Association between cognitive social capital and all-cause mortality in Great East Japan Earthquake survivors: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive social capital (SC), such as attitude, trust, or norms, may help improve resilience among survivors, thus improving their health. However, the association between cognitive SC and the risk of all-cause mortality among survivors after the natural disaster has never been investigated. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the association between cognitive SC and the risk of all-cause mortality among survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: We conducted a health survey on 1654 residents aged ≥18 years who lived in two areas affected by the GEJE. One year after the GEJE, between June and August 2012, cognitive SC (helping each other, trust, greeting, and solving problems together) was assessed using a self-administrated questionnaire. We divided the subjects into two groups based on response to questionnaire: "high" or "low." We obtained information on death and emigration from the Residential Registration Record and followed up on the participants from June 2012 to November 2020. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used for estimating the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of all-cause mortality according to each cognitive SC indicator. RESULTS: During the 8.5 years of follow-up, 213 subjects died (12.9%). For greeting, compared with subjects who were "high," subjects who were "low" were significantly associated with the risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.19-7.17). No statistically significant association was observed for helping each other, trust, and solving problems together. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that perception of greeting may be associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in survivors after natural disasters.

Relationship between the housing coldness/warmth evaluation by CASBEE Housing Health Checklist and psychological distress based on TMM Community-Based Cohort Study: a cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have reported the relationship between housing environment and health, although due to cost and effort, it was difficult to conduct housing condition surveys on a large scale. The CASBEE Housing Health Checklist (the Checklist) made it possible to easily evaluate the housing condition from the resident's perspective. This study examined the relationship between housing coldness/warmth evaluation using the Checklist and psychological distress in a large-scale general Japanese population. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: We analysed data from 29,380 people aged ≥20 years who lived in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As an assessment of housing coldness/warmth, we used the Checklist. We classified participants' total scores on the Checklist related to coldness/warmth into quartiles. The Kessler 6 scale was used as an indicator of psychological distress. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Adjusted OR and P-values for linear trends were calculated using the quartiles of the Checklists' score. RESULTS: Among participants in Q1 (i.e., poorer subjective house condition), the percentage of people with psychological distress was high. Compared to the highest quartile, Q1 showed poorer evaluation of housing coldness/warmth, and higher OR for psychological distress. The OR (95% CI) of psychological distress for Q3, Q2, and Q1 compared with Q4 were 1.93 (1.74-2.14), 2.82 (2.55-3.12), and 5.78 (5.25-6.35), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Housing coldness/warmth evaluation was significantly related to psychological distress. This finding suggests that maintaining a comfortable thermal environment at home could be important for residents' mental health.

Cigarette smoking and cervical cancer risk: an evaluation based on a systematic review and meta-analysis among Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: There is a body of evidence to suggest that cigarette smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer in women, but no study has examined the magnitude of the association in Japanese women. Here, we evaluated the association between cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical cancer in Japanese women based on a systematic review of epidemiological evidence. METHODS: Original data were obtained from a MEDLINE search using PubMed or from a search of the 'Ichushi' database, as well as by a manual search. Evaluation of associations was based on the strength of evidence and the magnitude of association, together with biological plausibility as evaluated previously by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Meta-analysis of associations was also conducted to obtain a summarized overview of the data. RESULTS: We identified two cohort studies and three case-control studies. All five studies had indicated strong positive associations between cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical cancer. Our summary estimate indicated that the relative risk (RR) for individuals who had ever-smoked relative to never-smokers was 2.03 (95% confidence interval: 1.49-2.57). Four studies had also demonstrated dose-response relationships between cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is convincing evidence that cigarette smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer among Japanese women.

Evidence-based cancer prevention recommendations for Japanese.

A comprehensive evidence-based cancer prevention recommendation for Japanese was developed. We evaluated the magnitude of the associations of lifestyle factors and infection with cancer through a systematic review of the literature, meta-analysis of published data, and pooled analysis of cohort studies in Japan. Then, we judged the strength of evidence based on the consistency of the associations between exposure and cancer and biological plausibility. Important factors were extracted and summarized as an evidence-based, current cancer prevention recommendation: 'Cancer Prevention Recommendation for Japanese'. The recommendation addresses six important domains related to exposure and cancer, including smoking, alcohol drinking, diet, physical activity, body weight and infection. The next step should focus on the development of effective behavior modification programs and their implementation and dissemination.

