Japan Medical Association (response rate 40.5%). Self-reported anonymous questionnaire was sent to assess the number of days off-duty, overnight work, and on-calls, and the average number of sleep hours on days not working overnight in the previous one month. Depressive state was determined by the Japanese version of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations between depressive symptoms and the studied variables. Among the respondents, 8.3% of men and 10.5% of women were determined to be depressed. For both men and women, depressive state was associated with having no off-duty days and averaging less than 5 hours of sleep on days not doing overnight work. Depressive state was positively associated with being on-call more than 5 days per month for men, and more than 8 days per month for women, and was negatively associated with being off-duty more than 8 days per month for men. Some physicians need some support to maintain their mental health. Physicians who do not take enough days-off, who reduced sleep hours, and who have certain number of days on-calls may develop depressive symptoms.

Association of Current Work and Sleep Situations with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Medical Incidents among Japanese Physicians

PubMed Central

Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Ohida, Takashi

2011-01-01

Objective: The aim of the present study was to clarify the current work and sleep situations of physicians in Japan and to clarify the association between these situations and excessive daytime sleepiness as well as medical incidents. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among the members of the Japan Medical Association in 2008. The randomly selected subjects comprised 3,000 male physicians and 1,500 female physicians. Results: Valid responses were obtained from 3,486 physicians (2,298 men and 1,188 women). Mean sleep duration was 6 h 36 min for men and 6 h 8 min for women. The prevalence of lack of rest due to sleep deprivation was 30.4% among men and 36.6% among women; the prevalence of insomnia was 21.0% and 18.1%, respectively; and the prevalence of EDS was 3.5%. The adjusted odds ratio for EDS was high for physicians who reported short sleep duration, lack of rest due to sleep deprivation, and a high frequency of on-call/overnight work. Physicians who had experienced a medical incident within the previous one month accounted for 19.0% of participants. The adjusted odds ratio for medical incidents was high for those subjected to long working hours, high frequency of on-call/overnight works, lack of rest due to sleep deprivation, and insomnia. Conclusion: In order to facilitate optimal health management for physicians as well as securing medical safety, it is important to fully consider the work and sleep situations of physicians. Citation: Kaneita Y; Ohida T. Association of current work and sleep situations with excessive daytime sleepiness and medical incidents among Japanese physicians. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(5):512-522. PMID:22003348

A screening model for low bone mass in elderly Japanese men using quantitative ultrasound measurements: Fujiwara-Kyo Study.

PubMed

Minematsu, Akira; Hazaki, Kan; Harano, Akihiro; Iki, Masayuki; Fujita, Yuki; Okamoto, Nozomi; Kurumatani, Norio

2012-01-01

Screening for low bone mass is important to prevent fragility fractures in men as well as women, although men show a much lower prevalence of osteoporosis than women. The purpose of this study was to establish a screening model for low bone mineral density (BMD) using a quantitative ultrasound parameter and easily obtained objective indices for elderly Japanese men. We examined 1633 men (65-84 yr old) who were subjects of the Fujiwara-Kyo Study. Speed of sound (SOS) at the calcaneus was determined, and BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN). Low BMD was defined as >1 standard deviation below the young adult mean, in accordance with World Health Organization criteria. We performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to identify a better screening model incorporating SOS and determined the optimal cutoff value using Youden index. Prevalences of low BMD at the 3 skeletal sites were 27.8% (LS), 33.5% (TH), 48.6% (FN), and 43.3% at either LS or TH. The greatest area under the ROC curve (0.806, 95% confidence interval: 0.785-0.828) and smallest Akaike's information criterion were obtained in the multivariate model incorporating SOS, age, height, and weight for predicting low BMD at all skeletal sites. This model predicted low BMD at TH with the sensitivity of 0.726 and specificity of 0.739, whereas a similar model predicted low BMD at LS with much lower validity. We conclude that the multivariate model for TH could be used to screen for low BMD in elderly Japanese men. Copyright © 2012 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward a Mandatory Work Policy for Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, Lawrence M.

2007-01-01

Lawrence Mead addresses the problem of nonwork among low-income men, particularly low-income black men, and its implications for families and children. The poor work effort, he says, appears to be caused partly by falling wages and other opportunity constraints but principally by an oppositional culture and a breakdown of work discipline. Mead…

Strong influence of dietary intake and physical activity on body fatness in elderly Japanese men: age-associated loss of polygenic resistance against obesity.

PubMed

Tanisawa, Kumpei; Ito, Tomoko; Sun, Xiaomin; Ise, Ryuken; Oshima, Satomi; Cao, Zhen-Bo; Sakamoto, Shizuo; Tanaka, Masashi; Higuchi, Mitsuru

2014-09-01

Genome-wide association studies identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with body mass index (BMI) in middle-aged populations; however, it is unclear whether these SNPs are associated with body fatness in elderly people. We examined the association between genetic risk score (GRS) from BMI-associated SNPs and body fatness in elderly Japanese men. We also examined the contribution of GRS, dietary macronutrient intake, and physical activity to body fatness by different age groups. GRS was calculated from 10 BMI-associated SNPs in 84 middle-aged (30-64 years) and 97 elderly (65-79 years) Japanese men; subjects were divided into low, middle, and high GRS groups. Dietary macronutrient intake was assessed using a questionnaire, and physical activity was evaluated using both a questionnaire and an accelerometer. The middle-aged individuals with a high GRS had greater BMI; waist circumference; and total abdominal fat, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat areas than the middle-aged individuals with low GRS, whereas the indicators were not different between the GRS groups in elderly individuals. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that GRS was the strongest predictor of BMI, total abdominal fat, and visceral fat in the middle-aged group, whereas fat, alcohol, and protein intakes or vigorous-intensity physical activity were more strongly associated with these indicators than was GRS in the elderly group. These results suggest that GRS from BMI-associated SNPs is not predictive of body fatness in elderly Japanese men. The stronger contribution of dietary macronutrient intake and physical activity to body fatness may attenuate the genetic predisposition in elderly men.

Men in Kindergartens: Work Culture and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Børve, Hege Eggen

2017-01-01

This article examines the impact on work culture when men work in kindergartens. In Norway, as in other countries there has been a call for more male staff in kindergartens. Increasing the amount of men may imply that institutionalized norms and practice are put under pressure. By using a case study approach, the focus is on employees' experiences…

Delayed wound healing after tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis in Japanese men and women

PubMed Central

Taguchi, Akira; Kamimura, Mikio; Nakamura, Yukio; Sugino, Noriyuki; Ichinose, Akira; Maezumi, Hisayoshi; Fukuzawa, Takashi; Ashizawa, Ryouhei; Takahara, Kenji; Gushiken, Susumu; Mukaiyama, Keijiro; Ikegami, Shota; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Kato, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

It is unclear whether osteoporosis itself is a main risk factor for delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in humans. In this study, we evaluated the association between experience of delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis, with the possibility of having vertebral fractures, in Japanese patients. Among the 1,504 patients who responded to the structured questionnaire survey, 518 patients (134 men and 384 women) aged 55–97 years finally participated in this study. Patients who self-reported mild-moderate kyphosis were more likely to have problematic delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction than those who reported severe kyphosis (odds ratio [OR] 4.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86–13.38 and OR 2.30; 95% CI, 0.52–10.22, respectively) (p for trend = 0.005). Japanese patients with vertebral fractures may have a higher risk of having problematic delayed wound healing after tooth extraction. PMID:27848958

Delayed wound healing after tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis in Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Taguchi, Akira; Kamimura, Mikio; Nakamura, Yukio; Sugino, Noriyuki; Ichinose, Akira; Maezumi, Hisayoshi; Fukuzawa, Takashi; Ashizawa, Ryouhei; Takahara, Kenji; Gushiken, Susumu; Mukaiyama, Keijiro; Ikegami, Shota; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Kato, Hiroyuki

2016-11-16

It is unclear whether osteoporosis itself is a main risk factor for delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in humans. In this study, we evaluated the association between experience of delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis, with the possibility of having vertebral fractures, in Japanese patients. Among the 1,504 patients who responded to the structured questionnaire survey, 518 patients (134 men and 384 women) aged 55-97 years finally participated in this study. Patients who self-reported mild-moderate kyphosis were more likely to have problematic delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction than those who reported severe kyphosis (odds ratio [OR] 4.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86-13.38 and OR 2.30; 95% CI, 0.52-10.22, respectively) (p for trend = 0.005). Japanese patients with vertebral fractures may have a higher risk of having problematic delayed wound healing after tooth extraction.

Impairments in Activities of Daily Living in Older Japanese Men in Hawaii and Japan

PubMed Central

Abbott, Robert D.; Kadota, Aya; Miura, Katsuyuki; Hayakawa, Takehito; Kadowaki, Takashi; Okamura, Tomonori; Okayama, Akira; Masaki, Kamal H.; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2011-01-01

Introduction. Hypertension and cigarette smoking are dominant risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Japan while in westernized countries, broader effects encompass obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. This paper examines whether different associations also appear important in the manifestation of activities of daily living (ADL) in older Japanese men in Hawaii and Japan. Methods. Measures of ADL (feeding, toileting, dressing, bathing, and walking around the house) were assessed from 1995 to 1999 in 1,893 men in Hawaii and 543 men in Japan. Concomitant risk factors were measured from 1990 to 1993. Results. In Hawaii, diabetes increased the odds of ≥1 ADL impairment nearly 1.5-fold (P = .020). A similar association was absent in Japan. In contrast, the odds of an ADL impairment in Japan was increased more than 5-fold in the presence of stroke (P < .001). The association in Hawaii was significantly weaker (P = .007). In both cohorts, past alcohol use was associated with a greater likelihood of ADL impairment. Conclusion. In this comparison of genetically similar samples, findings suggest that different strengths in risk factor associations with cardiovascular disease in Japan and westernized countries may also include different strengths in associations with impaired ADL. PMID:21766031

A Socio-Demographic Examination of Adults Responding to Governmental Vaccination Recommendations during the Japanese Rubella Outbreak of 2013.

PubMed

Hori, Ai; Wada, Koji; Smith, Derek R

2015-01-01

In 2013 a rubella outbreak occurred among Japanese people of working-age which resulted in 14,357 reported cases. The Japanese government subsequently recommended voluntary vaccination or rubella antibody testing for young women (15-49 years of age) who were planning to conceive and for adult men, children, and other persons in potential contact with pregnant women at home. However, the expense and time involved for vaccination, antibody testing and visiting a clinic may represent a major barrier to voluntary compliance among this busy demographic. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to examine potential relationships between the social background of Japanese working-age individuals affected by the 2013 voluntary vaccination campaign. A web-based survey of 1,889 Japanese men and women aged 20-49 years was conducted in early 2014. Statistical analyses were used to explore the associations between social background and testing for rubella antibody and / or vaccination uptake during the previous year. Twenty-four percent of respondents who were planning a pregnancy had been tested for rubella antibody or vaccinated in 2013. However, among those without a current desire for pregnancy, 3% of men and 7% of women, respectively, were tested or vaccinated. Regardless of whether they were planning to conceive, testing for rubella antibodies or vaccination was statistically associated with having acquaintances who had been vaccinated, understanding the government recommendations, and being able to confirm their lack of rubella vaccination history using Maternal and Child Health Handbook records in both men and women. To help eliminate rubella in Japan, additional initiatives need to target Japanese individuals who cannot envisage a direct benefit from vaccination. The results of this study suggest that disseminating the government recommendation to all potentially affected subpopulations, along with maintaining life-time vaccination records might offer a solution to

Cardiorespiratory Fitness is a Strong Predictor of the Cardio-ankle Vascular Index in Hypertensive Middle-aged and Elderly Japanese Men.

PubMed

Tanisawa, Kumpei; Ito, Tomoko; Sun, Xiaomin; Kawakami, Ryoko; Oshima, Satomi; Gando, Yuko; Cao, Zhen-Bo; Sakamoto, Shizuo; Higuchi, Mitsuru

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with arterial stiffening, evaluated using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), independent of visceral fat (VF) in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men. We also examined whether the relationship between CRF and the CAVI is modified by age and/or hypertension. The CAVI was determined in 157 Japanese men (age range, 30-79 years), including 96 hypertensive subjects (61.1%). CRF was assessed by measuring the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). The subjects were divided into low- and high-CRF groups, and the VF area was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. The VO2peak correlated with the CAVI following adjustment for age and body mass index in the middle-aged and elderly groups (all the subjects: r=-0.285, p＜0.001; middle-aged: r=-0.240, p=0.040; elderly: r=-0.225, p=0.049). VF also correlated with the CAVI (r=0.230, p=0.004). A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (β=0.406, p<0.001) and the VO2peak (β=-0.186, p=0.015) were associated with the CAVI independently of VF and the mean blood pressure. Two way ANCOVA adjusted for age demonstrated that the hypertensive individuals had higher CAVI values than the normotensive individuals in the low-CRF group, whereas no significant differences in the CAVI were observed in the high-CRF group (p for interaction <0.05). In the present study, CRF was found to be associated with the CAVI, independent of age and VF, in hypertensive middle-aged and elderly Japanese men.

Socioeconomic position and work, travel, and recreation-related physical activity in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Matsushita, Munehiro; Harada, Kazuhiro; Arao, Takashi

2015-09-18

The aim of this study was to examine the association between socioeconomic position and the domains of physical activity connected with work, travel, and recreation in Japanese adults. A total of 3269 subjects, 1651 men (mean ± standard deviation; 44.2 ± 8.1 years) and 1618 women (44.1 ± 8.1 years), responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Data on socioeconomic (household income, educational level) and demographic variables (age, size of household, and household motor vehicles) were obtained. To examine the associations between socioeconomic position and physical activity, logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) for "active" domains of physical activity. Men with a household income of ≥ 7 million yen had significantly lower work-related physical activity than the lowest income group (OR 0.51; 95 % CI, 0.35-0.75), but significantly greater travel-related (OR 1.37; 1.02-1.85), recreational (OR 2.00; 1.46-2.73) and total physical activity (OR 1.56; 1.17-2.08). Women with a household income of ≥ 7 million yen had significantly greater recreational physical activity (OR 1.43; 1.01-2.04) than the lowest income group. Their total physical activity was borderline significant, with slightly more activity in the high-income group (OR 1.36; 1.00-1.84), but no significant differences for work- and travel-related physical activity. Men with higher educational level (4-year college or higher degree) had significantly lower work-related (OR 0.62; 0.46-0.82), and greater travel-related physical activity (OR 1.33; 1.04-1.71) than the lowest educated group, but there were no significant differences in recreational and total physical activity. Women with a 4-year college or higher degree had significantly greater travel-related physical activity than the lowest educated group (OR 1.49; 1.12-1.97), but there were no significant differences in any other physical activity. There was no relation between

Beyond workers' compensation: men's mental health in and out of work.

PubMed

Oliffe, John L; Han, Christina S E

2014-01-01

The mental health of men is an important issue with significant direct and indirect costs emerging from work-related depression and suicide. Although the merits of men's community-based and workplace mental health promotion initiatives have been endorsed, few programs are mandated or formally evaluated and reported on. Conspicuously absent also are gender analyses detailing connections between masculinities and men's work-related depression and suicide on which to build men-centered mental health promotion programs. This article provides an overview of four interconnected issues, (a) masculinities and men's health, (b) men and work, (c) men's work-related depression and suicide, and (d) men's mental health promotion, in the context of men's diverse relationships to work (including job insecurity and unemployment). Based on the review, recommendations are made for advancing the well-being of men who are in as well as of those out of work.

Working Men's Constructions of Visiting the Doctor.

PubMed

Mahalik, James R; Backus Dagirmanjian, Faedra R

2018-05-01

To understand influences on medical help seeking in men from traditionally masculine occupations, semistructured interviews with 12 men employed in manual and industrial labor were conducted. The semistructured interview format explored participant men's understanding and experiences of annual exams and medical help seeking, their own and others' reactions to seeking medical help, and influences on their own care and understanding of what it means to seek medical care. Utilizing consensual qualitative research methodology, five domains emerged: Social norms around medical care, managing threat, getting medical help is gendered, work-related influences, and pragmatic contributors to medical help seeking. Results extended the literature by situating men's understanding of physician visits within a gendered and social context, and highlighting the influence of work and coworkers, where messages are often contradictory and inconsistent about medical help seeking. Future research should examine additional contextual factors influencing men's attitudes toward seeking health care, including race, culture, and sexual orientation, as well as seek to develop and evaluate interventions that promote men's utilization of medical services.

Detection of HPV-DNA, p53 alterations, and methylation in penile squamous cell carcinoma in Japanese men.

PubMed

Yanagawa, Naoki; Osakabe, Mitsumasa; Hayashi, Masahiro; Tamura, Gen; Motoyama, Teiichi

2008-08-01

Penile carcinoma is a rare disease, accordingly there are few studies on molecular changes, and these results also vary greatly. A total of 26 penile squamous cell carcinomas in Japanese men were studied with respect to HPV, p53 alterations, and methylation of gene promoter region. HPV-DNA was detected in three of 26 patients (11.5%). Overexpression of p53 was observed in 13 of 26 patients (50%), and p53 gene mutations were detected in four of 26 patients (15.4%). The frequency of methylation was as follows: DAPK, 26.9% (7/26); FHIT, 88.4% (23/26); MGMT, 19.2% (5/26); p14, 3.8% (1/26); p16, 23.1% (6/26); RAR-beta, 23.1% (6/26); RASSF1A, 11.5% (3/26); and RUNX3, 42.3% (11/26). As for correlation between HPV and p53 alterations, and methylation status, mutations of the p53 gene were detected only in HPV-negative patients, and methylation was more frequently found in HPV-negative than in HPV-positive patients. The present results suggest that the majority of penile squamous cell carcinomas in Japanese men are unrelated to HPV, and gene alterations accumulate more frequently in HPV-unrelated penile carcinomas.

Health benefits associated with exercise habituation in older Japanese men.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kiyoji; Sakai, Tomoaki; Nakamura, Yoichi; Umeda, Noriko; Lee, Dong-Jun; Nakata, Yoshio; Hayashi, Yoichi; Akutsu, Tomomi; Okura, Tomohiro; Yamabuki, Keisuke

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of exercise habituation (3-32 years, mean 13.2 years) on physical vitality among five different groups. One hundred and two independent, community-dwelling elderly Japanese men, aged 64.6 +/- 6.6 years, were recruited as subjects. The vital age test battery consisted of various coronary heart disease risk factors and physical fitness elements. The results of analysis of variance revealed that vital age as an index of physical vitality was youngest in joggers (47.9 yr, N=18), intermediate in trekkers (55.8 yr, N=20) and walkers (59.1 yr, N=18), and oldest (69.6 yr, N=20) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). The difference between chronological age and vital age was approximately 15 years (p<0.05) in joggers, and 8 years (p<0.05) in trekkers and walkers. The vital age of sedentary persons (N=26) was only 1.9 years (NS) younger than their chronological age, which was similar to the difference (vital age of 64.1 +/- 8.5 yr vs chronological age of 65.7 +/- 5.4 yr) previously observed in similarly aged exercising IHD patients. These results indicate that exercise habituation significantly affects the overall health status of most individuals, irrespective of mode of exercise. Among the three modes of exercise, jogging may be most beneficial. Furthermore, regularly exercising coronary patients may have physical vitality similar to that of sedentary men.

Serum glycerophosphate levels are increased in Japanese men with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Daimon, Makoto; Soga, Tomoyoshi; Hozawa, Atsushi; Oizumi, Toshihide; Kaino, Wataru; Takase, Kaoru; Karasawa, Shigeru; Jimbu, Yumi; Wada, Kiriko; Kameda, Wataru; Susa, Shinji; Kayama, Takamasa; Saito, Kaori; Tomita, Masaru; Kato, Takeo

2012-01-01

To identify metabolites showing changes in serum levels among Japanese male with diabetes. We performed metabolite profiling by coupling capillary electrophoresis with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using fasting serum samples from Japanese male subjects with diabetes (n=17), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; n=5) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n=14). Other than the expected differences in characteristics related to abnormal glucose metabolism, the percent body fat was significantly different among subjects with diabetes, IGT and NGT (27.3±6.2, 22.2±4.5 and 19.2±6.0%, respectively, p=0.0022). Therefore, percent body fat was considered as a possible confounding factor in subsequent analyses. Of 560 metabolites detected using our platform, the levels of 74 metabolites were quantified in all of the serum samples. Significant differences between diabetes and NGT were observed for 24 metabolites. The top-ranked metabolite was glycerol-3-phophate (glycerophosphate), which was significantly higher in subjects with diabetes than in those with NGT, even after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (11.7±3.6 vs. 6.4±1.9 µM, respectively; corrected p=0.0222). Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that serum glycerophosphate levels were significantly correlated with 2-h plasma glucose after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (r=0.553, p=0.0005), independently of other characteristics, including FPG and HbA1c. Serum glycerophosphate levels were found to be elevated in Japanese men with diabetes, and correlated with 2-h PG, independent of FPG and HbA1c. Namely, serum glycerophosphate level at fasting condition can be a marker for predicting glucose intolerance. These results warrant further studies to evaluate the relevance of glycerophosphate in the pathophysiology of diabetes.

Resumption of work after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in middle-aged Japanese patients.

PubMed

Nishino, A; Sakurai, Y; Tsuji, I; Arai, H; Uenohara, H; Suzuki, S; Li, J H

1999-01-01

Previous reports on the results of treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been based only on activities of daily living after discharge, whereas resumption of work has received insufficient attention. Most Japanese work under a lifetime employment system, and it is best for those who have recovered from SAH to return to work for their previous employer. The present study was conducted to determine the extent to which discharged patients who have suffered an SAH resume their former occupations in Japan, focusing on those between 40 and 49 years of age, who usually have a strong desire to return to work. The participants consisted of 193 patients with SAH. Based on the results of telephone interviews or written questionnaires, their work status at 1 year after onset was analyzed. The work resumption rates for patients with Hunt and Kosnik neurological Grades 1 or 2 on admission were higher than for those with Grades 3 or 4 (p = 0.015) and lower for patients with basilar artery aneurysms than for those with aneurysms at other sites (p = 0.028). With regard to premorbid occupation, the work resumption rates were high (80%) for professionals and engineers, many of whom were public servants, or teachers at junior or senior high schools. The resumption rates were also high for primary industry workers (80%), but lowest (20%) for professional drivers (p = 0.04-0.001). The work resumption rate was lower for women than for men (p = 0.01). These findings indicate that resumption of work is determined not only by medical factors, but also by social factors including gender, type of occupation, employment system, and socioeconomic background.

Association of job demands with work engagement of Japanese employees: comparison of challenges with hindrances (J-HOPE).

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Miyaki, Koichi; Takahashi, Masaya; Kurioka, Sumiko; Eguchi, Hisashi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Enta, Kazuhiko; Kosugi, Yuki; Sakata, Tomoko; Totsuzaki, Takafumi

2014-01-01

Recent epidemiological research in Europe has reported that two groups of job demands, i.e., challenges and hindrances, are differently associated with work engagement. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the cross-sectional association of workload and time pressure (as a challenge) and role ambiguity (as a hindrance) with work engagement among Japanese employees. Between October 2010 and December 2011, a total of 9,134 employees (7,101 men and 1,673 women) from 12 companies in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Job Content Questionnaire, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, short 10-item version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, short nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression analyses with a random intercept model were conducted. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, workload and time pressure showed a positive association with work engagement with a small effect size (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.102, Cohen's d [d] = 0.240) while role ambiguity showed a negative association with a large effect size (β = -0.429, d = 1.011). After additionally adjusting for job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), the effect size of workload and time pressure was not attenuated (β = 0.093, d = 0.234) while that of role ambiguity was attenuated but still medium (β = -0.242, d = 0.609). Among Japanese employees, challenges such as having higher levels of workload and time pressure may enhance work engagement but hindrances, such as role ambiguity, may reduce it.

Greater milk intake is associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and higher bone microarchitecture index in a population of elderly Japanese men with relatively low dietary calcium intake: Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Study.

PubMed

Sato, Y; Iki, M; Fujita, Y; Tamaki, J; Kouda, K; Yura, A; Moon, J-S; Winzenrieth, R; Iwaki, H; Ishizuka, R; Amano, N; Tomioka, K; Okamoto, N; Kurumatani, N

2015-05-01

The effects of milk intake on bone health are not clear in elderly Asian men with low dietary calcium intake. This study showed that greater milk intake is associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and higher bone microarchitecture index in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. The consumption of milk or dairy products is widely recommended for maintaining bone health regardless of gender or age. However, little evidence exists on the beneficial effects of milk intake on bone health in elderly Japanese men characterized with relatively low dietary calcium intake. Here we examined whether or not greater milk intake was associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and stronger bone microarchitecture in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. Interviews were conducted to obtain information on medical history and lifestyle, including the amount of habitual milk intake, nutrient intake calculations based on a 1-week food diary, and measurements of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), trabecular bone score (TBS) using DXA images at LS, and biochemical markers of bone turnover in sera. Participants with a history of diseases or medications that affect bone metabolism, or with missing data, were excluded from the analysis. The median intake of milk in the 1479 participants (mean age, 73.0 ± 5.1 years) was one glass of milk per day. Bone turnover markers showed a decreasing trend (p < 0.05) and aBMD at TH (p = 0.0019) and FN (p = 0.0057) and TBS (p = 0.0017) showed increasing trends with greater milk intake after adjusting for demographic and behavioral confounding factors. This association was attenuated after further adjusting for nutrient intake, in particular, calcium intake. Greater milk intake was associated with lower bone turnover, higher aBMD, and higher TBS in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men.

[Briefs of Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version in modern times].

PubMed

Liu, Kechen; Zhang, Shujian

2017-05-12

The authors collected 25 Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version in modern times (1912-1960) and investigated them from 3 aspects, named the study on the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion, the explanation of basic theory and clinical treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. Generally speaking, Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version explained the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in terms of the theory of western medicine rather than traditional one. It proposed the study on the phenomenon of meridian and collateral, which absorbed the anatomic knowledge of western medicine in the discussion on meridians, collaterals and acupoints; introduced diagnostic methods and techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion and adopted the classification of western medicine system and the diseases in western medicine to discuss the treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. All of these reflect the academic characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan at those times and the position of Chinese scholars, by which the Japanese medical works were introduced for the academic innovation.

Taking leave from work: the impact of culture on Japanese female nurses.

PubMed

Mizuno-Lewis, Satomi; McAllister, Margaret

2008-01-01

This paper provides an overview of nurses' working conditions in Japan, exploring tensions between nurses' rights to take leave from work to fulfil family and personal needs and their actual ability to take such leave. It also considers possible effects of being restricted from taking such leave. Little has been written on the specific needs of nurses who are mothers in the Japanese work environment. Research has focussed on the effects of heavy, stressful workloads and long working hours leading to burnout, death from overwork and suicides in Japanese culture. However, research that considers unique cultural and female issues in Japan affecting nursing work has not been published. Discursive. The paper shows that there are many overlapping, complex issues affecting nurses working in Japan and their needs need to be considered and addressed in order to promote a healthier work environment, as well as a more humanistic environment. Workplace issues are relevant to recruitment and retention and better conditions are likely to improve hospital functioning.

The Impact of Multiple Roles on Psychological Distress among Japanese Workers

PubMed Central

Honda, Ayumi; Abe, Yasuyo; Date, Yutaka; Honda, Sumihisa

2015-01-01

Background There has been considerable interest in Japanese society in the problem of work-related stress leading to depressive symptoms, and an increasing number of primary houseworkers maintain paid employment. The purpose of this study was to examine the differential impact of multiple roles associated with psychological distress among Japanese workers. Methods We studied 722 men and women aged 18–83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine psychological distress. Results The proportion of participants with psychological distress was higher in women (17.8%) compared with men (11.5%). Having three roles significantly decreased the risk of psychological distress [women: odds ratio (OR), 0.37-fold; men: OR, 0.41] compared with only one role. In working married women, there was significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.27), and those with childrearing or caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents had significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.38) than those with only an employment role. Similarly, working married men who had childrearing or caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents had significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.41) than those who had only an employment role. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that participants who had only an employment role had an increased risk of psychological distress. The degree of psychological distress was not determined solely by the number of roles. It is important to have balance between work and family life to reduce role conflict and/or role submersion, which in turn may reduce the risk of psychological distress. PMID:26106510

The Impact of Multiple Roles on Psychological Distress among Japanese Workers.

PubMed

Honda, Ayumi; Abe, Yasuyo; Date, Yutaka; Honda, Sumihisa

2015-06-01

There has been considerable interest in Japanese society in the problem of work-related stress leading to depressive symptoms, and an increasing number of primary houseworkers maintain paid employment. The purpose of this study was to examine the differential impact of multiple roles associated with psychological distress among Japanese workers. We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine psychological distress. The proportion of participants with psychological distress was higher in women (17.8%) compared with men (11.5%). Having three roles significantly decreased the risk of psychological distress [women: odds ratio (OR), 0.37-fold; men: OR, 0.41] compared with only one role. In working married women, there was significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.27), and those with childrearing or caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents had significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.38) than those with only an employment role. Similarly, working married men who had childrearing or caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents had significantly less psychological distress (OR, 0.41) than those who had only an employment role. The present study demonstrated that participants who had only an employment role had an increased risk of psychological distress. The degree of psychological distress was not determined solely by the number of roles. It is important to have balance between work and family life to reduce role conflict and/or role submersion, which in turn may reduce the risk of psychological distress.

Returning to the "homeland": work-related ethnic discrimination and the health of Japanese Brazilians in Japan.

PubMed

Asakura, Takashi; Gee, Gilbert C; Nakayama, Kazuhiro; Niwa, Sayuri

2008-04-01

We investigated whether self-reported ethnic discrimination in the workplace was associated with well-being among Japanese Brazilians who had returned to Japan. Further, we examined interactions between discrimination and education on well-being. We obtained data from a cross-sectional survey of Japanese Brazilian workers (n = 313) conducted in 2000 and 2001. Outcomes were self-rated health, psychological symptoms as measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) score, and a checklist of somatic symptoms. Reports of ethnic discrimination were associated with increased risk of poor self-rated health and psychological symptoms (GHQ-12 score), after we controlled for self-assessed workload, supportive relations at work, physically dangerous working conditions, workplace environmental hazards, shift work, number of working hours, age, gender, marital status, income, education, Japanese lineage, length of residence, and Japanese language proficiency. Further, the relationship between discrimination and self-rated health and somatic symptoms was most robust for those with the least education. Ethnic discrimination appears to be a correlate of morbidity among Japanese Brazilian migrants. Future research should investigate how educational and workplace interventions may reduce discrimination and possibly improve health.

Work–family conflict and self-rated health among Japanese workers: How household income modifies associations

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Tomoko; Honjo, Kaori; Eshak, Ehab Salah; Iso, Hiroyasu; Sawada, Norie; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2017-01-01

To examine associations between work–family conflict and self-rated health among Japanese workers and to determine whether the associations differed by household income. Data was derived from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation in Saku area in 2011–2012 (7,663 men and 7,070 women). Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for poor self-rated health by work–family conflict consisting of two dimensions (work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts) were calculated by gender and household income. Multivariate ORs of high work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts for poor self-rated health were 2.46 (95% CI; 2.04–2.97) for men and 3.54 (95% CI; 2.92–4.30) for women, with reference to the low work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts (p-value for gender interaction = 0.02). Subgroup analysis indicated that health effects of work–family conflict were likely to be more evident in the low income group only among women. Work–family conflict was associated with poor self-rated health among middle-aged Japanese men and women; its health impact was relatively stronger among women, and particularly economically disadvantaged women. PMID:28207757

Work-family conflict and prolonged fatigue among Japanese married male physicians.

PubMed

Ohta, Hiroshi; Wada, Koji; Kawashima, Masatoshi; Arimatsu, Mayuri; Higashi, Toshiaki; Yoshikawa, Toru; Aizawa, Yoshiharu

2011-12-01

Fatigue experienced by physicians may not only endanger their own health but may also affect the safety of patients. Such fatigue may be associated with the work environment and personal factors such as work-family conflict (WFC). This study aimed to determine the association between WFC and prolonged fatigue among Japanese married male physicians. Physicians who graduated from a Japanese medical school answered a mailed anonymous self-report questionnaire. For assessment of WFC and prolonged fatigue, the Japanese versions of the WFC scale and the Checklist of Individual Strength questionnaire (CIS) were used. Prolonged fatigue was defined as the upper quartile of total CIS scores. The WFC scale comprises six dimensions. Total scores were divided into tertiles: low, intermediate, and high levels of WFC. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between WFC and prolonged fatigue. A total of 540 male physicians answered the questionnaire, and the data of 444 married male physicians were analyzed. The data were then adjusted for age and work condition factors. Prolonged fatigue was significantly associated with high strain-based work interference with family (WIF; corrected odds ratio, 5.56; 95% confidence interval, 2.55-12.1), intermediate strain-based WIF (2.53, 1.25-5.10), high time-based family interference with work (FIW; 1.92, 1.08-3.40), and there was a weak association with high strain-based FIW (1.93, 0.98-3.83). Employers should take measures to improve working conditions in hospitals, and give physicians the opportunity to learn how to cope with WFC. These measures could ultimately help prevent prolonged fatigue.

Engagement in paid work as a protective predictor of basic activities of daily living disability in Japanese urban and rural community-dwelling elderly residents: An 8-year prospective study.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Shinkai, Shoji; Kobayashi, Erika; Minami, Ushio; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Hideyo; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Kumagai, Shu; Watanabe, Shuichiro; Furuna, Taketo; Suzuki, Takao

2016-01-01

To examine whether engaging in paid work is a predictor of maintaining good functional health among Japanese older adults in both urban and rural communities. We used the 8-year longitudinal Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study on Aging with 306 and 675 persons aged 65-84 years from Koganei City (urban) and Nangai Village (rural), respectively, who are independent in basic activities of daily living (BADL). In order to examine the declining patterns in BADL and evaluate the predictive value of working status for future BADL disability, we applied the log-rank test of cumulative proportion curves and the Cox proportional hazard model by sex, controlling for age, research fields, years of education, marital state, chronic medical conditions, pain, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), smoking status, exercise habits, life satisfaction, usual walking speed and serum albumin for evaluating the predictive value of working status at baseline for future BADL disability. In both areas, participants who were not working were more likely to decline in BADL than those working (P < 0.05), except for women in urban Koganei. Male participants who did not engage in paid work had a higher adjusted hazard ratio of onset of BADL disability, compared with those working, but this was not seen for female participants. Working might be protective from a decline in BADL only for men, but not for women. Regarding the difference of sex roles in conventional Japanese society, working would be an effective solution especially for men to participate in social activities. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Why are women slimmer than men in developed countries?

PubMed

Maruyama, Shiko; Nakamura, Sayaka

2018-04-22

Women have a lower BMI than men in developed countries, yet the opposite is true in developing countries. We call this the gender BMI puzzle and investigate its underlying cause. We begin by studying time trends in Japan, where, consistent with the cross-country puzzle, the BMI of adult women has steadily decreased since the 1950s, whereas the BMI of adult men has steadily increased. We study how changes in energy intake and energy expenditure account for the over-time gender BMI puzzle using the Japanese National Nutrition Survey from 1975 to 2010, which provides nurse-measured height and weight and nutritionist-assisted food records. Because long-term data on energy expenditure do not exist, we calculate energy expenditure using a steady-state body weight model. We then conduct cross-country regression analysis to corroborate what we learn from the Japanese data. We find that both energy intake and energy expenditure have significantly decreased for Japanese adult men and women and that a larger reduction in energy expenditure among men than women accounts for the increasing male-to-female BMI gap. Trends in BMI and energy expenditure vary greatly by occupation, suggesting that a relatively large decrease in physical activity in the workplace among men underlies the gender BMI puzzle. The cross-country analysis supports the generalizability of the findings beyond the Japanese data. Furthermore, the analysis suggests the increasing male-to-female BMI gap is driven not only by a reduction in the energy requirements of physically demanding work but also by weakening occupational gender segregation. No support is found for other explanations, such as increasing female labor force participation, greater female susceptibility to malnutrition in utero, and gender inequality in nutrition in early life. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lifetime cigarette smoking is associated with abdominal obesity in a community-based sample of Japanese men: The Shiga Epidemiological Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis (SESSA).

PubMed

Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Azuma, Koichiro; Tanaka, Sachiko; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Arima, Hisatomi; Kadota, Aya; Miyagawa, Naoko; Takashima, Naoyuki; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Saitoh, Yoshino; Torii, Sayuki; Miyazawa, Itsuko; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Murata, Kiyoshi; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2016-12-01

Studies from Western countries suggest that smokers tend to display greater abdominal obesity than non-smokers, despite showing lower weight. Whether this holds true in a leaner population requires clarification. Using indices of abdominal obesity including visceral adipose tissue, we examined whether lifetime cigarette smoking is associated with unfavorable fat distribution among Japanese men. From 2006 to 2008, we conducted a cross-sectional investigation of a community-based sample of Japanese men at 40-64 years old, free of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Areas of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were calculated using computed tomography. We divided participants into four groups: never-smokers; and tertiles of pack-years of smoking among ever-smokers. Using multivariable linear regression, we calculated adjusted means of obesity indices (VAT, SAT, VAT-SAT ratio [VSR], and waist-hip ratio [WHR]) for each group, and mean differences between consecutive groups. We analyzed 513 men (median age, 58.2 years; current smokers, 40.1%). Two-thirds showed body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m(2) (median, 23.5 kg/m(2)). Overall, greater lifetime smoking group was associated with greater WHR and VSR. On average, one higher smoking group was associated with 0.005 higher WHR (95% CI, 0.001-0.008; P = 0.005) and 0.041 greater VSR (95% CI, 0.009-0.073; P = 0.012) after adjustment for potential confounders, including BMI. In this sample of relatively lean Japanese men, greater lifetime smoking was associated with a metabolically more adverse fat distribution. Although smoking is commonly associated with lower BMI, minimizing the amount of lifetime smoking should be advocated.

On A Project Work for International Students Paired with Japanese Partners in a Summer Intensive Japanese Program for Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudano, Hiroko

A project work in which learners of a foreign language engage in a task with the native speakers is one of the effective ways to bring in ample real communication opportunities to a classroom. This scheme also gives both parties meaningful experiences for intercultural understanding. This paper reports a “Pythagoras” machine production project in which international students were paired up with Japanese students as a part of a Japanese for science and technology course in a summer intensive program. Based on the participants‧ course evaluation data, the paper also discusses the effectiveness of the project for Japanese language learning and for promoting intercultural understanding.

Association of Job Demands with Work Engagement of Japanese Employees: Comparison of Challenges with Hindrances (J-HOPE)

PubMed Central

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Miyaki, Koichi; Takahashi, Masaya; Kurioka, Sumiko; Eguchi, Hisashi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Enta, Kazuhiko; Kosugi, Yuki; Sakata, Tomoko; Totsuzaki, Takafumi

2014-01-01

Objectives Recent epidemiological research in Europe has reported that two groups of job demands, i.e., challenges and hindrances, are differently associated with work engagement. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the cross-sectional association of workload and time pressure (as a challenge) and role ambiguity (as a hindrance) with work engagement among Japanese employees. Methods Between October 2010 and December 2011, a total of 9,134 employees (7,101 men and 1,673 women) from 12 companies in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Job Content Questionnaire, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, short 10-item version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, short nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression analyses with a random intercept model were conducted. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics, workload and time pressure showed a positive association with work engagement with a small effect size (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.102, Cohen’s d [d] = 0.240) while role ambiguity showed a negative association with a large effect size (β = −0.429, d = 1.011). After additionally adjusting for job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), the effect size of workload and time pressure was not attenuated (β = 0.093, d = 0.234) while that of role ambiguity was attenuated but still medium (β = −0.242, d = 0.609). Conclusions Among Japanese employees, challenges such as having higher levels of workload and time pressure may enhance work engagement but hindrances, such as role ambiguity, may reduce it. PMID:24614682

Age and gender differences in correlations of leisure-time, household, and work-related physical activity with physical performance in older Japanese adults.

PubMed

Tsunoda, Kenji; Soma, Yuki; Kitano, Naruki; Tsuji, Taishi; Mitsuishi, Yasuhiro; Yoon, Ji-Yeong; Okura, Tomohiro

2013-10-01

This study aimed to compare relationships of leisure-time, household, and work-related physical activity (PA) with physical performance by age and gender in older Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study included 525 community-dwelling older adults (73.3 ± 5.2 years) recruited in 2009-2011 in Kasama City, rural Japan. We used the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly to assess PA variables. Physical performance was evaluated by 11 performance tests: grip strength, single-leg balance, functional reach, sit-and-reach, standing time from long sitting position, sit-to-stand, timed up and go, habitual walk, hand working, and simple and choice reaction times. After adjusting for potential confounders, leisure-time PA in young-old (≤ 74 years) men correlated significantly with eight performance tests (absolute value of Spearman's partial rank correlation coefficient: r = 0.18-0.39), whereas in old-old (≥ 75 years) men it correlated with three performance tests (r = 0.20-0.23). Although leisure-time PA correlated with six performance tests (r = 0.19-0.22) in young-old women, there were no significant correlations between leisure-time PA and performance tests in old-old women. Household PA of young-old men (r = 0.20-0.23) and old-old women (r = 0.26-0.34) correlated with four performance tests. In old-old men and young-old women, no significant correlation was found between household PA and performance tests. Work-related PA did not relate significantly to any performance tests in any groups. This study showed that leisure-time PA is related to physical performance, especially in young-old men and women, and household PA is especially related in young-old men and old-old women. Our findings suggest that supporting strategies for maintaining physical functions would differ by gender and age. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

A Socio-Demographic Examination of Adults Responding to Governmental Vaccination Recommendations during the Japanese Rubella Outbreak of 2013

PubMed Central

Hori, Ai; Wada, Koji; Smith, Derek R.

2015-01-01

Background In 2013 a rubella outbreak occurred among Japanese people of working-age which resulted in 14,357 reported cases. The Japanese government subsequently recommended voluntary vaccination or rubella antibody testing for young women (15–49 years of age) who were planning to conceive and for adult men, children, and other persons in potential contact with pregnant women at home. However, the expense and time involved for vaccination, antibody testing and visiting a clinic may represent a major barrier to voluntary compliance among this busy demographic. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to examine potential relationships between the social background of Japanese working-age individuals affected by the 2013 voluntary vaccination campaign. Methods A web-based survey of 1,889 Japanese men and women aged 20–49 years was conducted in early 2014. Statistical analyses were used to explore the associations between social background and testing for rubella antibody and / or vaccination uptake during the previous year. Results Twenty-four percent of respondents who were planning a pregnancy had been tested for rubella antibody or vaccinated in 2013. However, among those without a current desire for pregnancy, 3% of men and 7% of women, respectively, were tested or vaccinated. Regardless of whether they were planning to conceive, testing for rubella antibodies or vaccination was statistically associated with having acquaintances who had been vaccinated, understanding the government recommendations, and being able to confirm their lack of rubella vaccination history using Maternal and Child Health Handbook records in both men and women. Conclusion To help eliminate rubella in Japan, additional initiatives need to target Japanese individuals who cannot envisage a direct benefit from vaccination. The results of this study suggest that disseminating the government recommendation to all potentially affected subpopulations, along with maintaining life

[Association of Japanese doctors' sleep habits with working environments and lifestyle].

