Hemodynamics of short-duration light-intensity physical exercise in the prefrontal cortex of children: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Identifying the types of exercise that enhance cerebral blood flow is crucial for developing exercise programs that enhance cognitive function. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the amount of light-intensity, short-duration exercises that individuals can easily perform on cerebral blood flow, particularly in children. We examined the effects of these exercises on the hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Participants comprised 41 children (aged 12.1 ± 1.5 years, 37% female) who engaged in seven light-intensity exercises, with each movement performed in two patterns lasting 10 or 20 s. Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels at rest and during exercise were compared using analysis of covariance, with sex and age as covariates. Significant increases in oxy-Hb were observed in multiple regions of the PFC during all forms of exercise (including dynamic and twist stretching [66.6%, 8/12 regions, η2 = 0.07-0.27], hand and finger movements [75.0%, 9/12 regions, η2 = 0.07-0.16], and balance exercises (100.0%, 6/6 regions, η2 = 0.13-0.25]), except for static stretching with monotonic movements. This study implies that short-duration, light-intensity exercises, provided that they entail a certain degree of cognitive and/or physical demands, can activate the PFC and increase blood flow.

Association of 24-Hour movement behavior and cognitive function in older Taiwanese adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates how 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary time, sleep) relate to cognitive performance in older adults. METHODS: 213 adults (aged 65+) wore accelerometers to track activity. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Isotemporal substitution analysis examined how replacing one behavior with another affected cognition. RESULTS: Increased light physical activity was linked to better cognitive function, whereas longer sleep had a negative impact. Replacing 30 min of sedentary behavior or sleep with light physical activity improved orientation, attention, language, and short-term memory. Substituting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity did not have the same cognitive benefit. CONCLUSION: Encouraging older adults to replace sedentary time or excess sleep with light physical activity could support cognitive health and potentially help prevent dementia. These findings have implications for public health strategies promoting cognitive well-being in aging populations.

eHealth Literacy and Web-Based Health Information-Seeking Behaviors on COVID-19 in Japan: Internet-Based Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, much misinformation and disinformation emerged and spread rapidly via the internet, posing a severe public health challenge. While the need for eHealth literacy (eHL) has been emphasized, few studies have compared the difficulties involved in seeking and using COVID-19 information between adult internet users with low or high eHL. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between eHL and web-based health information-seeking behaviors among adult Japanese internet users. Moreover, this study qualitatively shed light on the difficulties encountered in seeking and using this information and examined its relationship with eHL. METHODS: This cross-sectional internet-based survey (October 2021) collected data from 6000 adult internet users who were equally divided into sample groups by gender, age, and income. We used the Japanese version of the eHL Scale (eHEALS). We also used a Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to assess eHL after we translated it to Japanese. Web-based health information-seeking behaviors were assessed by using a 10-item list of web sources and evaluating 10 topics participants searched for regarding COVID-19. Sociodemographic and other factors (eg, health-related behavior) were selected as covariates. Furthermore, we qualitatively explored the difficulties in information seeking and using. The descriptive contents of the responses regarding difficulties in seeking and using COVID-19 information were analyzed using an inductive qualitative content analysis approach. RESULTS: Participants with high eHEALS and DHLI scores on information searching, adding self-generated information, evaluating reliability, determining relevance, and operational skills were more likely to use all web sources of information about COVID-19 than those with low scores. However, there were negative associations between navigation skills and privacy protection scores when using several information sources, such as YouTube (Google LLC), to search for COVID-19 information. While half of the participants reported no difficulty seeking and using COVID-19 information, participants who reported any difficulties, including information discernment, incomprehensible information, information overload, and disinformation, had lower DHLI score. Participants expressed significant concerns regarding "information quality and credibility," "abundance and shortage of relevant information," "public trust and skepticism," and "credibility of COVID-19-related information." Additionally, they disclosed more specific concerns, including "privacy and security concerns," "information retrieval challenges," "anxieties and panic," and "movement restriction." CONCLUSIONS: Although Japanese internet users with higher eHEALS and total DHLI scores were more actively using various web sources for COVID-19 information, those with high navigation skills and privacy protection used web-based information about COVID-19 cautiously compared with those with lower proficiency. The study also highlighted an increased need for information discernment when using social networking sites in the "Health 2.0" era. The identified categories and themes from the qualitative content analysis, such as "information quality and credibility," suggest a framework for addressing the myriad challenges anticipated in future infodemics.

Social role of the 'Bow-Wow Patrol' in urban areas of Japan: a qualitative study.

