The effect of educational attainment on birthrate in Japan: an analysis using the census and the vital statistics from 2000 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, difference in birth rates depending on educational attainment has not been investigated. This study aimed to reveal birth rates in Japan depending on the highest level of educational attainment and their trends over the years using nationwide government statistics data. METHODS: Individual-level data from Vital Statistics and the Census from 2000, 2010, and 2020 were used for birth and population data, respectively. Data linkage was conducted for males and females in the Census and fathers and mothers in the Vital Statistics using information about gender, household, nationality, marital status, birth year, birth month, prefecture, and municipality for individuals. The birth rate was calculated by gender, a five-year age group, the highest level of educational attainment achieved, and year. In addition, the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated to evaluate the degree of inequality in birth rates, depending on the educational attainment. RESULTS: Birth rates were higher in persons with lower educational attainment compared to those with a higher educational attainment among males and females in their twenties, while they tended to be higher in persons with higher educational attainment among those in their thirties and forties. Additionally, an increase in the birth rate from 2000 to 2020 was the largest in university graduates among males aged 25-49 years and women aged 30-49 years, and a decrease in the birth rate was the smallest in university graduates among males and females aged 20-24 years. As a result, SII and RII increased from 2000 to 2020 among males and females in their thirties and forties. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, persons with higher educational attainment tended to have a relatively favorable trend in the birth rate compared with persons with lower educational attainment in recent decades. It suggested that enhanced administrative support for individuals with lower educational attainment or lower socioeconomic status may be required to ameliorate the declining birth rate in Japan.

Exploring the Link Between Parental Sociodemographic Characteristics and Multiple Births: Insights from National Birth Data in Japan, 1995-2020.

This present study investigated the parental characteristics of multiple births using national birth data in Japan. This study included birth data from Vital Statistics: Occupational and Industrial Aspects every five fiscal years from 1995 to 2020. The multiple birth rates were defined as the number of live-birth deliveries with multiple fetuses (e.g., twins, triplets) per total live-birth deliveries. Parental ages, nationalities, occupations and household occupation (occupation of the top earner of the household) were considered as parental characteristics. The multiple birth rates were calculated based on parental characteristics for each year, and a log-binomial regression model was used to assess the association between parental characteristics and multiple births. The multiple birth rate for Japanese mothers consistently exceeded that for non-Japanese mothers over the years, and the rate increased progressively from manual workers to lower non-manual workers and then to upper non-manual workers for both maternal and paternal occupations. The regression results indicated that the risk ratio (RR) for multiple births among non-Japanese mothers was significantly lower than that among Japanese mothers. Moreover, concerning household occupation, the RRs of self-employed individuals, full-time employees at smaller companies, others, and the unemployed were significantly lower than those of full-time employees at larger companies. Furthermore, the RRs of lower non-manual and manual workers were significantly lower than those of upper non-manual workers in maternal and paternal occupations. The results suggested an association between multiple births and parental socioeconomic status in Japan.