PubMed

Tamura, Yoshiyuki; Chiba, Shigeru

2011-01-01

To clarify the association of Japanese doctors' sleep habits with working environments and lifestyle, a survey was performed using a self-administered questionnaire in February 2002, targeting a population of 2,455 Asahikawa Medical University alumni. A total of 881 subjects completed questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 35.9%. The mean+/-SD sleep duration on workdays was 410.4+/-60.5 minutes, approximately 30 minutes shorter than that of the general Japanese population. The prevalence of subjective insufficient sleep (SIS) on workdays was 64.5%, significantly higher than that in the general Japanese population. The estimated overall prevalences of various sleep problems are as follows: difficulty initiating sleep, 14.7%; difficulty maintaining sleep, 15.3%; poor perceived quality of sleep, 15.6%; waking without feeling refreshed (WWFR), 30.0%; and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), 30.8%. SIS had a significant positive association with WWFR and EDS. Doctors' sleeplessness differed depending on their working style. The prevalence of SIS among doctors working at hospitals and clinics with inpatient wards was significantly higher than that among those working in environments without inpatient wards. The prevalence of SIS was significantly associated with the number of working hours, fatigue, and an irregular lifestyle. Habitual exercise did not appear to affect SIS. A multiple logistic regression model revealed that working in hospitals, long working hours (more than 9 hours a day), fatigue, and an irregular lifestyle were independently associated with SIS [OR=2.19 (95% CI=1.29-3.70); OR=1.95 (95% CI=1.37-2.77); OR=1.93 (95% CI=1.38-2.69); OR=3.27 (95% CI=2.21-4.84)]. Sleep duration on holidays was approximately 60 minutes longer than that on workdays, and the prevalence of SIS decreased to 32.3%. These results demonstrate that the prevalence of SIS is higher among doctors working at hospitals and clinics with inpatient wards, who tend to have long working

Lifestyle changes of Japanese people on overseas assignment in Michigan, USA.

PubMed

Kitamura, Kazuya; Fetters, Michael D; Sano, Kiyoshi; Sato, Juichi; Ban, Nobutaro

2009-07-16

Temporary work assignments in the United States (US) are widely considered to have negative health outcomes on Asians mostly due to adverse changes in diet and exercise, though there is little research on this phenomenon. This study investigated the impact of lifestyle changes on the biological and psychological health and health behaviours of Japanese people on temporary assignments in the US. In this cross sectional survey, we distributed a 38 item self-administered questionnaire addressing health habits, mental health function, lifestyle changes and dietary habits to adult Japanese patients presenting for general physicals at a family medicine clinic serving Japanese patients. We conducted simple statistics and regression analysis between length of stay and other health outcomes to determine whether length of residence in the US was predictive of negative lifestyle changes. Most participants reported increased caloric intake, weight gain, and less exercise. They also reported increased time with family. More women than men reported physical symptoms and anxiety related to stress. Smoking and alcohol intake were essentially unchanged. No associations were identified between length of residence in the US and health lifestyle habits or other health outcomes. Negative lifestyle changes occur in diet and exercise for overseas Japanese people, but a positive change in increased family time was found. Women appear to be at a greater risk for somatic disorders than men. As duration of stay does not appear predictive of adverse changes, clinicians should advise patients going abroad of these risks regardless of the term of the work assignment.

Baseline estradiol concentration in community-dwelling Japanese American men is not associated with intra-abdominal fat accumulation over 10 years.

PubMed

Kocarnik, Beverly M; Boyko, Edward J; Matsumoto, Alvin M; Fujimoto, Wilfred Y; Hayashi, Tomoshige; Leonetti, Donna L; Page, Stephanie T

The role of plasma estradiol in the accumulation of intra-abdominal fat (IAF) in men is uncertain. Cross-sectional studies using imaging of IAF have shown either a positive or no association. In contrast, a randomised controlled trial using an aromatase inhibitor to suppress estradiol production found an association between oestrogen deficiency and short-term IAF accumulation. No longitudinal study has been conducted to examine the relationship between plasma estradiol concentration and the change in IAF area measured using direct imaging. This is a longitudinal observational study in community-dwelling Japanese-American men (n=215, mean age 52 years, BMI 25.4kg/m 2 ). IAF and subcutaneous fat areas were assessed using computerized tomography (CT) at baseline, 5 and 10 years. Baseline plasma estradiol concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Univariate analysis found no association between baseline estradiol concentration and baseline IAF, or 5- or 10-year changes in IAF area (r=-0.05 for both time points, p=0.45 and p=0.43, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis of the change in IAF area by baseline estradiol concentration adjusted for age, baseline IAF area, and weight change found no association with either the 5- or 10-year IAF area change (p=0.52 and p=0.55, respectively). Plasma estradiol concentration was not associated with baseline IAF nor with change in IAF area over 5 or 10 years based on serial CT scans in community-dwelling Japanese-American men. These results do not support a role for oestrogen deficiency in IAF accumulation in men. Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. All rights reserved.

Baseline estradiol concentration in community-dwelling Japanese American men is not associated with intra-abdominal fat accumulation over 10 years

PubMed Central

Kocarnik, Beverly M.; Boyko, Edward J.; Matsumoto, Alvin M.; Fujimoto, Wilfred Y.; Hayashi, Tomoshige; Leonetti, Donna L.; Page, Stephanie T.

2016-01-01

Summary Problem The role of plasma estradiol in the accumulation of intra-abdominal fat (IAF) in men is uncertain. Cross-sectional studies using imaging of IAF have shown either a positive or no association. In contrast, a randomised controlled trial using an aromatase inhibitor to suppress estradiol production found an association between oestrogen deficiency and short-term IAF accumulation. No longitudinal study has been conducted to examine the relationship between plasma estradiol concentration and the change in IAF area measured using direct imaging. Methods This is a longitudinal observational study in community-dwelling Japanese-American men (n = 215, mean age 52 years, BMI 25.4 kg/m2). IAF and subcutaneous fat areas were assessed using computerized tomography (CT) at baseline, 5 and 10 years. Baseline plasma estradiol concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results Univariate analysis found no association between baseline estradiol concentration and baseline IAF, or 5- or 10-year changes in IAF area (r = −0.05 for both time points, p = 0.45 and p = 0.43, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis of the change in IAF area by baseline estradiol concentration adjusted for age, baseline IAF area, and weight change found no association with either the 5- or 10-year IAF area change (p = 0.52 and p = 0.55, respectively). Conclusions Plasma estradiol concentration was not associated with baseline IAF nor with change in IAF area over 5 or 10 years based on serial CT scans in community-dwelling Japanese-American men. These results do not support a role for oestrogen deficiency in IAF accumulation in men. PMID:26747209

A model of adaptation of overseas nurses: exploring the experiences of Japanese nurses working in Australia.

PubMed

Kishi, Yuka; Inoue, Kumiyo; Crookes, Patrick; Shorten, Allison

2014-04-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the experiences of Japanese nurses and their adaptation to their work environment in Australia. Using a qualitative research method and semistructured interviews, the study aimed to discover, describe, and analyze the experiences of 14 Japanese nurses participating in the study. A qualitative study. Fourteen Japanese registered nurses working in Australian hospitals participated in the study. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted from April to June in 2008. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes within the data. Analysis of qualitative open-ended questions revealed the participants' adaptation process. It consists of three themes or phases: seeking (S), acclimatizing (A), and settling (S), subsequently named the S.A.S. model. The conceptual model of the adaptation processes of 14 Japanese nurses working in Australia includes the seeking, acclimatizing, and settling phases. Although these phases are not mutually exclusive and the process is not necessarily uniformly linear, all participants in this study passed through this S.A.S. model in order to adapt to their new environment. The S.A.S. model of adaptation helps to describe the experiences of Japanese overseas qualified nurses working in Australian hospitals. Future research is needed to examine whether this model can be applied to nurses from other countries and in other settings outside Australia.

Yellow Tongue Coating is Associated With Diabetes Mellitus Among Japanese Non-smoking Men and Women: The Toon Health Study.

PubMed

Tomooka, Kiyohide; Saito, Isao; Furukawa, Shinya; Maruyama, Koutatsu; Eguchi, Eri; Iso, Hiroyasu; Tanigawa, Takeshi

2018-06-05

Yellow tongue coating is one of the clinical signs for diabetes mellitus according to traditional East Asian medicine. Few reports have been available on the association between yellow tongue coating and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the general population. We examined that association among population samples of non-smoking men and women. The study subjects were Japanese non-smoking men (n = 315) and women (n = 654) aged 30-79 years who resided in Toon city and participated in the Toon Health Study from July 2011 through November 2014. Tongue coating was assessed by a nationally licensed acupuncturist and classified into three categories of white (normal), light yellow, and yellow. We performed an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm the presence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes. The associations between yellow tongue coating and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, drinking status, and physical activity. The multivariable odds ratios of diabetes mellitus were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-2.67) for light yellow tongue coating and 2.23 (95% CI, 1.16-4.30) for yellow tongue coating compared with white tongue coating. The respective multivariable odds ratios of prediabetes were 1.13 (95% CI, 0.80-1.61) and 1.43 (95% CI, 0.96-2.12). Yellow tongue coating was associated with higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and tended to be associated with that of prediabetes among Japanese non-smoking men and women.

Reduced Lung Function and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Japanese Men: the Shiga Epidemiological Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis (SESSA).

PubMed

Seto-Yukimura, Ruriko; Ogawa, Emiko; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Torii, Sayuki; Shiino, Akihiko; Nozaki, Kazuhiko; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki; Nakano, Yasutaka; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2018-02-16

We aimed to investigate the association between reduced lung function and cerebral small vessel diseases via cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the cross-sectional study of the general Japanese population. We recruited participants aged ≥40 years from the general population of a single city in Japan. We clarified the comorbidities and treatments, smoking habits, second-hand smoke exposure, current alcohol consumption, education level, exercise habits, and occupation. The pulmonary function test was performed to assess the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) % predicted and forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted values. Cranial MRI was performed to evaluate the white matter lesions (WMLs) and lacunar infarcts. We examined the association of the WMLs and lacunar infarcts with a 1-standard deviation (SD) lower in the FEV 1 % predicted and FVC % predicted, on the basis of the smoking status. A total of 473 men were examined. The association of WMLs and lacunar infarcts with the spirometry-based indices were significant only in never smokers. The association between lung function impairment and cerebral small vessel disease did not change after further adjusting for second-hand smoke exposure. In a community-based sample of Japanese men, we found an association between reduced lung function and WMLs and lacunar infarcts in never smokers.

Randomized clinical trial comparing 5% and 1% topical minoxidil for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in Japanese men.

PubMed

Tsuboi, Ryoji; Arano, Osamu; Nishikawa, Tooru; Yamada, Hidekazu; Katsuoka, Kensei

2009-08-01

Minoxidil is efficacious in inducing hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia by inducing hair follicles to undergo transition from the early to late anagen phase. Although the efficacy of 1% topical minoxidil has been confirmed in Japan, no controlled study of 5% topical minoxidil has been conducted using male Japanese subjects. The objective of this trial was to verify the superiority in clinical efficacy of 5% topical minoxidil to 1% topical minoxidil in a double-blind controlled study with male, Japanese androgenetic alopecia patients as the subjects. The trial included 300 Japanese male patients aged 20 years or older with androgenetic alopecia who were administered either 5% topical minoxidil (n = 150) or 1% topical minoxidil (n = 150) for 24 weeks. The mean change from the baseline in non-vellus hair/cm(2), the primary efficacy variable, was 26.4 (n = 142) in the 5% topical minoxidil group and 21.2 (n = 144) in the 1% topical minoxidil group at 16 weeks, the main time point for the evaluation. The difference between the groups was significant (P = 0.020). The incidence of adverse events was 8.7% (13/150) in the 5% group and 5.3% (8/150) in the 1% group, with no significant difference between the groups (chi(2)-test: P = 0.258). Our findings confirmed the superiority of 5% topical minoxidil to 1% topical minoxidil in treating Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia.

Slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men

PubMed Central

Tamura, Yoshifumi; Kohmura, Yoshimitsu; Aoki, Kazuhiro; Kawai, Sachio; Daida, Hiroyuki

2018-01-01

Background Hypertension is developed easily in Asian adults with normal body mass index (BMI) (~23 kg/m2), compared with other ethnicities with similar BMI. This study tested the hypothesis that slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men by historical cohort study. Methods The study participants were 636 male alumni of the physical education school. They had available data on their physical examination at college age and follow-up investigation between 2007 and 2011. The participants were categorized into six categories: BMI at college age of <20.0 kg/m2, 20.0–21.0kg/m2, 21.0–22.0kg/m2, 22.0–23.0kg/m2, 23.0–24.0kg/m2, and ≥24.0kg/m2, and the incidence of hypertension was compared. Results This study covered 27-year follow-up period (interquartile range: IQR: 23–31) which included 17,059 person-years of observation. Subjects were 22 (22–22) years old at graduated college, and 49 (45–53) years old at first follow-up investigation. During the period, 120 men developed hypertension. The prevalence rates of hypertension for lowest to highest BMI categories were 9.4%, 14.6%, 16.1%, 17.5%, 30.3%, and 29.3%, respectively (p<0.001 for trend), and their hazard ratios were 1.00 (reference), 1.80 (95%CI: 0.65–4.94), 2.17 (0.83–5.64), 2.29 (0.89–5.92), 3.60 (1.37–9.47) and 4.72 (1.78–12.48), respectively (p<0.001 for trend). This trend was similar after adjustment for age, year of graduation, smoking, current exercise status and current dietary intake. Conclusion Slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men. PMID:29324821

A strong association between lipid accumulation product and diabetes mellitus in japanese women and men.

PubMed

Wakabayashi, Ichiro; Daimon, Takashi

2014-01-01

Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is a new continuous marker of lipid overaccumulation that predicts cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to determine the cutoff value for LAP and evaluate its usefulness. Using a database of results of health checkup examinations for 10,170 Japanese workers (35-40 years of age) conducted at their workplaces, the cutoff value for a high LAP was calculated by analyzing receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the relationships of LAP with hyperglycemia and diabetes. The cutoff value for LAP was 21.1 for women and 37.2 for men. The values were similar when calculated by analyzing the ROC curves for the relationships with hyperglycemia and diabetes. Using these cutoff values, the prevalence of a high LAP was calculated to be 23.7% in women and 28.8% in men. The odds ratio for diabetes in the subjects with vs. those without a high LAP, calculated after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption and regular exercise, was 19.09 (95% CI: 6.57-55.50) in women and 7.40 (95% CI: 5.10-10.75) in men. High odds ratios for hypertension (10.66 [95% CI: 7.77-14.63] in women and 7.31 [95% CI: 6.20-8.62] in men) were also obtained in the subjects with vs. those without a high LAP. Cutoff values for a high LAP in women and men were determined, and high odds ratios for diabetes and hypertension were obtained using the cutoff values for LAP. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether the proposed cutoff values are applicable to people of other ages, races and ethnicities.

Men's Family Work: Three Perspectives and Some New Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pleck, Joseph H.

1979-01-01

Three value perspectives on men's family work are evident in previous literature: traditional, exploitive, and changing role perspectives. Areas of research derived from the changing role perspective are presented. A new study indicates that men in the late 1970s are increasing family work when their wives are employed. (Author/BEF)

Work with men to end violence against women: a critical stocktake.

PubMed

Flood, Michael

2015-01-01

This paper provides a critical assessment of efforts to involve men in the prevention of men's violence against women. Although there is a substantial evidence base attesting to the effectiveness of at least some strategies and interventions, this field is also limited in important ways. Violence prevention efforts often have focused on changing men's attitudes, rather than also seeking to transform structural and institutional inequalities. While feminist and queer scholarship has explored diversities and pluralities in the organisation of sexuality, much violence prevention work often assumes a homogenously heterosexual male constituency. Too often this work is conceptually simplistic with regard to gender. Against this background, this paper contests and complicates several assumptions that are part of an emerging consensus in men's violence prevention: first, that it is in men's interests to support progress towards non-violence and gender equality; second, that the best people to engage and work with men are other men; and finally, the strengths and limitations of inviting and drawing on 'real men'. A critical assessment of the field's working assumptions is vital if it is to contribute to the future prevention of men's violence against women.

Men's Provider-Role Attitudes: Implications for Household Work and Marital Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry-Jenkins, Maureen; Crouter, Ann C.

1990-01-01

Examined spousal division of work inside and outside family home in couples (N=43) and cognitions men attach to their work and family roles. Found men's provider-role attitudes were related to their family work involvement. Found congruence of role beliefs and role behavior within home related to higher levels of marital satisfaction for men.…

Do work technique and musculoskeletal symptoms differ between men and women performing the same type of work tasks?

PubMed

Dahlberg, Raymond; Karlqvist, Lena; Bildt, Carina; Nykvist, Karin

2004-11-01

Musculoskeletal disorders are more common among women than among men. When comparing the difference between men and women in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, methodological problems arise as men and women seldom perform the same type of activities, neither at work nor at home. The main objective of this cross-sectional case study was to compare work technique and self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms between men and women performing the same type of work tasks within a metal industry. Other factors, such as leisure activities, were also taken into consideration. Three data collection methods were used; questionnaire, interviews and systematic observations. The results from the observations revealed that women worked more frequently and during longer times with their hands above shoulder height than men. Working with hands above shoulder height is considered a risk factor for neck and shoulder disorders according to previous studies. Workplace design factors were probably a reason for differences in working technique between men and women. A higher proportion of women than men reported shoulder symptoms. Women spent more time on household activities than men, which indicates a higher total workload in paid and unpaid work.

Gender difference in preference of specialty as a career choice among Japanese medical students.

PubMed

Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

2016-11-10

In Japan, the absolute deficiency of doctors and maldistribution of doctors by specialty is a significant problem in the Japanese health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to specialty preference in career choice among Japanese medical students. A total of 368 medical students completed the survey giving an 88.2 % response rate. The subjects comprised 141 women aged 21 ± 3 (range, 18-34) years and 227 men aged 22 ± 4 (range, 18-44) years. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed using specialty preferences as the criterion variable and the factors in brackets as six motivational variables (e.g., Factor 1: educational experience; Factor 2: job security; Factor 3: advice from others; Factor 4: work-life balance; Factor 5: technical and research specialty; and Factor 6: personal reasons). Women significantly preferred pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and psychology than the men. Men significantly preferred surgery and orthopedics than the women. For both genders, a high odds ratio (OR) of "technical & research specialty" and a low OR for "personal reasons" were associated with preference for surgery. "Technical & research specialty" was positively associated with preference for special internal medicine and negatively for pediatrics. "Work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for psychology and negatively for emergency medicine. Among the women only, "technical & research specialty" was negatively associated with preference for general medicine/family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, and "job security" was positively associated for general medicine/family medicine and negatively for psychology. Among men only, "educational experience" and "personal reasons" were positively, and "job security" was negatively associated with preference for pediatrics. For both genders, "work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for controllable lifestyle specialties. We

Work-life balance of female versus male surgeons in Hong Kong based on findings of a questionnaire designed by a Japanese surgeon.

PubMed

Kwong, Ava; Chau, Wai Wang; Kawase, K

2014-01-01

We evaluated the attitudes of female and male surgeons in Hong Kong to work, personal life, and work-life balance, through a questionnaire survey. We sent an online questionnaire survey designed by a female Japanese surgeon to 142 female surgeons practicing in Hong Kong, while its customized version was sent to 953 of their male counterparts. "Home life" and "Work" were the first and second priorities for both the women and the men. More of the female surgeons reported that they could not find enough time to participate in community activities (p = 0.038) or rest (p = 0.024). Both reported moderate satisfaction at work (p = 0.114) and in their life outside work (p = 0.346), as well as equality at home (p = 0.548) and at work (p = 0.177). Of the men, 89 % agreed with the necessity for granting paternity leave and reported that they would like to work part-time during the child-rearing years (p = 0.013). The number of female surgeons involved in key roles is increasing in parallel with the increasing number of female medical students. The introduction of paternity leave for male surgeons is an important concern. The issues of work-life balance may need to be addressed to attract more talent into an important specialty in Hong Kong and this is likely to apply to other parts of Asia as well.

Lifestyle characteristics assessment of Japanese in Pittsburgh, USA.

PubMed

Hirooka, Nobutaka; Takedai, Teiichi; D'Amico, Frank

2012-04-01

Lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are the greatest public health concerns. Evidence shows Japanese immigrants to a westernized environment have higher incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. However, little is known about lifestyle characteristics related to chronic diseases for Japanese in a westernized environment. This study is examining the gap in lifestyle by comparing the lifestyle prevalence for Japanese in the US with the Japanese National Data (the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, J-NHANS) as well as the Japan National Health Promotion in the twenty-first Century (HJ21) goals. Japanese adults were surveyed in Pittsburgh, USA, regarding their lifestyle (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking, stress, alcohol, and oral hygiene). The prevalence was compared with J-NHANS and HJ21 goals. Ninety-three responded (response rate; 97.9%). Japanese men (n = 38) and women (n = 55) in Pittsburgh smoke less than Japanese in Japan (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese in Pittsburgh perform less physical activity in daily life and have lower prevalence of walking more than 1 h per day (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese women in Pittsburgh have significantly higher prevalence of stress than in Japan (P = 0.004). Japanese men in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management, BMI, use of medicine or alcohol to sleep, and sleep quality. Japanese women in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management and sleep quality. In conclusion, healthy lifestyle promotion including exercise and physical activity intervention for Japanese living in a westernized environment is warranted.

Alcoholic Ketosis: Prevalence, Determinants, and Ketohepatitis in Japanese Alcoholic Men.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Akira; Yokoyama, Tetsuji; Mizukami, Takeshi; Matsui, Toshifumi; Shiraishi, Koichi; Kimura, Mitsuru; Matsushita, Sachio; Higuchi, Susumu; Maruyama, Katsuya

2014-11-01

Alcoholic ketosis and ketoacidosis are metabolic abnormalities often diagnosed in alcoholics in emergency departments. We attempted to identify determinants or factors associated with alcoholic ketosis. The subjects of this cross-sectional survey were 1588 Japanese alcoholic men (≥40 years) who came to an addiction center within 14 days of their last drink. The results of the dipstick urinalyses revealed a prevalence of ketosis of 34.0% (±, 21.5%; +, 8.9%; and 2+/3+; 3.6%) in the alcoholics. Higher urine ketone levels were associated with higher serum total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels. A multivariate analysis by the proportional odds model showed that the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for an increase in ketosis by one category was 0.94 (0.84-1.06) per 10-year increase in age, 0.93 (0.89-0.97) per 1-day increase in interval since the last drink, 1.78 (1.41-2.26) in the presence of slow-metabolizing alcohol dehydrogenase-1B (ADH1B*1/*1), 1.61 (1.10-2.36) and 1.30 (1.03-1.65) when the beverage of choice was whiskey and shochu, respectively (distilled no-carbohydrate beverages vs. the other beverages), 2.05 (1.27-3.32) in the presence of hypoglycemia <80 mg/dl, 0.91 (0.88-0.94) per 1-kg/m(2) increase in body mass index (BMI), 1.09 (1.00-1.18) per +10 cigarettes smoked, and 2.78 (2.05-3.75) when the serum total bilirubin level was ≥2.0 mg/dl, and 1.97 (1.47-2.66) when the serum AST level was ≥200 IU/l. Ketosis was a very common complication and frequently accompanied by alcoholic liver injury in our Japanese male alcoholic population, in which ADH1B*1/*1 genotype, consumption of whiskey or shochu, hypoglycemia, lower BMI and smoking were significant determinants of the development of ketosis. © The Author 2014. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Work with men to end violence against women: a critical stocktake

PubMed Central

Flood, Michael

2015-01-01

This paper provides a critical assessment of efforts to involve men in the prevention of men's violence against women. Although there is a substantial evidence base attesting to the effectiveness of at least some strategies and interventions, this field is also limited in important ways. Violence prevention efforts often have focused on changing men's attitudes, rather than also seeking to transform structural and institutional inequalities. While feminist and queer scholarship has explored diversities and pluralities in the organisation of sexuality, much violence prevention work often assumes a homogenously heterosexual male constituency. Too often this work is conceptually simplistic with regard to gender. Against this background, this paper contests and complicates several assumptions that are part of an emerging consensus in men's violence prevention: first, that it is in men's interests to support progress towards non-violence and gender equality; second, that the best people to engage and work with men are other men; and finally, the strengths and limitations of inviting and drawing on ‘real men’. A critical assessment of the field's working assumptions is vital if it is to contribute to the future prevention of men's violence against women. PMID:26414870

Work-related Stress, Caregiver Role, and Depressive Symptoms among Japanese Workers

PubMed Central

Honda, Ayumi; Date, Yutaka; Abe, Yasuyo; Aoyagi, Kiyoshi; Honda, Sumihisa

2013-01-01

Background In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. Methods We studied 722 men and women aged 18–83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. Results The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). Conclusion The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees' job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace. PMID:24932413

Work-related Stress, Caregiver Role, and Depressive Symptoms among Japanese Workers.

PubMed

Honda, Ayumi; Date, Yutaka; Abe, Yasuyo; Aoyagi, Kiyoshi; Honda, Sumihisa

2014-03-01

In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees' job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace.

Alcohol consumption and mortality from aortic disease among Japanese men: The Japan Collaborative Cohort study.

PubMed

Shirakawa, Toru; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Yatsuya, Hiroshi; Tanabe, Naohito; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Iso, Hiroyasu

2017-11-01

Only a few population-based prospective studies have examined the association between alcohol consumption and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and the results are inconsistent. Moreover, no evidence exists for aortic dissection. We examined the effect of alcohol consumption on risk of mortality from aortic diseases. A total of 34,720 men from the Japan Collaborative Cohort study, aged 40-79 years, without history of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline 1988 and 1990 were followed up until the end of 2009 for their mortality and its underlying cause. Hazard ratios of mortality from aortic diseases were estimated according to alcohol consumption categories of never-drinkers, ex-drinkers, regular drinkers of ≤30 g, and >30 g ethanol per day. During the median 17.9-year follow-up period, 45 men died of aortic dissection and 41 men died of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Light to moderate drinkers of ≤30 g ethanol per day had lower risk of mortality from total aortic disease and aortic dissection compared to never-drinkers. The respective multivariable hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.46 (0.28-0.76) for total aortic disease and 0.16 (0.05-0.50) for aortic dissection. Heavy drinkers of >30 g ethanol per day did not have reduced risk of mortality from total aortic disease, albeit had risk variation between aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with reduced mortality from aortic disease among Japanese men. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Body weight change and fluctuation effects on coronary risk factors in the Japanese middle aged men].

PubMed

Lee, J S; Kawakubo, K; Miyamoto, K; Sasaki, M

1999-05-01

Body weight change (gain or loss) and fluctuation have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death from all causes. In this study, to determinate the effects of weight change and fluctuation on coronary risk factors (CRF) in Japanese, 242 middle-aged men aged 35-58 years, white-collar workers in Tokyo, were followed for 6-years (1990-1995). Height body weight, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), high (HDL-C) and low (LDL-C) density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured each year at an annual health check-up. Over the 6 time periods, body mass index (BMI: body weight (kg) divided by the squared of the height (m)) mean was calculated as a value for the variable BMI level of each subject (BMImean). Direction and magnitude of the change in a subject's BMI was determined by regression of 6 BMI value on time for each individual slope (BMIslope). BMI fluctuation was defined as the root mean square error (BMIRMSE) of a regression line fitted to each individual's BMI value over time. The slopes of the 7 CRF were calculated using each regression equation over time. The CRF slopes were most strongly related to the baseline value of each risk factor, BMImean and BMIslope. BMIRMSE was not related to CRF slopes. In this population, BMI fluctuation had little impact on CRF compared with BMIslope and BMImean. This study results indicate that weight gain and loss has a much greater effect on CRF than does weight fluctuation in Japanese middle-aged men.

Workplace characteristics and work disability onset for men and women.

PubMed

Crimmins, Eileen M; Hayward, Mark D

2004-01-01

This paper investigates the association between job characteristics and work disability among men and women in older working ages in the United States. We examine whether the association persists when controlling for major chronic disease experience. We also address whether job characteristics are ultimately associated with the receipt of disability benefits. Data are from the Health and Retirement Survey and are nationally representative of noninstitutionalized persons 51-61 in 1992. Disability onset is estimated using a hazard modeling approach for those working at wave 1 (N = 5,999). A logistic regression analysis of disability benefits is based on a risk set of 525 persons who become work-disabled before the second interview. Women's disability onset and health problems appear less related to job characteristics than men's. For men, work disability is associated with stressful jobs, lack of job control, and environmentally hazardous conditions but is not associated with physical demands. Participation in disability benefit programs among those with work disability is unrelated to most job characteristics or health conditions. Understanding of the differing process to work disability for men and women and the relationship between work and health by gender is important for current policy development.

"Arubaito," or Short-Term Working Abroad in Japan: A Case Study of Brazilian University Students of Japanese Descent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasaki, Lindsey

2012-01-01

International migration between Japan and Brazil dates back to 1908, when the first group of Japanese migrated to Brazil. However, in the 1980s, a reverse flow occurred, as thousands of Brazilians of Japanese descent traveled to Japan to work in manufacturing and construction factories ("dekasegi" workers). Japanese Brazilians up until…

Fasting and non-fasting triglycerides and risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease in Japanese men and women: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

PubMed

Iso, Hiroyasu; Imano, Hironori; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Ohira, Tetsuya; Cui, Renzhe; Noda, Hiroyuki; Sato, Shinichi; Kiyama, Masahiko; Okada, Takeo; Hitsumoto, Shinichi; Tanigawa, Takeshi; Kitamura, Akihiko

2014-11-01

Non-fasting triglycerides were reported to have a greater impact on risk of ischemic cardiovascular events than fasting triglycerides. However, evidence from Asia, where the prevalence of dyslipidemia is generally lower, has been limited. We used 1975-1986 baseline surveys to investigate cohort data of 10,659 (4264 men and 6395 women) residents aged 40-69 years, initially free from ischemic heart disease and stroke, in four Japanese communities. Serum triglyceride concentrations at baseline were obtained for 2424 fasting (≥8 h after meal) and 8235 non-fasting (<8 h after meal) participants. During the 22-year follow-up, 284 (165 men and 119 women) developed ischemic heart disease and 666 (349 men and 317 women) ischemic stroke. After adjustment for age, sex and known cardiovascular risk factors, multivariable hazard ratios (95%CI) of ischemic cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke) for the highest versus lowest quartiles of triglycerides were 1.71 (1.14-2.59), P for trend = 0.013, for fasting participants and 1.60 (1.25-2.05), P for trend <0.001, for non-fasting participants. The positive associations did not differ between fasting and non-fasting men, while they were strong for non-fasting women. They were stronger for ischemic heart disease than for ischemic stroke. After further adjustment for HDL-cholesterol, these associations were slightly attenuated, but remained statistically significant. Non-fasting as well as fasting triglycerides are predictive of risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease for Japanese men, as are non-fasting triglycerides for women. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Aging-related arterial-cardiac interaction in Japanese men.

PubMed

Maruyama, Yoshiaki

2009-11-01

Vascular and cardiac aging is rapidly progressing among the Japanese population. A close relation exists between the artery and cardiac performance (arterial-cardiac interaction), but the relationships between age and these parameters have not been well examined. The aim of this study was to elucidate the changes of arterial-cardiac interaction with aging, using pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an indicator of atherosclerosis. The subjects comprised 595 adult men (mean age, 58.8 +/- 12.2 years) without any history of cardiovascular disease. After correlating PWV, cardiac structure, cardiac function, and blood pressure to age, subjects were divided into five age groups to compare changes in these parameters. Pulse wave velocity exhibited a strong positive correlation with age (r = 0.461, P < 0.01) and increased significantly over 55 years old, and left atrial dimension, relative wall thickness, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure correlated positively with age and increased similarly. Left ventricular volume correlated negatively with age and decreased similarly. These parameters significantly correlated with PWV. Aortic diameter (AoD) positively and EA ratio (E/A) negatively exhibited a correlation with age and revealed earlier change before PWV increase. Aortic diameter increased significantly over 45 years old and stayed flat, but E/A decreased linearly from the early period. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased in the early period and decreased over 75 years of age. Agerelated atherosclerotic close arterial-cardiac interaction exists between the vessels and cardiac performance, but AoD, E/A, and DBP change in early age independent of atherosclerosis.

Validity and reproducibility of self-reported working hours among Japanese male employees.

PubMed

Imai, Teppei; Kuwahara, Keisuke; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Okazaki, Hiroko; Nishihara, Akiko; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Dohi, Seitaro

2016-07-22

Working long hours is a potential health hazard. Although self-reporting of working hours in various time frames has been used in epidemiologic studies, its validity is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the validity and reproducibility of self-reported working hours among Japanese male employees. The participants were 164 male employees of four large-scale companies in Japan. For validity, the Spearman correlation between self-reported working hours in the second survey and the working hours recorded by the company was calculated for the following four time frames: daily working hours, monthly overtime working hours in the last month, average overtime working hours in the last 3 months, and the frequency of long working months (≥45 h/month) within the last 12 months. For reproducibility, the intraclass correlation between the first (September 2013) and second surveys (December 2013) was calculated for each of the four time frames. The Spearman correlations between self-reported working hours and those based on company records were 0.74, 0.81, 0.85, and 0.89 for daily, monthly, 3-monthly, and yearly time periods, respectively. The intraclass correlations for self-reported working hours between the two questionnaire surveys were 0.63, 0.66, 0.73, and 0.87 for the respective time frames. The results of the present study among Japanese male employees suggest that the validity of self-reported working hours is high for all four time frames, whereas the reproducibility is moderate to high.

Do Men and Women Perform Academic Work Differently?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González Ramos, Ana M.; Fernández Palacín, Fernando; Muñoz Márquez, Manuel

2015-01-01

Why is the gender gap so large in researchers' career progression? Do men and women have different priorities in their academic careers? This study explores men's and women's academic work to shed light on the strategies of male and female researchers. The online survey collected data on Andalusian researchers to determine possible differences in…

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis associated with hematological disorders: A report of two cases and review of Japanese literature.

PubMed

Takamura, Saori; Teraki, Yuichi

2016-04-01

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) occurs in patients with hematological disorders. However, clinical information about hematological disorder-associated EPF is scarce. We report two cases of EPF associated with mantle cell lymphoma and reviewed the available published work on Japanese cases. We identified a total of 23 Japanese cases, including the two cases reported here, who had hematological disorder-associated EPF. Fourteen cases were associated with treatment for hematological malignancies (transplantation-related EPF) and nine cases were associated with hematological malignancies themselves (hematological malignancy-related EPF). Although the skin eruption was clinically indistinguishable between the two subtypes, transplantation-related EPF occurred on the face and trunk of young and middle-aged men and women, whereas hematological malignancy-related EPF occurred mostly on the face of older men. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was more frequently observed in transplantation-related EPF. These observations suggest variations among patients with EPF associated with hematological disorders. © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

The decline in BMI among Japanese women after World War II.

PubMed

Maruyama, Shiko; Nakamura, Sayaka

2015-07-01

The body mass index (BMI) of the Japanese is significantly lower than is found in other high-income countries. Moreover, the average BMI of Japanese women is lower than that of Japanese men, and the age-specific BMI of Japanese women has decreased over time. The average BMI of Japanese women at age 25 decreased from 21.8 in 1948 to 20.4 in 2010 whereas that of men increased from 21.4 to 22.3 over the same period. We examine the long-term BMI trend in Japan by combining several historical data sources spanning eleven decades, from 1901 to 2012, to determine not only when but also how the BMI decline among women began: whether its inception was period-specific or cohort-specific. Our nonparametric regression analysis generated five findings. First, the BMI of Japanese women peaked with the 1930s birth cohort. This means that the trend is cohort-specific. Second, the BMI of men outpaced that of women in the next cohort. Third, the BMI of Japanese children, boys and girls alike, increased steadily throughout the 20th century. Fourth, the gender difference in the BMI trend is due to a gender difference in the weight trend, not the height trend. Fifth, these BMI trends are observed in urban and rural populations alike. We conclude that the BMI decline among Japanese women began with those who were in their late teens shortly after World War II. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of Coronary Artery Calcification with Estimated Coronary Heart Disease Risk from Prediction Models in a Community-Based Sample of Japanese Men: The Shiga Epidemiological Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis (SESSA).

PubMed

Fujiyoshi, Akira; Arima, Hisatomi; Tanaka-Mizuno, Sachiko; Hisamatsu, Takahashi; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Kadota, Aya; Zaid, Maryam; Sekikawa, Akira; Yamamoto, Takashi; Horie, Minoru; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2017-12-05

The clinical significance of coronary artery calcification (CAC) is not fully determined in general East Asian populations where background coronary heart disease (CHD) is less common than in USA/Western countries. We cross-sectionally assessed the association between CAC and estimated CHD risk as well as each major risk factor in general Japanese men. Participants were 996 randomly selected Japanese men aged 40-79 y, free of stroke, myocardial infarction, or revascularization. We examined an independent relationship between each risk factor used in prediction models and CAC score ≥100 by logistic regression. We then divided the participants into quintiles of estimated CHD risk per prediction model to calculate odds ratio of having CAC score ≥100. Receiver operating characteristic curve and c-index were used to examine discriminative ability of prevalent CAC for each prediction model. Age, smoking status, and systolic blood pressure were significantly associated with CAC score ≥100 in the multivariable analysis. The odds of having CAC score ≥100 were higher for those in higher quintiles in all prediction models (p-values for trend across quintiles ＜0.0001 for all models). All prediction models showed fair and similar discriminative abilities to detect CAC score ≥100, with similar c-statistics (around 0.70). In a community-based sample of Japanese men free of CHD and stroke, CAC score ≥100 was significantly associated with higher estimated CHD risk by prediction models. This finding supports the potential utility of CAC as a biomarker for CHD in a general Japanese male population.

Significant inverse association of equol-producer status with coronary artery calcification but not dietary isoflavones in healthy Japanese men.

PubMed

Ahuja, Vasudha; Miura, Katsuyuki; Vishnu, Abhishek; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Evans, Rhobert; Zaid, Maryam; Miyagawa, Naoko; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Kadota, Aya; Okamura, Tomonori; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Sekikawa, Akira

2017-01-01

Equol, a metabolite of the dietary isoflavone daidzein, is produced by the action of gut bacteria in some individuals who are termed as equol-producers. It is proposed to have stronger atheroprotective properties than dietary isoflavones. We examined a cross-sectional association of dietary isoflavones and equol-producer status with coronary artery calcification (CAC), a biomarker of coronary atherosclerosis, among men in Japan. A population-based sample of 272 Japanese men aged 40-49 years recruited from 2004 to 2007 was examined for serum isoflavones, serum equol, CAC and other factors. Equol-producers were classified as individuals having a serum level of equol >83 nm. The presence of CAC was defined as a coronary Ca score ≥10 Agatston units. The associations of dietary isoflavones and equol-producers with CAC were analysed using multiple logistic regression. The median of dietary isoflavones, equol and CAC were 512·7 (interquartile range (IQR) 194·1, 1170·0), 9·1 (IQR 0·10, 33·1) and 0·0 (IQR 0·0, 1·0) nm, respectively. Prevalence of CAC and equol-producers was 9·6 and 16·0 %, respectively. Dietary isoflavones were not significantly associated with CAC. After multivariable adjustment, the OR for the presence of CAC in equol-producers compared with equol non-producers was 0·10 (95 % CI 0·01, 0·90, P<0·04). Equol-producers had significantly lower CAC than equol non-producers, but there was no significant association between dietary isoflavones and CAC, suggesting that equol may be a key factor for atheroprotective properties of isoflavones in Japanese men. This finding must be confirmed in larger studies or clinical trials of equol that is now available as a dietary supplement.

Validity and reproducibility of self-reported working hours among Japanese male employees

PubMed Central

Imai, Teppei; Kuwahara, Keisuke; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Okazaki, Hiroko; Nishihara, Akiko; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Dohi, Seitaro

2016-01-01

Objective: Working long hours is a potential health hazard. Although self-reporting of working hours in various time frames has been used in epidemiologic studies, its validity is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the validity and reproducibility of self-reported working hours among Japanese male employees. Methods: The participants were 164 male employees of four large-scale companies in Japan. For validity, the Spearman correlation between self-reported working hours in the second survey and the working hours recorded by the company was calculated for the following four time frames: daily working hours, monthly overtime working hours in the last month, average overtime working hours in the last 3 months, and the frequency of long working months (≥45 h/month) within the last 12 months. For reproducibility, the intraclass correlation between the first (September 2013) and second surveys (December 2013) was calculated for each of the four time frames. Results: The Spearman correlations between self-reported working hours and those based on company records were 0.74, 0.81, 0.85, and 0.89 for daily, monthly, 3-monthly, and yearly time periods, respectively. The intraclass correlations for self-reported working hours between the two questionnaire surveys were 0.63, 0.66, 0.73, and 0.87 for the respective time frames. Conclusions: The results of the present study among Japanese male employees suggest that the validity of self-reported working hours is high for all four time frames, whereas the reproducibility is moderate to high. PMID:27265530

Effect of Wave Reflection and Arterial Stiffness on the Risk of Development of Hypertension in Japanese Men.