The 'Bow-Wow Patrol (BWP)', established to avert local crime by encouraging dog walking, may help build social relationships among individuals through dog walking. However, details of its social influence remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the social roles of BWP in the urban areas of Japan. A total of 18 BWP organisation members from two Tokyo municipalities were recruited using snowball sampling between November 2021 and July 2022. In an interview, participants were asked about their perceptions of changes in their social relationships through the BWP. Qualitative content analysis was conducted after text mining using the KH Coder software. The mean age of the participants was 63.9 years, and 83.3% engaged in BWP 7 days a week. The content analysis revealed six social roles of the BWP: establishment of social networks with schools as the centre, establishment of loose networks inside and outside the BWP organization, enhancement of a sense of trust among neighbours, enhancement of a sense of trust in communities, norms of reciprocity among dog owners, and dog and owner characteristics. This study found that the BWP in urban Japan strengthens social cohesion and expands social networks among dog walkers, encouraging them to continue walking.

Healthy Japanese dietary pattern is associated with slower biological aging in older men: WASEDA'S health study.

Aging is the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases and mortality, and establishing geroprotective interventions targeting aging is required. Previous studies have suggested that healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with delayed biological aging; however, these associations depend on nationality and sex. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns identified through principal component analysis and biological aging in older men of Japan, one of the countries with the longest life expectancies. Principal component analysis identified two dietary patterns: a healthy Japanese dietary pattern and a Western-style dietary pattern. Eight epigenetic clocks, some of the most accurate aging biomarkers, were identified using DNA methylation data from whole-blood samples. Correlation analyses revealed that healthy Japanese dietary patterns were significantly negatively or positively correlated with multiple epigenetic age accelerations (AgeAccel), including AgeAccelGrim, FitAgeAccel, and age-adjusted DNAm-based telomere length (DNAmTLAdjAge). Conversely, the Western-style dietary pattern was observed not to correlate significantly with any of the examined AgeAccels or age-adjusted values. After adjusting for covariates, the healthy Japanese dietary pattern remained significantly positively correlated with DNAmTLAdjAge. Regression analysis showed that healthy Japanese dietary pattern contributed less to epigenetic age acceleration than smoking status. These findings suggest that a Western-style dietary pattern may not be associated with biological aging, whereas a healthy Japanese dietary pattern is associated with delayed biological aging in older Japanese men. Our findings provide evidence that healthy dietary patterns may have mild beneficial effects on delayed biological aging in older Japanese men.

Sedentary behaviour may cause differences in physical outcomes and activities of daily living in older cardiovascular disease patients participating in phase I cardiac rehabilitation.

This study aimed to investigate the rate of sedentary behaviour and differences in physical outcomes and activities of daily living (ADL) based on sedentary behaviour time of hospitalized older cardiovascular disease patients undergoing phase I cardiac rehabilitation. Older cardiovascular disease patients were enrolled from October 2020 to September 2023 and were divided into the high sedentary behaviour group (≥ 480 min/day) and low sedentary behaviour group (< 480 min/day). Patients' clinical characteristics, usual gait speed, and Five Times Sit to Stand Test time were compared as indices of physical outcomes. Motor, cognitive, and total Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were used as indices of ADL and compared between groups using analysis of covariance. Final analysis included 402 patients (mean age: 76.7 years, female: 35.3%). The high sedentary behaviour group included 48.5% of the study patients. After adjustment for baseline characteristics, gait speed (0.80 ± 0.27 vs. 0.96 ± 0.23 m/s, p < 0.001) was lower and FTSST time (11.31 ± 4.19 vs. 9.39 ± 3.11 s, p < 0.001) was higher in the high sedentary behaviour group versus low sedentary behaviour group. Motor (85.82 ± 8.82 vs. 88.09 ± 5.04 points, p < 0.001), cognitive (33.32 ± 2.93 vs. 34.04 ± 2.24 points, p < 0.001), and total FIM scores (119.13 ± 10.66 vs. 122.02 ± 6.30 points, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the high sedentary behaviour group versus low sedentary behaviour group after adjustment. In older cardiovascular disease patients in phase I cardiac rehabilitation, sedentary behaviour time might influence physical outcomes and ADL at discharge. It is thus important to consider the amount of sedentary behaviour time spent by these patients during daily life while hospitalized.

Polygenic Risk Score, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: WASEDA'S Health Study.