Unemployment risk among individuals undergoing medical treatment for chronic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases increase the risk of unemployment even in non-disaster settings; therefore, in post-disaster settings, special attention needs to be paid to the employment status of those suffering from chronic diseases. AIMS: To examine the association between chronic disease and the risk of unemployment in a disaster area. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi, north-eastern Japan, where had been severely inundated by the 2011 tsunami. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between undergoing medical treatment for a combination of chronic diseases (stroke, cancer, myocardial infarction and angina) and unemployment risk. Confounders such as psychological distress and levels of daily life activity were considered. RESULTS: Among the 2588 individuals studied, there was a statistically significant association between undergoing medical treatment for chronic disease and the risk of unemployment [odds ratio (OR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.7, P < 0.05]. In participants with a lower degree of psychological distress and better levels of daily life activity (n = 1967), no significant associations were observed (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.6-2.1). Conversely, in 536 participants with a higher degree of psychological distress and/or poorer levels of daily life activity, statistically significant associations were found (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.01-6.6, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The association between undergoing medical treatment for chronic disease and unemployment risk was observed only in participants with a higher degree of psychological distress and/or poorer levels of daily life activity.

Personality and suicide risk: the impact of economic crisis in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The interactive effect of personal factors and social factors upon suicide risk is unclear. We conducted prospective cohort study to investigate whether the impact of the economic crisis in 1997-1998 upon suicide risk differed according to Neuroticism and Psychoticism personality traits. METHODS: The Miyagi Cohort Study in Japan with a follow-up for 19 years from 1990 to 2008 has 29,432 subjects aged 40-64 years at baseline who completed a questionnaire about various health habits and the Japanese version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised Short Form in 1990. RESULTS: The suicide mortality rate increased from 4.6 per 100,000 person-years before 1998 to 27.8 after 1998. Although both Neuroticism and Psychoticism were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality during the whole period from 1990 to 2008, the impact of the economic crisis upon suicide risk differed between the Neuroticism and Psychoticism personality traits. Compared with the lowest category, the hazard ratios (HRs) for the highest Neuroticism increased from 0.66 before 1998 to 2.45 after 1998. On the other hand, the HRs for the highest Psychoticism decreased from 7.85 before 1998 to 2.05 after 1998. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the 1997-1998 economic crisis upon suicide risk differed according to personality. Suicide risk increased among these with higher Neuroticism after the economic crisis, but this was not the case for other personality subscales.

High circulating adiponectin levels predict decreased muscle strength among older adults aged 70 years and over: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Population-based researches indicate that circulating adiponectin is inversely associated with muscle strength. However, interpretation of the findings has been limited by the use of a cross-sectional design. This study aimed to examine the prospective relationship between baseline circulating adiponectin concentration and change in muscular function-related physical performance in older adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 1-year prospective cohort study of Japanese community-dwelling elderly was conducted between 2002 and 2003. Four hundred thirty-four older persons participated in the measurements of physical function, including leg extension power, functional reach, timed up-and-go test, and 10-m maximum walking speed, at baseline and follow-up. After adjustment for potential covariates, higher serum adiponectin concentration was found to be significantly associated with poorer physical performance at baseline (leg extension power [watt], P < 0.001; functional reach [cm], P < 0.001; log timed up-and-go test, P = 0.007; log 10-m maximum walking speed, P < 0.001). The results of the prospective analysis by analysis of covariance indicated that the elderly with higher serum adiponectin concentrations (tertiles) at baseline tended to have a decreased performance in leg extension power (means [95% confidence interval]: lowest, -105 [-125, -85.7]; middle, -117 [-135, -97.8]; highest, -140 [-160, -120], watt, P for trend = 0.021) and timed up-and-go test (lowest, -0.08 [-0.28, -0.12]; middle, -0.10 [-0.29, 0.10]; highest, 0.28 [0.07, 0.48], s, P for trend = 0.019), but not two other functioning. CONCLUSION: High circulating adiponectin concentration may be an indicator of decreased physical performance, especially muscle strength, in older adults.