PubMed

Tomiyama, Hirofumi; Komatsu, Shunsuke; Shiina, Kazuki; Matsumoto, Chisa; Kimura, Kazutaka; Fujii, Masatsune; Takahashi, Lisa; Chikamori, Taishiro; Yamashina, Akira

2018-05-08

We conducted analyses of repeated-measures data to examine whether pressure wave reflection acts additively or synergistically with arterial stiffness in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In 3172 middle-aged (42±9 years) healthy Japanese men without hypertension at the study baseline, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, and radial augmentation index were measured annually during a 9-year study period. Of these, 474 participants (15%) developed hypertension by the end of the study period. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated significant individual odds ratios for both baseline brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and radial augmentation index for the development of hypertension. The rate of onset of hypertension during the study period was highest in the participant group with high values for both brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and radial augmentation index at study baseline (262 of 965 participants: 27%). The generalized estimating equation analysis revealed that both radial augmentation index (estimate=0.06, SE=0.03, P =0.05) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (estimate=0.07×10 -1 , SE=0.02×10 -1 , P <0.01) showed significant longitudinal association with new onset of hypertension, with no significant interaction. In Japanese men, abnormal wave reflection and increased arterial stiffness may be additively associated with the risk of new onset of hypertension. Abnormal wave reflection and elevated central blood pressure may be longitudinally associated with increase in arterial stiffness, and this longitudinal association may be a mechanism underlying the additive effect of these 2 variables on the risk of new onset of hypertension. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Contingent self-esteem, stressors and burnout in working women and men.

PubMed

Blom, Victoria

2012-01-01

A high work involvement is considered central in the burnout process. Yet, research investigating how high work involvement and psychosocial stressors relate to burnout is scarce. High involvement in terms of performance-based self-esteem (PBSE) refers to individuals' strivings to validate self-worth by achievements, a disposition linked to poor health. The aim of the present study was to examine longitudinally PBSE in relation to burnout while also taking into account work- and private life stressors. The sample consisted of 2121 working women and men. Main- and mediation effects were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed performance-based self-esteem mediated partially between the stressors and burnout. Performance-based self-esteem was the strongest predictor of burnout over time, followed by private life stressors. Women experienced more work stress than did men. Men had stronger associations between work stressors and burnout, while women had stronger associations between performance-based self-esteem and burnout. Individual characteristics along with both private life and work stressors are important predictors of burnout. Factors associated with burnout differ somewhat between women and men.

Relationship between bone turnover markers and the heel stiffness index measured by quantitative ultrasound in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men

PubMed Central

Nishimura, Takayuki; Arima, Kazuhiko; Abe, Yasuyo; Kanagae, Mitsuo; Mizukami, Satoshi; Okabe, Takuhiro; Tomita, Yoshihito; Goto, Hisashi; Horiguchi, Itsuko; Aoyagi, Kiyoshi

2018-01-01

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the age-related patterns and the relationships between serum levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) or bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and the heel stiffness index measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in 429 Japanese men, with special emphasis on 2 age groups (40–59 years and 60 years or over). The heel stiffness index (bone mass) was measured by QUS. Serum samples were collected, and TRACP-5b and BAP levels were measured. The stiffness index was significantly decreased with age. Log (TRACP-5b) was significantly increased with age, but Log (BAP) was stable. Generalized linear models showed that higher levels of Log (TRACP-5b) and Log (BAP) were correlated with a lower stiffness index after adjusting for covariates in men aged 60 years or over, but not in men aged 40 to 59 years. In conclusion, higher rates of bone turnover markers were associated with a lower stiffness index only in elderly men. These results may indicate a different mechanism of low bone mass among different age groups of men. PMID:29465590

Working beyond 65: predictors of late retirement for women and men MBAs.

PubMed

Frieze, Irene Hanson; Olson, Josephine E; Murrell, Audrey J

2011-01-01

Comparisons of those who planned to continue working after the age of 65 with those who did not were made for 145 women and 414 men working in managerial fields. All received MBA degrees between the years of 1973 and 1982. About 20% definitely wanted to work after age 65. More positive views of work were predictive of wanting to continue working as was having nontraditional gender-role attitudes. Men who planned to continue working were particularly likely to have a spouse wanting to work past the age of 65. Several other factors appeared to operate differently for women and men.

NADH Dehydrogenase Subunit-2 237 Leu/Met Polymorphism Modulates the Effects of Coffee Consumption on the Risk of Hypertension in Middle-Aged Japanese Men

PubMed Central

Kokaze, Akatsuki; Ishikawa, Mamoru; Matsunaga, Naomi; Karita, Kanae; Yoshida, Masao; Ohtsu, Tadahiro; Shirasawa, Takako; Sekii, Hideaki; Ito, Taku; Kawamoto, Teruyoshi; Takashima, Yutaka

2009-01-01

Background Habitual coffee consumption has been reported to lower blood pressure in the Japanese population. The NADH dehydrogenase subunit-2 237 leucine/methionine (ND2-237 Leu/Met) polymorphism is associated with longevity and modifies the effects of alcohol consumption on blood pressure in the Japanese population. The objective of this study was to determine whether this polymorphism also modifies the effects of coffee consumption on blood pressure or the risk of hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men. Methods A total of 398 men (mean age ± standard deviation, 53.8 ± 7.8 years) were selected from among individuals visiting the hospital for regular medical check-ups. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg, or antihypertensive drug treatment. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism using the restriction enzyme AluI was performed to determine ND2-237 Leu/Met genotype. Results In subjects with ND2-237Leu, coffee consumption was significantly and negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.007). The odds ratio (OR) for hypertension was significantly lower in subjects with ND2-237Leu who consumed 2 or 3 cups of coffee per day than in those who consumed less than 1 cup of coffee per day (OR, 0.517; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.276 to 0.968; P = 0.039). After adjustment, the OR remained significant (OR = 0.399; 95% CI, 0.184 to 0.869; P = 0.020). Moreover, after adjustment, the OR was significantly lower in subjects with ND2-237Leu who consumed more than 4 cups of coffee per day than in those who consumed less than 1 cup of coffee per day (OR, 0.246; 95% CI, 0.062 to 0.975; P = 0.046). However, the association between ND2-237Met genotype and hypertension did not depend on coffee consumption. Conclusions The present results suggest that the ND2-237 Leu/Met polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on hypertension risk in middle-aged Japanese

Factors of importance for maintaining work as perceived by men with arthritis.

PubMed

Österholm, Johannes Hjalmarsson; Björk, Mathilda; Håkansson, Carita

2013-01-01

Employment rates are significantly lower among individuals with arthritis compared to a general population. There is, however, limited research about how men with arthritis perceive their ability to maintain working. The aim of this study was thus to explore their perception of this. Nine employed men with arthritis were purposively sampled. Interviews were performed and were informed by the central concepts of the Model of Human Occupation. The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological method was modified and used to analyze and interpret collected data. The findings showed that men with arthritis perceived a desire to work, adjusted their activity pattern, were aware of their own capabilities, had good work conditions, had environmental support and used effective medication to maintain their ability to work. The findings suggest that health care professionals can help men with arthritis to find strategies and a balance between recreation and work. Ultimately, this knowledge could guide health care professionals to target men needing interventions to prevent sick leave.

Contribution of hair density and hair diameter to the appearance and progression of androgenetic alopecia in Japanese men.

PubMed

Ishino, A; Takahashi, T; Suzuki, J; Nakazawa, Y; Iwabuchi, T; Tajima, M

2014-11-01

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of baldness in men. The balding process is associated with the gradual miniaturization of hair follicles and successive hair loss. However, the relative contributions of hair density and diameter to AGA are still unclear. Hair density and hair diameter were investigated in Japanese men with or without AGA to elucidate the importance of these factors in the balding process. Male Japanese subjects with or without AGA (n = 369) were included in this study. Hair appearance at the vertex was evaluated by comparison with a series of standard photographs. Hair density was measured using a phototrichogram-based videomicroscopy technique, and hair diameter was assessed by comparison with a series of calibrated threads on the phototrichogram image. All subjects with AGA were ≥ 25 years of age. The mean percentage of thick hairs (> 80 μm) in all subjects with AGA was significantly lower than that in subjects without AGA aged ≥ 25 years (P < 0·01), but the mean percentage of vellus hairs (< 40 μm) in subjects with AGA was significantly higher (P < 0·001). By contrast, the mean density of the hair in all patients with AGA did not significantly differ from the density of those without AGA aged ≥ 25 years. However, the mean density of the hair in subjects without AGA aged < 25 years was significantly higher than that of both subjects without AGA aged ≥ 25 years (P < 0·001) and all subjects with AGA. Hair loss in men with AGA results mainly from the miniaturization of hair follicles rather than the loss of hair (shedding), at least for individuals who are ≥ 25 years of age and present with AGA. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

Short-term intake of a Japanese-style healthy lunch menu contributes to prevention and/or improvement in metabolic syndrome among middle-aged men: a non-randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Metabolic syndrome is now widely appreciated as a cluster of metabolic abnormalities such as visceral obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. To date, incidence of metabolic syndrome is continuously increasing worldwide. In addition, low vegetable consumption has recently become a serious issue in Japan. Furthermore, Japan is facing a shortfall in places offering food that can help prevent metabolic syndrome in the first place. Our study is designed to influence these developments. We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial by offering a Japanese-style healthy lunch menu to middle-aged men in a workplace cafeteria. This menu was designed to prevent and reduce metabolic syndrome. Methods This intervention study took the form of a non-randomized controlled trial. Participants chose the control or intervention group. The control group consumed their habitual lunches without restriction and only nutrient contents were assessed. The intervention group received a Japanese-style healthy lunch at a workplace cafeteria for 3 months. The participants worked in offices at a city hall and mostly had low levels of physical activity. Data of 35 males (control group: 7 males, intervention group: 28 males, mean age: 47.2 ± 7.9 years) were collected and analyzed. Results We obtained an effective outcome by demonstrating that ongoing intake of a Japanese-style healthy lunch decreased blood pressure and serum lipids and increased plasma ghrelin levels. The results grew more pronounced as intake of Japanese-style healthy lunches increased in frequency. Conclusions This study presents new empirical data as a result of an original intervention program undertaken in Japan. A Japanese-style healthy lunch menu containing many vegetables consumed can help prevent and/or improve metabolic syndrome. PMID:24673894

Lower serum endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end product level as a risk factor of metabolic syndrome among Japanese adult men: a 2-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Momma, Haruki; Niu, Kaijun; Kobayashi, Yoritoshi; Huang, Cong; Chujo, Masahiko; Otomo, Atsushi; Tadaura, Hiroko; Miyata, Toshio; Nagatomi, Ryoichi

2014-02-01

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) activation by its ligands is implicated in obesity-related metabolic disease and accelerated atherothrombosis. Circulating soluble (sRAGE) and/or endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE) may counteract the detrimental effects of RAGE. This study aimed at determining the relationship between circulating RAGE and metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence among Japanese adult men. This 2-year longitudinal study included 426 Japanese men aged 30-83 years who had no MetS at baseline. Serum esRAGE and sRAGE were assayed by ELISA at baseline. Incident metabolic syndrome, defined according to the Asian cutoff based on the 2009 criteria of the American Heart Association Scientific Statements, was evaluated after the 2-year follow-up. During the follow-up period, 55 participants (12.9%) had newly diagnosed MetS. In the multiple logistic models comparing MetS risk in the lowest with that in the highest tertile of baseline esRAGE, a high serum esRAGE level was found to be significantly associated with a low risk of MetS [odds ratios (95% confidence interval), 0.37 (0.14-0.95); P for trend = 0.038] after adjusting for lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and MetS components at baseline. Although sRAGE and esRAGE were strongly correlated (r(s) = 0.88), the sRAGE level was not associated with MetS incidence. A high circulating esRAGE level, but not sRAGE level, was associated with a low MetS incidence among Japanese adult men.

Workplace incivility in Japan: Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale.

PubMed

Tsuno, Kanami; Kawakami, Norito; Shimazu, Akihito; Shimada, Kyoko; Inoue, Akiomi; P Leiter, Michael

2017-05-25

Although incivility is a common interpersonal mistreatment and associated with poor mental health, there are few studies about it in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale (J-MWIS), investigate its reliability and validity, and reveal the prevalence of incivility among Japanese employees in comparison with data on Canadian employees. A total of 2,191 Japanese and 1,071 Canadian employees were surveyed, using either the J-MWIS or MWIS. Japanese employees additionally answered questions on civility, worksite social support, workplace bullying, psychological distress, intention to leave, and work engagement to investigate construct validity. At least one form of workplace incivility was experienced by both Japanese (52.3%) and Canadian (86.0%) employees in the previous month. Internal consistency reliability of the J-MWIS was acceptable (α=0.71-0.81), and correlation analyses also confirmed its construct validity as expected. Workplace incivility was associated with lower workgroup civility, lower supervisor and coworker support, higher workplace bullying, higher psychological distress, higher intention to leave, and lower work engagement. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original three-factor model (supervisor incivility, coworker incivility, and instigated incivility) fitted moderately in both Japan and Canada data, though the privacy/overfamiliarity factor was additionally extracted from exploratory factor analysis for the J-MWIS. The results of this study suggested that the J-MWIS has moderate internal consistency reliability and good construct validity.

Workplace incivility in Japan: Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale

PubMed Central

Tsuno, Kanami; Kawakami, Norito; Shimazu, Akihito; Shimada, Kyoko; Inoue, Akiomi; P. Leiter, Michael

2017-01-01

Objectives: Although incivility is a common interpersonal mistreatment and associated with poor mental health, there are few studies about it in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale (J-MWIS), investigate its reliability and validity, and reveal the prevalence of incivility among Japanese employees in comparison with data on Canadian employees. Methods: A total of 2,191 Japanese and 1,071 Canadian employees were surveyed, using either the J-MWIS or MWIS. Japanese employees additionally answered questions on civility, worksite social support, workplace bullying, psychological distress, intention to leave, and work engagement to investigate construct validity. Results: At least one form of workplace incivility was experienced by both Japanese (52.3%) and Canadian (86.0%) employees in the previous month. Internal consistency reliability of the J-MWIS was acceptable (α=0.71-0.81), and correlation analyses also confirmed its construct validity as expected. Workplace incivility was associated with lower workgroup civility, lower supervisor and coworker support, higher workplace bullying, higher psychological distress, higher intention to leave, and lower work engagement. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original three-factor model (supervisor incivility, coworker incivility, and instigated incivility) fitted moderately in both Japan and Canada data, though the privacy/overfamiliarity factor was additionally extracted from exploratory factor analysis for the J-MWIS. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested that the J-MWIS has moderate internal consistency reliability and good construct validity. PMID:28302927

Social support and suicide in Japanese men and women - the Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-based prospective study.

PubMed

Poudel-Tandukar, Kalpana; Nanri, Akiko; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Matsushita, Yumi; Takahashi, Yoshihiko; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2011-12-01

Although the important role of social support in mental health is acknowledged, no prospective study has yet examined the relation of social support to suicide. Here, we investigated the association between social support and suicide in a cohort of Japanese men and women. A total of 26,672 men and 29,865 women aged 40-69 years enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study in 1993-1994 completed a self-administered questionnaire which included four items of social support, and were followed for death through December 2005. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of suicidal death by social support index were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. A total of 180 suicidal deaths were recorded during an average of 12 years' follow-up. Men and women with the highest level of social support had a significantly decreased risk of suicide, with HRs (95% CI) for the highest versus lowest social support group of 0.56 (0.33-0.94) and 0.38 (0.16-0.89) in men and women, respectively. Esteem support and having four or more friends were associated with a lower risk of suicide in women [0.32 (0.13-0.77)] and in both sexes [men: 0.56 (0.36-0.88); women: 0.65 (0.32-1.30)], respectively, whereas confident support was not. These findings suggest that social support may be important for suicide prevention. Avoiding social isolation may decrease the incidence of suicide in men and women, and esteem support can provide additional benefit for women. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What men and women value at work: implications for workplace health.

PubMed

Peterson, Michael

2004-12-01

Current research suggests that workplace culture can influence health outcomes. This study was conducted to determine what men and women value at work, how each defines a healthy workplace, and what work factors best predict their health outcomes and stress. A national study was conducted by LLuminari, Inc., a health education company, via a Harris Interactive Inc. online panel that screened for US participants who were employed full-time in organizations with >1000 employees. The online questionnaire used stimulus words/phrases to which respondents verbally free-associated. Each verbatim response was given a weighted score based on the order in which it was written, then thermatically clustered with similar responses to form categories for each stimulus item. A total of 1123 individuals participated in the study (608 males, 515 females). Results indicated that men and women value the same aspects of work but ranked them differently. Men valued pay, money, and benefits, as well as power, authority, and status significantly more than women did (P < 0.001). Women valued the following significantly more than men did: friends and relationships (P < 0.05); recognition and respect (P < 0.001); communication (P < 0.001); fairness and equity (P < 0.001); teams and collaboration (P < 0.001); family and home (P < 0.001). The results also indicated that men underestimate and are generally unaware of women's work-related values (P < 0.05). In comparison, women overestimate how men value pay, money, and benefits, and power, authority, and status (P < 0.05). Although little difference was observed in health status between the sexes, women did report being slightly more distressed at work. Findings also suggested that the cultural and environmental aspects of work best predicted women's health outcomes; for men, health outcomes were related to supervision and management factors. The health of both sexes was significantly predicted by their perceived home life (P < 0.001). Men and

Alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese: a systematic review.

PubMed

Seike, Nobuko; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Kadowaki, Takashi

2008-01-01

To evaluate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk for type 2 diabetes (DM) in Japanese. We searched the MEDLINE data base with the key words 'alcohol intake' (or 'alcohol consumption') and 'Japanese' cross-linked with 'diabetes mellitus' (or 'impaired glucose tolerance'). The reports we sought were restricted to prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Computerized and hand searches were conducted in June 2007. Seven prospective cohort studies were adopted. We previously reported that in lean Japanese men (BMI < or =22.0 kg/m2), moderate to heavy alcohol intake is a risk factor for diabetes. One study found heavy alcohol intake to be associated with an increased risk in low-BMI men while moderate alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk in higher-BMI men. Another study suggested daily alcohol consumption to be a risk factor in low-BMI participants, while being protective in middle-BMI participants. Yet another study demonstrated a U-shaped association between alcohol consumption and the risk of diabetes in men. Three other studies, which did not divide the subjects in terms of BMI values, indicated alcohol intake to be an increased risk for diabetes, two being in men and one being in women, respectively. For a large number of Japanese men who have relatively low BMI, alcohol intake is an established risk factor for diabetes.

Marital satisfaction, recovery from work, and diurnal cortisol among men and women.

PubMed

Saxbe, Darby E; Repetti, Rena L; Nishina, Adrienne

2008-01-01

Multilevel modeling was used to model relationships between salivary cortisol, daily diary ratings of work experiences, and Marital Adjustment Test scores (Locke & Wallace, 1959), in a sample of 60 adults who sampled saliva 4 times per day over 3 days. Among women but not men, marital satisfaction was significantly associated with a stronger basal cortisol cycle, with higher morning values and a steeper decline across the day. For women but not men, marital satisfaction moderated the within-subjects association between afternoon and evening cortisol level, such that marital quality appeared to bolster women's physiological recovery from work. For both men and women, evening cortisol was lower than usual on higher-workload days, and marital satisfaction augmented this association among women. Men showed higher evening cortisol after more distressing social experiences at work, an association that was strongest among men with higher marital satisfaction. This work has implications for the study of physiological recovery from work, and also suggests a pathway by which marital satisfaction influences allostatic load and physical health.

Identification of Novel Recombinant Forms of Hepatitis B Virus Generated from Genotypes Ae and G in HIV-1-Positive Japanese Men Who Have Sex with Men.

PubMed

Kojima, Yoko; Kawahata, Takuya; Mori, Haruyo; Furubayashi, Keiichi; Taniguchi, Yasushi; Itoda, Ichiro; Komano, Jun

2015-07-01

The rare hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype G (HBV/G) coinfects HIV-1-positive individuals along with HBV/A and generates recombinants. However, the circulation of HBV A/G recombinants remains poorly understood. This molecular epidemiologic study examined HBV A/G recombinants in Japanese HIV-1-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Initially, blood specimens submitted for confirmatory tests of HIV infection in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan, from 2006 to 2013 were examined for HIV-1, and HIV-1-positive specimens were screened for HBV. Among 817 specimens from HIV-1-positive individuals, HBsAg was detected in 59 specimens; of these, HBV/Ae (alternatively A2), a subgenotype of HBV/A prevalent in Europe and North America, was identified in 70.2%, HBV/C in 17.5%, and HBV/G in 10.5%, and HBV/E in 1.8% according to the core gene sequence. The full-length genome analysis of HBV was performed on HBV/G-positive specimens because some HBV A/G recombinants were historically overlooked by genotyping based on a partial genome analysis. It revealed that five of the specimens contained novel Ae/G recombinants, the core gene of which had a high sequence similarity to HBV/G. Detailed analyses showed that novel recombinants were coinfected with HBV/Ae in a recombinant-dominant fashion. No major drug-resistant mutations were found in the newly identified HBV Ae/G recombinants. Some of the individuals asymptomatically coinfected with HIV/HBV suffered mild liver injury. This study demonstrated that novel Ae/G HBV recombinants were identified in Japanese HIV-1-positive MSM. The pathogenicity of novel HBV Ae/G recombinants should be examined in a future longitudinal study. Surveillance of such viruses in HIV-1-positive individuals should be emphasized.

The psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF in Japanese couples

PubMed Central

Sun, Yi; Sugawara, Masumi; Matsumoto, Satoko; Sakai, Atsushi; Takaoka, Junko; Goto, Noriko

2015-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the WHOQOL-BREF among 10,693 community-based married Japanese men and women (4376 couples) who were either expecting or raising a child. Analyses of item-response distributions, internal consistency, criterion validity, and discriminant validity indicated that the scale had acceptable reliability and performed well in preliminary tests of validity. Furthermore, dyadic confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the theoretical factor structure was valid and similar across partners, suggesting that men and women define and value quality of life in a similar way. PMID:28070365

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis: a review of the Japanese published works.

PubMed

Katoh, Mayumi; Nomura, Takashi; Miyachi, Yoshiki; Kabashima, Kenji

2013-01-01

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF), also known as Ofuji's disease, is an inflammatory dermatosis that was first described in Japan in 1970. More than 300 cases have been reported so far, and 113 Japanese cases have been reported in Japan since 1980. To comprehend the characteristics of Japanese EPF cases, we classified these cases into three types: classic, immunosuppression-associated (IS-EPF), and infancy-associated (I-EPF). Trends in age of onset and in distribution and characterization of eruptions differed between the types. We found 91 cases of classic EPF (mean age, 39.7 years), consisting of 66 males (73%) and 25 females (27%), in most of which eruptions primarily affected the face; 18 cases of IS-EPF (44.2 years), consisting of 15 males (83%) and three females (17%), in which eruptions affected the face less predominantly; and four cases of I-EPF (7.0 years), consisting of two males (50%) and two females (50%), primarily affecting the scalp. The number of IS-EPF cases has increased since the late 1990s, reflecting the increasing number of HIV-positive patients in Japan. Systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were effective in more than 70% of cases. Dimethyl diphenyl sulfone, antibiotics including minocycline, psoralen plus ultraviolet A therapy and ultraviolet B treatments worked in some cases. Topical steroids and tacrolimus were also effective in some cases of EPF, while topical indomethacin was less effective. © 2012 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Association of body flexibility and carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese middle-aged men: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Imoto, Takayuki; Kida, Akira; Yokochi, Takashi; Iwase, Mitsunori; Kozawa, Kenji

2018-01-01

Objective This study examined the associations of body flexibility with carotid arterial remodelling, including intima–media thickness (IMT) and plaque formation in middle-aged men. Methods The subjects of this cross-sectional study included 1354 Japanese men aged 35–59 years without histories of stroke or cardiac diseases. The arm extensibility test, which can estimate flexibility of the upper extremity (composed of shoulder external rotation and forearm supination), and the sit-and-reach test were performed. Common carotid IMT and plaque formation (≥1.1 mm) were estimated by ultrasound. Results The proportion of subjects who fully completed the arm extensibility test was 55.0%, and who had plaques in the common carotid artery was 37.8%. IMT was associated with poor arm extensibility (β=–0.073, 95% CI –0.02224 to –0.00041, P=0.004), while plaque formation was associated with poor sit-and-reach (OR 0.98579, 95% CI 0.97257 to 0.99919, P=0.038) after adjustment by all covariates. Conclusions This study demonstrated that poor upper extremity and trunk flexibility were associated with characteristics of early onset of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, these associations were independent of covariates such as age, blood pressure, blood lipids glucose levels and abdominal fat accumulation, handgrip strength and lifestyle, including sleeping, drinking, exercise and smoking habits. Poor flexibility may reflect subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged men. PMID:29306892

Relationship of airflow limitation severity with work productivity reduction and sick leave in a Japanese working population.

PubMed

Onoue, Ayumi; Omori, Hisamitsu; Katoh, Takahiko; Kubota, Kenichi; Nonami, Yoshio; Ogata, Yasuhiro; Inoue, Hiromasa

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to reveal the association between airflow limitation (AL) severity and reduction with work productivity as well as use of sick leave among Japanese workers. This cross-sectional study included 1,378 workers who underwent a lung function test during a health checkup at the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Health Care Center. AL was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity of <0.7. Workers completed a questionnaire on productivity loss at work and sick leave. The quality and quantity of productivity loss at work were measured on a ten-point scale indicating how much work was actually performed on the previous workday. Participants were asked how many days in the past 12 months they were unable to work because of health problems. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations between AL severity and the quality and quantity of productivity loss at work as well as use of sick leave. Compared with workers without AL, workers with moderate-to-severe AL showed a significant productivity loss (quality: odds ratio [OR] =2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-3.71, P=0.02 and quantity: OR =2.19, 95% CI: 1.20-4.00, P=0.011) and use of sick leave (OR =2.69, 95% CI: 1.33-5.44, P=0.006) after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, sleep duration, work hours per day, and workplace smoking environment. AL severity was significantly associated with work productivity loss and use of sick leave. Our findings suggested that early intervention in the subjects with AL at the workforce might be beneficial for promoting work ability.

The combination of work organizational climate and individual work commitment predicts return to work in women but not in men.

PubMed

Holmgren, Kristina; Ekbladh, Elin; Hensing, Gunnel; Dellve, Lotta

2013-02-01

To analyze if the combination of organizational climate and work commitment can predict return to work (RTW). This prospective Swedish study was based on 2285 participants, 19 to 64 years old, consecutively selected from the employed population, newly sick-listed for more than 14 days. Data were collected in 2008 through postal questionnaire and from register data. Among women, the combination of good organizational climate and fair work commitment predicted an early RTW with an adjusted relative risk of 2.05 (1.32 to 3.18). Among men, none of the adjusted variables or combinations of variables was found significantly to predict RTW. This study demonstrated the importance of integrative effects of organizational climate and individual work commitment on RTW among women. These factors did not predict RTW in men. More research is needed to understand the RTW process among men.

Japanese Physical Education Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Takahiro; Hodge, Samuel R.; Murata, Nathan M.; Maeda, Julienne K.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe Japanese physical education (PE) teachers' beliefs about teaching students with disabilities in integrated classes. Participants were five Japanese PE teachers (one women and four men). The research was descriptive and qualitative, using an interviewing method. Data were gathered in interviews, analysed…

Psychosocial working conditions and exhaustion in a working population sample of Swedish middle-aged men and women.

PubMed

Lindeberg, Sara I; Rosvall, Maria; Choi, Bongkyoo; Canivet, Catarina; Isacsson, Sven-Olof; Karasek, Robert; Ostergren, Per-Olof

2011-04-01

Exhaustion is a concept of interest for both occupational health research and stress-disease theory research. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between chronic stressors, in terms of psychosocial working conditions, and exhaustion in a Swedish middle-aged population sample. A vocationally active population sample of the Malmö Shoulder and Neck Study cohort, comprising 2555 men and 2466 women between 45 and 64 years of age, was used. Psychosocial working conditions, assessed by means of the demand-control-support model, were measured longitudinally with a 1-year interval. Exhaustion was assessed by the SF-36 vitality scale and measured at follow-up, yielding a cross-sectional study design. Exhaustion was twice as common in women as in men. High psychological job demands, low job control and low job support were independently associated with exhaustion in both men and women. These associations remained after controlling for a variety of potential confounders and mediators, including socio-demographic factors, lifestyle factors, musculoskeletal pain, disease, other work-related factors (including physical workload) and non-work-related factors. High demands in combination with low control (job strain), and job strain combined with low job support (iso-strain), increased the risk for exhaustion. Psychosocial working conditions seem to contribute to exhaustion in middle-aged men and women. Future research should include exploration of exhaustion as a possible mediator between work stress and disease, as well as exploration of other chronic stressors, including non-work-related stressors, regarding their effects on exhaustion in men and women.

Income-related inequalities in preventive and curative dental care use among working-age Japanese adults in urban areas: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Murakami, Keiko; Aida, Jun; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Hashimoto, Hideki

2014-09-19

Preventive dental care use remains relatively low in Japan, especially among working-age adults. Universal health insurance in Japan covers curative dental care with an out-of-pocket payment limit, though its coverage of preventive dental care is limited. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that income inequality in dental care use is found in preventive, but not curative dental care among working-age Japanese adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a computer-assisted, self-administered format for community residents aged 25-50 years. In all, 4357 residents agreed to participate and complete the questionnaire (valid response rate: 31.3%). Preventive dental care use was measured according to whether the participant had visited a dentist or a dental hygienist during the past year for dental scaling or fluoride or orthodontic treatments. Curative dental care use was assessed by dental visits for other reasons. The main explanatory variable was equivalent household income. Logistic regression analyses with linear trend tests were conducted to determine whether there were significant income-related gradients with curative or preventive dental care use. Among the respondents, 40.0% of men and 41.5% of women had used curative dental care in the past year; 24.1% of men and 34.1% of women had used preventive care. We found no significant income-related gradients of curative dental care among either men or women (p = 0.234 and p = 0.270, respectively). Significant income-related gradients of preventive care were observed among both men and women (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). Among women, however, income-related differences were no longer significant (p = 0.126) after adjusting for education and other covariates. Compared with men with the lowest income, the highest-income group had a 1.79-fold significantly higher probability for using preventive dental care. The prevalence of preventive dental care use was lower than that of curative

Association of eating three meals irregularly with changes in BMI and weight among young Japanese men and women: A 2-year follow-up.

PubMed

Ibe, Yoko; Miyakawa, Happei; Fuse-Nagase, Yasuko; Hirose, Ayumi Sugawara; Hirasawa, Reiko; Yachi, Yoko; Fujihara, Kazuya; Kobayashi, Kazuto; Shimano, Hitoshi; Sone, Hirohito

2016-09-01

Epidemiological longitudinal investigations of the association between not eating three meals regularly and changes in BMI and weight are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not regularly eating three meals was associated with changes in BMI and weight in young Japanese men and women. Study participants were 1241 men and 897 women aged 19.0±1.2 and 18.8±0.8years, respectively, who underwent health checkups at a university in Japan in 2001 as the baseline and subsequently in 2003. Weight and height were measured at baseline and 2years later. Whether an individual ate three meals regularly was determined by a self-report questionnaire in 2001. During the 2-year follow-up, the BMI gain was 0.347 for men and 0.067 for women. In the logistic regression analysis, for men, eating three meals irregularly was significantly associated with a 4% BMI gain (OR 1.60, CI 1.11-2.30), 6% BMI gain (OR 1.72, CI 1.12-2.63), 4kg weight gain (OR 2.01, CI 1.29-3.13), 6kg weight gain (OR 1.86, CI 1.02-3.37), and incidence of obesity (BMI ≧ 25)(OR 2.96, CI 1.22-7.17). For women, eating three meals irregularly was significantly associated with a 4% BMI loss (OR 1.99, CI 1.01-3.94), 6% BMI loss (OR 2.79, CI 1.29-6.03), 4kg weight loss (OR 3.85, CI 1.62-9.12), 6kg weight loss (OR 7.65, CI 2.06-28.46), and the incidence of underweight (OR 3.95, CI 1.32-11.89). The current results suggested that eating three meals irregularly was associated with subsequent BMI and weight gains for men and subsequent BMI and weight losses for women; both groups were around 20years of age. Self-reported eating behavior in this study might be used to screen and evaluate young Japanese men and women at high risk for changes in BMI and weight in a practical clinical setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work and Career Experiences of Men from Families without College Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodside, Marianne; Gibbons, Melinda M.; Davison, John; Hannon, Christine; Sweeney, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

A dearth of research exists exploring the career and work development of adult men and the influence of family-of-origin on that development. In this qualitative study, the researchers used a phenomenological approach to examine the career and work experiences of men whose parents have no education beyond high school and the influences of family…

Work, family, and personal characteristics explain occupational and gender differences in work-family conflict among Japanese civil servants.

PubMed

Koura, U; Sekine, M; Yamada, M; Tatsuse, T

2017-12-01

A high level of work-family conflict (WFC) is an important risk factor for physical and mental health problems. Although individual work-related factors for WFC have been extensively studied, relatively little is known about whether occupation and gender affect WFC and how such effects might be generated. Cross-sectional study. This study surveyed 3053 civil servants aged 20-65 years working in a local government in the west coast of Japan in 2003. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether there are occupational and gender differences in WFC and to clarify the factors underlying these differences. WFC was higher in professional and technical workers compared with other occupations for both men and women, with age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for these workers of 1.29 in men and 2.58 in women. In men, occupational differences in WFC disappeared after adjusting for work and family characteristics (OR = 1.15). In women, significant occupational differences remained in the final model, but after adjusting for work characteristics the adjusted OR for professional and technical workers was reduced to 1.69. Women were more likely than men to experience high WFC (OR = 2.52). After controlling for work characteristics, the gender difference was considerably reduced (OR = 1.68). Work characteristics play a fundamental role in the difference in WFC between not only occupational but also gender differences. Stressful work characteristics among professional and technical workers and among women in all work roles should be addressed to reduce occupational and gender differences in WFC in Japan. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotional responses to work-family conflict: an examination of gender role orientation working men and women.

PubMed

Livingston, Beth A; Judge, Timothy A

2008-01-01

The present study tested the effect of work-family conflict on emotions and the moderating effects of gender role orientation. On the basis of a multilevel design, the authors found that family-interfering-with- work was positively related to guilt, and gender role orientation interacted with both types of conflict (work-interfering-with-family and family-interfering-with-work) to predict guilt. Specifically, in general, traditional individuals experienced more guilt from family-interfering-with-work, and egalitarian individuals experienced more guilt from work-interfering-with-family. Additionally, a higher level interaction indicated that traditional men tended to experience a stronger relationship between family-interfering-with-work and guilt than did egalitarian men or women of either gender role orientation. 2008 APA

Study of chronic pain and its associated risk factors among Japanese industry workers: the Quality of Working Life Influenced by Chronic pain (QWLIC) study.

PubMed

Yamada, Keiko; Wakaizumi, Kenta; Fukai, Kyosuke; Iso, Hiroyasu; Sobue, Tomotaka; Shibata, Masahiko; Matsudaira, Ko

2017-10-05

This study was performed to identify the prevalence, influence, and risk factors associated with chronic pain among Japanese industry workers. We investigated 2,544 participants working at a manufacturing company A, a manufacturing company B, and 16 branch shops of a retail chain company C. The participants responded to self-administered questionnaires related to pain. Furthermore, data obtained from the lifestyle interview sheet of an annual health screening examination and those obtained from the questionnaires were merged. We analyzed the association between lifestyles, psychosocial factors, and chronic pain. Age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios were calculated with a 95% confidence interval using the logistic regression model. Of 2,544 participants, 1,914 (1,224 men and 690 women) completed the questionnaire, and the response rate was 75.2%. The prevalence of chronic pain over 3 months was 42.7% and that of chronic pain with work disability was 11.3%. A higher proportion of obesity, smoking habit, insomnia, psychological stress, depressive state, workaholic nature, low social support from supervisors and coworkers, high job demand, low job control, and job dissatisfaction was observed in workers with chronic pain than in workers without pain. Several risk factors of chronic pain in Japanese industry workers were found. Obesity, smoking habits, sleep disorders, workplace environment, and mental state should be taken into account as risk factors associated with chronic pain issues and general occupational health.

Association of body flexibility and carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese middle-aged men: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Suwa, Masataka; Imoto, Takayuki; Kida, Akira; Yokochi, Takashi; Iwase, Mitsunori; Kozawa, Kenji

2018-01-05

This study examined the associations of body flexibility with carotid arterial remodelling, including intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque formation in middle-aged men. The subjects of this cross-sectional study included 1354 Japanese men aged 35-59 years without histories of stroke or cardiac diseases. The arm extensibility test, which can estimate flexibility of the upper extremity (composed of shoulder external rotation and forearm supination), and the sit-and-reach test were performed. Common carotid IMT and plaque formation (≥1.1 mm) were estimated by ultrasound. The proportion of subjects who fully completed the arm extensibility test was 55.0%, and who had plaques in the common carotid artery was 37.8%. IMT was associated with poor arm extensibility (β=-0.073, 95% CI -0.02224 to - 0.00041, P=0.004), while plaque formation was associated with poor sit-and-reach (OR 0.98579, 95% CI 0.97257 to 0.99919, P=0.038) after adjustment by all covariates. This study demonstrated that poor upper extremity and trunk flexibility were associated with characteristics of early onset of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, these associations were independent of covariates such as age, blood pressure, blood lipids glucose levels and abdominal fat accumulation, handgrip strength and lifestyle, including sleeping, drinking, exercise and smoking habits. Poor flexibility may reflect subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged men. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Gender and Ageing at Work in Chile: Employment, Working Conditions, Work-Life Balance and Health of Men and Women in an Ageing Workforce.

PubMed

Vives, Alejandra; Gray, Nora; González, Francisca; Molina, Agustín

2018-04-18

In Chile, working after retirement age has grown substantially over the last years. This, in addition to the country's current discussion about extending retirement age, motivates the need of generating evidence on the occupational health and safety of the working old, with a special focus on women, who are critically disadvantaged in Chile's labour market. The objective of this paper is to describe and compare the ageing workforce of women and men in Chile in terms of labour market participation, employment and working conditions, work-life balance, and health. The social determinants of health and employment sustainability frameworks guide this study. Cross-sectional data from three publicly available sources: the Chilean Labour Force Survey, NENE (2010); the first Chilean Employment and working conditions survey, ENETS (2009-2010) and the second National Health Survey, ENS (2009). Participation rates and employment conditions (NENE and ENETS), working conditions, occupational health and work-life balance (ENETS) and chronic health conditions (ENS) were described by 5-year age groups separately for women and men. Descriptions cover all age groups in order to identify trends and patterns characteristic of older workers. Rates of occupation decrease sharply after age 54 in women and 59 in men. Ageing women and men who continue to work are more likely to be in own-account (self-employed) work than younger workers; in the case of women, in households as domestic workers, and men, in agriculture. Social protection and workplace rights are markedly reduced in older workers. Part-time work increases from the age of 50 onwards, especially among women, but average working hours do not decrease under 30 h a week for either women or men. Interestingly, between ages 60 and 64, there is a peak increase of day and night shift-work among women, which co-occurs with a peak in domestic work, possibly corresponding to women working as caretakers of elderly people. Several

Job demands, job resources, and work engagement of Japanese employees: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsuno, Kanami; Shimazu, Akihito; Tomioka, Kimiko; Nakanishi, Mayuko

2013-05-01

Research on the prospective association of job demands and job resources with work engagement is still limited in Asian countries, such as Japan. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective association of job demands (i.e., psychological demands and extrinsic effort) and job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), based on the job demands-control (JD-C) [or demand-control-support (DCS)] model and the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, with work engagement among Japanese employees. The participants included 423 males and 672 females from five branches of a manufacturing company in Japan. Self-administered questionnaires, including the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ), the nine-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), and demographic characteristics, were administered at baseline (August 2009). At one-year follow-up (August 2010), the UWES-9 was used again to assess work engagement. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and work engagement at baseline, higher psychological demands and decision latitude were positively and significantly associated with greater work engagement at follow-up (β = 0.054, p = 0.020 for psychological demands and β = 0.061, p = 0.020 for decision latitude). Having higher psychological demands and decision latitude may enhance work engagement among Japanese employees.

Quality of diet and mortality among Japanese men and women: Japan Public Health Center based prospective study

PubMed Central

Akter, Shamima; Kashino, Ikuko; Goto, Atsushi; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Sawada, Norie; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2016-01-01

Objective To examine the association between adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and total and cause specific mortality. Design Large scale population based prospective cohort study in Japan with follow-up for a median of 15 years. Setting 11 public health centre areas across Japan. Participants 36 624 men and 42 970 women aged 45-75 who had no history of cancer, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, or chronic liver disease. Main outcome measures Deaths and causes of death identified with the residential registry and death certificates. Results Higher scores on the food guide (better adherence) were associated with lower total mortality; the multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of total mortality for the lowest through highest scores were 1.00, 0.92 (0.87 to 0.97), 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93), and 0.85 (0.79 to 0.91) (P<0.001 for trend) and the multivariable adjusted hazard ratio associated with a 10 point increase in food guide scores was 0.93 (0.91 to 0.95; P<0.001 for trend). This score was inversely associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio associated with a 10 point increase 0.93, 0.89 to 0.98; P=0.005 for trend) and particularly from cerebrovascular disease (0.89, 0.82 to 0.95; P=0.002 for trend). There was some evidence, though not significant, of an inverse association for cancer mortality (0.96, 0.93 to 1.00; P=0.053 for trend). Conclusion Closer adherence to Japanese dietary guidelines was associated with a lower risk of total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease, particularly from cerebrovascular disease, in Japanese adults. PMID:27005903

Quality of diet and mortality among Japanese men and women: Japan Public Health Center based prospective study.

PubMed

Kurotani, Kayo; Akter, Shamima; Kashino, Ikuko; Goto, Atsushi; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Sawada, Norie; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2016-03-22

To examine the association between adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and total and cause specific mortality. Large scale population based prospective cohort study in Japan with follow-up for a median of 15 years. 11 public health centre areas across Japan. 36,624 men and 42,970 women aged 45-75 who had no history of cancer, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, or chronic liver disease. Deaths and causes of death identified with the residential registry and death certificates. Higher scores on the food guide (better adherence) were associated with lower total mortality; the multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of total mortality for the lowest through highest scores were 1.00, 0.92 (0.87 to 0.97), 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93), and 0.85 (0.79 to 0.91) (P<0.001 for trend) and the multivariable adjusted hazard ratio associated with a 10 point increase in food guide scores was 0.93 (0.91 to 0.95; P<0.001 for trend). This score was inversely associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio associated with a 10 point increase 0.93, 0.89 to 0.98; P=0.005 for trend) and particularly from cerebrovascular disease (0.89, 0.82 to 0.95; P=0.002 for trend). There was some evidence, though not significant, of an inverse association for cancer mortality (0.96, 0.93 to 1.00; P=0.053 for trend). Closer adherence to Japanese dietary guidelines was associated with a lower risk of total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease, particularly from cerebrovascular disease, in Japanese adults. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Work-family spillover among Japanese dual-earner couples: a large community-based study.