PURPOSE: This study estimated an individual's genetic liability to cardiometabolic risk factors by polygenic risk score (PRS) construction and examined whether high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) modifies the association between PRS and cardiometabolic risk factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 1,296 Japanese adults aged ≥40 years. The PRS for each cardiometabolic trait (blood lipids, glucose, hypertension, and obesity) was calculated using the LDpred2 and clumping and thresholding methods. Participants were divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-PRS groups according to PRS tertiles for each trait. CRF was quantified as peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 peak) per kg body weight. Participants were divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-CRF groups according to the tertile VO 2 peak value. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis revealed a significant interaction between PRS for triglyceride (PRS TG ) and CRF groups on serum TG levels regardless of the PRS calculation method, and attenuated the association between PRS TG and TG levels in the high-CRF group. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant sub-additive interaction between LDpred2 PRS TG and CRF on the prevalence of high TG, indicating that high CRF attenuated the genetic predisposition to high TG. Furthermore, a significant sub-additive interaction between PRS for body mass index and CRF on obesity was detected regardless of the PRS calculation method. These significant interaction effects on high TG and obesity were diminished in the sensitivity analysis using VO 2 peak per kg fat-free mass as the CRF index. Effects of PRSs for other cardiometabolic traits were not significantly attenuated in the high-CRF group regardless of PRS calculation methods. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that individuals with high CRF overcome the genetic predisposition to high TG levels and obesity.

Building on muscles: how built environment design impacts modern sports science.

Sports science focuses on enhancing athletes' performance, requiring a multifaceted approach. It is evolving from a purely muscle-centred approach to an interdisciplinary one. This paper investigates built environment design science, a dimension less explored in relation to enhancing athlete performance in sports science. The discussion is divided into three categories: athlete-centric training built environment design, enhanced fan and community engagement, and improved integrative accessibility. The study also identifies future research directions, including evidence of the relative impact of the built environment, financial aspects, and performance evaluation methods. Collaboration between sports scientists and scholars in urban design, parks, transportation, landscape architecture and environmental psychology is necessary to advance this topic further.

[Developing a Japanese version of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument].

Objectives　The Internet has made it possible to search for, obtain, transmit, and share information. Accordingly, the ability to use health information and skills related to interactivity taken from the Internet have become important in the medical and health fields. However, there is no scale to evaluate these abilities. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) and examine the association of digital health literacy (DHL) with the characteristics of the study participants.Methods　The Japanese version of the DHLI was developed using the basic guidelines for scale translation. The participants included 2,000 Japanese adults (men: 50.0%, mean age: 40.7±12.0 years) who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. The Japanese version of the DHLI, attributes, sources of health information, contents of health information taken from the Internet, and eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) scores were obtained using a questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation with eHEALS scores were used to assess construct and criterion validities. Cronbach's alpha and correlation coefficients were computed for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Differences in DHLI scores for each attribute and variables related to health information were examined using the analysis of variance and t-test.Results　Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a goodness-of-fit index of .946, a comparative fit index of .969, and a root mean square error of approximation of .054, confirming that the Japanese version has the same seven-factor structure as the original version does. A significant positive correlation was found between DHLI and eHEALS scores (r=.40, P<.001). Cronbach's alpha was .92, and test-retest reliability was r=.88 (P<.001). DHLI scores were mainly associated with household income, health status, frequency of information searches on the Internet, and devices used. The subscale scores found difficulties in evaluating reliability, determining relevance, and adding self-generated content. Differences in DHL were observed among some sources and contents of health information on the Internet.Conclusion　The Japanese version of the DHLI was a sufficiently reliable and valid instrument for assessing DHL among Japanese adults. Our results suggest that low DHL may lead to health information disparities. Therefore, it is necessary to consider support strategies for individuals who need to improve their DHL and for skills that need to be strengthened.

Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and lifestyle-related factors with DNA methylation-based ageing clocks in older men: WASEDA'S Health Study.

DNA methylation-based age estimators (DNAm ageing clocks) are currently one of the most promising biomarkers for predicting biological age. However, the relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured directly by expiratory gas analysis, and DNAm ageing clocks are largely unknown. We investigated the relationships between CRF and the age-adjusted value from the residuals of the regression of DNAm ageing clock to chronological age (DNAmAgeAcceleration: DNAmAgeAccel) and attempted to determine the relative contribution of CRF to DNAmAgeAccel in the presence of other lifestyle factors. DNA samples from 144 Japanese men aged 65-72 years were used to appraise first- (i.e., DNAmHorvath and DNAmHannum) and second- (i.e., DNAmPhenoAge, DNAmGrimAge, and DNAmFitAge) generation DNAm ageing clocks. Various surveys and measurements were conducted, including physical fitness, body composition, blood biochemical parameters, nutrient intake, smoking, alcohol consumption, disease status, sleep status, and chronotype. Both oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold (VO2 /kg at VT) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2 /kg at Peak) showed a significant negative correlation with GrimAgeAccel, even after adjustments for chronological age and smoking and drinking status. Notably, VO2 /kg at VT and VO2 /kg at Peak above the reference value were also associated with delayed GrimAgeAccel. Multiple regression analysis showed that calf circumference, serum triglyceride, carbohydrate intake, and smoking status, rather than CRF, contributed more to GrimAgeAccel and FitAgeAccel. In conclusion, although the contribution of CRF to GrimAgeAccel and FitAgeAccel is relatively low compared to lifestyle-related factors such as smoking, the results suggest that the maintenance of CRF is associated with delayed biological ageing in older men.