Association of vegetable and fruit intake with gastric cancer risk among Japanese: a pooled analysis of four cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Prospective evidence is inconsistent regarding the association between vegetable/fruit intake and the risk of gastric cancer. METHODS: In an analysis of original data from four population-based prospective cohort studies encompassing 191 232 participants, we used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of gastric cancer incidence according to vegetable and fruit intake and conducted a meta-analysis of HRs derived from each study. RESULTS: During 2 094 428 person-years of follow-up, 2995 gastric cancer cases were identified. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found a marginally significant decrease in gastric cancer risk in relation to total vegetable intake but not total fruit intake: the multivariate-adjusted HR (95% CI; P for trend) for the highest versus the lowest quintile of total vegetable intake was 0.89 (0.77-1.03; P for trend = 0.13) among men and 0.83 (0.67-1.03; P for trend = 0.40) among women. For distal gastric cancer, the multivariate HR for the highest quintile of total vegetable intake was 0.78 (0.63-0.97; P for trend = 0.02) among men. CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis of data from large prospective studies in Japan suggests that vegetable intake reduces gastric cancer risk, especially the risk of distal gastric cancer among men.

Body mass index and breast cancer risk in Japan: a pooled analysis of eight population-based cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: A positive association between body mass index (BMI) and breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women has been reported, and a weak inverse association has been suggested among premenopausal women from studies in the Western population. The effects of BMI on breast cancer have remained unclear among the Asian population, especially in premenopausal women. METHODS: We assessed the associations between BMI and breast cancer incidence by a pooled analysis from eight representative large-scale cohort studies in Japan. Cancer incidence was mainly confirmed through regional population-based cancer registries and/or through active patient notification from major local hospitals. Breast cancer was defined as code C50 according to ICD10. Pooled estimates of the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for breast cancer were calculated using random-effects models. RESULTS: Analytic subjects were 183 940 women, 1783 of whom had breast cancer during 2 194 211 person-years of follow-up. A positive association between BMI and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer was observed (trend P<0.001). The HRs for premenopausal breast cancer were 1.05 (95% CI 0.56-1.99), 1.07 (95% CI 0.76-1.52), 0.91 (95% CI 0.64-1.30), 1.15 (95% CI 0.76-1.73), 1.45 (95% CI 0.71-2.94), and 2.25 (95% CI 1.10-4.60), respectively, in BMIs of <19, 19 to <21, 21 to <23, 25 to <27, 27 to <30, and ≥30 kg/m2. These results were not substantially altered after excluding the patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the first 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer among women with higher BMIs was confirmed in Japanese. A borderline-significant positive association between BMI and premenopausal breast cancer was observed, suggesting that body mass in Asian women might have opposite effects on breast cancer compared with Western women.

Coffee consumption and the risk of prostate cancer: the Ohsaki Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence regarding the effect of coffee on the incidence of prostate cancer is inconsistent. We aimed to investigate coffee consumption and the risk of prostate cancer risk in a general Japanese population. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study in Ohsaki city, Japan, where 18 853 men aged 40-79 years participated in a baseline survey. Coffee consumption was assessed via a validated self-administered questionnaire. During 11 years of follow-up (from January 1 1995 to December 31, 2005), 318 incident cases of prostate cancer were detected. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs). RESULTS: There was a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and the incidence risk of prostate cancer. Compared with those who did not drink coffee, the multivariate adjusted HRs were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.61-1.07), 0.73 (95% CI: 0.53-1.00), and 0.63 (095% CI: 0.39-1.00) for those who drank coffee occasionally, 1-2 cups per day, and > or =3 cups per day, respectively, with a P for trend of 0.02. CONCLUSION: This prospective finding from a Japanese population adds evidence that coffee intake is inversely associated with the incidence of prostate cancer.

Association between body mass index and the colorectal cancer risk in Japan: pooled analysis of population-based cohort studies in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been recognized as important risk factors for colorectal cancer. However, limited evidence is available on colorectal cancer and body mass index (BMI) in Asian population. METHODS: We conducted a pooled analysis of eight population-based prospective cohorts studies in Japan with more than 300,000 subjects to evaluate an impact of obesity in terms of BMI on colorectal cancer risk with unified categories. We estimated summary hazard ratio (HR) by pooling of study-specific HR for BMI categories with random effect model. RESULTS: We found a significant positive association between BMI and colorectal cancer risk in male and female. Adjusted HRs for 1 kg/m(2) increase were 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.04] for males and 1.02 (95% CI 1.00-1.03) for females. The association was stronger in colon, especially in proximal colon, relative to rectum. Males showed a stronger association than females. Population attributable fraction for colorectal cancer by BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) was 3.62% (95% CI 1.91-5.30) for males and 2.62% (95% CI 0.74-4.47) for females. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant association between BMI and colorectal cancer risk by pooling of data from cohort studies with considerable number of subjects among Japanese population. This information is important in cancer control planning, especially in Asian population.