PubMed

Shimada, Kyoko; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia; Kawakami, Norito

2010-01-01

To examine the effects of multiple types of work-family spillover (work-to-family negative spillover, WFNS; family-to-work negative spillover, FWNS; and work-family positive spillover, WFPS) on psychological distress among Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children. 2,346 parents completed questionnaires measuring work-family spillover, work- and family-specific variables (i.e., job demands and resources, family demands and resources), and psychological distress. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted by entering demographic characteristics (gender, age, age of the youngest child, and job contract) in step 1, job demands and resources in step 2, family demands and resources in step 3, work-family spillover in step 4, and three two-way interactions between types of work-family spillover and gender in the final step. Both WFNS and FWNS were positively related to psychological distress after controlling for demographic characteristics and domain specific variables (i.e. job and family demands/resources), and FWNS (β=0.26) had a stronger relation with psychological distress than WFNS (β=0.16). Although WFPS was significantly and negatively related to psychological distress, the relationship was weak (β=-0.05). In addition, two-way interactions of WFNS and FWNS with gender were found; the impact of both WFNS and FWNS on psychological distress is stronger for females than for males. No significant interaction effect was observed between WFPS and gender. In this study of Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children, work-family negative spillover had a stronger relationship with psychological distress than positive spillover. Gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between negative spillover and psychological distress.

Lower percentage of CD56+ cells associated with long working hours.

PubMed

Yasuda, A; Iwasaki, K; Sasaki, T; Oka, T; Hisanaga, N

2001-04-01

In a study of 142 Japanese men from a cross-section of the workforce of a technology development company, we found that the percentage of CD56+ cells was inversely correlated with the number of hours worked per week. A low CD56+ cell percentage was associated with longer weekly working hours and shorter daily sleeping hours.

Factors predicting work outcome in Japanese patients with schizophrenia: role of multiple functioning levels.

PubMed

Sumiyoshi, Chika; Harvey, Philip D; Takaki, Manabu; Okahisa, Yuko; Sato, Taku; Sora, Ichiro; Nuechterlein, Keith H; Subotnik, Kenneth L; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki

2015-09-01

Functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia suggest recovery of cognitive, everyday, and social functioning. Specifically improvement of work status is considered to be most important for their independent living and self-efficacy. The main purposes of the present study were 1) to identify which outcome factors predict occupational functioning, quantified as work hours, and 2) to provide cut-offs on the scales for those factors to attain better work status. Forty-five Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 111 healthy controls entered the study. Cognition, capacity for everyday activities, and social functioning were assessed by the Japanese versions of the MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Battery (MCCB), the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B), and the Social Functioning Scale Individuals' version modified for the MATRICS-PASS (Modified SFS for PASS), respectively. Potential factors for work outcome were estimated by multiple linear regression analyses (predicting work hours directly) and a multiple logistic regression analyses (predicting dichotomized work status based on work hours). ROC curve analyses were performed to determine cut-off points for differentiating between the better- and poor work status. The results showed that a cognitive component, comprising visual/verbal learning and emotional management, and a social functioning component, comprising independent living and vocational functioning, were potential factors for predicting work hours/status. Cut-off points obtained in ROC analyses indicated that 60-70% achievements on the measures of those factors were expected to maintain the better work status. Our findings suggest that improvement on specific aspects of cognitive and social functioning are important for work outcome in patients with schizophrenia.

Does an advantageous occupational position make women happier in contemporary Japan? Findings from the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE).

PubMed

Umeda, Maki; McMunn, Anne; Cable, Noriko; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Marmot, Michael

2015-12-01

Occupational position is one of the determinants of psychological health, but this association may differ for men and women depending on the social context. In contemporary Japanese society, occupational gender segregation persists despite increased numbers of women participating in the labour market, which may contribute to gender specific patterns in the prevalence of poor psychological health. The present study examined gender specific associations between occupational position and psychological health in Japan, and the potential mediating effects of job control and effort-reward imbalance in these associations. We used data obtained from 7123 men and 2222 women, aged between 18 and 65 years, who participated in an occupational cohort study, the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE), between 2011 and 2012. We used logistic regression to examine the association between occupational position and poor psychological health, adjusted for age, working hours, household income and education, as well as psychosocial work characteristics (job control and effort-reward imbalance). The prevalence of poor psychological health increased from manual/service occupations (23%) to professionals/managers (38%) among women, while it did not vary by occupational position among men. In women, the significant association between occupational position and psychological health was not explained by job control, but was attenuated by effort-reward imbalance. Our findings suggest that Japanese women in more advantaged occupational positions are likely to be at a greater risk for poor psychological health due to higher levels of effort-reward imbalance at work.

Job strain and ambulatory work blood pressure in healthy young men and women.

PubMed

Light, K C; Turner, J R; Hinderliter, A L

1992-08-01

The effect of high job strain (defined as high psychological demands plus low decision latitude at work) on blood pressure was determined in 129 healthy, nonhypertensive men (n = 65) and women (n = 64). Blood pressure measures included mean screening levels obtained in a clinical environment, mean ambulatory levels from one 8-hour workday, and the change in levels from screening to mean work levels. In male workers, men with high and low job strain showed similar blood pressures at screening, but men with high job strain showed greater increases from screening to work, resulting in higher mean work blood pressure. Occupational status was unrelated to job strain or blood pressure in men. In female workers, women with high and low job strain did not differ in any measure of blood pressure; however, there were trends for higher occupational status and greater skill discretion to be associated with higher blood pressure responses at work in women.

Salience and conflict of work and family roles among employed men and women.

PubMed

Knežević, Irena; Gregov, Ljiljana; Šimunić, Ana

2016-06-01

The aim of this research was to determine the salience of work and family roles and to study the connection between role salience and the interference of different types of roles among working men and women. Self-assessment measurement scales were applied. The research involved 206 participants; 103 employed married couples from different regions of Croatia. The results show that roles closely connected to family are considered the most salient. However, men are mostly dedicated behaviourally to the role of a worker. Women dedicate more time and energy to the roles of a spouse, a parent, and a family member whereas men are more oriented towards the leisurite role. The highest level of conflict was perceived when it comes to work disturbing leisure. Gender differences appeared only for work-to-marriage conflict, with men reporting higher conflict than women. The research found proof of only some low correlations between the salience of different types of roles and work-family conflict.

Doubling over ten years of central obesity in Hong Kong Chinese working men.

PubMed

Ko, Tin-choi Gary; Chan, Juliana; Chan, Amy; Wong, Patrick; Hui, Stanley; Chow, Ferrie; Tong, Spencer; Chan, Cecilia

2007-07-05

Obesity is now an epidemic in most parts of the world. In this cross sectional study, we report the most recent data on obesity in Hong Kong Chinese working population and compare the changes over 10 years. Between July 2000 and March 2002, 5882 adult subjects from the working class in Hong Kong were recruited (2716 men (46.2%) and 3166 women (53.8%)). They were randomly selected using computer generated codes according to the distribution of occupational groups. Results of this study were compared with the data collected from a prevalence survey for cardiovascular risk factors in a Hong Kong Chinese working population conducted in 1990 (1513 subjects, 910 men (60.1%) and 603 women (39.9%)). Standardized percentages of overweight, obesity, and central obesity, in Hong Kong Chinese working population were 59.7%, 35.0%, 26.7% in men and 32.0%, 21.7%, 26.7% in women. Compared to the data collected in 1990, the percentage of obesity increased by 5% in men and reduced by 6% in women. The percentage of central obesity doubled in men (from 12.2% to 26.7%) but remained stable in women. There is a doubling of the percentage of central obesity in Hong Kong Chinese working men over previous decade. Education and proper lifestyle modification program to tackle this social health issue are urgently indicated.

Work after age 65: A prospective study of Australian men and women.

PubMed

Majeed, Tazeen; Forder, Peta M; Tavener, Meredith; Vo, Kha; Byles, Julie

2017-06-01

This study describes hours in paid work for Australian men and women aged over 65, focusing on associations between work and education. Data were analysed separately for men and women, from baseline and first follow-up surveys of the 45 and Up Study. Generalised estimating equation models were used to identify associations between work, education and other factors over time. The odds of doing paid work increased with higher education level and decreased with time, age, poorer physical function and having health conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and breast cancer). Un-partnered women were more likely to work in later life than partnered women. This study quantifies the importance of education and health factors in determining continued participation of Australian men and women in paid work in later life. These factors need to be considered for policies aiming to increase workforce participation beyond 65 years of age. © 2017 AJA Inc.

Longevity-associated mitochondrial DNA 5178 C/A polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on erythrocytic parameters in Japanese men: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Kokaze, Akatsuki; Ishikawa, Mamoru; Matsunaga, Naomi; Karita, Kanae; Yoshida, Masao; Ohtsu, Tadahiro; Ochiai, Hirotaka; Shirasawa, Takako; Nanri, Hinako; Saga, Nobuyuki; Ohtsu, Iichiro; Hoshino, Hiromi; Takashima, Yutaka

2014-12-20

Mitochondrial DNA 5178 cytosine/adenine (Mt5178 C/A) polymorphism reportedly modulates the effects of coffee consumption on the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia and abnormal glucose tolerance. The objective of this analysis was to investigate whether Mt5178 C/A polymorphism modifies the effects of coffee consumption on erythrocytic parameters in male Japanese health check-up examinees. A total of 436 men (mean age ± standard deviation, 54.1 ± 7.8 years) were selected from among individuals visiting the hospital for regular medical check-ups. After Mt5178 C/A genotyping, an exploratory cross-sectional analysis assessing the joint effects of Mt5178 C/A polymorphism and coffee consumption on red blood cell counts, hematocrit and hemoglobin was conducted. For Mt5178C genotypic men, after adjustment for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, habitual smoking and green tea consumption, coffee consumption significantly decreased red blood cell counts (P for trend = 0.022) and hemoglobin (P for trend = 0.035). The risk of anemia, defined as hemoglobin of <14 g/dL, after the aforementioned adjustment, appeared to depend on coffee consumption (P for trend = 0.078), and the adjusted odds ratio for anemia was significantly higher in men who consumed ≥4 cups of coffee per day than in those who consumed <1 cup per day (odds ratio = 3.771, 95% confidence interval: 1.088 to 13.06, P = 0.036). For Mt5178A genotypic men, coffee consumption possibly reduced the risk of anemia (P for trend = 0.049). However, after the aforementioned adjustment, the statistical significance disappeared (P for trend = 0.137). This exploratory cross-sectional analysis suggests that Mt5178 C/A polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on erythrocytic parameters and the risk of anemia in male Japanese health check-up examinees.

Vitamin supplement use and its correlates among elderly Japanese men residing on Oahu, HI.

PubMed Central

Kato, I; Nomura, A M; Stemmermann, G N; Chyou, P H

1992-01-01

Use of vitamin supplements and the association with personal characteristics were investigated among 4,654 American men of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii. A total of 58 percent of the subjects who were ages 68 to 90 took vitamin supplements. Among supplement users, multivitamins were most commonly used (77 percent), followed by vitamin C (53 percent), E (43 percent), and A (10 percent). Ninety-two percent of users took at least seven pills per week when all types of pills were combined. Vitamin supplement users were more educated, more physically active, more likely to be married, and less obese than nonusers. They also slept less, smoked less, and drank less alcohol and caffeine. They took more analgesics and stomach medication and had fewer days of hospitalization in the previous 10 years compared with nonusers. Except for physical activity, use of stomach medicines, and hospitalization, the other characteristics were also positively correlated with the amount of vitamin pill intake. These findings indicate that vitamin supplement users have different health patterns compared with nonusers. PMID:1454984

Occupational gender stereotypes: is the ratio of women to men a powerful determinant?

PubMed

Adachi, Tomoko

2013-04-01

Gendered division of occupational choices still exists in contemporary Japanese society. Women are underrepresented in traditionally male-dominated fields, while few men occupy positions in traditionally female-dominated areas. The purpose of the present study was to examine occupational gender stereotypes and its relation to the female-to-male ratio of jobholders. Participants were 540 Japanese (262 women, 278 men) who participated in an Internet survey. The results showed that the female-to-male ratio of jobholders was a strong predictor of gender stereotyping. That is to say, contemporary Japanese recognized male-dominated occupations as typically masculine and female-dominated ones as typically feminine. Gender comparisons revealed that men rated female-dominated occupations as more feminine in nature than did women, while women rated male-dominated occupations as more masculine than did men. Future implications for career interventions focusing on occupational gender stereotypes were also discussed.

Working through resistance in engaging boys and men towards gender equality and progressive masculinities

PubMed Central

Ratele, Kopano

2015-01-01

Over the last two decades, a focus on challenging and transforming dominant forms of masculinity and engaging boys and men towards gender equality and healthy masculinities has permeated South African social and health sciences and the humanities. This focus on men and boys has also been evident in intervention and activist work. However, the turn to boys, men and masculinities has not gone without resistance, contestation and contradictions. A range of localised and global realities has frustrated much of the enthusiasm for rapid, sweeping and concrete changes regarding gender justice and the making of progressive masculinities. Among the discursive and material forces that oppose work that engages boys and men are those to do with income-related issues, race and racism, cultural traditions and gender itself. Because of this, it is contended that engagement with boys and men needs to consider not only gender but also economic inequality, poverty and unemployment, divisions created by race, and struggles around tradition. This paper discusses these forces that undermine and counteract work with boys and men and how we might work through resistance in engaging with men and boys. PMID:26073936

Working through resistance in engaging boys and men towards gender equality and progressive masculinities.

PubMed

Ratele, Kopano

2015-01-01

Over the last two decades, a focus on challenging and transforming dominant forms of masculinity and engaging boys and men towards gender equality and healthy masculinities has permeated South African social and health sciences and the humanities. This focus on men and boys has also been evident in intervention and activist work. However, the turn to boys, men and masculinities has not gone without resistance, contestation and contradictions. A range of localised and global realities has frustrated much of the enthusiasm for rapid, sweeping and concrete changes regarding gender justice and the making of progressive masculinities. Among the discursive and material forces that oppose work that engages boys and men are those to do with income-related issues, race and racism, cultural traditions and gender itself. Because of this, it is contended that engagement with boys and men needs to consider not only gender but also economic inequality, poverty and unemployment, divisions created by race, and struggles around tradition. This paper discusses these forces that undermine and counteract work with boys and men and how we might work through resistance in engaging with men and boys.

Suboptimal HIV Testing Uptake Among Men Who Engage in Commercial Sex Work with Men in Asia.

PubMed

Jin, Harry; Friedman, Mackey Reuel; Lim, Sin How; Guadamuz, Thomas E; Wei, Chongyi

2016-12-01

Men who have sex with men and are sex workers (MSMSW) are disproportionately affected by the growing and emerging HIV epidemic. As sex work and same-sex behavior are heavily stigmatized and often illegal in most Asian countries, HIV research focusing on MSMSW has been limited. The goal of this analysis is to examine HIV testing practices and identify correlates of HIV testing among MSMSW in Asia. The Asia Internet MSM Sex Survey, an online cross-sectional survey of 10,861 men who have sex with men (MSM), was conducted in 2010. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, HIV testing behaviors, and sexual behaviors were collected. Five hundred and seventy-four HIV-negative/unknown respondents reported receiving payment for sex with men at least once in the past 6 months and were included in this analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify independent correlates of HIV testing in the past year. About half (48.6%) of the participants had been tested for HIV at least once within the past year, and 30.5% had never been tested. We also found that MSMSW participants who engaged in risky behaviors were less likely to be tested. While one might expect a high HIV testing rate among MSMSW due to the risks associated with engaging in sex work, we found that HIV testing uptake is suboptimal among MSMSW in Asia. These results suggest that targeted HIV prevention and testing promotion among MSMSW are needed.

Suboptimal HIV Testing Uptake Among Men Who Engage in Commercial Sex Work with Men in Asia

PubMed Central

Jin, Harry; Friedman, Mackey Reuel; Lim, Sin How; Guadamuz, Thomas E.

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Men who have sex with men and are sex workers (MSMSW) are disproportionately affected by the growing and emerging HIV epidemic. As sex work and same-sex behavior are heavily stigmatized and often illegal in most Asian countries, HIV research focusing on MSMSW has been limited. The goal of this analysis is to examine HIV testing practices and identify correlates of HIV testing among MSMSW in Asia. Methods: The Asia Internet MSM Sex Survey, an online cross-sectional survey of 10,861 men who have sex with men (MSM), was conducted in 2010. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, HIV testing behaviors, and sexual behaviors were collected. Five hundred and seventy-four HIV-negative/unknown respondents reported receiving payment for sex with men at least once in the past 6 months and were included in this analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify independent correlates of HIV testing in the past year. Results: About half (48.6%) of the participants had been tested for HIV at least once within the past year, and 30.5% had never been tested. We also found that MSMSW participants who engaged in risky behaviors were less likely to be tested. Conclusion: While one might expect a high HIV testing rate among MSMSW due to the risks associated with engaging in sex work, we found that HIV testing uptake is suboptimal among MSMSW in Asia. These results suggest that targeted HIV prevention and testing promotion among MSMSW are needed. PMID:26982598

Insulation workers in Belfast. 2. Morbidity in men still at work

PubMed Central

Langlands, Jean H. M.; Wallace, William F. M.; Simpson, Marion J. C.

1971-01-01

Langlands, Jean H. M., Wallace, W. F. M., and Simpson, Marion J. C. (1971).Brit. J. industr. Med.,28, 217-225. Insulation workers in Belfast. 2. Morbidity in men still at work. Two hundred and fifty-two (93%) of the insulation workers in Belfast were examined by chest ϰ-ray, questionnaire, clinical examination, and tests of respiratory function. The frequency of chest ϰ-ray abnormality, lung field or pleural, increased from 13% in men who had worked for less than 10 years to 85% in men who had worked for 30 or more years in the industry. Pleural calcification was found in 15 ϰ-rays. There was evidence suggesting that some men had pleural fibrosis or calcification due to exposure to asbestos in childhood. Rales were present in 61% and clubbing in 11% of men with lung field abnormality, but these were not common when the ϰ-rays showed only pleural abnormality. Where the lung fields were involved there was a restrictive defect with impairment in lung function most marked in the forced vital capacity and single breath carbon monoxide transfer factor, but where the pleura was involved without lung field involvement there was a tendency to impairment of ventilatory function with a normal transfer factor. Cigarette smoking was associated with a greater impairment of lung function than was ϰ-ray abnormality. PMID:5557842

Effects of work stress and home stress on autonomic nervous function in Japanese male workers

PubMed Central

MAEDA, Eri; IWATA, Toyoto; MURATA, Katsuyuki

2014-01-01

Autonomic imbalance is one of the important pathways through which psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases/sudden death. Although previous studies have focused mainly on stress at work (work stress), the association between autonomic function and stress at home (home stress) is still poorly understood. The purpose was to clarify the effect of work/home stress on autonomic function in 1,809 Japanese male workers. We measured corrected QT (QTc) interval and QT index on the electrocardiogram along with blood pressure and heart rate. Participants provided self-reported information about the presence/absence of work/home stress and the possible confounders affecting QT indicators. Home stress was related positively to QT index (p=0.040) after adjusting for the possible confounders, though work stress did not show a significant relation to QTc interval or QT index. The odds ratio of home stress to elevated QT index (≥105) was 2.677 (95% CI, 1.050 to 6.822). Work/home stress showed no significant relation to blood pressure or heart rate. These findings suggest that autonomic imbalance, readily assessed by QT indicators, can be induced by home stress in Japanese workers. Additional research is needed to identify different types of home stress that are strongly associated with autonomic imbalance. PMID:25382383

Effects of work stress and home stress on autonomic nervous function in Japanese male workers.

PubMed

Maeda, Eri; Iwata, Toyoto; Murata, Katsuyuki

2015-01-01

Autonomic imbalance is one of the important pathways through which psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases/sudden death. Although previous studies have focused mainly on stress at work (work stress), the association between autonomic function and stress at home (home stress) is still poorly understood. The purpose was to clarify the effect of work/home stress on autonomic function in 1,809 Japanese male workers. We measured corrected QT (QTc) interval and QT index on the electrocardiogram along with blood pressure and heart rate. Participants provided self-reported information about the presence/absence of work/home stress and the possible confounders affecting QT indicators. Home stress was related positively to QT index (p=0.040) after adjusting for the possible confounders, though work stress did not show a significant relation to QTc interval or QT index. The odds ratio of home stress to elevated QT index (≥105) was 2.677 (95% CI, 1.050 to 6.822). Work/home stress showed no significant relation to blood pressure or heart rate. These findings suggest that autonomic imbalance, readily assessed by QT indicators, can be induced by home stress in Japanese workers. Additional research is needed to identify different types of home stress that are strongly associated with autonomic imbalance.

Impact of penile rehabilitation with low-dose vardenafil on recovery of erectile function in Japanese men following nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy

PubMed Central

Nakano, Yuzo; Miyake, Hideaki; Chiba, Koji; Fujisawa, Masato

2014-01-01

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major complication after radical prostatectomy (RP); however, debate continues regarding the efficacy of penile rehabilitation in the recovery of the postoperative erectile function (EF). This study included a total of 103 consecutive sexually active Japanese men with localized prostate cancer undergoing nerve-sparing RP, and analyzed the postoperative EF, focusing on the significance of penile rehabilitation. In this series, 24 and 79 patients underwent bilateral and unilateral nerve-sparing RPs, respectively, and 10 or 20 mg of vardenafil was administered to 35 patients at least once weekly, who agreed to undergo penile rehabilitation. Twelve months after RP, 48 (46.6%) of the 103 patients were judged to have recovered EF sufficient for sexual intercourse without any assistance. The proportion of patients who recovered EF in those undergoing penile rehabilitation (60.0%) was significantly greater than that in those without penile rehabilitation (38.2%). Of several parameters examined, the preoperative International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score and nerve-sparing procedure were significantly associated with the postoperative EF recovery rates in patients with and without management by penile rehabilitation, respectively. Furthermore, univariate analysis identified the preoperative IIEF-5 score, nerve-sparing procedure and penile rehabilitation as significant predictors of EF recovery, among which the preoperative IIEF-5 score and nerve-sparing procedure appeared to be independently associated with EF recovery. Considering these findings, despite the lack of independent significance, penile rehabilitation with low-dose vardenafil could exert a beneficial effect on EF recovery in Japanese men following nerve-sparing RP. PMID:24994781

Change in Work-Time Control and Work-Home Interference Among Swedish Working Men and Women: Findings from the SLOSH Cohort Study.

PubMed

Leineweber, Constanze; Kecklund, Göran; Lindfors, Petra; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L

2016-12-01

The aim is to study the influence of change in work-time control (WTC) on work-home interference (WHI) while adjusting for other work-related factors, demographics, changes at work and WHI at baseline among women and men. An additional aim was to explore sex differences in the relation between change in WTC and WHI. The study included working participants of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) study of the third (2010) and fourth (2012) waves (n = 5440). Based on a seven-item index, four groups of WTC were formed: stable high (40 %), stable low (42 %), increasing (9 %), or decreasing (9 %) WTC over the 2 years. WHI was measured by four items and individuals were categorised in whether suffering or not suffering of WHI. Sex-stratified logistic regression analyses with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the odds of experiencing WHI by change in WTC. Controlling for demographics and work-related factors, women with stable low (OR = 1.46; 95 % CI 1.14-1.88) and women and men with decreasing WTC (women OR = 1.99; 95 % CI 1.38-2.85; men OR = 1.80; 95 % CI 1.18-2.73) had higher odds of WHI than those with a stable high WTC. Additionally, adjusting for changes at work and WHI at baseline did not alter the results substantially. Interaction analysis did not reveal any significant sex difference in the relation between WTC and WHI. For both women and men decreased and for women only, low control over working hours resulted in WHI also after adjusting for work-related factors and demographics.

'The Problem with Men': Working-class Men Making Sense of Men's Health on Television.

PubMed

Hodgetts, Darrin; Chamberlain, Kerry

2002-05-01

Men have higher rates of premature death than women, and may arguably have higher rates of serious illness. One explanation often suggested to account for this is that men are considered to be stoical about illness and reluctant to seek help for it. This article explores the role of media representations in the construction of men's views about health. We investigate how a small group of lower socio-economic status men make sense of the reluctance to seek help notion through an analysis of texts from three sources: a television health documentary, individual interviews with the men and a focus group discussion in which the men discuss the documentary. The television documentary frames its presentation to promote early detection and help-seeking. We conclude that televised coverage of men's health is an important site of social discourse through which men's health is rendered meaningful. However, it is not accepted passively, but negotiated, resisted and interpreted into men's lives.

Off to a good start: A comparative study of changes in men's first job prospects in East Asia.

PubMed

Yu, Wei-Hsin; Chiu, Chi-Tsun

2014-09-01

Research on young adults' transition to the labor market rarely investigates how nation-level institutional arrangements shape changes over time. In particular, a systematic comparison of shifts in young adults' job opportunities in East Asia is virtually absent. Using comparable data from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, we examine cohort differences in the timing, quality, and stability of men's first jobs. The results indicate overall declines in first occupational attainment for men in all three countries, but the main driving force for the decrease in Japan differs from that in Korea and Taiwan. Whereas macroeconomic pressure fully explains the decline in Japanese men's first occupational attainment, educational expansion accounts for a considerable part of the declines for men in Korea and Taiwan. Moreover, educational expansion has eroded better-educated men's advantages in speedily transitioning from school to work in Taiwan, but it has not had a similar effect on Japanese men. We argue that Japan's employment system, coupled with a fair amount of institutional ties between schools and firms, has shielded young men from the pressure of educational expansion, making the trends about their early-career outcomes different from those of their counterparts in Korea and Taiwan. The different degrees to which firm internal labor markets have been adopted in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also explain how increasing macroeconomic pressure has different impacts on men's first job stability in East Asia.

Vital capacity and selected metabolic diseases in middle-aged Japanese men

PubMed Central

Sakuta, Hidenari; Suzuki, Takashi; Yasuda, Hiroko; Ito, Teizo

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the association between vital capacity and the presence of selected metabolic diseases in middle-aged Japanese men. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of the associations among forced vital capacity (FVC), static vital capacity as a percentage of that predicted (%VC) and the presence of metabolic diseases was performed. RESULTS In a univariate linear regression analysis, FVC and %VC were inversely associated with poor vegetable intake, cigarette smoking and body mass index, but not with physical activity or ethanol consumption. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for lifestyle factors, body mass index and age, the odds ratios for the presence of metabolic disease per 0.54 L (1 SD) decrease in FVC were 1.24 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.50) for type II diabetes, 1.21 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.42) for hypertension, 1.34 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.63) for hypertriglyceridemia, 1.23 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.46) for high gamma-glutamyl transferase levels and 1.63 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.41) for an episode of cardiovascular disease. FVC did not correlate with hyperhomocysteinemia, hypercholesterolemia or high white blood cell count. Similar results were also obtained for the association between %VC and metabolic diseases. CONCLUSIONS A decrease in FVC or %VC was associated with the presence of some metabolic diseases. The association may partly explain the reported association between low FVC and cardiovascular disease. PMID:16550264

Comparing men's and women's experiences of work after cancer: a photovoice study.

PubMed

Morrison, T L; Thomas, R L

2015-10-01

Work is an important quality of life indicator for many cancer survivors. There is, however, a lack of appropriate support to help survivors with work integration. As a result, many survivors are forced to independently navigate their return to work, experiencing unnecessary pitfalls in the process. As a preliminary step toward addressing this current gap in survivorship support, we explored the work integration experiences of 20 cancer survivors, 10 women and 10 men. Photovoice methods were combined with two individual interviews per participant. Participant-produced photographs and interview transcripts were analyzed to identify key themes. Both commonalities and gender-differentiated motivations underlying work integration emerged. Female and male participants both demonstrated and discussed differentiated manners of coping. Men expressed a propensity for productivity and active engagements over talking used predominantly by women. Appreciation of men's proclivity for productivity and activity suggests that a gender-tailored approach to rehabilitation may enhance male survivors' participation and the utility of rehabilitation efforts.

Elder Care, Multiple Role Involvement, and Well-Being Among Middle-Aged Men and Women in Japan.

PubMed

Kikuzawa, Saeko

2015-12-01

Japan's population is aging at an unprecedented rate. Combined with the tradition of family responsibility for elder care, this rapid population aging has resulted in middle-aged Japanese people being much more likely today than in past decades to face the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents alongside their other major roles. Using nationally representative Japanese data, this study assessed the individual and combined implications of caregiving and other role involvements for the well-being of middle-aged men and women. Some evidence was found for deleterious psychological consequences of the caregiver role. However, in contrast to expectations, the interaction between the roles of caregiver and worker was positively associated with well-being among both men and women. The results suggest the importance of middle-aged adults being able to keep working when they have to care for their aging parents. Another important finding was significant gender differences in the psychological consequences of holding multiple family- and work-related roles and in combining these with the caregiver role. Further analysis showed that the spousal role was also negatively associated with depressive symptoms and positively associated with satisfaction for men but not for women. Gender differences in the findings appear to reflect the significant gender asymmetry in role experiences in Japan.

"Women's Work"? Women Partners of Transgender Men Doing Housework and Emotion Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeffer, Carla A.

2010-01-01

Despite increasing family studies research on same-sex cohabiters and families, the literature is virtually devoid of transgender and transsexual families. To bridge this gap, I present qualitative research narratives on household labor and emotion work from 50 women partners of transgender and transsexual men. Contrary to much literature on…

Relationship between work-family conflict and a sense of coherence among Japanese registered nurses.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Tomoko; Yamazaki, Yoshihiko

2010-12-01

Work-family conflict (WFC) refers to the conflict that arises between a person's work and family life. Previous studies have reported workload, job demands, and irregular working shifts as related to the WFC among nurses and have clarified that WFC is a predictor of job satisfaction, morale, and turnover intention. Very few studies have investigated WFC among Japanese nurses and no study has taken into consideration the sense of coherence (SOC) that helps nurses to cope with stress. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between WFC and SOC and to clarify how WFC and a SOC influence the mental and physical health of nurses in order to suggest ways of establishing work environments that enable nurses to achieve a balance between their work and family life. A self-report questionnaire survey of 388 Japanese female nurses was conducted. The data from 138 nurses who were a mother and/or wife were analyzed. Work-family conflict was significantly related to the SOC. It had a larger impact on the physical and mental health of nurses than their work and family characteristics. The SOC also had a major influence on the physical and mental health of nurses, while having a buffering effect on WFC with respect to depression. Our findings underscore the importance of taking organizational steps to create work environments that contribute to an enhanced SOC in order to reduce the WFC among nurses. © 2010 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2010 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Work-family conflict and health in Swedish working women and men: a 2-year prospective analysis (the SLOSH study).

PubMed

Leineweber, Constanze; Baltzer, Maria; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Westerlund, Hugo

2013-08-01

Research has suggested that gender is related to perceptions of work-family conflict (WFC) and an underlying assumption is that interference of paid work with family life will burden women more than men. There is, however, mixed evidence as to whether men and women report different levels of WFC. Even less studies investigate gender differences in health outcomes of WFC. Also the number of longitudinal studies in this field is low. Based on the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, we prospectively examined the effects of WFC on three different health measures representing a wide spectrum off ill health (i.e. self-rated health, emotional exhaustion and problem drinking). Logistic regression analyses were used to analyse multivariate associations between WFC in 2008 and health 2 years later. The results show that WFC was associated with an increased risk of emotional exhaustion among both men and women. Gender differences are suggested as WFC was related to an increased risk for poor self-rated health among women and problem drinking among men. Interaction analyses revealed that the risk of poor self-rated health was substantially more influenced by WFC among women than among men. We conclude that, despite the fact that women experience conflict between work and family life slightly more often than men, both men's and women's health is negatively affected by this phenomenon.

Long-term weight-change slope, weight fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women: findings of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Yatsuya, H; Li, Y; Chiang, C; Hirakawa, Y; Kawazoe, N; Tamakoshi, K; Toyoshima, H; Aoyama, A

2017-03-20

This study aims to investigate the association of long-term weight-change slopes, weight fluctuation and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in middle-aged Japanese men and women. A total of 4234 participants of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study who were aged 35-66 years and free of diabetes in 2002 were followed through 2014. Past body weights at the ages of 20, 25, 30, 40 years, and 5 years before baseline as well as measured body weight at baseline were regressed on the ages. Slope and root-mean-square-error of the regression line were obtained and used to represent the weight changes and the weight fluctuation, respectively. The associations of the weight-change slopes and the weight fluctuation with incident T2DM were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models. During the median follow-up of 12.2 years, 400 incident cases of T2DM were documented. After adjustment for baseline overweight and other lifestyle covariates, the weight-change slopes were significantly associated with higher incidence of T2DM (hazard ratio (HR): 1.80, 95% confident interval (CI): 1.17-2.77 for men; and HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.07-7.23 for women), while the weight fluctuation was not (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00-1.18 for men and HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.84-1.25 for women). Regardless of the presence of overweight, the long-term weight-change slopes were significantly associated with the increased risk of T2DM; however, the weight fluctuation was not associated with the risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese men and women.

Myths about Men Who Work with Young Children: Male Caregivers Need Acceptance and Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Bryan G.

2004-01-01

There are many myths about why so few men work with young children. There are many more stereotypes about those men who do. These myths and stereotypes make it difficult for men to enter or remain in careers working with children. Consequently, most young children never experience having a man as a teacher or caregiver. In this article, the author…

The Influence of Parenthood on the Work Effort of Married Men and Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Gayle; Uhlenberg, Peter

2000-01-01

Data from the 1992-93 National Survey of Families and Households were used to examine the effect of parenthood on married men's and women's employment and work hours. Parenthood decreased women's work effort as expected. Findings for men support two competing models--"good provider" and "involved father"--reflecting traditional…

Organizational justice, psychological distress, and work engagement in Japanese workers.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Ishizaki, Masao; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsuchiya, Masao; Tabata, Masaji; Akiyama, Miki; Kitazume, Akiko; Kuroda, Mitsuyo

2010-01-01

To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) and psychological distress or work engagement, as well as the mediating roles of other job stressors (i.e., job demands and job control, or their combination, effort-reward imbalance [ERI], and worksite support). A total of 243 workers (185 males and 58 females) from a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire including the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, Job Content Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, K6 scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and other covariates. Multiple mediation analyses with the bootstrap technique were conducted. In the bivariate analysis, procedural justice and interactional justice were significantly and negatively associated with psychological distress; they were significantly and positively associated with work engagement. In the mediation analysis, reward at work (or ERI) significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and psychological distress; worksite support significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and work engagement. The effects of organizational justice on psychological distress seem to be mediated by reward at work (or ERI) while those regarding work engagement may be mediated by worksite support to a large extent, at least in Japanese workers.

Midlife use of written Japanese and protection from late life dementia

PubMed Central

Crane, Paul K.; Gibbons, Laura E.; Arani, Keerthi; Nguyen, Viet; Rhoads, Kristoffer; McCurry, Susan M.; Launer, Lenore; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2011-01-01

Background The cognitive reserve hypothesis would predict that use of written Japanese should confer protection against dementia because of the complexity of its ideograms compared with written English. We sought to test this hypothesis in analyses from a longitudinal study of Japanese-American men. Methods Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men (Nisei) on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, who were seen in 1965 and in subsequent examinations to detect dementia beginning in 1991-1993. Use of spoken and written Japanese was self-reported in 1965 (Analyses 1 and 2), and mid-life use of written Japanese and written English was self-reported in 1994-1996 (Analysis 3). We analyzed prevalent dementia outcomes in 1991-1993 (Analysis 1, n=3,139) using logistic regression, and incident dementia outcomes in 1994-2002 (Analysis 2, n=2,299) and in 1997-2002 (Analysis 3, n=1,655) using Cox proportional hazards regression. Dementia outcomes included all-cause dementia, probable and possible Alzheimer disease, and probable vascular dementia. We adjusted models for probable and possible confounders. Results Participants who reported proficiency with written Japanese were older and had lower incomes. For Analysis 1, there were 154 prevalent cases of dementia, 74 of Alzheimer disease, and 43 of vascular dementia; for Analysis 2, 236 incident cases of dementia, 138 of Alzheimer disease, and 45 of vascular dementia; and for Analysis 3, 125 incident cases of dementia, 80 of Alzheimer disease, and 20 of vascular dementia. There was no relationship in adjusted models between self-reported proficiency with written Japanese and any dementia outcomes. Conclusions Proficiency with written Japanese does not appear to be protective for dementia. PMID:19593152

Benchmark duration of work hours for development of fatigue symptoms in Japanese workers with adjustment for job-related stress.

PubMed

Suwazono, Yasushi; Dochi, Mirei; Kobayashi, Etsuko; Oishi, Mitsuhiro; Okubo, Yasushi; Tanaka, Kumihiko; Sakata, Kouichi

2008-12-01

The objective of this study was to calculate benchmark durations and lower 95% confidence limits for benchmark durations of working hours associated with subjective fatigue symptoms by applying the benchmark dose approach while adjusting for job-related stress using multiple logistic regression analyses. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 3,069 male and 412 female daytime workers (age 18-67 years) in a Japanese steel company. The eight dependent variables in the Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index were decreased vitality, general fatigue, physical disorders, irritability, decreased willingness to work, anxiety, depressive feelings, and chronic tiredness. Independent variables were daily working hours, four subscales (job demand, job control, interpersonal relationship, and job suitability) of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, and other potential covariates. Using significant parameters for working hours and those for other covariates, the benchmark durations of working hours were calculated for the corresponding Index property. Benchmark response was set at 5% or 10%. Assuming a condition of worst job stress, the benchmark duration/lower 95% confidence limit for benchmark duration of working hours per day with a benchmark response of 5% or 10% were 10.0/9.4 or 11.7/10.7 (irritability) and 9.2/8.9 or 10.4/9.8 (chronic tiredness) in men and 8.9/8.4 or 9.8/8.9 (chronic tiredness) in women. The threshold amounts of working hours for fatigue symptoms under the worst job-related stress were very close to the standard daily working hours in Japan. The results strongly suggest that special attention should be paid to employees whose working hours exceed threshold amounts based on individual levels of job-related stress.

Relation of dietary and lifestyle traits to difference in serum leptin of Japanese in Japan and Hawaii: the INTERLIPID study.

PubMed

Nakamura, Y; Ueshima, H; Okuda, N; Miura, K; Kita, Y; Okamura, T; Turin, T C; Okayama, A; Rodriguez, B; Curb, J D; Stamler, J

2012-01-01

Previously, we found significantly higher serum leptin in Japanese-Americans in Hawaii than Japanese in Japan. We investigated whether differences in dietary and other lifestyle factors explain higher serum leptin concentrations in Japanese living a Western lifestyle in Hawaii compared with Japanese in Japan. Serum leptin and nutrient intakes were examined by standardized methods in men and women ages 40-59 years from two population samples, one Japanese-American in Hawaii (88 men, 94 women), the other Japanese in central Japan (123 men, 111 women). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess role of dietary and other lifestyle traits in accounting for serum leptin difference between Hawaii and Japan. Mean leptin was significantly higher in Hawaii than Japan (7.2 ± 6.8 vs 3.7 ± 2.3 ng/ml in men, P < 0.0001; 12.8 ± 6.6 vs 8.5 ± 5.0 in women <0.0001). In men, higher BMI in Hawaii explained over 90% of the difference in serum leptin; in women, only 47%. In multiple linear regression analyses in women, further adjustment for physical activity and dietary factors--alcohol, dietary fiber, iron--produced a further reduction in the coefficient for the difference, total reduction 70.7%; P-value for the Hawaii-Japan difference became 0.126. The significantly higher mean leptin concentration in Hawaii than Japan may be attributable largely to differences in BMI. Differences in nutrient intake in the two samples were associated with only modest relationship to the leptin difference. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relation of dietary and lifestyle traits to difference in serum leptin of Japanese in Japan and Hawaii: The INTERLIPID Study

PubMed Central

Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Okuda, Nagako; Miura, Katsuyuki; Kita, Yoshikuni; Okamura, Tomonori; Turin, Tanvir C; Okayama, Akira; Rodriguez, Beatriz; Curb, J David; Stamler, Jeremiah

2010-01-01

Background and Aims Previously, we found significantly higher serum leptin in Japanese-Americans in Hawaii than Japanese in Japan. We investigated whether differences in dietary and other lifestyle factors explain higher serum leptin concentrations in Japanese living a Western lifestyle in Hawaii compared with Japanese in Japan. Methods and Results Serum leptin and nutrient intakes were examined by standardized methods in men and women ages 40 to 59 years from two population samples, one Japanese-American in Hawaii (88 men, 94 women), the other Japanese in central Japan (123 men, 111 women). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess role of dietary and other lifestyle traits in accounting for serum leptin difference between Hawaii and Japan. Mean leptin was significantly higher in Hawaii than Japan (7.2±6.8 vs 3.7±2.3 ng/ml in men, P<0.0001; 12.8±6.6 vs 8.5±5.0 in women <0.0001). In men, higher BMI in Hawaii explained over 90% of the difference in serum leptin; in women, only 47%. In multiple linear regression analyses in women, further adjustment for physical activity and dietary factors - - alcohol, dietary fiber, iron- - produced a further reduction in the coefficient for the difference, total reduction 70.7%; P value for the Hawaii-Japan difference became 0.126. Conclusion The significantly higher mean leptin concentration in Hawaii than Japan may be attributable largely to differences in BMI. Differences in nutrient intake in the two samples were associated with only modest relationship to the leptin difference. PMID:20678905

Sugar-sweetened beverage and diet soda consumption and the 7-year risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men.

PubMed

Sakurai, M; Nakamura, K; Miura, K; Takamura, T; Yoshita, K; Nagasawa, S Y; Morikawa, Y; Ishizaki, M; Kido, T; Naruse, Y; Suwazono, Y; Sasaki, S; Nakagawa, H

2014-02-01

This cohort study investigated the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and diet soda consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men. The participants were 2,037 employees of a factory in Japan. We measured consumption of SSB and diet soda using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for diabetes were estimated after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history, and dietary and other lifestyle factors. During the study, 170 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) across participants who were rare/never SSB consumers, <1 serving/week, ≥ 1 serving/week and <1 serving/day, and ≥ 1 serving/day were 15.5, 12.7, 14.9, and 17.4, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted HR compared to rare/never SSB consumers was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.80-2.27) for participants who consumed ≥ 1 serving/day SSB. Diet soda consumption was significantly associated with the incident risk of diabetes (P for trend = 0.013), and multivariate-adjusted HRs compared to rare/never diet soda consumers were 1.05 (0.62-1.78) and 1.70 (1.13-2.55), respectively, for participants who consumed <1 serving/week and ≥ 1 serving/week. Consumption of diet soda was significantly associated with an increased risk for diabetes in Japanese men. Diet soda is not always effective at preventing type 2 diabetes even though it is a zero-calorie drink.