Trust in Mass Media as Sources of Cancer Information: Findings from a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey in Japan.

Trust is a major factor in effective public dissemination and use of relevant health information to guide important health decisions. To examine mass media as a communication channel for delivering cancer information among Japanese adults, we identified the level of trust in various types of mass media as sources of cancer information, and examined factors associated with trust, including exposure to mass media, sociodemographic factors, and cancer history. Data were analyzed for 3,109 Japanese adults who responded to a nationally representative cross-sectional mail survey. Data included trust in cancer information sources, sociodemographic variables, cancer history, and exposure to mass media. Logistic regression analysis was used. The prevalence of high trust in cancer information sources was highest for physicians (94.7%). Among mass media, Internet (47.2%) was the most trusted source of cancer-related information, followed by television (44.3%), newspapers/magazines (42.7%), and radio (32.7%). The high-exposure group for newspapers (AOR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.07-1.54) was more likely to trust newspapers. Similarly, high-exposure groups for radio (1.22, 1.02-1.45), Internet (1.21, 1.01-1.45), and television (1.30, 1.10-1.53) were positively associated with trust in each media type. Although trust in mass media was lower than trust in physicians, the study found that a large group of respondents had high levels of trust in mass media sources. Trust in cancer information from each mass media type was mainly related to the level of exposure to each mass media type. Developing health communication strategies using mass media may be effective for disseminating relevant cancer information in Japan.

Appropriately Addressing Too Much Sitting as a Public Health Issue: Content Analysis of Coverage in the Five Major National Japanese Newspapers.

Recent international public health guidelines now address reducing and breaking up time spent sitting (sedentary behavior). Japanese people spend considerable time sitting in workplaces and other contexts. With potential future public health guidelines in Japan, there is the need for greater public awareness of the importance of reducing sedentary time and of practical ways to do so. From the five major Japanese national newspapers, articles on sedentary behavior published between 2000 and 2021 were identified and coded for content analysis, including the main topic of the article, population group, sedentary behavior context or domain, health outcome, and solutions for reducing sedentary time. There were 53 articles identified, with sedentary behavior being the main topic in 22; workers as a population group appeared in 20 articles and workplaces as a domain in 22. More than 70% mentioned health influences, but fewer than 60% mentioned solutions. Further to informing the public about adverse health influences and consequences for workers and workplaces, there is also the need for improved coverage of the broader benefits of reducing sitting time, sedentary behavior among older adults and children, sitting in all aspects of daily life, and, importantly, considering public health guidelines and solutions for reducing prolonged sitting.

Urban Form Metrics for Promoting Walking: Street Layouts and Destinations.

There is evidence that higher street connectivity and availability of destinations can support walking behavior. However, the availability of data and comparability between previous studies remain a challenge. Based on a large Canadian adult sample, this study examined the associations between street layout and walking behaviors and explored whether objectively measured destinations may mediate these relationships. This study used data from 12,378 adults from Alberta's Tomorrow Project (ATP), a prospective cohort study conducted in Alberta, Canada. Walking behaviors were obtained by questionnaires. Street layout and destination measures were calculated objectively. Covariate-adjusted multivariate linear models estimated the associations between the space syntax street integration and duration of transport and leisure walking. The mediation effects of the availability of destinations in these associations were tested by the structural equation modelling. Street integration was significantly positively associated with transportation walking (b=0.01, 95% CI 0.00, 0.01, p = 0.01) (indirect effect). The availability of destinations partially mediated this association. Using the natural movement theory in space syntax, our study provides insights into using street layouts as a primary measure to (re)design the built environment to support walking.

Relation of sedentary behaviour to physical function in phase I cardiac rehabilitation.