Effects of ambient air pollution on the risk of small- and large-for-gestational-age births: an analysis using national birth data in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are major adverse birth outcomes related to newborn health. In contrast, the association between ambient air pollution levels and SGA or LGA births has not been investigated in Japan; hence, the purpose of our study is to investigate this association. METHODS: We used birth data from Vital Statistics in Japan from 2017 to 2021 and municipality-level data on air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), photochemical oxidants, and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). Ambient air pollution levels throughout the first, second, and third trimesters, as well as the whole pregnancy, were calculated for each birth. The association between SGA/LGA and ambient levels of the air pollutants was investigated using crude and adjusted log-binomial regression models. In addition, a regression model with spline functions was also used to detect the non-linear association. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 2,434,217 births. Adjusted regression analyses revealed statistically significant and positive associations between SGA birth and SO2 level, regardless of the exposure period. Specifically, the risk ratio for average SO2 values throughout the whole pregnancy was 1.014 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009, 1.019) per 1 ppb increase. In addition, regression analysis with spline functions indicated that an increase in risk ratio for SGA birth depending on SO2 level was linear. Furthermore, statistically significant and negative associations were observed between LGA birth and SO2 except for the third trimester. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that ambient level of SO2 during the pregnancy term is a risk factor for SGA birth in Japan.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rates of adverse birth outcomes and fetal mortality in Japan: an analysis of national data from 2010 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected trends of multiple health outcomes in Japan, there is a paucity of studies investigating the effect of the pandemic on adverse birth outcomes and fetal mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the onset of the pandemic on the trends in adverse birth outcomes and fetal mortality using national data in Japan. METHODS: We used the 2010-2022 birth and fetal mortality data from the Vital Statistics in Japan. We defined the starting time of the effect of the pandemic as April 2020, and the period from January 2010 to March 2020 and that from April 2020 to December 2022 were defined as the pre- and post- pandemic period, respectively. The rates of preterm birth, term low birth weight (TLBW), small-for-gestational-age (SGA), large-for-gestational-age (LGA), spontaneous fetal mortality, and artificial fetal mortality were used as outcomes. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted using monthly time series data of the outcomes to evaluate the effects of the pandemic. In addition, a modified Poisson regression model was used to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on these outcomes using individual-level data, and the adjusted risk ratio of the effect was calculated. RESULTS: The adverse birth and fetal mortality outcomes showed a decreasing trend over the years, except for preterm birth and LGA birth rates, and SGA birth rates tended to reach their lowest values after the onset of the pandemic. The interrupted time series analysis revealed that the pandemic decreased preterm birth, TLBW, and SGA birth rates. In addition, the regression analysis revealed that the pandemic decreased the TLBW, SGA, and artificial fetal mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses performed using national data suggested that the pandemic decreased the TLBW and SGA rates in Japan.

Validation of a claims-based algorithm to identify cases of ulcerative colitis in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasing in Japan. Validated claims-based definitions are required to investigate the epidemiology of UC and its treatment and disease course in clinical practice. This study aimed to develop a claims-based algorithm for UC in Japan. METHODS: A committee of epidemiologists, gastroenterologists, and internal medicine physicians developed a claims-based definition for UC, based on diagnostic codes and claims for UC treatments, procedures (cytapheresis), or surgery (postoperative claims). Claims data and medical records for a random sample of 200 cases per site at two large tertiary care academic centers in Japan were used to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of the algorithm for three gold standards of diagnosis, defined as physician diagnosis in the medical records, adjudicated cases, or registration in the Japanese Intractable Disease Registry (IDR). RESULTS: Overall, 1139 claims-defined UC cases were identified. Among 393 randomly sampled cases (mean age 44; 48% female), 94% had received ≥ 1 systemic treatment (immunosuppressants, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, corticosteroids, or antidiarrheals), 7% had cytapheresis, and 7% had postoperative claims. When physician diagnosis was used as a gold standard, PPV was 90.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87.7-93.5). PPV with expert adjudication was also 90.6% (95% CI: 87.7-93.5). PPVs with enrollment in the IDR as gold standard were lower at 41.5% (95% CI: 36.6-46.3) due to incomplete case registration. CONCLUSIONS: The claims-based algorithm developed for use in Japan is likely to identify UC cases with high PPV for clinical studies using administrative claims databases.

Analysis of regional differences in the amount of hypnotic and anxiolytic prescriptions in Japan using nationwide claims data.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, there has been no investigation of regional differences in the number or amount of prescriptions of anxiolytics or hypnotics. Attributes related to the high amount of prescriptions for these drugs are unknown. We investigated recent trends and regional differences in the amount of prescriptions of hypnotics and anxiolytics in Japan and identified factors associated with these regional differences. METHODS: The National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) Open data from 2015 to 2018 were used. We calculated diazepam-equivalent doses (mg) for each drug and the total amount of prescriptions per capita for hypnotics and anxiolytics by sex and age. In addition, we calculated the standardized claim ratio (SCR) of the amount of prescriptions by prefecture. We investigated factors associated with regional differences in the SCRs of hypnotics and anxiolytics using the prefectures' medical, socioeconomic, and physical characteristics by an ecological study using a linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: The amount of prescriptions of hypnotics and anxiolytics, specifically, the amount of prescriptions of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs), decreased in many of the adult age groups from 2015 to 2018. The regression analysis revealed that the number of medical clinics per capita, the number of public assistance recipients per capita, the proportion of persons whose HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, and the proportion of persons whose BMI ≥25 kg/m2 were positively and significantly associated with the SCR of hypnosis. In contrast, the number of public assistance recipients per capita and the proportion of persons whose BMI ≥25 kg/m2 were positively and significantly associated with the SCR of anxiolytics. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with prescription amount of hypnotics and anxiolytics were revealed in this study, and a further study is needed for investigating causal relationships between the prescriptions amount and the associated factors using individual data.