Sex work among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Bogotá.

PubMed

Bianchi, Fernanda T; Reisen, Carol A; Zea, Maria Cecilia; Vidal-Ortiz, Salvador; Gonzales, Felisa A; Betancourt, Fabián; Aguilar, Marcela; Poppen, Paul J

2014-11-01

This qualitative study examined sex work among internally displaced male and transgender female sex workers in Bogotá, Colombia. Internal displacement has occurred in Colombia as a result of decades of conflict among armed groups and has created large-scale migration from rural to urban areas. Informed by the polymorphous model of sex work, which posits that contextual conditions shape the experience of sex work, we examined three main research questions. The first dealt with how internal displacement was related to the initiation of sex work; the second concerned the effect of agency on sex worker satisfaction; and the third examined how sex work in this context was related to HIV and other risks. Life history interviews were conducted with 26 displaced individuals who had done sex work: 14 were men who have sex with men and 12 were transgender women (natal males). Findings revealed that many participants began doing sex work in the period immediately after displacement, because of a lack of money, housing, and social support. HIV risk was greater during this time due to limited knowledge of HIV and inexperience negotiating safer sex with clients. Other findings indicated that sex workers who exerted more control and choice in the circumstances of their work reported greater satisfaction. In addition, we found that although many sex workers insisted on condom use with clients, several noted that they would sometimes have unprotected sex for additional money. Specific characteristics affecting the experience of sex work among the transgender women were also discussed.

Sex Work among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Bogotá

PubMed Central

Bianchi, Fernanda T.; Reisen, Carol A.; Zea, Maria Cecilia; Vidal-Ortiz, Salvador; Gonzales, Felisa A.; Betancourt, Fabián; Aguilar, Marcela; Poppen, Paul J.

2014-01-01

This qualitative study examined sex work among internally displaced male and transgender female sex workers in Bogotá, Colombia. Internal displacement has occurred in Colombia as a result of decades of conflict among armed groups and has created large-scale migration from rural to urban areas. Informed by the polymorphous model of sex work, which posits that contextual conditions shape the experience of sex work, we examined three main research questions. The first dealt with how internal displacement was related to the initiation of sex work; the second concerned the effect of agency on sex worker satisfaction; and the third examined how sex work in this context was related to HIV and other risks. Life history interviews were conducted with a 26 displaced individuals who had done sex work: 14 were men who have sex with men (MSM) and 12 were transgender women (natal males). Findings revealed that many participants began doing sex work in the period immediately after displacement, because of a lack of money, housing, and social support. HIV risk was greater during this time due to limited knowledge of HIV and inexperience negotiating safer sex with clients. Other findings indicated that sex workers who exerted more control and choice in the circumstances of their work reported greater satisfaction. In addition, we found that although many sex workers insisted on condom use with clients, several noted that they would sometimes have unprotected sex for additional money. Specific characteristics affecting the experience of sex work among the transgender women were also discussed. PMID:24464550

Basic English Writers' Japanese-English Wordbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, F. J.

The author of this Japanese-English wordbook suggests that it may be used by Japanese writers of English, by those translating from Japanese into English, and by learners of Japanese, in addition to its main intended uses as an aid to the preparation of teaching material and as a work of reference for teachers. A translator will need to supplement…

Night work and prostate cancer in men: a Swedish prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Åkerstedt, Torbjrn; Narusyte, Jurgita; Svedberg, Pia; Kecklund, Göran; Alexanderson, Kristina

2017-01-01

Objectives Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, but the contributing factors are unclear. One such may be night work because of the day/night alternation of work and the resulting disturbance of the circadian system. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective relation between number of years with night work and prostate cancer in men. Design Cohort study comparing night and day working twins with respect to incident prostate cancer in 12 322 men. Setting Individuals in the Swedish Twin Registry. Participants 12 322 male twins. Outcome measures Prostate cancer diagnoses obtained from the Swedish Cancer Registry with a follow-up time of 12 years, with a total number of cases=454. Results Multiple Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, adjusted for a number of covariates, showed no association between ever night work and prostate cancer, nor for duration of night work and prostate cancer. Analysis of twin pairs discordant for prostate cancer (n=332) showed no significant association between night work and prostate cancer. Conclusions The results, together with previous studies, suggest that night work does not seem to constitute a risk factor for prostate cancer. PMID:28600375

Topical adenosine increases the proportion of thick hair in Caucasian men with androgenetic alopecia.

PubMed

Iwabuchi, Tokuro; Ideta, Ritsuro; Ehama, Ritsuko; Yamanishi, Haruyo; Iino, Masato; Nakazawa, Yosuke; Kobayashi, Takashi; Ohyama, Manabu; Kishimoto, Jiro

2016-05-01

Adenosine is an effective treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in Japanese men and women. Adenosine exerts its effects by significantly increasing the proportion of thick hair. In this study, we assessed the clinical outcome of adenosine treatment for 6 months in 38 Caucasian men. The change in proportion of thick hair (≥60 μm) compared with baseline in the adenosine group was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (P < 0.0001). The change in vellus hair proportion (<40 μm) was significantly lower in the adenosine group than that in the placebo group (P = 0.0154). The change in hair density compared with baseline of the adenosine group was also significantly higher compared with that of the placebo group (P = 0.0470). No adverse effects due to treatment were noted during this study by dermatological evaluation. Adenosine is effective in increasing the proportion of thick hair in Caucasian men with AGA as well as in Japanese men and women. © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Workaholism and well-being among Japanese dual-earner couples: a spillover-crossover perspective.

PubMed

Shimazu, Akihito; Demerouti, Evangelia; Bakker, Arnold B; Shimada, Kyoko; Kawakami, Norito

2011-08-01

This study among Japanese dual-earner couples examined the impact of workaholism on employees' and their partners' work-family conflicts and psychological distress. The matched responses of 994 couples were analyzed with logistic regression analyses. Results showed that workaholics (i.e., employees scoring high on both working excessively and working compulsively) were more likely to experience work-to-family conflict and psychological distress compared to relaxed workers (i.e., low on both working excessively and working compulsively) for both genders. Results also showed that husbands of workaholic women were more likely to experience family-to-work conflict, whereas wives of workaholic men were not. These findings integrate and expand previous findings on workaholism and the recently formulated spillover-crossover model. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job crafting, work engagement, and psychological distress among Japanese employees: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sakuraya, Asuka; Shimazu, Akihito; Eguchi, Hisashi; Kamiyama, Kimika; Hara, Yujiro; Namba, Katsuyuki; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

Job crafting, an employee-initiated job design/redesign, has become important for employees' well-being. However, most studies on the relationship between job crafting and employees' well-being have been conducted in western countries; thus, it is unclear whether job crafting can be effectively applied to Asian cultures, such as Japan, which emphasizes group harmony. The aim of this study was to examine the cross-sectional associations of self-reported job crafting with work engagement and psychological distress among employees in Japan. A questionnaire survey through the internet was conducted among all employees of a manufacturing company in Japan. We analyzed the data from 894 respondents, all employees with regular employment. Job crafting, work engagement, and psychological distress were assessed using the Japanese version of the Job Crafting Questionnaire, the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that increasing structural job resources, social job resources, and challenging job demands was significantly and positively associated with work engagement ( β  = 0.31, p  < 0.001; β  = 0.14, p  < 0.001; β  = 0.36, p  < 0.001, respectively). For psychological distress, increasing structural job resources was significantly and negatively associated with psychological distress ( β  = -0.15, p  < 0.001). Our study suggests that increasing structural job resources is associated with higher work engagement and lower psychological distress. In addition, increasing social job resources and challenging job demands are also associated with higher work engagement.

Off to a good start: A comparative study of changes in men's first job prospects in East Asia

PubMed Central

Yu, Wei-hsin; Chiu, Chi-Tsun

2015-01-01

Research on young adults’ transition to the labor market rarely investigates how nation-level institutional arrangements shape changes over time. In particular, a systematic comparison of shifts in young adults’ job opportunities in East Asia is virtually absent. Using comparable data from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, we examine cohort differences in the timing, quality, and stability of men's first jobs. The results indicate overall declines in first occupational attainment for men in all three countries, but the main driving force for the decrease in Japan differs from that in Korea and Taiwan. Whereas macroeconomic pressure fully explains the decline in Japanese men's first occupational attainment, educational expansion accounts for a considerable part of the declines for men in Korea and Taiwan. Moreover, educational expansion has eroded better-educated men's advantages in speedily transitioning from school to work in Taiwan, but it has not had a similar effect on Japanese men. We argue that Japan's employment system, coupled with a fair amount of institutional ties between schools and firms, has shielded young men from the pressure of educational expansion, making the trends about their early-career outcomes different from those of their counterparts in Korea and Taiwan. The different degrees to which firm internal labor markets have been adopted in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also explain how increasing macroeconomic pressure has different impacts on men's first job stability in East Asia. PMID:25999637

Association of household income and education with eating behaviors in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Nakamura, Saki; Inayama, Takayo; Hata, Kikuko; Matsushita, Munehiro; Takahashi, Masaki; Harada, Kazuhiro; Arao, Takashi

2016-01-22

Socioeconomic inequalities as social determinants of health are important issues in public health and health promotion. However, the association between socioeconomic status and eating behaviors has been investigated poorly in Japanese adults. To fill this gap, the present study examines the association of eating behaviors with household income and education. The sample comprised 3,137 Japanese adults (1,580 men and 1,557 women) aged 30 to 59 years who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey in 2014. Data on the following eating behaviors were collected via self-report: "taking care of one's diet for health," "eating vegetables," "frequency of eating breakfast," "frequency of family breakfasts," "frequency of family dinners," "using the information on nutrition labels," and "conversations with family or friends during meals." Self-reported data on socioeconomic status (household income and education) and demographic variables (gender, age, district of residence, marital status, residence status, and employment status) were also collected. The associations between eating behaviors and household income or education were tested using binomial logistic regression analysis with eating behaviors as dependent variables and household income and education as independent variables. A trend P -value was calculated for three categories of household income (less than 3,000,000 JPY, 3,000,000-7,000,000 JPY, and over 7,000,000 JPY) and education (junior high/high school, 2-year college, and 4-year college/graduate school). Higher household income and education were significantly associated with higher rates of eating vegetables, using the information on nutrition labels, and conversation with family or friends during meals in Japanese men and women. Higher household incomes were significantly associated with lower rates of frequency of family breakfasts in Japanese men and lower rates of frequency of family dinners in Japanese men and women. Higher socioeconomic

Striking a balance: work-health-personal life conflict in women and men with arthritis and its association with work outcomes.

PubMed

Gignac, Monique A M; Lacaille, Diane; Beaton, Dorcas E; Backman, Catherine L; Cao, Xingshan; Badley, Elizabeth M

2014-09-01

To examine men and women's perceptions of inter-role balance/imbalance in work, arthritis, and personal roles and its association with demographic, health and employment factors, including job stress, career satisfaction, job disruptions, absenteeism and perceived productivity losses. Participants were employed, aged ≥40 years and diagnosed with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis. They were recruited through community advertising and rheumatology clinics in two Canadian provinces. Respondents completed a 35-45 min telephone interview and a 20-min self-administered questionnaire assessing role perceptions [(arthritis negatively impacts work (A → W); work/personal life negatively impact arthritis (W/P → A); work as a positive role (W +))], demographic, health and work context information. Analyses included exploratory factor analysis and multivariate regressions. Findings revealed similarities between men (n = 104) and women (n = 248) in health, work and role perceptions, although women reported more benefits of working with arthritis (W+) than men. Some gender differences were found in factors associated with inter-role perceptions highlighting the importance of children, fatigue, unpredictable work hours, job control, and workplace activity limitations. Role perceptions were associated with work outcomes but only one perception, W/P → A, interacted with gender. Among men, greater perceptions that work and personal demands interfered with managing arthritis were associated with more job disruptions. This study revealed negative and positive inter-role perceptions related to working with a chronic illness and associations with work outcomes. It highlights potentially modifiable factors that could assess risk and inform interventions to improve role balance and working experiences.

Long-term weight-change slope, weight fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women: findings of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y; Yatsuya, H; Li, Y; Chiang, C; Hirakawa, Y; Kawazoe, N; Tamakoshi, K; Toyoshima, H; Aoyama, A

2017-01-01

Objective: This study aims to investigate the association of long-term weight-change slopes, weight fluctuation and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in middle-aged Japanese men and women. Methods: A total of 4234 participants of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study who were aged 35–66 years and free of diabetes in 2002 were followed through 2014. Past body weights at the ages of 20, 25, 30, 40 years, and 5 years before baseline as well as measured body weight at baseline were regressed on the ages. Slope and root-mean-square-error of the regression line were obtained and used to represent the weight changes and the weight fluctuation, respectively. The associations of the weight-change slopes and the weight fluctuation with incident T2DM were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models. Results: During the median follow-up of 12.2 years, 400 incident cases of T2DM were documented. After adjustment for baseline overweight and other lifestyle covariates, the weight-change slopes were significantly associated with higher incidence of T2DM (hazard ratio (HR): 1.80, 95% confident interval (CI): 1.17–2.77 for men; and HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.07–7.23 for women), while the weight fluctuation was not (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18 for men and HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.84–1.25 for women). Conclusions: Regardless of the presence of overweight, the long-term weight-change slopes were significantly associated with the increased risk of T2DM; however, the weight fluctuation was not associated with the risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese men and women. PMID:28319107

Interpretation and Identification of Gendered Selves: Analyzing Gender-Specific Addressivity in Japanese Advertising Text.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maynard, Michael L.

1995-01-01

Analyzed 112 advertisements in 4 Japanese magazines targeted at young men and 111 advertisements in 4 magazines targeted at young women. Results found that visual intimacy occurred in advertising substantially more often in young women's magazines than in young men's magazines, and that product-alone advertisements were targeted to young men more…

THE LOSS OF BOYSTOWN AND TRANSITION TO ONLINE SEX WORK: STRATEGIES AND BARRIERS TO INCREASE SAFETY AMONG MEN SEX WORKERS AND CLIENTS OF MEN

PubMed Central

Argento, Elena; Taylor, Matthew; Jollimore, Jody; Taylor, Chrissy; Jennex, James; Krusi, Andrea; Shannon, Kate

2017-01-01

Men sex workers in Vancouver have largely transitioned from street to online solicitation coinciding with losing “Boystown,” the main outdoor sex work stroll for men. This article explores strategies and barriers to increase safety among men and trans sex workers and clients of men in Vancouver, Canada. Qualitative interviews were conducted (2012–2013) with 61 self-identified men who currently buy and/or sell sex in a community-based research project known as CHAPS (Community Health Assessment of Men Who Purchase and Sell Sex). Drawing on a socioecological framework, thematic analysis of interview transcripts was conducted utilizing ATLAS.ti 7 software among men (39 workers; 8 buyers). Narratives indicate that gentrification and urban planning led to social isolation and loss of social support networks among men in the sex industry. Concurrently, the restructuring of sex work to online increased workers’ safety and control. Narratives reveal how the Internet can provide greater opportunities to negotiate terms of sex work and enhanced screening using webcams, reducing risks of violence, stigma, and police harassment for both workers and clients compared with the street. This study highlights how losing Boystown led to a loss of community and solidarity: key protective measures for sex workers. Online solicitation increased workers’ capacity to screen prospective clients and prevent violence. Recent legal reforms in Canada to further criminalize sex work raise significant concern for human rights and health of individuals in the sex industry, and point to the critical need to include voices of men and trans sex workers and buyers in policy discussions. PMID:27352925

The Loss of Boystown and Transition to Online Sex Work: Strategies and Barriers to Increase Safety Among Men Sex Workers and Clients of Men.

PubMed

Argento, Elena; Taylor, Matthew; Jollimore, Jody; Taylor, Chrissy; Jennex, James; Krusi, Andrea; Shannon, Kate

2016-06-28

Men sex workers in Vancouver have largely transitioned from street to online solicitation coinciding with losing "Boystown," the main outdoor sex work stroll for men. This article explores strategies and barriers to increase safety among men and trans sex workers and clients of men in Vancouver, Canada. Qualitative interviews were conducted (2012-2013) with 61 self-identifed men who currently buy and/or sell sex in a community-based research project known as CHAPS (Community Health Assessment of Men Who Purchase and Sell Sex). Drawing on a socioecological framework, thematic analysis of interview transcripts was conducted utilizing ATLAS.ti 7 software among men (39 workers; 8 buyers). Narratives indicate that gentrification and urban planning led to social isolation and loss of social support networks among men in the sex industry. Concurrently, the restructuring of sex work to online increased workers' safety and control. Narratives reveal how the Internet can provide greater opportunities to negotiate terms of sex work and enhanced screening using webcams, reducing risks of violence, stigma, and police harassment for both workers and clients compared with the street. This study highlights how losing Boystown led to a loss of community and solidarity: key protective measures for sex workers. Online solicitation increased workers' capacity to screen prospective clients and prevent violence. Recent legal reforms in Canada to further criminalize sex work raise significant concern for human rights and health of individuals in the sex industry, and point to the critical need to include voices of men and trans sex workers and buyers in policy discussions. © The Author(s) 2016.

Extent of weight reduction necessary for minimization of diabetes risk in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation and glycated hemoglobin of 5.6-6.4.

PubMed

Iwahashi, Hiromi; Noguchi, Midori; Okauchi, Yukiyoshi; Morita, Sachiko; Imagawa, Akihisa; Shimomura, Iichiro

2015-09-01

Weight reduction improves glycemic control in obese men with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 5.6-6.4%, suggesting that it can prevent the development of diabetes in these patients. The aim of the present study was to quantify the amount of weight reduction necessary for minimization of diabetes risk in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation. The study participants were 482 men with an estimated visceral fat area of ≥100 cm(2), HbA1c of 5.6-6.4%, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of <126 mg/dL or casual plasma glucose <200 mg/dL. They were divided into two groups based on weight change at the end of the 3-year follow-up period (weight gain and weight loss groups). The weight loss group was classified into quartile subgroups (lowest group, 0 to <1.2%: second lowest group, ≥1.2 to <2.5%: second highest group, ≥2.5 to <4.3%: highest group, ≥4.3% weight loss). The development of diabetes at the end-point represented a rise in HbA1c to ≥6.5% or FPG ≥126 mg/dL, or casual plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dL. The cumulative incidence of diabetes at the end of the 3-year follow-up period was 16.2% in the weight gain group and 10.1% in the weight loss group (P not significant). The incidence of diabetes was significantly lower in the highest weight loss group (3.1%), but not in the second highest, the second lowest and the lowest weight loss groups (9.7, 10.1 and 18.3%), compared with the weight gain group. Minimization of the risk of diabetes in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation requires a minimum of 4-5% weight loss in those with HbA1c of 5.6-6.4%.

Night work and prostate cancer in men: a Swedish prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Åkerstedt, Torbjrn; Narusyte, Jurgita; Svedberg, Pia; Kecklund, Göran; Alexanderson, Kristina

2017-06-08

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, but the contributing factors are unclear. One such may be night work because of the day/night alternation of work and the resulting disturbance of the circadian system. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective relation between number of years with night work and prostate cancer in men. Cohort study comparing night and day working twins with respect to incident prostate cancer in 12 322 men. Individuals in the Swedish Twin Registry. 12 322 male twins. Prostate cancer diagnoses obtained from the Swedish Cancer Registry with a follow-up time of 12 years, with a total number of cases=454. Multiple Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, adjusted for a number of covariates, showed no association between ever night work and prostate cancer, nor for duration of night work and prostate cancer. Analysis of twin pairs discordant for prostate cancer (n=332) showed no significant association between night work and prostate cancer. The results, together with previous studies, suggest that night work does not seem to constitute a risk factor for prostate cancer. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Preliminary Study of Work-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Group Therapy for Japanese Workers.

PubMed

Ito, Daisuke; Watanabe, Asuka; Takeichi, Sakino; Ishihara, Ayako; Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi

2018-06-06

In Japan, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been introduced in the 'Rework Programme', but its impact on return to work (RTW) has not been fully clarified. This pilot study investigated the initial efficacy of a work-focused cognitive behavioural group therapy (WF-CBGT) for Japanese workers on sick leave due to depression. Twenty-three patients on leave due to depression were recruited from a mental health clinic. WF-CBGT including behavioural activation therapy, cognitive therapy, and problem-solving therapy techniques was conducted for eight weekly 150-minute sessions. Participants completed questionnaires on depression and anxiety (Kessler-6), social adaptation (Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale), and difficulty in RTW (Difficulty in Returning to Work Inventory) at pre- and post-intervention time points. Rates of re-instatement after the intervention were examined. One participant dropped out, but 22 participants successfully completed the intervention. All scale scores significantly improved after intervention and, except for difficulty in RTW related to physical fitness, all effect sizes were above the moderate classification. All participants who completed the intervention succeeded in RTW. Results suggested the possibility that WF-CBGT may be a feasible and promising intervention for Japanese workers on leave due to depression regardless of cross-cultural differences, but that additional research examining effectiveness using controlled designs and other samples is needed. Future research should examine the efficacy of this programme more systematically to provide relevant data to aid in the continued development of an evidence-based intervention.

The Japanese aerial attack on Hanford Engineer Works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Charles W.

The day before the Pearl Harbor attack, December 6, 1941, the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory was given four goals: design a plutonium (Pu) bomb; produce Pu by irradiation of uranium (U); extract Pu from the irradiated U; complete this in time to be militarily significant. A year later the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was attained in Chicago Pile 1 (CP-1). In January 1943, Hanford, WA was chosen as the site of the Pu factory. Neutron irradiation of 238U was to be used to make 239Pu. This was done by a larger version of CP-1, Hanford Reactor B, which went critical in September 1944. By July 1945 it had made enough Pu for two bombs: one used at the Trinity test in July; the other at Nagasaki, Japan in August. I focus on an ironic sidelight to this story: disruption of hydroelectric power to Reactor B by a Japanese fire balloon attack on March 10, 1945. This activated the costly coal-fired emergency backup plant to keep the reactor coolant water flowing, thwarting disaster and vindicating the conservative design of Hanford Engineer Works. Management of the Hanford Engineer Works in World War II, H. Thayer (ASCE Press 1996).

Conflicts between work and family life and subsequent sleep problems among employees from Finland, Britain, and Japan.

PubMed

Lallukka, T; Ferrie, J E; Kivimäki, M; Shipley, M J; Sekine, M; Tatsuse, T; Pietiläinen, O; Rahkonen, O; Marmot, M G; Lahelma, E

2014-04-01

Research on the association between family-to-work and work-to-family conflicts and sleep problems is sparse and mostly cross-sectional. We examined these associations prospectively in three occupational cohorts. Data were derived from the Finnish Helsinki Health Study (n = 3,881), the British Whitehall II Study (n = 3,998), and the Japanese Civil Servants Study (n = 1,834). Sleep problems were assessed using the Jenkins sleep questionnaire in the Finnish and British cohorts and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the Japanese cohort. Family-to-work and work-to-family conflicts measured whether family life interfered with work or vice versa. Age, baseline sleep problems, job strain, and self-rated health were adjusted for in logistic regression analyses. Adjusted for age and baseline sleep, strong family-to-work conflicts were associated with subsequent sleep problems among Finnish women (OR, 1.33 (95 % CI, 1.02-1.73)) and Japanese employees of both sexes (OR, 7.61 (95 % CI, 1.01-57.2) for women; OR, 1.97 (95 % CI, 1.06-3.66) for men). Strong work-to-family conflicts were associated with subsequent sleep problems in British, Finnish, and Japanese women (OR, 2.36 (95 % CI, 1.42-3.93), 1.62 (95 % CI, 1.20-2.18), and 5.35 (95 % CI, 1.00-28.55), respectively) adjusted for age and baseline sleep problems. In men, this association was seen only in the British cohort (OR, 2.02 (95 % CI, 1.42-2.88)). Adjustments for job strain and self-rated health produced no significant attenuation of these associations. Family-to-work and work-to-family conflicts predicted subsequent sleep problems among the majority of employees in three occupational cohorts.

Meat consumption in relation to mortality from cardiovascular disease among Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Nagao, M; Iso, H; Yamagishi, K; Date, C; Tamakoshi, A

2012-06-01

Although high or low (no) meat consumption was associated with elevated or reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease, respectively, few studies have investigated the association between moderate meat consumption and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the associations between moderate meat consumption and cardiovascular disease mortality. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 51,683 Japanese (20,466 men and 31,217 women) aged 40-79 years living in all of Japan (The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study; JACC Study). Consumptions of meat (beef, pork, poultry, liver and processed meat) were assessed via a food frequency questionnaire administrated at baseline survey. Hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality from cardiovascular disease were estimated from Cox proportional hazards regression models according to quintiles of meat consumption after adjustment for potential confounding variables. During 820,076 person-years of follow-up, we documented 2685 deaths due to total cardiovascular disease including 537 ischemic heart diseases and 1209 strokes. The multivariable HRs (95% confidence interval) for the highest versus lowest quintiles of meat consumption (77.6 versus 10.4 g/day) among men were 0.66 (0.45-0.97) for ischemic heart disease, 1.10 (0.84-1.43) for stroke and 1.00 (0.84-1.20) for total cardiovascular disease. The corresponding HRs (59.9 versus 7.5 g/day) among women were 1.22 (0.81-1.83), 0.91 (0.70-1.19) and 1.07 (0.90-1.28). The associations were similar when the consumptions of red meat, poultry, processed meat and liver were examined separately. Moderate meat consumption, up to ~100 g/day, was not associated with increased mortality from ischemic heart disease, stroke or total cardiovascular disease among either gender.

Daily life activity and the risk of developing hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Noriyuki; Suzuki, Kenji

2005-01-24

Although previous studies suggest that physical activity may reduce the risk of hypertension, the role of daily life activity in the development of hypertension remains unclear. The study population included 2548 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 59 years, who were without hypertension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure [DBP] <90 mm Hg, and no medication for hypertension) and had no history of cardiovascular disease. Daily life energy expenditure was estimated by a 1-day activity record during an ordinary weekday at study entry. Blood pressures were measured at periodic annual health examinations over 7 successive years. After controlling for potential predictors of hypertension (age, family history of hypertension, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, regular physical exercise at entry, and change in body mass index during the follow-up period), mean SBP and DBP in each follow-up year decreased as daily life energy expenditure increased. With additional adjustment for SBP at entry, the relative risk of hypertension (SBP > or =140 mm Hg and/or DBP > or =90 mm Hg or medication for hypertension) across quartiles of daily life energy expenditure (lowest to highest) were 1.00, 0.84, 0.75, and 0.54 (P<.001 for trend). Analyses by presence or absence of a risk factor demonstrated that the risk of hypertension was inversely related to daily life energy expenditure in men at either low or high risk of hypertension. Daily life energy expenditure was also associated with reduced risk of hypertension for subjects in all 3 categories of normotension: low normal, normal, and high normal. Increased daily life activity is effective for the prevention of hypertension, and this benefit applies to men at either low or high risk of hypertension.

Men who work at age 70 or older.

PubMed

Ozawa, Martha N; Lum, Terry Y

2005-01-01

The federal policy on older workers has shifted from the encouragement of early withdrawal from the labor force to the encouragement of continuous participation in the labor force. In this light, it is instructive to investigate the backgrounds of elderly people who work at age 70 or older. This article presents the findings of a study, using data from the 1993 Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old Study, that investigated the effects of health, economic conditions (net worth, employer-provided pensions, and supplemental medical insurance coverage), education, and spouse's work status on the probability of working among men aged 70 or older. The study addressed the probability of working, the probability of working fulltime and of working part-time, and the probability of being self-employed and of being employed by others. Implications for policy are discussed.

Role of alcohol drinking pattern in type 2 diabetes in Japanese men: the Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center Study 11 (TOPICS 11).

PubMed

Heianza, Yoriko; Arase, Yasuji; Saito, Kazumi; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Fujihara, Kazuya; Hsieh, Shiun Dong; Kodama, Satoru; Shimano, Hitoshi; Yamada, Nobuhiro; Hara, Shigeko; Sone, Hirohito

2013-03-01

Findings of past studies on the effect of drinking patterns on diabetes risk have been inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the role of drinking frequency and usual quantity consumed in the development of type 2 diabetes. Enrolled were 1650 Japanese men without diabetes (diabetes: fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L, glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5%, or self-reported clinician-diagnosed diabetes). Average alcohol consumption and 12 combinations of frequency and usual quantity per drinking occasion were assessed at the baseline examination. The absolute risk and HR for the development of diabetes were calculated. During a mean follow-up period of 10.2 y, 216 individuals developed diabetes. Lifetime abstainers (n = 153) had a relatively low incidence of diabetes (9.1/1000 person-years), similar to moderate consumers (99-160 g ethanol/wk; 9.0/1000 person-years). Increasingly higher quantities of alcohol usually consumed per occasion increased the risk of diabetes regardless of drinking frequency. The lowest incidence rate of diabetes (8.5/1000 person-years) was associated with the consumption of <1 drink (<23 g ethanol) per occasion over ≥6 times/wk. Binge drinking (≥3 drinks per occasion) significantly increased the risk of future diabetes regardless of frequency (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.74) compared with <1 drink per occasion. Among current drinkers, a drinking pattern of <1 drink per occasion regularly over 6 times within a week was associated with the lowest risk of developing diabetes. Usual quantity per drinking occasion was a more important determinant than was weekly drinking frequency in the association between alcohol consumption and risk of diabetes in Japanese men.

Male Social Workers Working with Men Who Batter: Dilemmas in Gender Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Benjamin; Buchbinder, Eli; Eisikovits, Zvi

2011-01-01

Research into the impact of dealing with intimate partner violence has focused mainly on women who treated victims. The present article explores the interaction between male social workers and battering men. The sample included 15 male social workers who worked with battering men in social services. Data collection was performed through…

Choline and Betaine Intakes Are Not Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk in Japanese Men and Women.

PubMed

Nagata, Chisato; Wada, Keiko; Tamura, Takashi; Konishi, Kie; Kawachi, Toshiaki; Tsuji, Michiko; Nakamura, Kozue

2015-08-01

Dietary intakes of betaine and choline may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; however, epidemiologic evidence is limited. Seafood is a rich source of betaine and is a popular traditional food in Japan. We examined the associations of betaine and choline intakes with cardiovascular disease mortality in a population-based cohort study in Japan. Study subjects were 13,355 male and 15,724 female residents of Takayama City, Japan, who were aged ≥35 y and enrolled in 1992. Their diets were assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke were identified from death certificates over 16 y. Multivariable-adjusted HRs were computed by using Cox regression models. During follow-up, we documented 308 deaths from coronary heart disease and 676 deaths from stroke (393 from ischemic and 153 from hemorrhagic strokes). Compared with the lowest quartile, the second, third, and highest quartiles of betaine intake were significantly associated with a decreased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease in men after controlling for covariates. The HRs were 0.58 (95% CI: 0.36, 0.93), 0.62 (95% CI: 0.39, 0.998), and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.97), respectively. The trend was not statistically significant (P = 0.08). There was no significant association between betaine intake and the risk of mortality from ischemic stroke. In women, betaine intake was unrelated risk of mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke (P = 0.32 and 0.73, respectively, for interaction by sex). There was no significant association between choline intake and cardiovascular disease mortality risk in men or women. Overall, we found no clear evidence of significant associations between choline and betaine intakes and cardiovascular disease mortality risk in Japanese men and women. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Serum level of LOX-1 ligand containing ApoB is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in Japanese community-dwelling men, especially those with hypercholesterolemia LOX-1 ligand and IMT in Japanese.

PubMed

Okamura, Tomonori; Miura, Katsuyuki; Sawamura, Tatsuya; Kadota, Aya; Hisamatsu, Takashi; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miyamatsu, Naomi; Takashima, Naoyuki; Miyagawa, Naoko; Kadowaki, Takashi; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2016-01-01

The serum level of LOX-1 ligand containing ApoB (LAB) may reflect atherogenicity better than usual lipid parameters; however, the relationship between LAB and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was not clear even in Asian populations. A total of 992 community-dwelling Japanese men, aged 40 to 79 years, were enrolled in the present study. Serum LAB levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with recombinant LOX-1 and monoclonal anti-apolipoprotein B antibody. Serum LAB levels (median [interquartile range], μg cs/L) were 5341 μg cs/L (4093-7125). The mean average IMT of the common carotid artery was highest in the fourth LAB quartile (842 μm) compared with the first quartile (797 μm) after adjustment for age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, smoking, and alcohol drinking. However, this statistically significant difference was lost after further adjustment for total cholesterol (TC). After stratification using the combination of median LAB and hypercholesterolemia (serum TC ≥ 6.21 mmol/L and/or lipid-lowering medication), the adjusted mean average IMT (standard error) in the high LAB/hypercholesterolemia group was 886 μm (12.7), 856 μm (16.7) in the low LAB/hypercholesterolemia group, and 833 μm (8.4) in the low LAB/normal cholesterol group (P = .004). After further adjustment for TC, mean average IMT in the high LAB group was significantly higher than that measured in the low LAB group in hypercholesterolemic participants not taking lipid-lowering medication. Serum LAB was associated with an increased carotid IMT in Japanese men, especially those with hypercholesterolemia. Copyright © 2016 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Working hours, coping skills, and psychological health in Japanese daytime workers.

PubMed

Otsuka, Yasumasa; Sasaki, Takeshi; Iwasaki, Kenji; Mori, Ippei

2009-01-01

This study examined the relationship between coping skills, working hours, and psychological health among Japanese daytime workers. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to a randomly selected sample of 2,000 workers who were members of a pre-recruited market research panel. A total of 1,821 participants responded (response rate=91.1%). Participants completed a questionnaire regarding working hours, coping skills, and psychological health (negative emotions, fatigue, and concentration/activity levels). Analyses of covariance were conducted to determine the relations of number of working hours, coping skills, and their interactions to psychological health with control for sex, age, drinking, job type, and employment type. Results revealed that working hours were significantly associated with fatigue and concentration/activity levels. High levels of instrumental support and positive reframing were significantly associated with low levels of negative emotions, fatigue, and concentration/activity levels. High levels of self-blame, denial, substance use, venting, self-distraction, religion, and behavioral disengagement were significantly associated with high levels of negative emotions, fatigue, and concentration/activity levels. This study suggests that improving coping skills such as using instrumental support or positive reframing may reduce the adverse health effects of long working hours.

Accuracy of self-reported height, weight and waist circumference in a Japanese sample.

PubMed

Okamoto, N; Hosono, A; Shibata, K; Tsujimura, S; Oka, K; Fujita, H; Kamiya, M; Kondo, F; Wakabayashi, R; Yamada, T; Suzuki, S

2017-12-01

Inconsistent results have been found in prior studies investigating the accuracy of self-reported waist circumference, and no study has investigated the validity of self-reported waist circumference among Japanese individuals. This study used the diagnostic standard of metabolic syndrome to assess the accuracy of individual's self-reported height, weight and waist circumference in a Japanese sample. Study participants included 7,443 Japanese men and women aged 35-79 years. They participated in a cohort study's baseline survey between 2007 and 2011. Participants' height, weight and waist circumference were measured, and their body mass index was calculated. Self-reported values were collected through a questionnaire before the examination. Strong correlations between measured and self-reported values for height, weight and body mass index were detected. The correlation was lowest for waist circumference (men, 0.87; women, 0.73). Men significantly overestimated their waist circumference (mean difference, 0.8 cm), whereas women significantly underestimated theirs (mean difference, 5.1 cm). The sensitivity of self-reported waist circumference using the cut-off value of metabolic syndrome was 0.83 for men and 0.57 for women. Due to systematic and random errors, the accuracy of self-reported waist circumference was low. Therefore, waist circumference should be measured without relying on self-reported values, particularly in the case of women.

Relationship Between Coffee Consumption and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Japanese Civil Servants

PubMed Central

Matsuura, Hideo; Mure, Kanae; Nishio, Nobuhiro; Kitano, Naomi; Nagai, Naoko; Takeshita, Tatsuya

2012-01-01

Background Metabolic syndrome has become a major worldwide public health problem. We examined the relationship between coffee consumption and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Japanese civil servants. Methods The study participants were 3284 employees (2335 men and 948 women) aged 20 to 65 years. Using data from their 2008 health checkup records, we analyzed the relationship between coffee consumption and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the Japanese criteria. Results Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 374 of the 2335 men (16.0%) and 32 of the 948 women (3.4%). In univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses, the odds ratios (ORs) among men for the presence of metabolic syndrome were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.56–1.03) and 0.61 (0.39–0.95), respectively, among moderate (≥4 cups of coffee per day) coffee drinkers as compared with non-coffee drinkers. Among all components of metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure and high triglyceride level were inversely associated with moderate coffee consumption in men, after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, and exercise. However, in women, moderate coffee consumption was not significantly associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome or its components. Conclusions Moderate coffee consumption was significantly associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese male civil servants. PMID:22343325

Allergenic pollens and spores in the working environment of Japanese pear farmers.

PubMed

Teranishi, H; Uchida, M; Hayashi, S; Yamada, N

2007-01-01

Occupational allergies such as pollinosis are reported in several agricultural works in Japan. Many pollens and spores were observed in Japanese pear orchard during the artificial pollination season. By the study on daily symptoms in an allergic farmer, we confirmed that the pollinosis symptoms were most common and most severe during the artificial pollination. These results suggest that the exposure to allergenic pollens and spores induces allergic symptoms. Thus, caution should be paid for the avoidance of the exposure to these allergenic pollens and spores to prevent the allergy.

[Development of a Japanese version of the TALE scale].

PubMed

Ochiai, Tsutomu; Oguchi, Takashi

2013-12-01

The Thinking About Life Experiences (TALE) Scale (Bluck & Alea, 2011) has three subscales that assess the self, social, and directive functions of autobiographical memory. This study constructs a Japanese version of the TALE Scale and examines its reliability and validity. Fifteen items that assess the three functions of autobiographical memory were translated into Japanese. We conducted an online investigation with 600 men and women between 20-59 years of age. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified that the three-factor structure of the Japanese version of the TALE Scale was the same as the original TALE Scale. Sufficient internal consistency of the scale was found, and the construct validity of the scale was supported by correlation analysis. Study 2 confirmed that the test-retest reliabilities of the three subscales were sufficient. Thus, this Japanese version of the TALE Scale is useful to assess autobiographical memory functions in Japan.

Risk Factors for Sexual Offending in Men Working With Children: A Community-Based Survey.

PubMed

Turner, Daniel; Hoyer, Juergen; Schmidt, Alexander F; Klein, Verena; Briken, Peer

2016-10-01

Identifying risk factors for sexual abuse in men who work with children and who have already abused a child could lead to more appropriate screening and prevention strategies and is thus of major scientific and societal relevance. A total of 8649 German men from the community were assessed in an extensive anonymous and confidential online survey. Of those, 37 (0.4 %) could be classified as child sexual abusers working with children, 90 (1.0 %) as child sexual abusers not working with children, and 816 (9.4 %) as men who work with children and who have not abused a child. We assessed the impact of working with children as an individual risk factor for self-reported child sexual abuse and compared personal factors, pedophilic sexual fantasies, deviant sexual behaviors, antisocial behaviors, and hypersexuality among the three groups. Most interestingly, working with children was significantly associated with a self-reported sexual offense against children; however, it explained only three percent of its variance. Child sexual abusers working with children admitted more antisocial and more sexually deviant behaviors than child sexual abusers not working with children and than men working with children who have not abused a child. Our findings support some of the suggestions made by other researchers concerning factors that could be considered in applicants for child- or youth-serving institutions. However, it has to be pointed out that the scientific basis still seems premature.

Extent of weight reduction necessary for minimization of diabetes risk in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation and glycated hemoglobin of 5.6–6.4%

PubMed Central

Iwahashi, Hiromi; Noguchi, Midori; Okauchi, Yukiyoshi; Morita, Sachiko; Imagawa, Akihisa; Shimomura, Iichiro

2015-01-01

Aims/Introduction Weight reduction improves glycemic control in obese men with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 5.6–6.4%, suggesting that it can prevent the development of diabetes in these patients. The aim of the present study was to quantify the amount of weight reduction necessary for minimization of diabetes risk in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation. Materials and Methods The study participants were 482 men with an estimated visceral fat area of ≥100 cm2, HbA1c of 5.6–6.4%, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of <126 mg/dL or casual plasma glucose <200 mg/dL. They were divided into two groups based on weight change at the end of the 3-year follow-up period (weight gain and weight loss groups). The weight loss group was classified into quartile subgroups (lowest group, 0 to <1.2%: second lowest group, ≥1.2 to <2.5%: second highest group, ≥2.5 to <4.3%: highest group, ≥4.3% weight loss). The development of diabetes at the end-point represented a rise in HbA1c to ≥6.5% or FPG ≥126 mg/dL, or casual plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dL. Results The cumulative incidence of diabetes at the end of the 3-year follow-up period was 16.2% in the weight gain group and 10.1% in the weight loss group (P not significant). The incidence of diabetes was significantly lower in the highest weight loss group (3.1%), but not in the second highest, the second lowest and the lowest weight loss groups (9.7, 10.1 and 18.3%), compared with the weight gain group. Conclusions Minimization of the risk of diabetes in Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation requires a minimum of 4–5% weight loss in those with HbA1c of 5.6–6.4%. PMID:26417413

Cathepsin B expression in prostate cancer of native Japanese and Japanese-American patients: an immunohistochemical study.