Body mass, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and risk of cancer of the small intestine--a pooled analysis of over 500,000 subjects in the Asia Cohort Consortium.

BACKGROUND: The evidence for a role of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and body mass index (BMI) in the etiology of small intestine cancer is based mainly on case-control studies from Europe and United States. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We harmonized the data across 12 cohort studies from mainland China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, comprising over 500,000 subjects followed for an average of 10.6 years. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for BMI and (only among men) tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking. RESULTS: A total of 134 incident cases were observed (49 adenocarcinoma, 11 carcinoid, 46 other histologic types, and 28 of unknown histology). There was a statistically non-significant trend toward increased HR in subjects with high BMI [HR for BMI>27.5 kg/m2, compared with 22.6-25.0, 1.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-2.96]. No association was suggested for tobacco smoking; men drinking>400 g of ethanol per week had an HR of 1.57 (95% CI 0.66-3.70), compared with abstainers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the hypothesis that elevated BMI may be a risk factor for small intestine cancer. An etiologic role of alcohol drinking was suggested. Our results reinforce the existing evidence that the epidemiology of small intestine cancer resembles that of colorectal cancer.

Precipitating factors in the pathogenesis of peritonsillar abscess and bacteriological significance of the Streptococcus milleri group.

Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is conventionally considered to be a complication of acute tonsillitis, but no pathogenical association has been demonstrated. To investigate the precipitating factors in the pathogenesis of PTA, the clinical status of 117 patients with PTA and 78 patients with peritonsillar cellulitis (PC) were reviewed, comparing them with 188 cases of acute tonsillitis as a control group. The period between the onset of symptoms and the date of starting hospitalized medication was 4 to 5 days in all the three groups, with no significant differences. Higher prevalence of smoking habit was noted in the PTA group (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-3.16). Bacteriological culture revealed that 55 of 67 aerobic isolates were Streptococcus subspecies, with the Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) as the most common (20 isolates). Twenty-three anaerobic species were isolated. Only 51% of the patients with neither the SMG nor anaerobic bacteria were smokers, whereas 90% of the patients with both the SMG and anaerobic bacteria were smokers. We hypothesize that delay or failure to receive medical care do not contribute to the pathogenesis of PTA or PC, and that smoking is positively correlated with the occurrence of PTA, as well as the bacteriological character.

Adiposity, adult weight change and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal Japanese women: the Miyagi Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The role of adult weight change in breast cancer (BC) risk is unclear in Japanese women. METHODS: A total of 10,106 postmenopausal women aged 40-64 years (the Miyagi Cohort) were followed from 1990 to 2003, and 108 BC cases were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated according to body mass index (BMI) at the current age and at the of age 20 years, and weight change since age 20 years. RESULTS: Higher current BMI was associated with an increased risk of BC (P for trend=0.02), whereas higher BMI at the age 20 years was inversely associated with this risk (P for trend=0.002). There was a significant association between weight change since age 20 years and BC risk (P for trend=0.0086). Compared with stable weight, HR was 0.35 for weight loss of 5 kg or more (P for weight loss trend=0.04) and 1.55 for weight gain of 12 kg or more (P for weight gain trend=0.05). CONCLUSION: Adiposity at younger and current age has differential effects on BC risk among postmenopausal women; weight gain in adulthood being associated with an increased, and weight loss with a decreased risk.