Analysis of the association between areal socioeconomic deprivation levels and viral hepatitis B and C infections in Japanese municipalities.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the association between municipal socioeconomic deprivation levels and the positivity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among individuals who have never participated in hepatitis screening using Japanese national screening data. METHODS: The hepatitis virus screening data analyzed included the 5-year age group-specific number of participants aged 40 years or older, number of HBsAg-positive persons, and number of HCV carriers for each municipality from 2013 to 2017. Principal component analysis was used to derive a socioeconomic deprivation level using the socioeconomic characteristics of municipalities. Bayesian spatial Poisson regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between the socioeconomic deprivation level and the results of screening. Data on 1,660 municipalities were used in the analysis. RESULTS: The data of 4,233,819 participants in the HBV screening and 4,216,720 in the HCV screening were used in the analysis. A principal component interpreted as level of rurality (principal component 1) and another principal component interpreted as level of low socioeconomic status among individuals (principal component 2) were extracted as the major principal components. Their principal component scores were used as the deprivation levels of municipalities. Spatial regression analysis showed that the deprivation level derived from the sum of the scores of principal components 1 and 2 was significantly and positively associated with HBsAg positivity and HCV prevalence. In addition, the deprivation level derived only from the score of principal component 2 was also significantly and positively associated with the outcomes. Conversely, the deprivation level derived only from the score of principal component 1 was not associated with the outcomes. Moreover, population density was significantly and positively associated with HBsAg positivity and HCV prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that participation in hepatitis virus screening is important and meaningful, particularly for areas with a higher lower socioeconomic level in Japan.

An analysis of predictors for heavy alcohol drinking using nationally representative survey data in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Predictors of heavy or moderate alcohol drinking behavior have not been investigated using recent nationally representative survey data in Japan. This study investigated the effects of the predictors of heavy and moderate alcohol drinking in Japan using nationally representative survey data. METHODS: Anonymous data from the 2013 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan were used to compare the predictors of heavy and moderate drinkers with those who abstain. Anonymized data that are resampled from all the survey data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare were obtained. Age group, marital status, living arrangements, educational level, household income, smoking status, and employment type were used as the explanatory variables. In addition, the drinking status (i.e., heavy drinker, moderate drinker, or abstainer) was used as the outcome variable. A multinomial logistic regression model was used, and an analysis comparing heavy drinkers and abstainers, as well as moderate drinkers and abstainers, was conducted. RESULTS: Moderate drinking was positively associated with high educational level or high household income for men and women, as well as married status for men. In addition, unemployment was found to be negatively associated with heavy drinking for men and women, and an unmarried status was also found to be negatively associated with heavy drinking for men. Moreover, lower educational levels and smoking prevalence were found to be associated with heavy drinking for men and women. Furthermore, living alone for men and working in a large-scale company for women were also found to be predictors of heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: The preventive measures for heavy drinking were suggested to be particularly needed for those with lower educational levels and smokers. A call for attention among men living alone and among female employees in large-scale workplaces is also needed.