PubMed

Sinha, Akhouri A; Morgan, Jenifer L; Betre, Konjit; Wilson, Michael J; Le, Chap; Marks, Leonard S

2008-01-01

Japanese-American (J-A) men who have immigrated to the U.S.A. and acquired the Western lifestyle usually have more invasive prostate cancer (PCa) than native Japanese (NJ) living in Japan. The specific reasons for these differences remain unknown. The objective of this study was to examine immunostainings of cathepsin B (CB) and its endogenous inhibitor stefin A (SA) in tissue microarray (TMA) and radical prostatectomy (RP) tissue sections in the hope of obtaining insights into the invasiveness of PCa in Japanese patients. TMA and RP sections were evaluated in 50 men (25 NJ and 25 J-A) for CB and SA reaction products. The CB and SA immunostainings were imaged directly from microscope slides to a computer using a high performance charge coupled device (CCD) digital camera, quantified using Metamorph software, analyzed using the two-sample t-test, and confirmed by multiple regression analysis. The CB and SA proteins were localized in the carcinomatous glands and isolated cancer cells in the TMA and RP sections. The Gleason scores and pre-surgery serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels did not differ significantly in the NJ and J-A patients (p = 0.14, p = 0.16, respectively). The Chi-square analysis of clinical stage versus place of birth showed that the NJ patients had significantly more T2a and T2b clinical stages than the J-A patients who had more advanced T2c and T3a stages (p = 0.003). The CB and SA immunostainings and their ratios in Gleason score 6 tumors did not show any difference, but the CB:SA ratios in score > or = 7 tumors approached significance levels. The overall matching of specimens according to the Gleason grade/score, pre-RP serum total PSA levels, clinical stage and age prior to evaluation of immunostainings greatly minimizes subjectivity associated with the evaluation of markers in this ethnic sub-population of PCa patients. CB and SA immunostaining is similar in Japanese patients who have organ-confined and moderately

Psychological Detachment from Work during Off-job Time: Predictive Role of Work and Non-work Factors in Japanese Employees

PubMed Central

SHIMAZU, Akihito; DE JONGE, Jan; KUBOTA, Kazumi; KAWAKAMI, Norito

2014-01-01

Psychological detachment from work, an off-job experience of “switching off” mentally, seems to be crucial for promoting employee’s well-being. Previous studies on predictors of psychological detachment mainly focused on job-related factors, and only a few studies focused on family-related and personal factors. This study focuses not only on job-related factors (job demands, job control, workplace support) but also on family-related (family/friend support) and personal factors (workaholism), and examines the relation of these three factors with psychological detachment. Data of 2,520 Japanese employees was randomly split into two groups and then analyzed using cross-validation. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that family/friend support had a positive association with psychological detachment, whereas a subscale of workaholism (i.e. working compulsively) had negative associations with it across the two groups. Results suggest that family/friend support would facilitate psychological detachment whereas workaholism would inhibit it. PMID:24492761

Patterns of work-related intimate partner violence and job performance among abusive men.

PubMed

Mankowski, Eric S; Galvez, Gino; Perrin, Nancy A; Hanson, Ginger C; Glass, Nancy

2013-10-01

This study assesses different types of work-related intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and their relationship to perpetrators' work performance and employment. We determine if groups of abusive men with similar patterns of work-related IPV exist and then examine whether the patterns are related to their characteristics, job performance, and employment outcomes. Participants were 198 adult men (60% Latino, 40% non-Latino) from batterer intervention programs (BIPs) who self-reported their lifetime work-related IPV and job outcomes. Five distinct clusters were identified and named based on the pattern (predominance or absence) of different work-related abusive behaviors reported: (a) low-level tactics, (b) job interference, (c) job interference with threatened or actual violence, (d) extreme abuse without jealousy and (e) extreme abuse. Analyses revealed significant differences between the clusters on ethnicity, parental status, partner's employment status, income, education, and (among Latinos only) acculturation. The probability of men's work-related IPV substantially impacting their own job performance was nearly 4 times greater among those in the extreme abuse cluster than those in the low-level tactics cluster. These data inform the development of employee training programs and workplace policies for reducing IPV that affects the workplace.

Conflict between the work and family domains and exhaustion among vocationally active men and women.

PubMed

Canivet, Catarina; Ostergren, Per-Olof; Lindeberg, Sara I; Choi, BongKyoo; Karasek, Robert; Moghaddassi, Mahnaz; Isacsson, Sven-Olof

2010-04-01

Exhaustion is consistently found to be more prevalent in women than in men. Women suffer from job strain more often, which may constitute a partial explanation for this phenomenon, but experienced shortcomings in combining work and family demands may also contribute to ill health. The aim of this study was to investigate, and analyse by gender, how work-related and family-related factors, as well as the interface between them, i.e. work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), are related to exhaustion. The study was cross-sectional with self-administered questionnaires assessing exposures and outcome with previously well-validated instruments. The participants were 2726 men and 2735 women, aged 45-64, vocationally active, and residing in Malmö, Sweden. Sixteen percent of the women and 8% of the men considered themselves exhausted. WFC, FWC, job strain, and low job support were all strongly correlated to exhaustion in both genders. In the multivariate analyses, adjusting for other work and family risk factors, WFC and FWC remained statistically significant risk factors for exhaustion in both men and women. Job strain, low job support, and having a somatic disorder were also independently associated with exhaustion. While WFC was more prevalent among men, it was more strongly associated with exhaustion in women than in men. In women, WFC and FWC contributed to a larger part of the explanatory power of the model, which amounted to 22% of the variance in women and 14% in men. The results imply that the concept of 'work stress' should be regarded in a wider context in order to understand gender related issues of exhaustion among vocationally active individuals. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Blue and seven phenomena" among Japanese students.

PubMed

Saito, M

1999-10-01

To investigate color and number preferences in Japan, 586 university undergraduates (239 men and 347 women; M age = 20.9 yr.) were asked to name a color (Question 1), to name their preferred color (Question 2), and to name their preferred number between zero and nine (Question 3). The results showed that Japanese students chose blue (33.5%) or red (26.0%) when asked to name a color but that red was not chosen as frequently as blue as a preferred color (red: 11.1%, blue: 37.1%). Sex differences were found on both Questions 1 and 2 by chi-squared test. Black was chosen more by men, while pink was selected more by women. 22.5% subjects also selected the number seven, supporting Simon's observation of the "blue-seven phenomenon." The reasons given for the choice showed that seven was "a lucky number" and "represented happiness" among Japanese students. Four colors (blue, red, white, and black) accounted for 76.8% and 65.1% of responses to Questions 1 and 2, respectively, and odd numbers 68.4% for Question 3.

Essential Oil of Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) Wood Increases Salivary Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels after Monotonous Work.

PubMed

Matsubara, Eri; Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Ohira, Tatsuro; Sugiyama, Masaki

2017-01-21

Employee problems arising from mental illnesses have steadily increased and become a serious social problem in recent years. Wood is a widely available plant material, and knowledge of the psychophysiological effects of inhalation of woody volatile compounds has grown considerably. In this study, we established an experimental method to evaluate the effects of Japanese cedar wood essential oil on subjects performing monotonous work. Two experiment conditions, one with and another without diffusion of the essential oil were prepared. Salivary stress markers were determined during and after a calculation task followed by distribution of questionnaires to achieve subjective odor assessment. We found that inhalation of air containing the volatile compounds of Japanese cedar wood essential oil increased the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-s). Slight differences in the subjective assessment of the odor of the experiment rooms were observed. The results of the present study indicate that the volatile compounds of Japanese cedar wood essential oil affect the endocrine regulatory mechanism to facilitate stress responses. Thus, we suggest that this essential oil can improve employees' mental health.

Relations of nutritional intake to age, sex and body mass index in Japanese elderly patients with type 2 diabetes: the Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Yukio; Kamada, Chiemi; Takahashi, Keiko; Kaimoto, Tae; Iimuro, Satoshi; Ohashi, Yasuo; Araki, Atsushi; Umegaki, Hiroyuki; Sakurai, Takashi; Ito, Hideki

2012-04-01

To determine the status of nutritional intake in elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged 65 years or older, and to clarify relations of nutritional intake to age, sex and body mass index (BMI). Clinical parameters and nutritional intake were investigated and compared in 912 (417 men, 495 women) elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes registered to the Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial. The mean daily energy intake of patients was 1802 kcal in men and 1661 kcal in women, respectively. The energy intakes per kilogram of standard bodyweight in both sexes and the energy intakes per kilogram of present bodyweight in men increased significantly with age. The protein : fat : carbohydrate (PFC) energy ratio (%E) was 15.2:25.4:59.5 in men, and 15.7:25.8:58.6 in women, respectively. Grain, oil, alcohol and soft drink intakes were higher in men than in women. Potato, fruit and green vegetable intakes were higher in women than in men. Fruit intake showed a significant age-related increase in men. In women, there was an age-related significant decrease of meat intake. An increase of BMI correlated with a significant increase in bodyweight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure. The mean energy intake of three BMI groups, lean (BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)), normal (18.5 kg/m(2) men, and 1655, 1647 and 1685 kcal in women, respectively. However, BMI-related increase of energy intake did not reach statistically significant levels in both sexes. Energyintake per kilogram of present bodyweight decreased as BMI increased in both sexes. Energy intake per kilogram of standard bodyweight increased significantly as BMI increased in men only, but not in women. There were no differences in PFC energy ratios among the three BMI groups. In contrast, intake of soft drinks in men increased significantly as BMI increased. In

Fish Intake and Death From Pulmonary Embolisms Among Japanese Men and Women　- The Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study.

PubMed

Ohira, Tetsuya; Iso, Hiroyasu; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Tamakoshi, Akiko

2018-06-27

Numerous studies have reported the association of cardiovascular risk factors with pulmonary embolism (PE), but the association of dietary factors, especially fish intake, with the risk of PE has not been fully established.Methods and Results:Using a prospective design, we studied the risk of PE mortality in relation to fish intake in 90,791 community-dwelling men and women in Japan aged 40-79 years. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for PE death were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Compared with participants in the lowest fresh fish intake group (<1 time/month), the HRs (95% CIs) for PE death for those in the other intake groups were 0.35 (0.08-1.59) for 1-2 times/month, 0.19 (0.05-0.69) for 1-2 times/week, 0.20 (0.06-0.74) for 3-4 times/week, and 0.18 (0.05-0.66) for fish intake every day. In addition to these findings, compared with the participants in the lowest 10% of ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, those in the other groups had a 60-76% lower risk of PE death. Fresh fish intake, even 1-2 times/week, is associated with a lower risk of death from PE among Japanese men and women.

Types of employment and their associations with work characteristics and health in Swedish women and men.

PubMed

Samuelsson, Åsa; Houkes, Inge; Verdonk, Petra; Hammarström, Anne

2012-03-01

To investigate whether type of employment was related to work characteristics and health status at age 42 adjusted for health status at age 30 and whether gender moderates the associations. Questionnaire data was used from a 27-year follow-up study of school-leavers carried out in Luleå in the north of Sweden (response rate 94%). The study population consisted of 877 (47.8% women) working respondents. Data were analysed by means of t-tests, ANOVAs, and multiple linear regression analyses. Men were more often self-employed, while more women had temporary types of employment. Moreover, men reported more control over work and less emotional exhaustion than women. Compared to permanently employed, self-employed (men and women) perceived more control over work and better health status (p<0.01). Self-employed men also reported more demands and social support (p<0.05). People in temporary types of employment, however, reported less job control, as well as lower health status (only men) (p<0.01). Poor self-reported health and emotional exhaustion were significantly (p<0.05) associated with poor work characteristics (more demands, lower job control, and lower support). No direct associations between type of employment and health were found for women and men. However we find indications of an influence of type of employment on work and thereupon health, with job control playing an important role.

Improvement of the Work Environment and Work-Related Stress: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Study of a Nationally Representative Sample of Japanese Workers.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Tabuchi, Takahiro; Kawakami, Norito

2017-03-01

This cross-sectional multilevel study aimed to investigate the relationship between improvement of the work environment and work-related stress in a nationally representative sample in Japan. The study was based on a national survey that randomly sampled 1745 worksites and 17,500 nested employees. The survey asked the worksites whether improvements of the work environment were conducted; and it asked the employees to report the number of work-related stresses they experienced. Multilevel multinominal logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted. Improvement of the work environment was not significantly associated with any level of work-related stress. Among men, it was significantly and negatively associated with the severe level of work-related stress. The association was not significant among women. Improvements to work environments may be associated with reduced work-related stress among men nationwide in Japan.

Family history of diabetes, lifestyle factors, and the 7-year incident risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women.

PubMed

Sakurai, Masaru; Nakamura, Koshi; Miura, Katsuyuki; Takamura, Toshinari; Yoshita, Katsushi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Nagasawa, Shin-Ya; Morikawa, Yuko; Ishizaki, Masao; Kido, Teruhiko; Naruse, Yuchi; Suwazono, Yasushi; Nakagawa, Hideaki

2013-05-06

This cohort study of middle-aged Japanese participants investigated the relationship between family history of diabetes, the incident risk of type 2 diabetes and the interaction of these variables with other factors. Study participants were 3,517 employees (2,037 men and 1,480 women) of a metal products factory in Japan. Baseline health examinations included questions about medical history, physical examination, anthropometric measurements, questions about lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and habitual exercise, and a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Family history of diabetes was defined as having at least one-first-degree relative with diabetes. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) for type 2 diabetes were estimated by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Of the 3,517 participants, 630 (18%) had a family history of diabetes mellitus. During the study, 228 participants developed diabetes. The age and sex-adjusted HR for type 2 diabetes in participants with a family history of diabetes was 1.82 (95% confidence interval 1.36-2.43) as compared with those without a family history of diabetes. HRs did not change after adjustment for body mass index and lifestyle factors. We found no interactions with body mass index, insulin resistance, pancreatic β-cell function or lifestyle factors. Family history of diabetes was associated with the incident risk of diabetes, and these associations were independent of other risk factors, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors in Japanese men and women.

Work schedules and 11-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged Finnish men.

PubMed

Wang, Aolin; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Kauhanen, Jussi; Krause, Niklas

2015-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between different work schedules and progression of carotid atherosclerosis, an early indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We studied 621 men, aged 42-60 years, in the prospective Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study cohort. Using multivariable regressions adjusting for 22 covariates including total time worked during follow-up, we evaluated the associations of baseline work schedules with 11-year progression of ultrasonographically assessed carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and their variation by preexisting CVD. Standard daytime work, weekend shifts, and evening/night/rotating shifts were associated with 31%, 37%, and 33% increases in IMT, respectively. Compared to daytime workers, weekend workers experienced a faster progression of carotid atherosclerosis [relative change ratio (RCR) = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.09)]. This ratio was higher among men who had preexisting CVD. Weekend shifts, more than standard daytime work, appear to accelerate carotid atherosclerosis progression among middle-aged Finnish men, especially those with pre-existing CVD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anthropometrical data of middle-aged Japanese women for industrial design applications.

PubMed

Ashizawa, K; Okada, A; Kouchi, M; Horino, S; Kikuchi, Y

1994-06-01

Despite the growing importance of human interface design, and despite the growing number of working women, no considerations have been given to women's working spaces and tools. Their designs are based on men's anthropometrical data, and this does not assure safety and amenity of women's working environments. Moreover, few data on women's body measurements are available. The Research Institute of Human Engineering for Quality Life is carrying out an ergonomic anthropometrical study on a large number of Japanese people to create a database for industrial use. The fee for the use of these data is, however, making it very difficult to profit from their acquisition. Therefore, we conducted an anthropometrical study for industrial design use on middle-aged female subjects, who are in the most difficult age group to access. This report should be useful in designing working spaces and tools for women as laborers as well as users.

Work family balance, stress, and salivary cortisol in men and women academic physicians.

PubMed

Bergman, B; Ahmad, F; Stewart, D E

2008-01-01

The stress of medical practice has been recurrently studied, but work- and family-related determinants of health by gender remain under researched. To test the hypothesis that cortisol excretion would be affected by the perceived severity of total workload imbalance. By hierarchical regression analysis, the associations between work-family balance and diurnal salivary cortisol levels by sex in academic physicians (n = 40) were investigated. Men physicians reported more paid work hours per week than women physicians and women more time in childcare, but their total working hours were similar. Controlling for sex and age, the mean of the diurnal cortisol release was associated with a combined effect of sex and responsibility at home. When morning cortisol, sex, and children at home were held constant, cortisol levels in the evening were associated with responsibility at home without significant gender interaction. With increasing responsibility at home, women and men reacted differently with regard to cortisol responses over the day. However, in the evening, controlling for the morning cortisol, these gender differences were not as obvious. These findings highlight traditional gender patterns among both women and men physicians in the challenge of finding a balance between work and family.

[Trends in cardiovascular risk factors among urban Japanese male employees from 1977 to 2008].

PubMed

Kitamura, Akihiko; Kiyama, Masahiko; Okada, Takeo; Maeda, Kenji; Ido, Masatoshi; Nakamura, Masakazu; Shimamoto, Takashi; Iida, Minoru; Ishikawa, Yoshinori

2010-01-01

In Japan, there is growing concern that employees' health condition has been worsening under the severe labor conditions of the continuing recent deep recession. To determine trends in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among employees, we analyzed 32 yr of systematic surveillance of urban Japanese employed men. The surveyed population included male employees aged 40 to 59 yr who worked for four companies, a trading company, two banks and a company maintaining expressways in Osaka. Surveillance of cardiovascular risk factors was conducted from 1977 to 2008. We examined the annual mean values of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, and total serum cholesterol, and the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, alcohol drinkers, and high risk individuals who had two or more risk factors: (high blood pressure, high glucose and dyslipidemia). The total number of employees aged 40-59 yr increased from 822 in 1977 to 2,651 in 1992, but then declined gradually to 1,455 in 2008. Among men aged 40-49 and 50-59, the prevalence of hypertension decreased from 25% and 39% in 1977 to 14% and 23% in 1992, respectively. However, the respective prevalence of hypertension started to rise thereafter to 29% and 47% in 2008, accompanied by an increase in blood pressure levels and the prevalence of antihypertensive medication use. Mean body mass index and the prevalence of obesity showed significant upward linear trends from the mid-1980's to 2008. Therefore, we speculate that the increase in blood pressure levels seen after the early 1990's associated with an increase in obesity. However the proportion of hypertension among non-overweight men also increased between the early 1990's and 2008, suggesting other factors are also involved in the increase of hypertension. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and high-risk individuals with obesity also increased in recent years. Mean total cholesterol level showed a linear

[The alteration of Japanese anatomical terminology in the early Showa period and the Japanese language reform campaign].

PubMed

Sawai, Tadashi; Sakai, Tatsuo

2010-03-01

In the second decade of the Showa period, great changes were made in the Japanese anatomical terms. It has been proposed that the presentation of JNA (Jenaer nomina anatomica) was one of the factors leading to the change. The Japanese language reform campaign, however, played an important role. The party kokugoaigo doumei and its successor kokugo kyokai required concise and unified technical terms. The anatomical nomenclature committee of the Japanese Association of Anatomists worked to satisfy this requirement. The committee consulted with nomenclature committees of other medical associations and took account of their opinions. The anatomical nomenclature committee abandoned the literal translation from Latin to Japanese and shaped a succinct Japanese terminology. Modern Japanese anatomical terms are based on this terminology.

Three-dimensional assessment of the normal Japanese glenoid and comparison with the normal French glenoid.

PubMed

Mizuno, N; Nonaka, S; Ozaki, R; Yoshida, M; Yoneda, M; Walch, G

2017-12-01

In 2014, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was approved in Japan. We were concerned that the base plate might be incompatible with Japanese who were generally smaller than Westerners. Therefore, we investigated the dimensions and morphology of the normal Japanese glenoid and compared with the normal French glenoid. One hundred Japanese shoulders without glenoid lesions (50 men and 50 women) were investigated and compared with 100 French shoulders (50 men and 50 women). Computed tomography was performed with 3-dimensional image reconstruction and images were analyzed using Glenosys software. Glenoid parameters (width, height, retroversion and inclination) were compared between Japanese and French subjects. In Japanese subjects, the mean glenoid width was 25.5mm, height was 33.3mm, retroversion was 2.3° and inclination was 11.6° superiorly. In French subjects, the mean glenoid width was 26.7mm, height was 35.4mm, retroversion was 6.0° and inclination was 10.4° superiorly. Glenoid width and height were significantly smaller in Japanese subjects than French subjects (P=0.001 and P<0.001), while retroversion was significantly greater in French subjects (P<0.001). There was no significant difference of inclination. These findings will help surgeons to identify suitable patients for RSA and perform the procedure with appropriate preoperative planning. IV: retrospective or historical series. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Office/Laboratory Staying Hour and Home Working Hour of Japanese Scientists and Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ejiri, A.

The second questionnaire for scientists and engineers was carried out in 2007, and status of Japanese scientists and engineers were analyzed and reported. A part of the data was reanalyzed from the viewpoint of work life balance. In particular, office/laboratory staying hour and home working hour were analyzed and dependences on various factors were investigated. It was found that these hours depend on gender, marital status, number of child, employment status and age. In addition, the total hours tend to be kept constant regardless of various factors.

Sex Differences in Relationship between Stress Responses and Lifestyle in Japanese Workers

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Akiko; Akamatsu, Rie

2014-01-01

Background This study examined the relationships between stress responses and lifestyle, including sleeping and eating behaviors, in Japanese workers according to sex. Methods Questionnaires about stress responses and lifestyle were completed by 3,017 workers in a financial enterprise (41.5% men, 58.5% women). Data were collected in Japan in August 2011. Participants were classified into stress and nonstress groups. Relationships between stress responses and lifestyle were investigated using logistic regression analysis with stress response as a dependent variable. Results There were 254 (8.4%) participants in the stress group and 2,763 (91.6%) in the nonstress group. The results showed that sleeping for shorter periods [odds ratio (OR) = 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58–5.60] was associated with stress responses in women, whereas we found no relationship between stress responses and lifestyle among men. However, working overtime was associated with stress responses in men (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.43–5.15). Eating at night was associated with stress responses in the univariate analysis (men: OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.16–3.80; women: OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.09–2.39). Conclusion This study showed that stress responses were related to lifestyle among women but not among men. Among women, stress responses were related to sleeping for shorter periods, whereas they were related to working long hours among men. In addition, stress responses were related to eating at night in the univariate analysis, although this relationship was not seen in the multivariate analysis, in either sex. PMID:24932418

The Discipline's Escalating Whisper: Social Work and Black Men's Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Daphne C.; Hawkins, Jaclynn; Mitchell, Jamie A.

2015-01-01

Objective: Though sparse in previous years, research on the mental health of Black men has recently experienced a gradual increase in social work journals. This article systematically organizes and critically examines peer-reviewed, social work evidence on the mental health of Black men. Methods: Twenty-two peer-reviewed articles from social work…

The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Workplace Social Capital on the Associations between Adverse Work Characteristics and Psychological Distress among Japanese Workers

PubMed Central

OSHIO, Takashi; INOUE, Akiomi; TSUTSUMI, Akizumi

2014-01-01

Our current study investigated how workplace social capital (WSC) mediates and moderates the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress among Japanese workers. We collected cross-sectional data (N=9,350) from a baseline survey of an occupational Japanese cohort study. We focused on individual WSC and considered job demands/control, effort/reward, and two types (i.e., procedural and interactional) of organizational justice as work-characteristic variables. We defined psychological distress as a score of ≥5 on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6 scale). Multivariate logistic regression analyses predicted a binary variable of psychological distress by individual WSC and adverse work characteristics, adjusting for individual-level covariates. Individual WSC mediated the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress in almost all model specifications. Additionally, individual WSC moderated the associations of psychological distress with high job demands, high effort, and low interactional justice when we used a high WSC cutoff point. In contrast, individual WSC did not moderate such interactions with low job control, reward, or procedural justice. We concluded that individual WSC mediated the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress among Japanese workers while selectively moderating their associations at high levels of WSC. PMID:24705803

Doing Men's Work?: Discipline, Power and the Primary School in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Hsiao-jung

2016-01-01

This article examines the masculinization of discipline and its interplay with power in the primary school through an exploration of teachers' gender and disciplinary work and roles by drawing on data from an ethnographic study conducted at a primary school in Taiwan. The research findings suggest that discipline was men's work due to women…

Managerial Perceptions of Performance: A Comparison of Japanese and American Work Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Jeremiah J.; And Others

1986-01-01

Identifies various theories of individual and group influences on the performance control process. Both Japanese and American managers have a Rational Man theory of the individual. However, Americans see groups as helping to reduce the risk of poor performance, whereas Japanese see them as enhancing good performance. (Author/LHW)

Sleep complaints in middle-aged women and men: the contribution of working conditions and work-family conflicts.

PubMed

Lallukka, Tea; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero; Arber, Sara

2010-09-01

This study aimed to examine how physical working conditions, psychosocial working conditions and work-family conflicts are associated with sleep complaints, and whether health behaviours explain these associations. We used pooled postal questionnaire surveys collected in 2001-2002 among 40-60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (n = 5819, response rate 66%). Participants were classified as having sleep complaints if they reported sleep complaints at least once a week on average (24% of women and 20% of men). Independent variables included environmental work exposures, physical workload, computer work, Karasek's job strain and work-family conflicts. Age, marital status, occupational class, work arrangements, health behaviours and obesity were adjusted for. Most working conditions were associated strongly with sleep complaints after adjustment for age only. After adjustment for work-family conflicts, the associations somewhat attenuated. Work-family conflicts were also associated strongly with women's [odds ratio (OR) 5.90; confidence interval (CI) 4.16-8.38] and men's sleep (OR 2.56; CI 1.34-4.87). The associations remained robust even after controlling for unhealthy behaviours, obesity, health status, depression and medications. Physically strenuous working conditions, psychosocial job strain and work-family conflicts may increase sleep complaints. Efforts to support employees to cope with psychosocial stress and reach a better balance between paid work and family life might reduce sleep complaints. Sleep complaints need to be taken into account in worksite health promotion and occupational health care in order to reduce the burden of poor sleep.

Association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and mortality from coronary heart disease among Japanese men and women: the Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study.

PubMed

Noda, Hiroyuki; Iso, Hiroyasu; Irie, Fujiko; Sairenchi, Toshimi; Ohtaka, Emiko; Ohta, Hitoshi

2010-02-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-cholesterol) raises the risk of coronary heart disease in a dose-response fashion in a non-obese population with low total cholesterol levels and high HDL-cholesterol levels, such as Japanese. A total of 30,802 men and 60,417 women, aged 40 to 79 years with no history of stroke or coronary heart disease, completed a baseline risk factor survey in 1993 under the auspices of the Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study. Systematic mortality surveillance through 2003 identified 539 coronary heart disease deaths. The mean values for non-HDL-cholesterol were 140 mg/dL for men and 151 mg/dL for women. The corresponding mean values were 193 mg/dL and 208 mg/dL total cholesterol and 52 mg/dL and 57 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol, respectively. Men with non-HDL-cholesterol > or = 180 mg/dL had a two-fold higher age-adjusted risk of mortality from coronary heart disease than did those with non-HDL-cholesterol <100 mg/dL, whereas no such association was found for women. The multivariable hazard ratio for > or = 180 mg/dL versus <100 mg/dL of non-HDL-cholesterol was 2.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.37 to 3.62) for men and 0.71 (0.37 to 1.34) for women. Higher concentrations of non-HDL-cholesterol were associated with an increased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease for men, but not for women.

Return to Work After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Comparison Between Young Women and Men.

PubMed

Dreyer, Rachel P; Xu, Xiao; Zhang, Weiwei; Du, Xue; Strait, Kelly M; Bierlein, Maggie; Bucholz, Emily M; Geda, Mary; Fox, James; D'Onofrio, Gail; Lichtman, Judith H; Bueno, Héctor; Spertus, John A; Krumholz, Harlan M

2016-02-01

Return to work after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important outcome and is particularly relevant to young patients. Women may be at a greater risk for not returning to work given evidence of their worse recovery after AMI than similarly aged men. However, sex differences in return to work after AMI has not been studied extensively in a young population (≤ 55 years). We analyzed data from 1680 patients with AMI aged 18 to 55 years (57% women) participating in the Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients (VIRGO) study who were working full time (≥ 35 hours) before the event. Data were obtained by medical record abstraction and patient interviews. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine sex differences in return to work at 12 months after AMI, and the association of patient characteristics with return to work. When compared with young men, young women were less likely to return to work (89% versus 85%; 85% versus 89%, P=0.02); however, this sex difference was not significant after adjusting for patient sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, and health measures. Being married, engaging in a professional or clerical type of work, having more favorable physical health, and having no previous coronary disease or hypertension were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of return to work at 12 months. Among a young population, women are less likely to return to work after AMI than men. This disadvantage is explained by differences in demographic, occupational, and health characteristics. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure Relative to Exercise Work Rate in Older Men and Women.

PubMed

Esfandiari, Sam; Wright, Stephen P; Goodman, Jack M; Sasson, Zion; Mak, Susanna

2017-07-01

An augmented pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) response may explain exercise intolerance in some humans. However, routine use of exercise hemodynamic testing is limited by a lack of data from normal older men and women. Our objective was to evaluate the exercise PAWP response and the potential for sexual dimorphism in healthy, nondyspneic older adults. Thirty-six healthy volunteers (18 men [54 ± 7 yr] and 18 women [58 ± 6 yr]) were studied at rest (control) and during two stages of semi-upright cycle ergometry, at heart rates of 100 bpm (light exercise) and 120 bpm (moderate exercise). Right heart catheterization was performed to measure pulmonary pressures. The PAWP response to exercise was assessed in context of exercise work rate and body size. At control, PAWP was similar between men and women. Work rates were significantly smaller in women at comparable HR (P < 0.001). PAWP increased similarly at light exercise, with no further increase at moderate exercise. When indexed to work rate alone or work rate adjusted to body weight and height, the PAWP response at light and moderate exercise was significantly elevated in women compared with men (P < 0.05 condition-sex interaction). The change in PAWP relative to the increase in cardiac output did not exceed 2 mm Hg·L·min in any volunteer at moderate exercise. The similar rise in the PAWP response to submaximal exercise occurs despite lower work rate in healthy older women compared with men, even when adjusted for smaller body size. It is important to consider sex in the development of normal reference ranges for exercise hemodynamic testing.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in Japanese men with lung adenocarcinomas.

PubMed

Tomita, Masaki; Ayabe, Takanori; Chosa, Eiichi; Kawagoe, Katsuya; Nakamura, Kunihide

2014-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations play a vital role in the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Such somatic mutations are more common in women who are non-smokers with adenocarcinoma and are of Asian origin. However, to our knowledge, there are few studies that have focused on men. One hundred and eighty-four consecutive patients (90 men and 94 women) of resected lung adenocarcinoma were studied retrospectively. EGFR mutations were positive in 48.9% and negative (wild type) in 51.1%. Overall mutation was significant in women (66.0% vs. 32.2%) compared with men (p<0.001). For overall patients, EGFR mutation status was associated with gender, pStage, pT status, lepidic dominant histologic subtype, pure or mixed ground-glass nodule type on computed tomography and smoking status. However, in men, EGFR mutation status was only associated with lepidic dominant histologic subtype and not the other variables. Interestingly, the Brinkman index of men with mutant EGFR also did not differ from that for the wild type (680.0±619.3 vs. 813.1±552.1 p=0.1077). The clinical characteristics of men with lung adenocarcinoma related to EGFR mutation are not always similar to that of overall patients. Especially we failed to find the relationship between EGFR mutations and smoking status in men.

Ergonomic evaluation of a mechanical anastomotic stapler used by Japanese surgeons.

PubMed

Kono, Emiko; Tada, Mitsunori; Kouchi, Makiko; Endo, Yui; Tomizawa, Yasuko; Matsuo, Tomoko; Nomura, Sachiyo

2014-06-01

The satisfaction rating of currently available mechanical staplers for Japanese surgeons with small hands is low. To identify the issue, we examined the relationship of hand dimensions and grip force with the operation force of a mechanical circular stapler. Hand dimensions and grip force were measured in 113 Japanese surgeons (52 men and 61 women). We then evaluated the relationship between grip width and the operation force required to push the lever of the stapler, at three points on the lever, using a digital force gauge. The optimal grip width of the dominant hand was 62.5 ± 8.5 mm for men and 55.5 ± 5.9 mm for women (p < 0.001). The maximum grip force of the dominant hand was 44.2 ± 6.1 kg for men and 29.7 ± 4.5 kg for women (p < 0.001) and the maximum operation force required to push the lever 7.0, 45.0, and 73.0 mm from the end of the lever was 21.8, 28.6, and 42.4 kg, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first ergonomic study of a surgical stapler to be conducted in Asia. Firing the stapler by gripping the proximal side of the lever is physically impossible for most Japanese women surgeons since the required operation force exceeds the maximum grip force, which probably accounts for the stress perceived by these women.

Sex differences in physical and mental functioning of Japanese civil servants: explanations from work and family characteristics.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2010-12-01

Poor physical and mental functioning are more common among women than men and those with disadvantaged work and family characteristics. This study aims to clarify whether sex differences in health functioning can be explained by sex differences in work and family characteristics. The subjects were 3787 civil servants (2525 men and 1262 women), aged 20-65, working in a local government on the west coast of Japan. A questionnaire survey was conducted in January 2003. Low employment grade, high demands, long work hours, shift work, being unmarried, having no young children, high family-to-work conflict and high work-to-family conflict were more common among women than men and were independently associated with poor physical and mental functioning. The age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of women for poor health functioning were 1.80 for poor physical functioning and 1.77 for poor mental functioning. When adjusted for employment grade and work characteristics (control, demand, support, work hours, and shift work), the sex differences in health functioning attenuated. When adjusted for family characteristics (family structure and work-family conflicts), the sex differences in health functioning further attenuated and were no longer statistically significant. Sex differences in family characteristics contributed more to sex difference in mental functioning than sex differences in work characteristics. Japan belongs to conservative welfare regimes. In such countries, men are able to concentrate on their work with relative freedom from their family tasks and responsibilities, whereas women feel difficulties in maintaining their work-life balances. Such sex differences in work- and family-related stresses may contribute to sex difference in health. Longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal nature of these associations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HEAVY MANUAL WORK THROUGHOUT THE WORKING LIFETIME AND MUSCLE STRENGTH AMONG MEN AT RETIREMENT AGE

PubMed Central

Walker-Bone, K; D’Angelo, S; Syddall, HE; Palmer, KT; Cooper, C; Coggon, D; Sayer, AA

2016-01-01

Introduction Reductions in heavy manual work as a consequence of mechanisation might impact adversely on muscle strength at older ages. We investigated the association between grip strength at retirement age and lifetime occupational exposure to physically demanding activities. Grip strength is an important predictor of long-term health and physical function in older people. Methods Grip strength (maximum of three readings in each hand) was measured in men from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study at a single examination when their mean age was 65.8 (SD 2.9) years. Associations with lifetime occupational exposure (ascertained by questionnaire) to three activities (standing/walking ≥4 hours/day; lifting ≥25 kg; and energetic work sufficient to induce sweating) were assessed by multivariable linear regression with adjustment for various potential confounders. Results Complete data were available from 1,418 men who had worked for at least 20 years. After adjustment for age, height and weight, those with longer exposures to walking/standing and heavy lifting had lower grip strength, but the relationship disappeared after further adjustment for confounders. Working at physical intensity sufficient to induce sweating was not significantly associated with grip strength. Conclusions We found no evidence that physically demanding occupational activities increase hand grip strength at normal retirement age. Any advantages of regular physical occupational activity may have been obscured by unmeasured socio-economic confounders. PMID:26896253

Intersections of Stigma, Mental Health, and Sex Work: How Canadian Men Engaged in Sex Work Navigate and Resist Stigma to Protect Their Mental Health.

PubMed

Jiao, Sunny; Bungay, Vicky

2018-05-01

Men engaged in sex work experience significant stigma that can have devastating effects for their mental health. Little is known about how male sex workers experience stigma and its effects on mental health or their strategies to prevent its effects in the Canadian context. This study examined the interrelationships between stigma and mental health among 33 Canadian indoor, male sex workers with a specific goal of understanding how stigma affected men's mental health and their protective strategies to mitigate against its effects. Men experienced significant enacted stigma that negatively affected their social supports and ability to develop and maintain noncommercial, romantic relationships. Men navigated stigma by avoidance and resisting internalization. Strategy effectiveness to promote mental health varied based on men's perspectives of sex work as a career versus a forced source of income. Programming to promote men's mental health must take into consideration men's diverse strategies and serve to build social supports.

The Relationship Between Shift Work and Men's Health.

PubMed

Deng, Nanfu; Kohn, Taylor P; Lipshultz, Larry I; Pastuszak, Alexander W

2018-01-19

More than 21 million Americans and nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce are shift workers. Non-standard shift work, defined as work that falls outside of 6 am-6 pm, can lead to poor diet, exercise, and sleep habits that lead to decreased productivity, increased workplace accidents, and a variety of negative health outcomes. To investigate the associations between shift work exposure and chronic medical conditions such as metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disturbances, and depression as well as urologic complications including hypogonadism, male infertility, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer with a focus on the effects of shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) on the severity of these negative health outcomes. We reviewed the literature examining effects of shift work and SWSD on general and urologic health. We produced a summary of effects of shift work on health with focus on the increased risk of negative health outcomes in non-standard shift workers, particularly those with SWSD, when compared to daytime workers or workers without SWSD. Studies have associated non-standard shift work schedules and poor health outcomes, including increased risks of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, and depression, in shift workers. However, few studies have focused on the role that shift work plays in men's urologic health. Current evidence supports associations between non-standard shift work and increased hypogonadal symptoms, poor semen parameters, decreased fertility, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer. These associations are strengthened by the presence of SWSD, which affects up to 20% of shift workers. Unfortunately, interventions, such as planned naps, timed light exposure, melatonin, and sedative hypnotics, aimed at alleviating excessive nighttime sleepiness and daytime insomnia in non-standard shift workers experiencing SWSD, are limited and lack strong evidence to support

Association of overtime work and hypertension in a Japanese working population: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Imai, Teppei; Kuwahara, Keisuke; Nishihara, Akiko; Nakagawa, Tohru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Honda, Toru; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Kochi, Takeshi; Eguchi, Masafumi; Uehara, Akihiko; Kuroda, Reiko; Omoto, Daisuke; Nagata, Tomohisa; Pham, Ngoc Minh; Kurotani, Kayo; Nanri, Akiko; Akter, Shamima; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Sone, Tomofumi; Dohi, Seitaro

2014-12-01

Long working hours have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with hypertension remains unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between overtime and presence of hypertension using data from a large-scale multi-company study in Japan. Participants were 52 365 workers of four companies that provided both health-checkup data and self-reported data on overtime worked. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, and/or the use of antihypertensive drug. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratio for hypertension for each category of overtime work (<45, 45-79, 80-99 or ≥100 h/month) with adjustments for age, sex, company, smoking status and body mass index. The prevalence of hypertension tended to decrease with increasing overtime work: 17.5, 12.0, 11.1 and 9.1% for the shortest (<45 h/month) through the longest overtime category (≥100 h/month). The age-, sex- and company-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.00 (reference), 0.81 (0.75-0.86), 0.73 (0.62-0.86), 0.58 (0.44-0.76), respectively (p for linear trend <0.001). In a sub-cohort, the inverse association remained statistically significant after an additional adjustment for other potential confounders. Results of the present large-scale study among Japanese workers suggest an inverse association between overtime work and presence of hypertension.

Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase is inversely associated with dietary total and coffee-derived polyphenol intakes in apparently healthy Japanese men.

PubMed

Taguchi, Chie; Kishimoto, Yoshimi; Kondo, Kazuo; Tohyama, Kazushige; Goda, Toshinao

2017-10-07

Serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) has been proposed as a marker of oxidative stress. Here, we examined the association between serum GGT and the dietary intake of polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties. A cross-sectional survey including 7960 apparently healthy Japanese men (aged 22-86 years) who participated in health checkups was conducted in Shizuoka, Japan. We analyzed these subjects' clinical serum parameters and lifestyle factors, including dietary polyphenol intake, which was evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire and by matching the subjects' food consumption data with our original polyphenol content database. The average intake of polyphenols was 1157 ± 471 mg/day, and green tea was the largest source of polyphenols at 40%, followed by coffee at 36%. Dividing the population according to quintiles of total polyphenol intake, the difference in polyphenol intake from coffee between the groups was much greater than the difference in polyphenol intake from green tea. The analysis of the association between polyphenol intake and biological parameters showed a significant negative association between polyphenol intake and the levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), GGT, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after adjusting for age, smoking habit, energy intake and alcohol intake. The GGT levels were inversely associated with the polyphenol intake from coffee, but not with that from green tea. Multivariable linear regression analyses demonstrated that the subjects' GGT levels were negatively and independently associated with their polyphenol intake. The intake of total polyphenol including coffee as a major contributor is inversely associated with the serum GGT concentration in Japanese males.

Japanese Culture in the United States of America; An Annotated Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, John W., Comp.

This bibliography describes and briefly reviews, from an anthropological perspective, books and articles on the Japanese in the United States. Works cited include: (1) bibliographies; (2) general studies on Japanese Americans; (3) works dealing with the cultural heritage of the Japanese immigrant generation; (4) literature on the Japanese…

Age-related changes in abdominal fat distribution in Japanese adults in the general population.

PubMed

Sugihara, Masako; Oka, Rie; Sakurai, Masaru; Nakamura, Koshi; Moriuchi, Tadashi; Miyamoto, Susumu; Takeda, Yoshiyu; Yagi, Kunimasa; Yamagishi, Masakazu

2011-01-01

Early studies have indicated that body fat shifts from peripheral stores to central stores with aging. The objective of this study was to investigate age-related changes in abdominal fat distribution of Japanese men and women of the general population over a wide range of body mass indices (BMI). A total of 2,220 non-diabetic, apparently healthy Japanese adults (1,240 men and 980 women; age range 40-69 years) were included in the study sample. All subjects underwent a CT scan at the level of the umbilicus, and the areas of visceral adipose tissue (AT) and subcutaneous AT were quantified. When the subjects were stratified by BMI into 18.5-23.0 kg/m(2), 23.0-27.5 kg/m(2), and 27.5 kg/m(2) or higher, visceral AT was positively correlated with age in all of the BMI strata in both genders (p<0.01). In contrast, subcutaneous AT was negatively correlated with age in men with BMIs in excess of 23.0 kg/m(2) (p<0.01) and not at all in women. The mean levels of subcutaneous AT were over 2-fold greater than visceral AT in women aged 60-69 years in any BMI stratum. In Japanese men and women, visceral AT was increased with age in all BMI strata in both genders, whereas subcutaneous AT was decreased with age in men with BMIs in excess of 23.0 kg/m(2) and not at all in women. Even with these age-related changes in abdominal fat distribution, women retained the subcutaneous-dominant type of fat distribution up to 70 years.

Using the conformity to masculine norms inventory to work with men in a clinical setting.

PubMed

Mahalik, James R; Talmadge, W Tracy; Locke, Benjamin D; Scott, Ryan P J

2005-06-01

Given that gender roles are increasingly viewed as salient in clinical work with men, this article describes a process of exploring masculine gender roles with male clients in therapy by using the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI). Specifically, this article (a) discusses how men's degree of conformity to masculine norms may be connected to a variety of benefits and costs, (b) describes the CMNI as a tool that can be used to explore men's degree of conformity to masculine norms, (c) describes a process by which to use the CMNI to explore the relevance of men's masculine selves to their presenting concerns, and (d) illustrates the process with a case example. As such, the paper is intended to provide a systematic procedure for clinicians working with men who want to explore the benefits and costs that both conformity, and nonconformity, to specific masculinity norms brings for male clients. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Japanese Competitiveness and Japanese Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minabe, Shigeo

1986-01-01

Analyzes and compares Japanese and American industrial policy and labor practices. Proposes that certain aspects of the Japanese system be adapted by American businesses for purpose of increasing international competitiveness. Proposes specific actions and plans for both the Japanese and American systems. (ML)

Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level is strong risk factor for acquired color vision impairment in young to middle-aged Japanese men: the Okubo Color Study Report 2.