Increased sedentary behaviour (SB) is reportedly associated with mortality and morbidity in cardiovascular disease. However, its relation with physical function is not well understood in phase I cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This study aimed to investigate the rate of SB and the relation between SB and physical function among patients participating in phase I CR. This prospective multicentre cohort study enrolled patients participating in CR from October 2020 to July 2022. Patients with probable dementia and difficulty walking alone were excluded. We used sitting SB time as the index of SB and the Short Performance Physical Battery (SPPB) as the index of physical function at discharge. Patients were divided into the low SB group (< 480 min/day) or high SB group (≥ 480 min/day). We analysed and compared the two groups. The final analysis included 353 patients (mean age: 69.6 years, male: 75.6%), of whom 47.6% (168 of 353) were high SB patients. Total sitting SB time was higher in the high SB group versus the low SB group (733.6 ± 155.3 vs 246.4 ± 127.4 min/day, p < 0.001), and mean SPPB score was lower in the high SB group versus the low SB group (10.5 ± 2.4 vs 11.2 ± 1.6 points, p = 0.001). Multiple regression analysis identified SB as an explanatory variable for total SPPB score (p = 0.017). Patients with high SB had significantly lower SPPB scores than those with low SB. These findings underscore the importance of considering SB when improving physical function. Effective strategies to improve physical function can be developed that consider SB in phase I CR.

Urban design and cardio-metabolic risk factors.

Accumulating evidence suggests that the built environment may be associated with cardiovascular disease via its influence on health behaviours. The aim of this study was to estimate the associations between traditional and novel neighbourhood built environment metrics and clinically assessed cardio-metabolic risk factors among a sample of adults in Canada. A total of 7171 participants from Albertas Tomorrow Project living in Alberta, Canada, were included. Cardio-metabolic risk factors were clinically measured. Two composite built environment metrics of traditional walkability and space syntax walkability were calculated. Among men, space syntax walkability was negatively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (b = -0.87, 95% CI -1.43, -0.31 and b = -0.45, 95% CI -0.86, -0.04, respectively). Space syntax walkability was also associated with lower odds of overweight/obese among women and men (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.87, 0.99 and OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.79, 0.97, respectively). No significant associations were observed between traditional walkability and cardio-metabolic outcomes. This study showed that the novel built environment metric based on the space syntax theory was associated with some cardio-metabolic risk factors.

Activity diversity is associated with the prevention of frailty in community-dwelling older adults: The Otassha Study.

Introduction: A prior study showed an association between diversity in daily activities (type, frequency, evenness) and frailty in older adults. However, the causality of this relationship is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between activity diversity and frailty through a 2-year longitudinal study conducted among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We evaluated data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the Otassha Study. Frailty was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, with pre-frail and frail participants defined as frail and the other participants categorized into the robust group. We enrolled a total of 207 participants who were not frail at baseline. Activity type, frequency, and evenness scores were calculated using an Activity Diversity Questionnaire. The association between each activity diversity score and the incidence of frailty was evaluated using logistic regression modeling (each diversity score was entered the model after Z-transformation). Results: Of the 207 enrolled participants (median age, 73 years; age range, 65-91 years; 60.4% women), 64 (30.9%) had incident frailty during the follow-up period. A logistic regression analysis adjusting for sociodemographic and psychosomatic factors revealed odds ratios for activity type and evenness scores of 0.64 and 0.61, respectively (P < 0.05). These factors were significantly associated with the incidence of frailty. Discussion: Activity type and evenness (except frequency) within daily activities were predictors of frailty during 2 years of follow-up. Engagement in diverse activities appears to be more effective in preventing frailty than does engagement in a few activities.

Neighborhood socioeconomic status and cardiometabolic risk: mediating roles of domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors.

PURPOSE: We examined the potential mediating roles of domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors in the relationship between area-level socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiometabolic risk. METHODS: Data were from the 2011/2012 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study (n = 3431). The outcome was a clustered cardiometabolic risk (CCR) score, and the exposure was suburb-level SES. Potential mediators were domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors. Multilevel linear regression models examined associations between SES and potential mediators (α) and between mediators and CCR (ß). Mediation was assessed using the joint-significance test. RESULTS: Higher SES was associated with a lower CCR score. Lower SES was associated with less frequent walking for transport, lower vigorous-intensity recreational physical activity, and higher TV time, which were associated with higher CCR scores. However, higher SES was associated with longer transport-related sitting time (all modes and in cars), which were associated with higher CCR scores. CONCLUSIONS: The SES-cardiometabolic risk relationship may be partially explained by walking for transport, vigorous-intensity recreational physical activity, and TV viewing. These findings, which require corroboration from prospective evidence and clarification of the roles of transport-related sitting and occupational physical activity, can inform initiatives addressing socioeconomic inequalities in cardiometabolic health.