An analysis of health inequalities depending on educational level using nationally representative survey data in Japan, 2019.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, socioeconomic differences in health statuses and behaviors have not been investigated from the nationally representative survey data in Japan. In this study, we showed differences in representative health behaviors and statuses depending on educational level using a nationally representative survey data in Japan. METHODS: Aggregated (not individual level) data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in 2019 were used to examine the association between educational level and outcome status of psychological distress (K6 scores > = 5), self-rated health, smoking, alcohol drinking, and cancer screening participation (stomach, lung, colorectal, breast, and uterine cancers). Data of 217,179 households in Japan were aggregated by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in the survey, and the data of the estimated number of household members and persons corresponding to each response option for the questions in all of Japan were used. Five-year age groups from 20 to 24 to 80-84 years and over 84 years were analyzed, and the prevalence or participation rate by educational level were calculated. In addition, the age-standardized prevalence or participation rate according to educational level were also calculated by sex. Moreover, a Poisson regression model was applied for evaluating an association of educational level with the outcomes. RESULTS: As a result, a clear gradient by educational level was observed in almost all the age groups for the prevalence of psychological distress, poor self-rated health, and smoking and participation rates in cancer screening, and high educational level were associated with better health-related behaviors and statuses. Conversely, drinking prevalence was shown to be higher rather in highly educated people. In addition, a statistically significant association of educational level with all the outcomes was observed. CONCLUSION: It was shown that disparities in health behaviors and statuses still persisted in recent years, and the findings suggested that further measures should be taken to tackle this disparity.

An age-period-cohort analysis for prevalence of common psychiatric disorders in Japan, 1999-2017.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of common psychiatric disorders in Japan via an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. METHODS: Data were used on the prevalence of schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders; mood [affective] disorders (mood disorders, hereafter); and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders from the 1999-2017 Patient Survey in Japan. The age group was defined as 20-89 years with 5-year increments; the cohort was assigned for each age group of each year with a 1-year shift. A Bayesian APC analysis was used to decompose changes in prevalence into three effects: age, period, and cohort. RESULTS: The APC analysis revealed that the peaks of age effect varied among sexes and diseases. The period effects for all the diseases showed increasing trends over the analyzed years. Although the cohort effect for the prevalence of schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders increased until the 1960s, it decreased afterwards. On the other hand, the cohort effects for the prevalence of mood disorders and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders increased from around the 1950s, and it indicates the prevalence increased particularly in young ages over the years. Also, the trends of each effect were relatively similar between mood disorders and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders. CONCLUSION: Increase in public awareness and psychological stress associated with a change in a social environment is thought to affect the period and cohort effects on the prevalence of mood disorders and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders.

Performance evaluation of case definitions of type 1 diabetes for health insurance claims data in Japan.

BACKGROUND: No case definition of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) for the claims data has been proposed in Japan yet. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of candidate case definitions for T1D using Electronic health care records (EHR) and claims data in a University Hospital in Japan. METHODS: The EHR and claims data for all the visiting patients in a University Hospital were used. As the candidate case definitions for claims data, we constructed 11 definitions by combinations of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision. (ICD 10) code of T1D, the claims code of insulin needles for T1D patients, basal insulin, and syringe pump for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). We constructed a predictive model for T1D patients using disease names, medical practices, and medications as explanatory variables. The predictive model was applied to patients of test group (validation data), and performances of candidate case definitions were evaluated. RESULTS: As a result of performance evaluation, the sensitivity of the confirmed disease name of T1D was 32.9 (95% CI: 28.4, 37.2), and positive predictive value (PPV) was 33.3 (95% CI: 38.0, 38.4). By using the case definition of both the confirmed diagnosis of T1D and either of the claims code of the two insulin treatment methods (i.e., syringe pump for CSII and insulin needles), PPV improved to 90.2 (95% CI: 85.2, 94.4). CONCLUSIONS: We have established a case definition with high PPV, and the case definition can be used for precisely detecting T1D patients from claims data in Japan.

An age-period-cohort analysis of mortality rates for stomach, colorectal, liver, and lung cancer among prefectures in Japan, 1999-2018.