PubMed

Shoji, Takuhei; Sakurai, Yutaka; Sato, Hiroki; Chihara, Etsuo; Ishida, Masahiro; Omae, Kazuyuki

2010-06-01

To investigate associations between blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and the prevalence of acquired color vision impairment (ACVI) in middle-aged Japanese men. Participants in this cross-sectional study underwent color vision testing, ophthalmic examination, a standardized interview and examination of venous blood samples. Ishihara plates, a Lanthony 15-hue desaturated panel, and Standard pseudoisochromatic Plates part 2 were used to examine color vision ability. The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test was performed to define ACVI. Smoking status and alcohol intake were recorded during the interview. We performed logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, LDL-C level, systemic hypertension, diabetes, cataract, glaucoma, overweight, smoking status, and alcohol intake. Adjusted odds ratios for four LDL-C levels were calculated. A total of 1042 men were enrolled, 872 participants were eligible for the study, and 31 subjects were diagnosed with ACVI. As compared to the lowest LDL-C category level (<100 mg/dl), the crude OR of ACVI was 3.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-11.00) for the 2nd highest category (130-159 mg/dl), and 4.84 (95% CI, 1.42-16.43) for the highest level (>or=160 mg/dl). The multiple-adjusted ORs were 2.91 (95% CI, 0.87-9.70) for the 2nd highest category and 3.81 (95% CI, 1.03-14.05) for the highest level. Tests for trend were significant (P<0.05) in both analyses. These findings suggested that the prevalence of ACVI is higher among middle-aged Japanese men with elevated LDL-C levels. These changes might be related to deteriorated neurologic function associated with lipid metabolite abnormalities. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex-different abnormalities in the right second to fourth digit ratio in Japanese individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Masuya, Yasuhiro; Okamoto, Yuko; Inohara, Keisuke; Matsumura, Yukiko; Fujioka, Toru; Wada, Yuji; Kosaka, Hirotaka

2015-01-01

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is higher in men than in women. The extreme male brain theory proposes that excessive prenatal testosterone activity could be a risk factor for ASDs. However, it is unclear whether prenatal sex hormone activity is a risk factor for women. The ratio of the length of the second to fourth digits (2D:4D) is considered to be a biomarker of the prenatal ratio of testosterone to estrogen. Therefore, this study compared the 2D:4D ratios of women with and without ASDs to determine if prenatal sex hormone activity could be a risk factor for ASDs in women. The study included 35 Japanese men with ASDs, 17 Japanese women with ASDs, 59 typically developed (TD) Japanese men, and 57 TD Japanese women. We measured digit lengths and compared the 2D:4D ratios among the four groups. We also examined the relationship between the 2D:4D ratio and the autism-spectrum quotient score of each group. In our cohort, men with ASDs tended to have lower right-hand 2D:4D ratios relative to TD men. In contrast, the right 2D:4D ratios in women with ASDs were higher compared to those of TD women. No significant correlations were found between the 2D:4D ratios and the autism-spectrum quotient scores in any group. The higher right 2D:4D ratios in women could not be explained by age or full-scale intelligent quotients. This group difference was not found for the left 2D:4D or right-left 2D:4D ratios. We found a reverse direction of abnormality in the right 2D:4D ratio for men and women with ASDs. It has been posited that high prenatal testosterone levels lead to a lower 2D:4D ratio. However, a recent animal study showed that testosterone injection to dam leads to a higher right 2D:4D ratio especially for female offspring, which might be mediated by abnormal adipose accumulation in the fingertip. Therefore, the present findings suggest that high prenatal testosterone could be a risk factor both for Japanese men and women with ASDs, elucidating one

Sociocultural dilemma of Japanese steeplejacks.

PubMed

Iwata, H

1997-12-01

Japanese steeplejacks are good at working in high places as construction workers, and they have been called tobi for a longtime. They now play an important role in completing modern civil engineering projects and in the construction of high-rise buildings; however, their lifestyle is considered by most to be quaint but outdated. Originally, they were unskilled workmen at construction sites. In the 18th century, they were engaged in repairing houses or setting up scaffolding, helping carpenters, but they worked as firefighters whenever fires broke out. Their traditional work system did not change throughout the Meiji era, although Japanese society became greatly modernized. After World War II, the industrialization of Japanese society required highly developed technology in civil engineering and architecture. This provided an opportunity for them to establish their positions as trained professional workers. However, the number of skilled tobi professionals has continued to decrease because the younger generation does not consider this profession desirable career. Improving not only the professional skills but also the way of living to the extent as a modern high-tech society demands will be the key for the tobi's work system to become attractive.

Sex and the Process of Status Attainment: A Comparison of Working Women and Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treiman, Donald J.; Terrell Kermit

1975-01-01

The process of educational, occupational, and income attainment of working women and men, both white and non-white, is compared here. The process and level of educational and occupational attainment is said to be identical for men and women, but women are said to earn less. (Author/AM)

Rotating shift work associated with obesity in men from northeastern Ontario.

PubMed

Grundy, Anne; Cotterchio, Michelle; Kirsh, Victoria A; Nadalin, Victoria; Lightfoot, Nancy; Kreiger, Nancy

2017-08-01

While some studies have suggested associations between shift work and obesity, few have been population-based or considered multiple shift schedules. Since obesity is linked with several chronic health conditions, understanding which types of shift work influence obesity is important and additional work with more detailed exposure assessment of shift work is warranted. Using multivariate polytomous logistic regression, we investigated the associations between shift work (evening/night, rotating and other shift schedules) and overweight and obesity as measured by body mass index cross-sectionally among 1561 men. These men had previously participated as population controls in a prostate cancer case-control study conducted in northeastern Ontario from 1995 to 1999. We obtained information on work history (including shift work), height and weight from the existing self-reported questionnaire data. We observed an association for ever (vs. never) having been employed in rotating shift work for both the overweight (OR [odds ratio] = 1.34; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.05-1.73) and obese (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.12-2.21) groups. We also observed nonsignificant associations for ever (vs. never) having been employed in permanent evening/night shifts. In addition, we found a significant trend of increased risk for both overweight and obesity with increasing duration of rotating shift work. Both the positive association between rotating shift work and obesity and the suggested positive association for permanent evening/night shift work in this study are consistent with previous findings. Future population-based research that is able to build on our results while examining additional shift work characteristics will further clarify whether some shift patterns have a greater impact on obesity than others.

Men Learning through Life (and Men's Sheds)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golding, Barry

2015-01-01

This "Futures" column shares insights about men's learning beyond work, based on several decades of research in men's learning in international community contexts. The article focuses' particularly on men who want and need to learn to re-create and broaden their identities beyond their working lives. This practice, well established in…

[Are there any differences in the working memory of men and women?].

PubMed

Talarowska, Monika; Florkowski, Antoni; Chamielec, Marcelina; Gałecki, Piotr

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare the implementation of the Stroop test among women and men and to answer the question of the existence of differences in verbal working memory performance and efficiency of attention between representatives of both sexes. A sample of 348 persons aged 20-68 years (mean age: M = 42.16 years) participated in the study: 187 women (53.73%) and 161 men (42.26%). Patients who took part in the investigation were divided into several groups: depressive disorders (DD, n = 146), diabetes type 1 (DM1, n = 31), diabetes type 2 (DM2, n = 31), patients with hypertension (HA, n = 30) and healthy controls (HC, n=110). Cognitive functions were evaluated by the Stroop test. There were no significant differences between men and women in making the first (p = 0.831) and the second part of the Stroop test (p = 0.055). However, it should be noted that the difference between men and 'omen in the speed of the second part of the test is close to significance. Women performed the test faster than men, while men have committed in other parts of the test less errors (p = 0.441). In the present study there was no statistically significant differences between men and women in the implementation of both parts of the Stroop test. Women performed both part of the Stroop test faster than men do but the latter make fewer mistakes.

Work and family characteristics as determinants of socioeconomic and sex inequalities in sleep: The Japanese Civil Servants Study.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2006-02-01

To clarify whether socioeconomic and sex inequalities in poor sleep quality are explained by socioeconomic and sex differences in work and family characteristics. A cross-sectional study. Three thousand five hundred fifty-six employees (2397 men and 1159 women) aged 20 to 65 years in local government in Japan. Respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked about sleep quality, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; work characteristics, as measured by the job-demand-control-support model, work hours, and shift work; and family characteristics, such as family structure and family-work conflicts. Lower control at work, higher work demands, lower social support, shorter and longer working hours, shift work, being single, higher family-to-work conflict, and higher work-to-family conflict were independently associated with poorer sleep quality in both men and women. In men, the age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of low-grade employees for poor sleep quality was 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.36) in comparison with high-grade employees. The difference in sleep was attenuated when work and family characteristics were adjusted for (OR=1.25 [0.84-1.86]). Among women, there was no significant grade difference in sleep. Women tended to have poorer sleep quality than men (the age-adjusted OR=1.75 [1.49-2.06]). The sex difference was attenuated and no longer significant when adjustments were made for work and family characteristics (OR=1.04 [0.85-1.27]). The results of this study suggest that work and family characteristics may be important for reducing socioeconomic and sex inequalities in sleep. Sex differences in the pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in sleep deserve further research.

Men's and Women's Quality of Work in the New Canadian Economy. Work Network Research Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Karen; Lowe, Graham S.; Schellenberg, Grant

Men's and women's quality of work in the new Canadian economy was examined. The two data sources used were the 2000 Changing Employment Relationships Survey (CERS), which consisted of telephone interviews of 2,500 currently employed Canadian residents aged 18 or older, and the 2000 General Social Survey (GSS), which examined access to and use of…

The Storage and Transmission of Men's Non-Formal Skills in Working Class Communities: A Working Paper. NALL Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dorothy E.

A descriptive study observed the transmission of manual job skills from older to younger men in working class communities in Ontario and the effects of massive downsizing in industrial plants on this process. Current as well as previous ethnographic research was used. Some of the outcomes of the continual downsizing included the following: (1) the…

Association of Sleep Duration with Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease and Other Causes for Japanese Men and Women: the JACC Study

PubMed Central

Ikehara, Satoyo; Iso, Hiroyasu; Date, Chigusa; Kikuchi, Shogo; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Wada, Yasuhiko; Inaba, Yutaka; Tamakoshi, Akiko

2009-01-01

Study Objectives: To examine sex-specific associations between sleep duration and mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Community-based study. Participants: A total of 98,634 subjects (41,489 men and 57,145 women) aged 40 to 79 years from 1988 to 1990 and were followed until 2003. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: During a median follow-up of 14.3 years, there were 1964 deaths (men and women: 1038 and 926) from stroke, 881 (508 and 373) from coronary heart disease, 4287 (2297 and 1990) from cardiovascular disease, 5465 (3432 and 2033) from cancer, and 14,540 (8548 and 5992) from all causes. Compared with a sleep duration of 7 hours, sleep duration of 4 hours or less was associated with increased mortality from coronary heart disease for women and noncardiovascular disease/noncancer and all causes in both sexes. The respective multivariable hazard ratios were 2.32 (1.19–4.50) for coronary heart disease in women, 1.49 (1.02–2.18) and 1.47 (1.01–2.15) for noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and 1.29 (1.02–1.64) and 1.28 (1.03–1.60) for all causes in men and women, respectively. Long sleep duration of 10 hours or longer was associated with 1.5- to 2-fold increased mortality from total and ischemic stroke, total cardiovascular disease, noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and all causes for men and women, compared with 7 hours of sleep in both sexes. There was no association between sleep duration and cancer mortality in either sex. Conclusions: Both short and long sleep duration were associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease, noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and all causes for both sexes, yielding a U-shaped relationship with total mortality with a nadir at 7 hours of sleep. Citation: Ikehara S; Iso H; Date C; Kikuchi S; Watanabe Y; Wada Y; Inaba Y; Tamakoshi A. Association of sleep duration with mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes for Japanese men and

Is It All about Money? Work Characteristics and Women's and Men's Marriage Formation in Early Adulthood.

PubMed

Kuo, Janet Chen-Lan; Raley, R Kelly

2016-06-01

Using data from the NLSY 97, this paper investigates how work characteristics (earnings and autonomy) shape young adults' transition to first marriage separately for men and women. The results suggest that earnings are positively associated with marriage and that this association is as strong for women as men in their mid-to-late twenties. Additionally, occupational autonomy-having the control over one's own work structure-facilitates entry into first marriage for women in their mid-to late-20s but, for men, occupational autonomy is not associated with marriage at these ages. These results suggest that even as women's earnings are increasingly important for marriage, other aspects of work are also important for stable family formation.

Social impacts of the work loss in cancer survivors.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Hideko; Nakagawa, Chizuko; Fukuda, Takashi

2017-09-01

As cancer frequently occurs during the most productive years of life, our purpose was to estimate the cost of work loss of cancer survivors and develop interventions to minimize the loss. We estimated the cost of the work loss from all cancers resulting from patients' inpatient, outpatient, and non-treatment days. This was calculated with a new method, the product of the "employment rate coefficient × productivity coefficient," making use of data published by the Japanese Ministries. The estimate of work loss on treatment days for all cancers was $1820.21 million in men and $939.38 million in women. In terms of disease classification, lung cancer was the largest cause in men, whereas breast cancer was the largest in women. On non-treatment days, the work losses because of gastric, colon, and lung cancers were large in men, while breast cancer was the largest in women and in total. The estimated loss for all cancers was $3685.506 million in men and $2502.565 million in women, when the product was assumed 0.5. In Japan, breast cancer was considered the leading cause for cost of work loss, and the most influential cause when the product of the "employment rate coefficient × productivity coefficient" for breast cancer was assumed the same as the product for all other types of cancers. It is necessary to establish support systems for working cancer survivors.

Overtime work and blood pressure in normotensive Japanese male workers.

PubMed

Nakamura, Koshi; Sakurai, Masaru; Morikawa, Yuko; Miura, Katsuyuki; Ishizaki, Masao; Kido, Teruhiko; Naruse, Yuchi; Suwazono, Yasushi; Nakagawa, Hideaki

2012-09-01

Epidemiological studies have observed conflicting patterns as to whether overtime work increases blood pressure (BP), probably as a consequence of methodological issues. We conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between overtime work hours and 1-year changes in BP in 1,235 normotensive Japanese male workers who carried out a variety of jobs in a manufacturing factory. Casual BP measurements were repeated at annual health examinations in 2004-2005, using an automatic manometer. An analysis of covariance that incorporated potential confounding factors including baseline age, body mass index (BMI), and lifestyle factors was used to calculate and compare the means of the 1-year change in systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP). The participants were grouped according to their average monthly overtime work hours obtained from timecard data between April and September 2004. The multivariate-adjusted mean for 1-year change in DBP in 611 male assembly-line workers was 1.5 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8-2.2) for <40.0 h/month, 2.3 mm Hg (95% CI 1.3-3.2) for 40.0-79.9 h/month, and 5.3 mm Hg (95% CI 2.7-7.9) for ≥ 80.0 h/month (P for heterogeneity = 0.02). A broadly similar pattern was observed for SBP. In contrast, there was no significant difference in means 1-year change for both SBP and DBP in 315 clerks and 309 engineers/special technicians, grouped according to overtime work hours. Extensive overtime work was associated with increased BP in normotensive male assembly-line workers, but not in clerks and engineers/special technicians.

Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load and incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men and women: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.

PubMed

Oba, Shino; Nanri, Akiko; Kurotani, Kayo; Goto, Atsushi; Kato, Masayuki; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2013-12-27

Japanese diets contain a relatively high amount of carbohydrates, and its high dietary glycemic index and glycemic load may raise the risk of diabetes in the Japanese population. The current study evaluated the associations between the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and the risk of type 2 diabetes in a population based cohort in Japan. We observed 27,769 men and 36,864 women (45-75 y) who participated in the second survey of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. The dietary glycemic index and glycemic load were estimated using a food-frequency questionnaire. The development of diabetes was reported in a questionnaire administered five years later, and the associations were analyzed using logistic regression after controlling for age, area, total energy intake, smoking status, family history of diabetes, physical activity, hypertension, BMI, alcohol intake, magnesium, calcium, dietary fiber and coffee intake, and occupation. The dietary glycemic load was positively associated with the risk of diabetes among women: the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest vs. the lowest quartile was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.13-2.04; P-trend = 0.01). The association was implied to be stronger among women with BMI < 25 than the women with BMI ≥ 25. The dietary glycemic index was positively associated with the risk of diabetes among men with a high intake of total fat: the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest vs. the lowest quartile was 1.46 (95% CI, 0.94-2.28; P-trend = 0.04). Among women with a high total fat intake, those in the first and second quartiles of the dietary glycemic index had a significant reduced risk of diabetes, compared with those in the first quartile who had a lower total fat level (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 0.59 with 95% CI, 0.37-0.94, and odds ratio = 0.63 with 95% CI, 0.40-0.998 respectively). The population-based cohort study in Japan indicated that diets with a high

Working towards Men's Health: Findings from the Sefton Men's Health Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Mark; Robertson, Steve; McCullagh, Jo; Hacking, Sue

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate a health improvement initiative aimed at enhancing the health of men in deprived areas. Design: A healthy lifestyle programme was undertaken with men to increase their health knowledge, and encourage behaviour modification and access to health improvement services. A peer mentoring programme was implemented and a training…

Acceptable Masculinities: Working-Class Young Men and Vocational Education and Training Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Michael R. M.

2018-01-01

Since the 1970s, the process of deindustrialisation, accompanied by social, cultural and political changes, has altered youth transitions from school to work. This paper is drawn from an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study that explored the diversity of white, working-class young men (aged between 16 and 18) in a post-industrial…

Organizational Leadership and Work-Life Integration: Insights from Three Generations of Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Deborah N.; Roebuck, Deborah; Elhaddaoui, Terri

2016-01-01

The literature has traditionally portrayed work-life balance as a women's issue. However, working men, specifically those classified as Generation X and Generation Y, are starting to speak up and share that they too are struggling with integrating all aspects of their lives. Workers, as well as organizations can benefit when employees have a…

The demographic and contextual correlates of work-related repetitive strain injuries among Canadian men and women.

PubMed

Breslin, F Curtis; Ibrahim, S; Smith, P; Mustard, C; Amick, B; Shankardass, K

2013-10-01

The study sought to identify gender differences in work-related repetitive strain injuries (RSI), as well as examine the degree to which non-work factors such as family roles interact with gender to modify RSI risk. Another aim is to examine whether there are potential provincial differences in work-related RSI risk. The 2003/2005 Canadian Community Health Survey included over 89,000 respondents who reported working in the past 12 months. Separate multi-level models for men and women were used to identify the correlates of work-related RSIs. Women reported sustaining more work-related RSIs than men. Also, having one or more children in the household was associated with lower work-related RSI risk for females. Both men and women in British Columbia reported higher work-related RSI rates than in Ontario. Gender contributes to RSI risk in multiple and diverse ways based on labor market segregation, non-work exposures, and possibly biological vulnerability, which suggests more tailored interventions. Also, the provincial differences indicate that monitoring and surveillance of work injury across jurisdictions can assist in province-wide prevention and occupational health and safety evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sex Differences in Beliefs Regarding Women's Employment in Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Traditional Japanese values discourage women from working outside the home. This research describes and compares Japanese men's and women's beliefs regarding employment of women. Questionnaires were distributed to approximately 900 Japanese men and women, and t-tests were used to test for differences between the men's and women's groups. Results…

"How can I not?": men's pathways to involvement in anti-violence against women work.

PubMed

Casey, Erin; Smith, Tyler

2010-08-01

Despite growing male participation in ending violence against women, little is known about the factors that precipitate men's engagement as antiviolence "allies." This study presents findings from a qualitative analysis of interviews with 27 men who recently initiated involvement in an organization or event dedicated to ending sexual or domestic violence. Findings suggest that men's engagement is a process that occurs over time, that happens largely through existing social networks, and that is influenced by exposure to sensitizing experiences, tangible involvement opportunities and specific types of meaning making related to violence. Implications for models of ally development and for efforts to engage men in antiviolence work are discussed.

Relationship between environmental factors, age of onset and familial history in Japanese patients with psoriasis.

PubMed

Bayaraa, Bolortuya; Imafuku, Shinichi

2018-06-01

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that often involves the skin and joints. Psoriasis develops at any age and the distribution of age of onset of psoriasis is bimodal in Japan. Also, male predominance is distinct in Japanese psoriatic patients. To clarify the relationship between sex difference and habitual/environmental status, age and incidence of familial psoriasis, we analyzed data from the Fukuoka University Psoriasis Registry. A total of 1120 Japanese patients (751 men, 369 women) were analyzed. The male/female ratio was 2.03:1. Smoking and drinking habit, known as risk factors of psoriasis, were significantly more prevalent in men. Age-specific psoriasis-onset rate standardized by population showed bimodal distribution in both men and women; the younger peak was in their 30s for men and 10s in women; the second peak was in the 50s for both sexes. A familial history of psoriasis was seen in 6.3% of patients overall; however, female patients showed a significantly higher rate (8.7%) compared with men (5.1%, P = 0.024). When stratified by age of onset, the frequency of familial history was much higher among women with onset at less than 30 years (15.4%), compared with 30 years or more (5.3%, P = 0.0026). Our data suggest that genetic factors have a stronger influence in young women who experience fewer environmental factors such as smoking and drinking. This is the first study to show that there is a difference in the incidence of familial psoriasis depending on age of onset of psoriasis in Japan. © 2018 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Mass imprisonment and the life course revisited: Cumulative years spent imprisoned and marked for working-age black and white men.

PubMed

Patterson, Evelyn J; Wildeman, Christopher

2015-09-01

Over the last 40 years, imprisonment has become a common stage in the life-course for low-skilled and minority men, with implications not only for inequality among adult men but also for inequality more broadly. Unfortunately, all research documenting how increases in imprisonment have transformed the life-course of poor, minority men has neglected to estimate how much time black and white men on average spend imprisoned or marked as an ex-prisoner. In this article, we fill this gap by using multistate life tables to estimate what share of their working lives (18-64) black and white men will spend imprisoned and marked as ex-prisoners. Our estimates imply that white men spend on average 0.33 years of their working lives imprisoned and 2.31 years marked, while black men spend on average 1.79 years of their working lives imprisoned and 11.14 years marked. This implies that black men spend on average one-third of their working lives either imprisoned or having been freed but marked by the penal system. For the 32.2% of black men who ever experience imprisonment (Bonczar, 2003), moreover, these estimates imply that they spend on average 5.56 years imprisoned, corresponding to 13.4% of their working lives. Taken together, these findings imply a dramatic reorientation of the life course for black men, as one-third of the black male population will spend one-seventh of their working life in prison. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Survey of Japanese infertile couples' attitudes toward surrogacy.

PubMed

Saito, Yoshiko; Matsuo, Hiroya

2009-09-01

To clarify Japanese infertile couples' attitudes toward surrogacy, and analyse the results according to the contextual factors: ethical, social and medical aspects. We performed a questionnaire survey anonymously on the attitude toward gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy in Japanese infertile couples (103 women and 60 men) between June and August 2000. We examined the relation between the acceptability of surrogacy and the background factors (age, type of procedure, the number of clinics visited, etc.), and also analysed the woman required as each type of surrogate mother whether the presence or absence of siblings in any of the infertile couple. The rates of using gestational and traditional surrogacy if they were necessary were 17% and 7% of women, 23% and 8% of men, respectively. ART group, > or =35 years of age group and < or =2 clinics visited group as a contextual factor influenced their affirmative determinants. Approximately 70% of the infertile couples preferred anonymity as a surrogate gestational mother. Regardless of whether each partner had a full sister, these tendencies were observed. We found the contextual factors related to the acceptability of surrogacy. The ongoing deliberations toward surrogacy considering certain conditions of a concerned couple would be highly desirable.

Rotating shift work associated with obesity in men from northeastern Ontario

PubMed Central

Anne, Grundy; Michelle, Cotterchio; Victoria A., Kirsh; Victoria, Nadalin; Nancy, Lightfoot; Loretta, Ryan; Nancy, Kreiger

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: While some studies have suggested associations between shift work and obesity, few have been population-based or considered multiple shift schedules. Since obesity is linked with several chronic health conditions, understanding which types of shift work influence obesity is important and additional work with more detailed exposure assessment of shift work is warranted. Methods: Using multivariate polytomous logistic regression, we investigated the associations between shift work (evening/night, rotating and other shift schedules) and overweight and obesity as measured by body mass index cross-sectionally among 1561 men. These men had previously participated as population controls in a prostate cancer case-control study conducted in northeastern Ontario from 1995 to 1999. We obtained information on work history (including shift work), height and weight from the existing self-reported questionnaire data. Results: We observed an association for ever (vs. never) having been employed in rotating shift work for both the overweight (OR [odds ratio] = 1.34; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.05–1.73) and obese (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.12–2.21) groups. We also observed nonsignificant associations for ever (vs. never) having been employed in permanent evening/night shifts. In addition, we found a significant trend of increased risk for both overweight and obesity with increasing duration of rotating shift work. Conclusion: Both the positive association between rotating shift work and obesity and the suggested positive association for permanent evening/night shift work in this study are consistent with previous findings. Future population-based research that is able to build on our results while examining additional shift work characteristics will further clarify whether some shift patterns have a greater impact on obesity than others. PMID:28800293

Work-family conflicts and subsequent sleep medication among women and men: a longitudinal registry linkage study.

PubMed

Lallukka, T; Arber, S; Laaksonen, M; Lahelma, E; Partonen, T; Rahkonen, O

2013-02-01

Work and family are two key domains of life among working populations. Conflicts between paid work and family life can be detrimental to sleep and other health-related outcomes. This study examined longitudinally the influence of work-family conflicts on subsequent sleep medication. Questionnaire data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study mail surveys in 2001-2002 (2929 women, 793 men) of employees aged 40-60 years. Data concerning sleep medication were derived from the Finnish Social Insurance Institution's registers covering all prescribed medication from 1995 to 2007. Four items measured whether job responsibilities interfered with family life (work to family conflicts), and four items measured whether family responsibilities interfered with work (family to work conflicts). Cox proportional hazard models were fitted, adjusting for age, sleep medication five years before baseline, as well as various family- and work-related covariates. During a five-year follow-up, 17% of women and 10% of men had at least one purchase of prescribed sleep medication. Among women, family to work conflicts were associated with sleep medication over the following 5 years after adjustment for age and prior medication. The association remained largely unaffected after adjusting for family-related and work-related covariates. Work to family conflicts were also associated with subsequent sleep medication after adjustment for age and prior medication. The association attenuated after adjustment for work-related factors. No associations could be confirmed among men. Thus reasons for men's sleep medication likely emerge outside their work and family lives. Concerning individual items, strain-based ones showed stronger associations with sleep medication than more concrete time-based items. In conclusion, in particular family to work conflicts, but also work to family conflicts, are clear determinants of women's sleep medication. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work stress precipitates depression and anxiety in young, working women and men.

PubMed

Melchior, Maria; Caspi, Avshalom; Milne, Barry J; Danese, Andrea; Poulton, Richie; Moffitt, Terrie E

2007-08-01

Rates of depression have been rising, as have rates of work stress. We tested the influence of work stress on diagnosed depression and anxiety in young working adults. Participants were enrolled in the Dunedin study, a 1972-1973 longitudinal birth cohort assessed most recently in 2004-2005, at age 32 (n=972, 96% of 1015 cohort members still alive). Work stress (psychological job demands, work decision latitude, low work social support, physical work demands) was ascertained by interview. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were ascertained using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Participants exposed to high psychological job demands (excessive workload, extreme time pressures) had a twofold risk of MDD or GAD compared to those with low job demands. Relative risks (RRs) adjusting for all work characteristics were: 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-2.98] in women, and 2.00 (95% CI 1.13-3.56) in men. Analyses ruled out the possibility that the association between work stress and disorder resulted from study members' socio-economic position, a personality tendency to report negatively, or a history of psychiatric disorder prior to labour-market entry. Prospective longitudinal analyses showed that high-demand jobs were associated with the onset of new depression and anxiety disorder in individuals without any pre-job history of diagnosis or treatment for either disorder. Work stress appears to precipitate diagnosable depression and anxiety in previously healthy young workers. Helping workers cope with work stress or reducing work stress levels could prevent the occurrence of clinically significant depression and anxiety.

Risk factors for coronary artery calcification in Japanese patients.

PubMed

Shikada, Tomoki; Washio, Masakazu; Nishizaki, Akiko; Kakino, Takamori; Ooe, Kensuke; Ishibashi, Yuuji; Sagara, Shuuichirou; Morishige, Kunio; Tashiro, Hideki

2015-07-01

Because the prevalence of coronary artery calcification is lower among Japanese than among Western individuals, aspects of the Japanese lifestyle might be related to the development of calcification. We aimed to clarify the relationship between coronary artery calcium scores in Japanese patients and various lifestyle factors among the Japanese population. Study subjects were patients aged ≥20 years who underwent multidetector-row computed tomography. A total of 201 patients agreed to take part in this study and answered a questionnaire regarding lifestyle, medical history, and other factors. Old age, current and former smoking, sedentary work, short sleep time, coronary artery stenosis, treatment with statins, medical history of cerebrovascular disease, medical history of angina pectoris, medical history of ischemic heart disease, and medical history of dyslipidemia were associated with higher odds ratios than the other factors examined, while the Japanese-style breakfast (e.g. boiled rice, miso soup, grilled fish) was associated with lower odds ratios. In this study, smoking, sedentary work, short sleep time, and the Japanese-style breakfast were lifestyle factors related to coronary artery calcification. The lifestyle of Japanese people may be related to coronary calcification. Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex and cultural differences in spatial performance between Japanese and North Americans.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Maiko; Spiers, Mary V

2014-04-01

Previous studies have suggested that Asians perform better than North Americans on spatial tasks but show smaller sex differences. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between long-term experience with a pictorial written language and spatial performance. It was hypothesized that native Japanese Kanji (a complex pictorial written language) educated adults would show smaller sex differences on spatial tasks than Japanese Americans or North Americans without Kanji education. A total of 80 young healthy participants (20 native Japanese speakers, 20 Japanese Americans-non Japanese speaking, and 40 North Americans-non Japanese speaking) completed the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and customized 2D and 3D spatial object location memory tests. As predicted, main effects revealed men performed better on the MRT and RCFT and women performed better on the spatial object location memory tests. Also, as predicted, native Japanese performed better on all tests than the other groups. In contrast to the other groups, native Japanese showed a decreased magnitude of sex differences on aspects of the RCFT (immediate and delayed recall) and no significant sex difference on the efficiency of the strategy used to copy and encode the RCFT figure. This study lends support to the idea that intensive experience over time with a pictorial written language (i.e., Japanese Kanji) may contribute to increased spatial performance on some spatial tasks as well as diminish sex differences in performance on tasks that most resemble Kanji.

The Japanese Criminal Thinking Inventory: Development, Reliability, and Initial Validation of a New Scale for Assessing Criminal Thinking in a Japanese Offender Population.

PubMed

Kishi, Kaori; Takeda, Fumi; Nagata, Yuko; Suzuki, Junko; Monma, Takafumi; Asanuma, Tohru

2015-11-01

Using a sample of 116 Japanese men who had been placed under parole/probationary supervision or released from prison, the present study examined standardization, reliability, and validation of the Japanese Criminal Thinking Inventory (JCTI) that was based on the short form of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS), a self-rating instrument designed to evaluate cognitive patterns specific to criminal conduct. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that four dimensions adequately captured the structure of the JCTI, and the resultant 17-item JCTI demonstrated high internal consistency. Compared with the Japanese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ), the JCTI showed a favorable pattern of criterion-related validity. Prior criminal environment and drug abuse as the most recent offense also significantly correlated with the JCTI total score. Overall, the JCTI possesses an important implication for offender rehabilitation as it identifies relevant cognitive targets and assesses offender progress. © The Author(s) 2014.

`Sex' - It's not only Women's Work: A Case for Refocusing on the Functional Role that Sex Plays in Work for both Women and Men.

PubMed

Uretsky, Elanah

2015-01-01

Mention of the term sex work often invokes images of marginalized women at risk for HIV infection. Such images, however, are counterintuitive to the functional role intended by the movement that spawned use of the terms `sex work' and `sex worker'. This article looks at the sexual practices of men in urban China to argue for a return to a functional definition of `sex work', which was originally meant to legitimize the role sex plays in work. The progenitors of this movement intended to use `sex work' as a means to legitimize sex as an income generating activity for women involved in prostitution. I show that sex can also serve a functional role in the work-related duties of men seeking economic and political success in contemporary urban China. Men in China utilize sex as one way for demonstrating the loyalty necessary to access state-owned and controlled resources in a market economy governed under a Leninist system. Overall the article demonstrates that reclaiming perception of sex work as a functional rather than behavioral category can expand its use for preventing HIV among the broad subset of people who engage in sex as part of their work.

A focus on pleasure? Desire and disgust in group work with young men

PubMed Central

McGeeney, Ester

2015-01-01

There are a number of persuasive arguments as to why sexual pleasure should be included in sexual health work with young people, including the suggestion that this would provide young people with accounts of gender and sexuality that are more critical and holistic than those presented in the popular media, pornography and current sex education curricula. This paper considers the possibilities for engaging young men in critical group work about sexual pleasure in research and education contexts, drawing on a mixed-methods study of young people's understandings and experiences of ‘good sex’. The paper provides a reflexive account of one focus group conducted with a group of heterosexual young men and two youth educators. It explores some of the challenges to building relationships with young men and creating ‘safe spaces’ in which to engage in critical sexuality education in socially unequal contexts. In this case study, adult-led discussion elicits rebellious, ‘hyper-masculine’ performances that close down opportunities for critical or reflective discussion. Although there are some opportunities for critical work that move beyond limited public health or school-based sex education agendas, there is also space for collusion and the reinforcement of oppressive social norms. The paper concludes by imagining possibilities for future research and practice. PMID:25985279

A focus on pleasure? Desire and disgust in group work with young men.

PubMed

McGeeney, Ester

2015-01-01

There are a number of persuasive arguments as to why sexual pleasure should be included in sexual health work with young people, including the suggestion that this would provide young people with accounts of gender and sexuality that are more critical and holistic than those presented in the popular media, pornography and current sex education curricula. This paper considers the possibilities for engaging young men in critical group work about sexual pleasure in research and education contexts, drawing on a mixed-methods study of young people's understandings and experiences of 'good sex'. The paper provides a reflexive account of one focus group conducted with a group of heterosexual young men and two youth educators. It explores some of the challenges to building relationships with young men and creating 'safe spaces' in which to engage in critical sexuality education in socially unequal contexts. In this case study, adult-led discussion elicits rebellious, 'hyper-masculine' performances that close down opportunities for critical or reflective discussion. Although there are some opportunities for critical work that move beyond limited public health or school-based sex education agendas, there is also space for collusion and the reinforcement of oppressive social norms. The paper concludes by imagining possibilities for future research and practice.

The attitude and perceptions of work-life balance: a comparison among women surgeons in Japan, USA, and Hong Kong China.

PubMed

Kawase, Kazumi; Kwong, Ava; Yorozuya, Kyoko; Tomizawa, Yasuko; Numann, Patricia J; Sanfey, Hilary

2013-01-01

The objective of the present study was to explore how women surgeons manage their work-life balance in three environmental and cultural settings. Members of the Japan Association of Women Surgeons (JAWS), the United States of America (US) based Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), and the Women's Chapter of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (WCHK) were surveyed. Among 822 women surgeons contacted, 252 responded (response rate 31.8 %; 55.5 % JAWS, 28.2 % AWS, and 25.3 % WCHK). Japanese women surgeons think that work is the number one priority, whereas US and Hong Kong China (HK) respondents think the number one priority is home life. Work satisfaction level was generally high among women surgeons in all countries; however, 19 % of US surgeons are somewhat dissatisfied with their work and 76.1 % think that men are treated more favorably than women at work. Whereas 51.6 % of Japanese women surgeons think that men are treated more favorably than women at home, at the same time they placed more importance on the role of women in the family. More than half of Japanese women surgeons are "uncertain" about their career path in the future, whereas 55.2/87.1 % of US/HK respondents are optimistic. All surgeons recommended expanding support for child rearing or nursing care during work hours, promoting a flexible work schedule and changing some of the older conventional ideas about gender role. It is essential to address women surgeons' concerns to enable them to have a clearer vision and a challenging career, and to be more certain about their personal and professional goals.

Traditional and Nontraditional Gender Roles and Work-Family Interface for Men and Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perrone, Kristin M.; Wright, Stephen L.; Jackson, Z. Vance

2009-01-01

In this article, we examine traditional and nontraditional gender roles and work-family interface for men and women. Recent empirical literature is reviewed and implications for career counselors are discussed. We discuss changing gender roles in career, marriage, and parenting and provide strategies for helping clients to cope with work-family…

Surplus men, sex work, and the spread of HIV in China.

PubMed

Tucker, Joseph D; Henderson, Gail E; Wang, Tian F; Huang, Ying Y; Parish, William; Pan, Sui M; Chen, Xiang S; Cohen, Myron S

2005-03-24

While 70% of HIV positive individuals live in sub-Saharan Africa, it is widely believed that the future of the epidemic depends on the magnitude of HIV spread in India and China, the world's most populous countries. China's 1.3 billion people are in the midst of significant social transformation, which will impact future sexual disease transmission. Soon approximately 8.5 million 'surplus men', unmarried and disproportionately poor and migrant, will come of age in China's cities and rural areas. Meanwhile, many millions of Chinese sex workers appear to represent a broad range of prices, places, and related HIV risk behaviors. Using demographic and behavioral data, this paper describes the combined effect of sexual practices, sex work, and a true male surplus on HIV transmission. Alongside a rapid increase in sexually transmitted disease incidence across developed parts of urban China, surplus men could become a significant new HIV risk group. The anticipated high sexual risk among many surplus men and injecting drug use use among a subgroup of surplus men may create bridging populations from high to low risk individuals. Prevention strategies that emphasize traditional measures--condom promotion, sex education, medical training--must be reinforced by strategies which acknowledge surplus men and sex workers. Reform within female sex worker mandatory re-education centers and site specific interventions at construction sites, military areas, or unemployment centers may hold promise in curbing HIV/sexually transmitted infections. From a sociological perspective, we believe that surplus men and sex workers will have a profound effect on the future of HIV spread in China and on the success or failure of future interventions.

Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis induced by Japanese pear pollen.

PubMed

Yanagisawa, S; Nagaki, Y; Hiraki, S; Kadoi, C; Hayasaka, S; Teranishi, H

1999-01-01

To evaluate the ocular findings in patients with Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) pollinosis. Twenty-two farmers working on artificial pollination in Japanese pear orchards were examined for ocular itching, conjunctival conditions, presence of eosinophils in the conjunctival specimen, and nasal symptoms. Serum IgE antibody to Japanese pear pollen was determined in 16 farmers. Of the 22 subjects, 3 (Nos. 3, 4, and 13) exhibited ocular itching, conjunctival hyperemia, eosinophils in the conjunctival specimen, and positive serum IgE antibodies to Japanese pear pollen. In these patients, the conjunctivitis disappeared after treatment with topical cromoglycate. The present study demonstrated that seasonal allergic conjunctivitis may be induced by Japanese pear pollen (entomophilous flower pollen).

Frequency of soup intake is inversely associated with body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio, but not with other metabolic risk factors in Japanese men.

PubMed

Kuroda, Motonaka; Ohta, Masanori; Okufuji, Tatsuya; Takigami, Chieko; Eguchi, Masafumi; Hayabuchi, Hitomi; Ikeda, Masaharu

2011-01-01

Several previous studies have shown that the intake of soup negatively correlates with the body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels, and blood pressure, suggesting that soup intake reduces metabolic risk. However, the correlation between soup intake and various metabolic risk factors has not been well-established. Especially, it has not been investigated in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the frequency of soup intake and metabolic risk factors such as BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, serum cholesterol, serum triacylglycerol, blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin. A cross-sectional study of 103 Japanese men aged 24 to 75 years was conducted. The intake of soup and other food was investigated by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires. The correlation between the frequency of soup intake and metabolic risk factors was analyzed by multiple regression analysis with a linear model. The median value of frequency of soup intake was 7.0 times per week. After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, energy intake, energy from alcohol intake, current smoking, and estimated energy expenditure, the frequency of soup intake was found to have a significant inverse association with BMI (P=0.040), waist circumference (P=0.024), and waist-to-hip ratio (P=0.001). However, no significant associations with other metabolic risk factors were found. Frequency of soup intake is negatively correlated with obesity-related physical parameters in Japanese men. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prostate cancer risk profiles of Asian-American men: disentangling the effects of immigration status and race/ethnicity.

PubMed

Lichtensztajn, Daphne Y; Gomez, Scarlett Lin; Sieh, Weiva; Chung, Benjamin I; Cheng, Iona; Brooks, James D

2014-04-01

Asian-American men with prostate cancer have been reported to present with higher grade and later stage disease than white American men. However, Asian-American men comprise a heterogeneous population with distinct health outcomes. We compared prostate cancer risk profiles among the diverse racial and ethnic groups in California. We used data from the California Cancer Registry on 90,845 nonHispanic white, nonHispanic black and Asian-American men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2010. Patients were categorized into low, intermediate and high risk groups based on clinical stage, Gleason score and prostate specific antigen at diagnosis. Using polytomous logistic regression we estimated adjusted ORs for the association of race/ethnicity and nativity with risk group. In addition to the nonHispanic black population, 6 Asian-American groups (United States born Chinese, foreign born Chinese, United States born Japanese, foreign born Japanese, foreign born Filipino and foreign born Vietnamese) were more likely to have an unfavorable risk profile compared to nonHispanic white men. The OR for high vs intermediate risk disease ranged from 1.23 (95% CI 1.02-1.49) for United States born Japanese men to 1.45 (95% CI 1.31-1.60) for foreign born Filipino men. These associations appeared to be driven by higher grade and prostate specific antigen rather than by advanced clinical stage at diagnosis. In this large, ethnically diverse, population based cohort Asian-American men were more likely to have an unfavorable risk profile at diagnosis. This association varied by racial/ethnic group and nativity, and was not attributable to later stage at diagnosis. This suggests that Asian men may have biological differences that predispose to more severe disease. Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People: The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,18961942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

Work at older ages in Japan: variation by gender and employment status.