BACKGROUND: Although change in the birth cohort effect on cancer mortality rates is known to be highly associated with the decreasing rates of age-standardized cancer mortality rates in Japan, the differences in the trends of cohort effect for representative cancer types among the prefectures remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the decreasing rate of cohort effects among the prefectures for representative cancer types using age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. METHODS: Data on stomach, colorectal, liver, and lung cancer mortality for each prefecture and the population data from 1999 to 2018 were obtained from the Vital Statistics in Japan. Mortality data for individuals aged 50 to 79 years grouped in 5-year increments were used, and corresponding birth cohorts born 1920-1924 through 1964-1978 were used for analysis. We estimated the effects of age, period, and cohort on each type of mortality rate for each prefecture by sex. Then, we calculated the decreasing rates of cohort effects for each prefecture. We also calculated the mortality rate ratio of each prefecture compared with all of Japan for cohorts using the estimates. RESULTS: As a result of APC analysis, we found that the decreasing rates of period effects were small and that there was a little difference in the decreasing rates among prefectures for all types of cancer among both sexes. On the other hand, there was a large difference in the decreasing rates of cohort effects for stomach and liver cancer mortality rates among prefectures, particularly for men. For men, the decreasing rates of cohort effects in cohorts born between 1920-1924 and 1964-1978 varied among prefectures, ranging from 4.1 to 84.0% for stomach cancer and from 20.2 to 92.4% for liver cancers, respectively. On the other hand, the differences in the decreasing rates of cohort effects among prefectures for colorectal and lung cancer were relatively smaller. CONCLUSIONS: The decreasing rates of cohort effects for stomach and liver cancer varied widely among prefectures. It is possible that this will influence cancer mortality rates in each prefecture in the future.

[Marriage and fertility rates of Japanese women according to employment status: An age-period-cohort analysis].

Objectives　This study aimed to examine employment status differences in the marriage and fertility rates of Japanese women via an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis.Methods　We used data collected from 1995 to 2015 in Japan based on the government's "Report of Vital Statistics: Occupational and Industrial Aspects," which recorded the marriage rates of unmarried adults and fertility rates of married adults-according to their employment status. A Bayesian APC analysis was performed to identify changes in marriage and fertility rates based on three effects: age, period, and cohort. Finally, we calculated the marriage and fertility rate ratios between non-employed and employed women for each age group, period, and cohort.Results　The APC analyses showed that the period effect on marriage rates for non-employed women decreased during the periods analyzed, while that for employed women increased from 2005. Meanwhile, the period effect on fertility rates increased regardless of employment status, albeit to a larger degree for employed women. The cohort effect on marriage rates began to decrease from cohorts born in the 1960s for non-employed women, and from cohorts born in the 1970s for employed women. And the degree of the decrease was larger among non-employed women than those employed. Meanwhile, the marriage rate ratio increased from 0.46 (95% CI: 0.21, 0.90) in the cohort born between 1946 and 1950 to 1.00 (95% CI: 0.45, 1.92) in the cohort born between 1991 and 1995. Finally, the fertility rate ratio increased from 0.31 (95% CI: 0.12, 0.69) in the cohort born between 1946 and 1950 to 0.38 (95% CI: 0.14, 1.81) in the cohort born between 1991 and 1995.Conclusion　Employment status differences in the marriage rates of unmarried adults and fertility rates of married adults decreased among younger Japanese cohorts and in recent years. By contrast, there were statistically significant differences in fertility rates of married adults based on employment status, even in cohorts born more recently.

[An analysis of disparities in the changes of cancer mortality rates among prefectures in Japan using age-period-cohort analysis].

Objectives　In this study, we compared the decrease in cancer mortality rates among prefectures in Japan using age-period-cohort (APC) analysis.Methods　We used the cancer mortality data of each prefecture in Japan, as determined by the Vital Statistics, over 5-year periods from 1995 to 2015. Records of the number of mortalities in each 5-year age group from 40-44 to 85-89 years age was collected. We fitted a Bayesian APC model to the data of each prefecture and estimated the birth cohort effect on cancer mortality rates in the prefectures over 5-year periods ranging from 1916-1920 to 1971-1975. In addition, we calculated the ratio of the mortality rate of each prefecture to that of the entire country for each birth cohort.Results　Our APC analysis revealed that the decrease in the age-adjusted cancer mortality rates was mainly attributable to a reduction in the cohort effect on the rates in men and to reduction in the cohort and period effects on the rates in women. The magnitude of reduction in cohort effect varied by prefecture for men and women. Several prefectures having a government ordinance-designated municipality tended to show a higher reduction than those that do not. Spearman's correlation coefficient between the population size of prefectures and the percentage reduction in cohort effect was 0.370 in men. In addition, the relative ranking of the prefectures based on cancer mortality rates greatly varied by birth cohorts, particularly in men.Conclusion　A disparity exists in the percentage reduction in the cohort effect among prefectures. In each prefecture target cohorts with higher than average cancer mortality rates must be identified to implement specific countermeasures for cancer prevention. In addition, for each prefecture, assessment of lifestyle differences that might be related to cancer mortality among birth cohorts is important for reducing cancer mortality in the more recent birth cohorts.

Sociodemographic characteristics of non-institutional births and the association with neonatal and infant mortality in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, the association of non-institutional births with neonatal and infant mortality in Japan was investigated as well as sociodemographic characteristics of non-institutional births. METHODS: The Vital Statistics data in Japan (the birth data from 2012 to 2021 and mortality data from 2012 to 2022) were used. Births were classified into three types based on the place of birth and birth attendant: institutional births, non-institutional births with a physician or a midwife, and non-institutional births without a physician or a midwife. Modified Poisson regression was used in order to investigate the association between the type of birth and neonatal and infant mortality and the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the type of birth. RESULTS: A total of 9,422,942 births were used in the analysis. The results of regression analysis investigating an association between the type of birth and neonatal and infant mortality showed that non-institutional births were positively associated with neonatal and infant mortality regardless of the attendance of a physician or a midwife. Furthermore, the results of regression analysis investigating predictors of non-institutional births showed that factors such as non-urban regions, older maternal age groups, and unmarried status of mothers were positively associated with the two types of non-institutional births, and non-Japanese mother was positively associated with non-institutional births without a physician or a midwife. CONCLUSIONS: Non-institutional births were a predictor of neonatal and infant mortality regardless of the attendance of a physician or midwife, and some sociodemographic characteristics have been proven to be predictors of non-institutional births.

Exploring the association between non-regular employment and adverse birth outcomes: an analysis of national data in Japan.

Background: As few studies have explored the association between non-regular or precarious employment in parents and adverse birth outcomes, this study aimed to investigate this association using national data in Japan. Methods: This study utilized the census data from 2020 and birth data from the vital statistics in 2021 and 2022 in the analysis. Adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, term low birth weight (TLBW), and small-for-gestational-age, were examined. Data linkage was conducted between birth data and census data to link parental employment statuses and educational attainments with birth data. Rates of adverse birth outcomes were calculated for each parental employment status. Additionally, regression analysis was used to determine adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of parental employment statuses for each birth outcome. Results: After data linkage, 334,110 birth records were included in the statistical analysis. Rates for non-regular workers were consistently higher than those for regular workers across all adverse birth outcomes for maternal employment status. Results of regression analyses indicated that the risks of preterm birth for non-regular workers were statistically significantly higher than those for regular workers, both in mothers and fathers with a RR (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of 1.053 (1.004-1.104) and 1.142 (1.032-1.264), respectively. Furthermore, the risk of TLBW birth for non-regular workers was statistically significantly higher than that for regular workers in fathers (RR [95% CI]: 1.092 [1.043-1.143]). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that non-regular workers have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes compared to regular workers.

A Novel Kidney Failure Prediction Model in Individuals with CKD: Impact of Serum Bilirubin Levels.