PubMed

Raymo, James M; Liang, Jersey; Sugisawa, Hidehiro; Kobayashi, Erika; Sugihara, Yoko

2004-05-01

This study describes the correlates of labor force participation among Japanese men and women aged 60-85 and examines differences by gender and employment status. Using four waves of data collected from a national sample of older Japanese between 1990 and 1999, we estimate multinomial logistic regression models for three measures of labor force participation (current labor force status, labor force exit, and labor force re-entry) as a function of individual and family characteristics measured 3 years earlier. Labor force participation is significantly associated with socioeconomic status, longest occupation, and family structure. The strength and nature of these relationships differ markedly for men and women and for wage employment and self-employment. The emphasis on life course experiences and work-family interdependence characterizing recent research on retirement in the United States is clearly relevant in Japan as well. To better understand later-life labor force participation in Japan, subsequent research should incorporate more direct measures of life course experiences and family relationships and attempt to make explicit cross-national comparisons of these relationships.

Narrating the 1980s and 1990s: Voices of Poor and Working-Class White and African American Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weis, Lois; Fine, Michelle

1996-01-01

The divergent views of poor and working-class African-American and White men regarding the causes of their current condition are presented. Different "biographies of race" encourage African-American men to blame the economy and racism but White men to blame Black males for the economic plight of White men. The ways in which the two…

Culture and Personality Among European American and Asian American Men

PubMed Central

Eap, Sopagna; DeGarmo, David S.; Kawakami, Ayaka; Hara, Shelley N.; Hall, Gordon C.N.; Teten, Andra L.

2009-01-01

Personality differences between Asian American (N = 320) and European American men (N = 242) and also among Asian American ethnic groups (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and mixed Asian) are examined on the Big Five personality dimension. Personality structures for Asian Americans and European Americans closely replicate established norms. However, congruence is greater for European American and highly acculturated Asian American men than for low acculturated Asian American men. Similar patterns are found for the construct loss of face (LOF). Asian American men with a high concern for LOF are less similar in their personality structure to European American men than Asian American men with low LOF concern. Mean differences are also found among Asian American and European American men, who differ significantly on Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Neuroticism. Results indicate that acculturation and LOF are significantly associated with these four personality dimensions for both Asian American and European American men. PMID:19169434

Changing masculinities: land-use, family communication and prospects for working with older men towards gender equality in a livelihoods intervention.

PubMed

Jobson, Geoffrey

2010-04-01

Engaging men in work towards gender equality is a critical aspect of gender and development. However, there are few documented grassroots-level approaches to undertaking such work. This paper argues that context specific stresses on local constructions of masculinity, such as unemployment, poverty and high HIV prevalence, may provide useful entry points for work with men towards gender equality. While these stresses may act to undermine men's ability to 'achieve' the requirements of traditional constructions of masculinity, particularly the role of men as providers, they simultaneously create spaces for change. In this research, land-use provided a basis from which to engage with a group of older men (45-75 years) around a range of issues, including HIV and AIDS and health. Increases in levels of communication around HIV, household resources and health are used as indicative of the men's moves towards gender-equal behaviour. The paper argues that this was achieved by supporting positive aspects of traditional masculine identities, particularly the role of men as breadwinners, in a social and economic context where these roles are threatened or placed under pressure, while simultaneously working around 'sensitive' issues.

[A Japanese in Marburg : Excerpts from the Memories - Jiden - of the Japanese Bacteriologist Taichi Kitashima (1870-1956)].

PubMed

Enke, Ulrike; Ishihara, Aeka

2017-06-01

The heart of this article is the transmission of selected chapters from the Japanese bacteriologist Taichi Kitashima's (1870-1956) autobiographical memoirs (in Japanese, Jiden) published in 1955, in which Kitashima reports on his stay in Marburg in a very personal and subjective way. Like other Japanese physicians of his generation, Kitashima spent several years in Germany in order to work with the serum researcher Emil von Behring and continued his education there. The contact came through Kitashima's teacher Shibasaburô Kitasato, who had worked with Behring in Berlin on questions of immunology. The memoir gives insight into Behring's laboratory work and his relation to his "subordinates". The editors investigate to what extent Kitashima's assessment, made from a distance of fifty years, of his stay in Germany as "wasted time" was accurate, given the advantages that arose from having been part of a vibrant European scientific community, including encounters in the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and why he cultivated his contacts with Germany and the Behring family during National Socialism.

Effects of personality on overtime work: a cross-sectional pilot study among Japanese white-collar workers.

PubMed

Uchida, Mitsuo; Kaneko, Minoru; Kawa, Shigeyuki

2014-03-27

As detailed associations between personality and long work hours are unclear, we assessed associations between personality dimensions and overtime work among Japanese white-collar workers. From records of hours worked over 12 months by 267 office workers in an organization within the service industry, average overtime work hours per month and occurrence of excessive overtime was determined for each worker. Excessive overtime was defined as >  45 overtime work hours per month for at least one month. Responses to a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic and workplace-related factors and the Big Five personality test were analyzed. Associations between personality factors and overtime work were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Low Extraversion was associated with excessive overtime work (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.02 - 4.02, P =  0.04). It is suggested that workers with low Extraversion can't share work when busy to avoid excessive overtime. Personality factors should be considered in studies evaluating work time. Moreover, strengthening communication among workers with low Extraversion may reduce excessive overtime work and associated health problems.

Dad Was a Terrible Hard Worker: The Influence of Family and School on Dublin's Men's Working Lives--Preliminary Findings. CLMS Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, John

The influences that home, family, and education have on Irish men's experiences of working life are explored based on interviews and questionnaire research carried out in North Dublin during 1997 and 1998. A two-stage research design was adopted. The first stage involved a short attitudinal-type questionnaire given to men at a sporting club. The…

HOMA-IR and the risk of hyperuricemia: a prospective study in non-diabetic Japanese men.

PubMed

Nakamura, Koshi; Sakurai, Masaru; Miura, Katsuyuki; Morikawa, Yuko; Nagasawa, Shin-Ya; Ishizaki, Masao; Kido, Teruhiko; Naruse, Yuchi; Nakashima, Motoko; Nogawa, Kazuhiro; Suwazono, Yasushi; Nakagawa, Hideaki

2014-10-01

To examine the relation of insulin resistant status determined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with the risk of incident hyperuricemia. The study participants included 2071 Japanese men without hyperuricemia and diabetes, aged 35-54 years. The participants had undergone annual heath examinations for 6 years to compare incident hyperuricemia (serum uric acid >416.4μmol/L (7.0mg/dL) and/or taking medication for hyperuricemia) in four groups based on quartiles of baseline HOMA-IR. During follow-up there were 331 incident cases of hyperuricemia. The hazard ratios for hyperuricemia, compared with HOMA-IR ≤0.66, were 1.42 (95% confidence interval 1.02-1.98) for HOMA-IR 0.67-0.98, 1.20 (0.86-1.68) for HOMA-IR 0.99-1.49 and 1.44 (1.04-1.98) for HOMA-IR ≥1.50 after adjustment for baseline serum uric acid, creatinine, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension status, age, alcohol intake, and smoking and exercise habits. The hazard ratio associated with an increase of one standard deviation in lnHOMA-IR (1.85 as one geometric standard deviation of HOMA-IR) was 1.14 (1.03-1.28) (p for trend=0.02). Increased HOMA-IR independently predicted the subsequent development of hyperuricemia. Insulin resistance itself or compensatory hyperinsulinemia may contribute to the development of hyperuricemia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

`Sex' – It's not only Women's Work: A Case for Refocusing on the Functional Role that Sex Plays in Work for both Women and Men

PubMed Central

Uretsky, Elanah

2014-01-01

Mention of the term sex work often invokes images of marginalized women at risk for HIV infection. Such images, however, are counterintuitive to the functional role intended by the movement that spawned use of the terms `sex work' and `sex worker'. This article looks at the sexual practices of men in urban China to argue for a return to a functional definition of `sex work', which was originally meant to legitimize the role sex plays in work. The progenitors of this movement intended to use `sex work' as a means to legitimize sex as an income generating activity for women involved in prostitution. I show that sex can also serve a functional role in the work-related duties of men seeking economic and political success in contemporary urban China. Men in China utilize sex as one way for demonstrating the loyalty necessary to access state-owned and controlled resources in a market economy governed under a Leninist system. Overall the article demonstrates that reclaiming perception of sex work as a functional rather than behavioral category can expand its use for preventing HIV among the broad subset of people who engage in sex as part of their work. PMID:25642103

Serum vaspin levels are associated with physical activity or physical fitness in Japanese: a pilot study.

PubMed

Miyatake, Nobuyuki; Wada, Jun; Nakatsuka, Atsuko; Sakano, Noriko; Teshigawara, Sanae; Miyachi, Motohiko; Tabata, Izumi; Numata, Takeyuki

2014-05-01

To investigate the link between serum vaspin levels and physical activity and/or physical fitness in Japanese. A total of 156 subjects (81 men and 75 women) was enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Serum vaspin levels, physical activity by uniaxial accelerometers, peak oxygen uptake, and metabolic risk parameters were evaluated. We also assessed anthropometric and body composition parameters. Serum vaspin levels were over the level of 10 ng/mL in 15 subjects (9.6 %: Vaspin High group). In Vaspin Low group (<5 ng/mL: 74 men and 67 women), serum vaspin levels were 0.12 ± 0.18 ng/mL in men and 0.39 ± 0.70 ng/mL in women. Peak oxygen uptake was significantly and positively correlated with serum vaspin levels even after adjusting for age, physical activity evaluated by Σ[metabolic equivalents × h per week (METs[Symbol: see text]h/w)], BMI, and other confounding factors in men. In turn, physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with serum vaspin levels even after adjusting for confounding factors in women. Serum vaspin levels were closely associated with physical fitness in men and physical activity in women independent of body composition in this Japanese cohort.

Socio-demographic, behavioural and cognitive correlates of work-related sitting time in German men and women.

PubMed

Wallmann-Sperlich, Birgit; Bucksch, Jens; Schneider, Sven; Froboese, Ingo

2014-12-11

Sitting time is ubiquitous for most adults in developed countries and is most prevalent in three domains: in the workplace, during transport and during leisure time. The correlates of prolonged sitting time in workplace settings are not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender-specific associations between the socio-demographic, behavioural and cognitive correlates of work-related sitting time. A cross-sectional sample of working German adults (n = 1515; 747 men; 43.5 ± 11.0 years) completed questionnaires regarding domain-specific sitting times and physical activity (PA) and answered statements concerning beliefs about sitting. To identify gender-specific correlates of work-related sitting time, we used a series of linear regressions. The overall median was 2 hours of work-related sitting time/day. Regression analyses showed for men (β = -.43) and for women (β = -.32) that work-related PA was negatively associated with work-related sitting time, but leisure-related PA was not a significant correlate. For women only, transport-related PA (β = -.07) was a negative correlate of work-related sitting time, suggesting increased sitting times during work with decreased PA in transport. Education and income levels were positively associated, and in women only, age (β = -.14) had a negative correlation with work-related sitting time. For both genders, TV-related sitting time was negatively associated with work-related sitting time. The only association with cognitive correlates was found in men for the belief 'Sitting for long periods does not matter to me' (β = .10) expressing a more positive attitude towards sitting with increasing sitting durations. The present findings show that in particular, higher educated men and women as well as young women are high-risk groups to target for reducing prolonged work-related sitting time. In addition, our findings propose considering increasing transport-related PA, especially in women, as

Length of Working Life for Men and Women, 1970. Special Labor Force Report 187. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullerton, Howard N., Jr.; Byrne, James J.

Noting that data from 1970 working life tables indicate that since 1960 worklife expectancy has continued to edge downward for men and to lengthen for women, this report briefly discusses continuing trends in the worklife of men and women from 1900 through 1970. Women's worklife is presented in terms of single women; mothers; widowed, divorced,…

Multigenerational family structure in Japanese society: impacts on stress and health behaviors among women and men.

PubMed

Takeda, Yasuhisa; Kawachi, Ichiro; Yamagata, Zentaro; Hashimoto, Shuji; Matsumura, Yasuhiro; Oguri, Shigenori; Okayama, Akira

2004-07-01

Rapid population aging in Japan has led to rising demands for informal care giving. Traditionally, care giving for aging parents has fallen disproportionately on the shoulders of women living in multigenerational households. However, rising labor force participation by Japanese women, declining marriage and fertility rates, and women's changing expectations have combined to produce unprecedented strains on traditional multigenerational households where care giving to elders traditionally takes place. In this paper, we explored gender-specific relationships between family structure, stress and worries, and health behaviors, using linked data from two national surveys conducted in Japan: the 1995 Comprehensive Survey of the Living Conditions of People on Health and Welfare, and the 1995 National Nutrition Survey. We found that women in multigenerational households reported more care-giving worries, and also less future health and financial worries. Living with parents was associated with protective health behaviors (less smoking, less heavy drinking), but also more sedentary behavior among women, while men in "sandwich" families (i.e., living with both parents and children) reported heavier smoking. The association of family structure and health behavior was not mediated by worries. Living alone was associated with worse health for women. These findings suggest gender-specific patterns of worries and health behaviors that reflect both the health-protecting and health-damaging effects of living in multigenerational households. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Ltd.

Aloe sterol supplementation improves skin elasticity in Japanese men with sunlight-exposed skin: a 12-week double-blind, randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Miyuki; Yamamoto, Yuki; Misawa, Eriko; Nabeshima, Kazumi; Saito, Marie; Yamauchi, Koji; Abe, Fumiaki; Furukawa, Fukumi

2016-01-01

Background/objective Recently, it was confirmed that the daily oral intake of plant sterols of Aloe vera gel (Aloe sterol) significantly increases the skin barrier function, moisture, and elasticity in photoprotected skin. This study aimed to investigate whether Aloe sterol intake affected skin conditions following sunlight exposure in Japanese men. Methods We performed a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of oral Aloe sterol supplementation on skin conditions in 48 apparently healthy men (age range: 30–59 years; average: 45 years). The subjects were instructed to expose the measurement position of the arms to the sunlight outdoors every day for 12 weeks. The skin parameters were measured at 0 (baseline), 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results Depending on the time for the revelation of the sunlight, the b* value and melanin index increased and the skin moisture decreased. After taking an Aloe sterol tablet daily for 12 weeks, the skin elasticity index (R2, R5, and R7) levels were significantly higher than the baseline value. There were no differences between the groups in these skin elasticity values. In the subgroup analysis of subjects aged <46 years, the change in the R5 and R7 was significantly higher in the Aloe group than in the placebo group at 8 weeks (P=0.0412 and P=0.0410, respectively). There was a difference in the quantity of sun exposure between each subject, and an additional clinical study that standardizes the amount of ultraviolet rays is warranted. No Aloe sterol intake-dependent harmful phenomenon was observed during the intake period. Conclusion Aloe sterol ingestion increased skin elasticity in the photodamaged skin of men aged <46 years. PMID:27877061

Buffering effects of job resources on the association of overtime work hours with psychological distress in Japanese white-collar workers.

PubMed

Hino, Ayako; Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsuno, Kanami; Tomioka, Kimiko; Nakanishi, Mayuko; Mafune, Kosuke; Hiro, Hisanori

2015-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the buffering effects of job resources, utilizing the job demands-control (or demand-control-support) and effort-reward imbalance models (i.e., job control, workplace social support, and extrinsic reward), on the association of overtime work hours with psychological distress in Japanese employees. A total of 1,198 participants (valid response rate = 93.7 %) from five branches of a manufacturing company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising the scales assessing job resources, psychological distress, and demographic characteristics. We obtained the information on working hours in the most recent month from the personnel records of the surveyed company. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. In a series of analyses, interaction term of overtime work hours with each job resource was included in the model. Significant interaction effect of overtime work hours with job control was observed. Among the low job control group, the long overtime (80 h or more) subgroup had a significantly higher prevalence odds ratio of psychological distress compared to the short overtime (44 h or less) subgroup. No significant association of overtime work hours with psychological distress was found among the high job control group. On the other hand, there was no significant interaction effect of overtime work hours with workplace social support or extrinsic reward. The present findings suggest that high job control has an effect on reducing psychological distress in relation to overtime work hours in Japanese employees.

Japanese Educational System Improving Ongoing Practice in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arimoto, Masahiro

1995-01-01

Describes the Japanese education system's unique characteristics. Japanese schools provide a prescribed curriculum, with pupils confined to desks. Teachers identify with their schools and are committed to service. Teachers and students try to improve schools by working harder. Understanding school effectiveness requires frameworks deeply rooted in…

"A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People": The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,1896-1942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

Relationship of psychological factors with physical activity stage of change in prime-and middle-aged Japanese.

PubMed

Mori, Keiko; Suzuki, Hisao; Wang, Da-Hong; Takaki, Jiro; Takigawa, Tomoko; Ogino, Keiki

2009-04-01

The present study aimed to investigate the status of physical activity and the differences in psychological factors associated with physical activity from the perspective of transtheoretical model stages between prime- and middle-aged Japanese. The study involved 375 prime-aged volunteers (175 men, 200 women) and 557 middle-aged volunteers (247 men, 310 women) living in Kuse, a town in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. We found that the prime-aged men at the preparation stage had significantly higher self-efficacy scores than at the contemplation stage (p<0.01). Middle-aged men had significantly higher self-efficacy scores at the contemplation stage than at the precontemplation stage (p<0.001). Middle-aged women, meanwhile, had significantly higher self-efficacy scores at the maintenance stage than at the action stage (p<0.01), and at the contemplation stage than at the precontemplation stage (p<0.001). The present findings provide valuable information about the differences in psychological factors affecting physical activity between prime-aged and middle-aged community-dwelling Japanese. This information may be useful to health professionals as they develop effective community-based intervention programs for target populations.

A prospective study of psychosocial work characteristics and long sick leave of Japanese male employees in multiple workplaces.

PubMed

Ishizaki, Masao; Kawakami, Norito; Honda, Ryumon; Yamada, Yuichi; Nakagawa, Hideaki; Morikawa, Yuko

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify psychosocial work characteristics associated with long sick leave in a large population of male Japanese employees in multiple workplaces. We examined various psychosocial work characteristics (job overload, job control, supervisor support, coworker support, support by family and friends, role ambiguity, role conflict, intragroup conflict and intergroup conflict) of employees in six factories at the base line. We then conducted a follow-up survey on the recorded long sick leaves of ≥ 30 continuous days taken by the employees due to any medical condition. We found 574 cases of long sick leave out of 15,531 subjects during an average 5.07-yr follow-up. The results showed that high supervisor support was significantly associated with a decrease in the hazard ratio (HR) of long sick leave after adjustment for several confounding factors (95%CI; 0.69-0.97). High role ambiguity also tended to increase HR, but without reaching significance (95%CI; 0.99-1.41). The results suggest that supervisor support in the workplace may be important to reduce long sick leave in Japanese male employees.

Social Networks and the Maintenance of Conformity: Japanese sojourner women

PubMed Central

Saint Arnault, Denise; Roles, Deborah J.

2011-01-01

Asian immigrant women have the lowest utilization of mental health services of any ethnic minority (Garland, Lau, Yeh & McCabe 2005). Because help seeking for distress occurs within social networks, we examined how social networks supported or disabled help seeking for Japanese sojourners living in the US. Unfortunately, most of the literature about Japanese social relationships focuses on men in organizational settings. This study used intensive ethnographic interviewing with 49 Japanese expatriate women to examine how social relationships influenced psychosocial distress and help seeking. We found that the women in these samples engaged in complex, highly regulated, complicated and obligatory relationships through their primary affiliation with other “company wives.” Like many immigrant women, increased traditional cultural norms (referred to in Japanese as ryoosai kenbo, or good wives and wise mothers), were expected from these modern women, and the enactment of these roles was enforced through scrutiny, gossip and the possibility of ostracism. Fears of scrutiny was described by the women as a primary barrier to their self-disclosure and ultimate help seeking. Understanding the social organization and support within the Japanese women's community is central to understanding how culturally specific social networks can both give support, as well as create social constraints to help seeking. Health oriented prevention programs must consider these social factors when evaluating the immigration stressors faced by these families. PMID:23162609

Social Networks and the Maintenance of Conformity: Japanese sojourner women.

PubMed

Saint Arnault, Denise; Roles, Deborah J

2012-08-01

Asian immigrant women have the lowest utilization of mental health services of any ethnic minority (Garland, Lau, Yeh & McCabe 2005). Because help seeking for distress occurs within social networks, we examined how social networks supported or disabled help seeking for Japanese sojourners living in the US. Unfortunately, most of the literature about Japanese social relationships focuses on men in organizational settings. This study used intensive ethnographic interviewing with 49 Japanese expatriate women to examine how social relationships influenced psychosocial distress and help seeking. We found that the women in these samples engaged in complex, highly regulated, complicated and obligatory relationships through their primary affiliation with other "company wives." Like many immigrant women, increased traditional cultural norms (referred to in Japanese as ryoosai kenbo, or good wives and wise mothers), were expected from these modern women, and the enactment of these roles was enforced through scrutiny, gossip and the possibility of ostracism. Fears of scrutiny was described by the women as a primary barrier to their self-disclosure and ultimate help seeking. Understanding the social organization and support within the Japanese women's community is central to understanding how culturally specific social networks can both give support, as well as create social constraints to help seeking. Health oriented prevention programs must consider these social factors when evaluating the immigration stressors faced by these families.

Childhood general mental ability and midlife psychosocial work characteristics as related to mental distress, neck/shoulder pain and self-rated health in working women and men.

PubMed

Wulff, Cornelia; Lindfors, Petra; Sverke, Magnus

2011-01-01

Psychosocial work characteristics including high demands, lack of control and poor social support have consistently been linked to poor health as has poor general mental ability (GMA). However, less is known about the relationships between stable individual factors such as GMA, psychosocial work characteristics and health. The present study investigated how childhood mental ability and psychosocial work characteristics relate to health in terms of mental distress, neck/shoulder pain (NSP) and self-rated health (SRH). Data on childhood GMA, occupational level, self-reports of demands, control and social support and health (mental distress, NSP and SRH) in midlife came from working women (n=271) and men (n=291) included in a Swedish school cohort. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for occupational level, were used to examine associations between childhood GMA, self-reports of high demands, low control and poor social support and the three health indicators. Taking into consideration the gendered labor market and variations in health patterns between women and men, gender specific analyses were performed. There were no significant associations between childhood GMA and health indicators. Further, there were no significant interactions between GMA and psychosocial work factors. As regards the strength of the associations between GMA, psychosocial work factors and health, no consistent differences emerged between women and men. In a cohort of healthy and working middle-aged women and men, self-reports of current psychosocial work characteristics seem to be more strongly linked to health, than are stable childhood factors such as GMA.

Poultry Processing Work and Respiratory Health of Latino Men and Women in North Carolina

PubMed Central

Mirabelli, Maria C.; Chatterjee, Arjun B.; Arcury, Thomas A.; Mora, Dana C.; Blocker, Jill N.; Grzywacz, Joseph G.; Chen, Haiying; Marín, Antonio J.; Schulz, Mark R.; Quandt, Sara A.

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate associations between poultry processing work and respiratory health among working Latino men and women in North Carolina. Methods Between May 2009 and November 2010, 402 poultry processing workers and 339 workers in a comparison population completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Of these participants, 279 poultry processing workers and 222 workers in the comparison population also completed spirometry testing to provide measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity. Results Nine percent of poultry processing workers and 10% of workers in the comparison population reported current asthma. Relative to the comparison population, adjusted mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity were lower in the poultry processing population, particularly among men who reported sanitation job activities. Conclusions Despite the low prevalence of respiratory symptoms reported, poultry processing work may affect lung function. PMID:22237034

Working with Men Who Batter.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edleson, Jeffrey L.

1984-01-01

Examines factors associated with wife abuse and describes major components of a small group program designed to help men who batter. These include self-observation, cognitive restructuring, interpersonal skills training, relaxation training, and establishing a small group environment for intervention. (JAC)

Changes in Work-Family Connections among Highly Educated Men and Women: 1970 to 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooney, Teresa M.; Uhlenberg, Peter

1991-01-01

Used census data to describe changes in work-family connection between 1970 and 1980 for highly educated men and women aged 30-39. Found, despite educational and occupational advances for women, gender differences in the connection between work and family experiences remained substantial over the decade. (Author/ABL)

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Organizational Justice Questionnaire.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsuchiya, Masao; Ishizaki, Masao; Tabata, Masaji; Akiyama, Miki; Kitazume, Akiko; Kuroda, Mitsuyo; Kivimäki, Mika

2009-01-01

Previous European studies reporting low procedural justice and low interactional justice were associated with increased health problems have used a modified version of the Moorman's Organizational Justice Questionnaire (OJQ, Elovainio et al., 2002) to assess organizational justice. We translated the modified OJQ into the Japanese language and examined the internal consistency reliability, and factor-based and construct validity of this measure. A back-translation procedure confirmed that the translation was appropriate, pending a minor revision. A total of 185 men and 58 women at a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire including the OJQ and other job stressors. Cronbach alpha coefficients of the two OJQ subscales were high (0.85-0.94) for both sexes. The hypothesized two factors (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) were extracted by the factor analysis for men; for women, procedural justice was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a three- rather than two-factor structure. Convergent validity was supported by expected correlations of the OJQ with job control, supervisor support, effort-reward imbalance, and job future ambiguity in particular among the men. The present study shows that the Japanese version of the OJQ has acceptable levels of reliability and validity at least for male employees.

[Employment, family and health in men of working age in Germany : Results of the GEDA studies 2009-2012].

PubMed

Kroll, Lars Eric; Müters, Stephan; Rattay, Petra; Lampert, Thomas

2016-08-01

Today's men want to participate in their children's upbringing more than in the past, but they are heavily involved in their occupation at the same time. This article describes the significance of parenthood, partnership and occupation in relation to health and health behaviours among men of working age in Germany. We summarised data from the "German Health Update" (GEDA) studies conducted in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Data on 18,465 men aged 18-64 years were available, 11,429 of which were living with children. We included mental health problems, general health awareness, sports activity and smoking as outcomes. Full-time employees working more than 48 h per week and unemployed persons had mental health problems more frequently (OR 1.44 and 2.35, p < 0.05) than full-time employees working 48 h or fewer. Similar associations can be shown for health awareness, physical activity and smoking. Concerning partnership and parenthood, the associations were considerably weaker: men living together with children and a partner in the household were overall less burdened and their behaviour was also healthier than single men without children. After simultaneous consideration of employment status, parenthood and partnership, our results show that the unemployed and employees with long working hours were the most burdened. The results provide supporting evidence regarding health problems of men in Germany due to unemployment and long working hours that are of importance for their health whether they are living with a partner and/or with children or not. The association between health and occupation was stronger than between health and fatherhood or partnership.

Significance of the Cytological Signs of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Anal Pap Smears of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Japanese Men Who Have Sex with Men

PubMed

Okayama, Kaori; Okodo, Mitsuaki; Kitamura, Hiroshi; Itoda, Ichiro

2017-11-26

Purpose: The incidence of invasive anal cancer (IAC) has been increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Although cytological diagnosis is the modality of choice for screening cases of IAC, it is associated with lower sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate new cytological signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection that may contribute to improving anal cytology. Methods: Anal cytology and HPV testing were performed using SurePath liquid-based cytology on samples obtained from 37 HIV-positive Japanese MSM. Subsequently, a histological biopsy based on high-resolution anoscopy was performed in MSM with abnormal cytological findings indicative of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) +. Also, anal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears were performed to determine cellularity, presence of dysplastic squamous cells, and other cytological signs of HPV infection. Results: Of the 37 MSM who underwent anal cytology, six tested negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy, three cases exhibited ASC-US, 17 exhibited low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), nine exhibited high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and two remained undiagnosed. The anal Pap smears of 28 (96.6%) of the 29 MSM with abnormal cytological findings of ASC-US+ exhibited anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), as revealed by histological biopsy. The median value (minimum–maximum) of the cellularity of anal Pap smears was 12 (0–70.5) nsc/hpf. In 26 MSM with LSIL and HSIL, the median dysplastic squamous cells count was 14 (2–152) dsc/smear and the cytological sign of HPV infection was 11 (2–71) hpv/smear. Of all anal Pap smears that revealed ASC-US+, 96.6% exhibited cytological signs of HPV infection. Compression-positive binucleated cells were the most prevalent among all cytological signs of HPV infection. Conclusion: For anal cytology, instead of considering a small number of

The Quality of Work Available to College Educated Women and Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaun, David E.

The first part of this paper provides a review of the current debate regarding labor market discrimination of women in terms of pay and occupational choice. A review of the various causal factors offered in explaining this discrimination is given. The second part of the paper is concerned with the quality of work obtained by women and men in two…

Beliefs about appropriate pain behavior: cross-cultural and sex differences between Japanese and Euro-Americans.

PubMed

Hobara, Mieko

2005-08-01

The Appropriate Pain Behavior Questionnaire (APBQ) was employed to examine the effects of the participants' sex and culture on their beliefs regarding gender-appropriate pain behavior. The APBQ examines beliefs about the social acceptability to male and female participants of the behavioral and verbal expressions of pain by men and women (referents) in the presence of others [Nayak, S., 2000. Cross Cult Research 34, 135-151]. The participants were 18 male and 14 female Japanese, and 11 male and 21 female Euro-Americans. There was a significant effect of sex: female participants considered pain behaviors more acceptable than male participants. There was a significant effect of culture: compared to both male and female Japanese, Euro-American participants rated pain behaviors in both sexes to be more acceptable. There was also a significant effect of referent gender: for both sexes in both cultures, pain behaviors in women were rated as more acceptable than in men. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between referent gender and sex of the participant: Male and female participants of both cultures were equally accepting of pain behaviors in women, but male participants were less accepting of pain behaviors in men than in women. There also was a significant interaction between referent gender and culture of the participant: Japanese participants considered pain behavior in both genders to be less acceptable than did Americans. The results are explained in terms of cultural traditions and social roles, and have clear implications for clinical treatment and diagnosis.

Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases and glutathione S-transferase M1 and drinking, smoking, and diet in Japanese men with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Akira; Kato, Hoichi; Yokoyama, Tetsuji; Tsujinaka, Toshimasa; Muto, Manabu; Omori, Tai; Haneda, Tatsumasa; Kumagai, Yoshiya; Igaki, Hiroyasu; Yokoyama, Masako; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Haruhiko; Yoshimizu, Haruko

2002-11-01

The genetic polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2), alcohol dehydrogenase-2 (ADH2), ADH3, and glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) influence the metabolism of alcohol and other carcinogens. The ALDH2*1/2*2 genotype, which encodes inactive ALDH2, and ADH2*1/2*1, which encodes the low-activity form of ADH2, enhance the risk for esophageal cancer in East Asian alcoholics. This case-control study of whether the enzyme-related vulnerability for esophageal cancer can be extended to a general population involved 234 Japanese men with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and 634 cancer-free Japanese men who received annual health checkups. The GSTM1 genotype was not associated with the risk for this cancer. Light drinkers (1-8.9 units/week) with ALDH2*1/2*2 had an esophageal cancer risk 5.82 times that of light drinkers with ALDH2*1/2*1 (reference category), and their risk was similar to that of moderate drinkers (9-17.9 units/week) with ALDH2*1/2*1 (odds ratio = 5.58). The risk for moderate drinkers with ALDH2*1/2*2 (OR = 55.84) exceeded that for heavy drinkers (18+ units/week) with ALDH2*1/2*1 (OR = 10.38). Similar increased risks were observed for those with ADH2*1/2*1. A multiple logistic model including ALDH2, ADH2, and ADH3 genotypes showed that the ADH3 genotype does not significantly affect the risk for esophageal cancer. For individuals with both ALDH2*1/2*2 and ADH2*1/2*1, the risk of esophageal cancer was enhanced in a multiplicative fashion (OR = 30.12), whereas for those with either ALDH2*1/2*2 or ADH2*1/2*1 alone the ORs were 7.36 and 4.11. In comparison with the estimated population-attributable risks for preference for strong alcoholic beverages (30.7%), smoking (53.6%) and for lower intake of green and yellow vegetables (25.7%) and fruit (37.6%), an extraordinarily high proportion of the excessive risk for esophageal cancer in the Japanese males can be attributed to drinking (90.9%), particularly drinking by persons with inactive heterozygous ALDH

Global pathways to men's caregiving: mixed methods findings from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey and the Men Who Care study.

PubMed

Kato-Wallace, Jane; Barker, Gary; Eads, Marci; Levtov, Ruti

2014-01-01

Promoting men's participation in unpaid care work is part of the Programme of Action for the International Conference on Population and Development. However, men's involvement in care work does not mirror the advances women have made in paid work outside the home. This mixed method study explores which men are more involved in caregiving, and what childhood and adulthood factors influence their level of involvement. Quantitative research presents findings from 1169 men across six countries with children aged 0-4, and a qualitative study presents findings from in-depth interviews with 83 men engaged in atypical caregiving practices. Survey research finds that being taught to care for children, witnessing one's father take care of one's siblings, respondents' present attitudes about gender equality and having outside help (or none, in some cases) were all also associated with men's higher level of involvement. Qualitative research reveals that men's experiences of violence, the normalisation of domestic work as children and life circumstances rather than greater-than-average beliefs in gender equality all propelled them into care work. Findings suggest that engaging more men into care work implies changes to policies and structural realities in the workplace coupled with changing gender attitudes. These insights inform policy and practice aimed at promoting greater involvement in care work by men.

Handling Japanese without a Japanese Operating System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatasa, Kazumi; And Others

1992-01-01

The Macintosh HyperCard environment has become a popular platform for Japanese language courseware because of its flexibility and ease of programing. This project created Japanese bitmap font files for the JIS Levels 1 and 2, and writing XFCNs for font manipulation, Japanese kana input, and answer correction. (12 references) (Author/LB)

Effects of a job crafting intervention program on work engagement among Japanese employees: a pretest-posttest study.

PubMed

Sakuraya, Asuka; Shimazu, Akihito; Imamura, Kotaro; Namba, Katsuyuki; Kawakami, Norito

2016-10-24

Job crafting, an employee-initiated job design/redesign, has become important for employees' well-being such as work engagement. This study examined the effectiveness of a newly developed job crafting intervention program on work engagement (as primary outcome), as well as job crafting and psychological distress (as secondary outcomes), using a pretest-posttest study design among Japanese employees. Participants were managers of a private company and a private psychiatric hospital in Japan. The job crafting intervention program consisted of two 120-min sessions with a two-week interval between them. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Time 1), post-intervention (Time 2), and a one-month follow-up (Time 3). The mixed growth model analyses were conducted using time (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) as an indicator of intervention effect. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. The program showed a significant positive effect on work engagement (t = 2.20, p = 0.03) in the mixed growth model analyses, but with only small effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.33 at Time 2 and 0.26 at Time 3). The program also significantly improved job crafting (t = 2.36, p = 0.02: Cohen's d = 0.36 at Time 2 and 0.47 at Time 3) and reduced psychological distress (t = -2.06, p = 0.04: Cohen's d = -0.15 at Time 2 and -0.31 at Time 3). The study indicated that the newly developed job crafting intervention program was effective in increasing work engagement, as well as in improving job crafting and decreasing psychological distress, among Japanese managers. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000024062 . Retrospectively registered 15 September 2016.

Health-related quality of life in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer: assessment with the SF-8.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Mikio; Takegami, Misa; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Kakehi, Yoshiyuki

2008-06-01

To evaluate health related quality of life (HRQOL) using the Medical Outcomes Study 8-items Short Form Health Survey (SF-8) questionnaire in Japanese patients with early prostate cancer. A cross-sectional analysis was done in 457 patients with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, and watchful waiting or a combination these therapies. General HRQOL was measured using the Japanese version of the SF-8 questionnaire and disease-specific HRQOL was assessed using the Japanese version of the Extended Prostate Cancer Index Composite. The external beam radiotherapy group reported significantly lower values for the physical health component summary score (PCS) in comparison to the radical prostatectomy and brachytherapy groups (P < 0.05). In the analysis of both the PCS and the mental health component summary score (MCS) over time after treatment, higher scores with time were found in the radical prostatectomy group. No significant change over time after androgen deprivation therapy in the PCS was found. In contrast, the MCS was found to deteriorate in the early period, showing a significant increase over time. SF-8 in combination with the Extended Prostate Cancer Index Composite has shown to be a helpful tool in the HRQOL assessment of Japanese patients treated for localized prostate cancer.

Toward a reality-based understanding of Hadza men's work: a response to Hawkes et al. (2014).

PubMed

Wood, Brian M; Marlowe, Frank W

2014-12-01

Observations of Hadza men foraging out of camp and sharing food in camp show that men seeking to maximize the flow of calories to their families should pursue large game, and that hunting large game does not pose a collective action problem. These data also show that Hadza men frequently pursued honey, small game, and fruit, and that by doing so, provided a more regular flow of food to their households than would a putative big game specialist. These data support our earlier studies demonstrating that the goal of family provisioning is a robust predictor of Hadza men's behavior. As before, the show-off and costly signaling hypotheses advanced by Hawkes and colleagues fail as both descriptions of and explanations for Hadza men's work.

Japanese Sex Differences in Preferred & Observed Divisions of Labor in the Home.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

This research describes sex roles and divisions of labor observed in families of origin by contemporary Japanese (n=1,000) and contemporary preferences for division or sharing of family tasks. It then compares these preferences to determine whether significant differences exist between men and women in contemporary Japan. For their present and…

Effects of personality on overtime work: a cross-sectional pilot study among Japanese white-collar workers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As detailed associations between personality and long work hours are unclear, we assessed associations between personality dimensions and overtime work among Japanese white-collar workers. Methods From records of hours worked over 12 months by 267 office workers in an organization within the service industry, average overtime work hours per month and occurrence of excessive overtime was determined for each worker. Excessive overtime was defined as >  45 overtime work hours per month for at least one month. Responses to a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic and workplace-related factors and the Big Five personality test were analyzed. Associations between personality factors and overtime work were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Low Extraversion was associated with excessive overtime work (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.02 – 4.02, P =  0.04). Conclusions It is suggested that workers with low Extraversion can’t share work when busy to avoid excessive overtime. Personality factors should be considered in studies evaluating work time. Moreover, strengthening communication among workers with low Extraversion may reduce excessive overtime work and associated health problems. PMID:24670102

Work motivation for Japanese nursing assistants in small- to medium-sized hospitals.

PubMed

Kudo, Yasushi; Kido, Shigeri; Shahzad, Machiko Taruzuka; Yoshimura, Emiko; Shibuya, Akitaka; Aizawa, Yoshiharu

2011-12-01

Nursing assistants can work without a professional certification to help registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. Nursing assistants engage in various tasks, e.g., washing laundry, cleaning up, and clerk tasks regarding nursing. Enhancing work motivation among nursing assistants is essential for every hospital, because when nursing assistants do their jobs well, it allows registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to complete their own specialized jobs. We examined the predictors significantly associated with nursing assistants' work motivation. For those predictors, we produced items to examine job satisfaction. Those items are classified into intrinsic and extrinsic facets. The subjects for this study were Japanese nursing assistants working in 26 hospitals with 62-376 beds (4 public and 22 private hospitals). A total of 516 nursing assistants were analyzed, with the average age and standard deviation of 42.7 ± 12.9 years; the age of 456 female subjects was 43.8 ± 12.7 years and that of 60 male subjects was 34.3 ± 11.0 years. Our results show that "work motivation" is significantly associated with "free time to do one's own things," "nursing assistants as important partners on the job," "feeling helpful to patients," "participating in decision making," and "job-skill improvement." Free time to do one's own things is an extrinsic item. Hospital administrators must monitor the workload and their quality of life among nursing assistants. All the other significant items are intrinsic. Nursing assistants are not only motivated by money. They highly value the intrinsic nature and experience of their jobs.

Association between depressive symptoms and morningness-eveningness, sleep duration and rotating shift work in Japanese nurses.

PubMed

Togo, Fumiharu; Yoshizaki, Takahiro; Komatsu, Taiki

2017-01-01

Higher depressive symptoms have been reported in rotating shift workers compared with day workers. Depressive symptoms in adults who do not engage in night work have also been shown to be associated with chronotype and sleep duration. This study examines associations between depressive symptoms, morningness-eveningness (i.e. the degree to which people prefer to be active in the morning or the evening), sleep duration and rotating shift work. Japanese nurses (1252 day workers and 1780 rotating shift workers, aged 20-59) were studied using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire covered depressive symptoms, morningness-eveningness, sleep habits and demographic characteristics of the participants. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to determine the levels of depressive symptoms. A Japanese version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to measure morningness-eveningness. The CES-D score of shift workers was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of day workers. The MEQ score was significantly (p < 0.05) lower (i.e. greater eveningness) in shift workers than in day workers. Sleep duration on the day shift was significantly (p < 0.05) shorter in shift workers than in day workers. Simple linear regression revealed that the MEQ score, sleep duration on the day shift and current work shift (i.e. rotating shift work) were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the CES-D score. Multivariate linear regression indicated that greater eveningness and shorter sleep duration were independently associated with higher CES-D scores, while rotating shift work was not. These associations between the MEQ score, the sleep duration and the CES-D score were also confirmed in both day workers and shift workers when the groups were analyzed separately. These results suggest that greater eveningness and shorter sleep duration on the day shift were independently associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms

Permanent work incapacity, mortality and survival without work incapacity among occupations and social classes: a cohort study of ageing men in Geneva.

PubMed

Gubéran, E; Usel, M

1998-12-01

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the burden of disability and death in men, from middle age to age of retirement, among occupational groups and classes in Geneva. Men were included if they resided in the Canton of Geneva, were 45 years of age in 1970-1972, and were not receiving a disability pension at the start of the follow-up. The cohort of 5137 men was followed up for 20 years and linked to national registers of disability pension allowance and of causes of death. There was a steep upward trend in incidence of permanent work incapacity with lower social class for all causes as well as for the seven causes of disability studied. Compared with professional occupations (social class I), the relative risk (RR) of permanent work incapacity was 11.4 for partly skilled and unskilled occupations (class IV+V) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.2-28.0). The social class gradient in mortality was in the same direction as that in work incapacity although much less steep (RR class IV+V to class I = 1.6, 95% CI : 1.1-2.2). Survival without work incapacity at the time of the 65th birthday ranged from only 57% in construction workers and labourers to 89% in science and related professionals. Unemployment in Geneva was below 1.5% during almost all the study period. Medically-ascertained permanent work incapacity and survival without work incapacity have shown considerably greater socioeconomic differentials than the mortality differentials.