CONTEXT: Predicting the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is crucial for improving patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the highly predictive activity of serum bilirubin levels for the progression of CKD to ESKD, and to develop and validate a novel ESKD prediction model incorporating serum bilirubin levels. METHODS: We assessed the relative importance of 20 candidate predictors for ESKD, including serum bilirubin levels, in a CKD cohort (15< eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), and subsequently developed a prediction model using the selected variables. The development cohort comprised 4,103 individuals with CKD who underwent follow-up at Kyushu University Hospital, Japan, from 2008 to 2018. The primary outcome was incident ESKD, defined as an eGFR <15 mL/min/1.73 m2, chronic dialysis, or renal transplantation. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 7.0 ± 4.2 years, during which 489 individuals (11.9%) progressed to ESKD. The Cox proportional hazard model selected eGFR, serum bilirubin, proteinuria, age, diabetes, gender, hypertension, serum albumin, and hemoglobin in order of their importance. The predictive performance of the model was optimized by incorporating these 9 variables in discrimination evaluated by time-dependent area under the curve (AUC). This model also demonstrated excellent calibration. Additionally, this model exhibited excellent predictive performance in both discrimination (2-year AUC: 0.943, 5-year AUC: 0.935) and calibration in a validation cohort (n=2,799). CONCLUSION: Serum bilirubin levels were strong predictors for the progression of CKD to ESKD. Our novel model that incorporates serum bilirubin levels could accurately predict ESKD in individuals with CKD.

A nationwide survey of facial onset sensory and motor neuronopathy in Japan.

The epidemiology and etiology of facial onset sensory and motor neuronopathy (FOSMN), a rare syndrome that initiates with facial sensory disturbances followed by bulbar symptoms, remain unknown. To estimate the prevalence of FOSMN in Japan and establish the characteristics of this disease, we conducted a nationwide epidemiological survey. In the primary survey, we received answers from 604 facilities (49.8%), leading to an estimated number of 35.8 (95% confidential interval: 21.5-50.2) FOSMN cases in Japan. The secondary survey collected detailed clinical and laboratory data from 21 cases. Decreased or absent corneal and pharyngeal reflexes were present in over 85% of the cases. Electrophysiological analyses detected blink reflex test abnormalities in 94.1% of the examined cases. Immunotherapy was administered in 81% of cases and all patients received intravenous immunoglobulin. Among them, 35.3% were judged to have temporary beneficial effects evaluated by the physicians in charge. Immunotherapy tended to be effective in the early stage of disease. The spreading pattern of motor and sensory symptoms differed between cases and the characteristics of the motor-dominant and sensory-dominant cases were distinct. Cases with motor-dominant progression appeared to mimic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This is the first nationwide epidemiological survey of FOSMN in Japan. The clinical course of FOSMN is highly variable and motor-dominant cases developed a more severe condition than other types of cases. Because clinical interventions tend to be effective in the early phase of the disease, an early diagnosis is desirable.

Analysis of the Incidence of Macrosomia in Japan by Parental Nationalities at 5-year Intervals From 1995 to 2020.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated trends in the incidence rate of macrosomia and its association with parental nationalities using Vital Statistics data in Japan. METHODS: We used singleton birth data every 5 years from 1995 to 2020. The incidence rate of macrosomia was calculated according to specific attributes (maternal age, infant's sex, parental nationalities, parity, and household occupation) over time (years). In addition, a log-binomial model was used to investigate the relationship between the incidence of macrosomia and the attributes. This study compared Korea, China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries with Japan in terms of parental nationalities. "Other countries" indicates countries except for Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, and Brazil. RESULTS: The study included 6 180 787 births. The rate of macrosomia in Japan decreased from 1.43% in 1995 to 0.88% in 2020, and the decrease was observed across all parental nationalities. The rates for Japanese parents were the lowest values among parental nationalities during the timespan investigated. Multivariate regression analysis showed that mothers from Korea, China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries had a significantly higher risk of macrosomia than those from Japan (risk ratio, 1.91, 2.82, 1.59, 1.74, and 1.64, respectively). Furthermore, fathers from China, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries had a significantly higher risk of macrosomia than those from Japan (risk ratio, 1.66, 1.38, 1.88, and 3.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of macrosomia decreased from 1995 to 2020 in Japan for parents of all nationalities, and the risk of macrosomia incidence was associated with parental nationality.