Green tea consumption and gastric cancer in Japanese: a pooled analysis of six cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Previous experimental studies have suggested many possible anti-cancer mechanisms for green tea, but epidemiological evidence for the effect of green tea consumption on gastric cancer risk is conflicting. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between green tea consumption and gastric cancer. METHODS: We analysed original data from six cohort studies that measured green tea consumption using validated questionnaires at baseline. Hazard ratios (HRs) in the individual studies were calculated, with adjustment for a common set of variables, and combined using a random-effects model. RESULTS: During 2 285 968 person-years of follow-up for a total of 219 080 subjects, 3577 cases of gastric cancer were identified. Compared with those drinking <1 cup/day, no significant risk reduction for gastric cancer was observed with increased green tea consumption in men, even in stratified analyses by smoking status and subsite. In women, however, a significantly decreased risk was observed for those with consumption of > or =5 cups/day (multivariate-adjusted pooled HR = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65 to 0.96). This decrease was also significant for the distal subsite (HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.50 to 0.96). In contrast, a lack of association for proximal gastric cancer was consistently seen in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Green tea may decrease the risk of distal gastric cancer in women.

Fish consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer: the Ohsaki Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from laboratory and animal studies suggests that high fish consumption may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but the results of studies in humans have been inconsistent. The objective of this study was to prospectively examine the association between fish consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer incidence in Japan, where fish is widely consumed. METHODS: We analysed data from 39 498 men and women registered in the Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort Study who were 40-79 years old and free of cancer at the baseline. Fish consumption was assessed at the baseline using a self-administered food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: During 9 years of follow-up, we identified 566 incident cases of colorectal cancer (379 men and 187 women). The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for colorectal cancer incidence in the highest quartile of fish consumption compared with the lowest quartile were 1.07 (95% CIs; 0.78-1.46, P-trend=0.43) for men, and 0.96 (95% CIs; 0.61-1.53, P-trend=0.69) for women. CONCLUSION: The results of this prospective cohort study revealed no association between fish consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Increase in body mass index category since age 20 years and all-cause mortality: a prospective cohort study (the Ohsaki Study).

BACKGROUND: It is still unclear whether weight gain from early to late adulthood affects longevity. Furthermore, no study has addressed its association with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in an Asian population. METHODS: We prospectively assessed the association between an increase in body mass index (BMI) category since age 20 years and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. Self-reported information pertaining to BMI was collected from 38 080 Japanese men and women aged 40-79 years at study entry in 1994 after exclusion of participants with a BMI of <18.5 kg/m(2) at age 20 years or at study entry. We defined six patterns of increase in BMI category at age 20 years and study entry: stable normal, overweight and obese, normal to overweight or obese, and overweight to obese. RESULTS: During 7 years of follow-up, 2617 participants died. After adjustment for potential confounders, we observed a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality for the pattern of normal weight at age 20 years and obese at study entry and of stable obese compared with stable normal in BMI category, the multivariate HRs (95% confidence interval (CI)) being 1.42 (1.08-1.88) and 2.26 (1.45-3.51), respectively. For the pattern of overweight at age 20 years and obese at study entry, the multivariate hazard ratio (95% CI) was 1.35 (0.92-1.98). In contrast, we did not observe an increased risk of all-cause mortality for normal weight at age 20 years and overweight at study entry, and stable overweight. For CVD and cancer mortality, these results were consistently observed. CONCLUSION: We observed an increased risk of all-cause mortality both among participants who had been persistently obese since early adulthood and participants who showed an increase in BMI category from normal to obese, compared with participants with a stable normal BMI category.

Sleep duration and the risk of breast cancer: the Ohsaki Cohort Study.

In a prospective study of 23 995 Japanese women, short sleep duration was associated with higher risk of breast cancer (143 cases), compared with women who slept 7 h per day, the multivariate hazard ratio of those who slept

Green tea consumption and lung cancer risk: the Ohsaki study.

We examined the risk of lung cancer in relation to green tea consumption in a population-based cohort study in Japan among 41,440 men and women, aged 40-79 years, who completed a questionnaire in 1994 regarding green tea consumption and other health-related lifestyle factors. During the follow-up period of 7 years (from 1995 to 2001), 302 cases of lung cancer were identified, and the Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The multivariable-adjusted HRs of lung cancer incidence for green tea consumption of 1 or 2, 3 or 4, and 5 or more cups/day as compared to less than 1 cup/day were 1.14 (95% CI: 0.80-1.62), 1.18 (95% CI: 0.83-1.66), and 1.17 (95% CI: 0.85-1.61), respectively (P for trend=0.48). This cohort study has found no evidence that green tea consumption is associated with lung cancer.

Sleep duration and the risk of prostate cancer: the Ohsaki Cohort Study.

In a prospective study of prostate cancer incidence (127 cases), among 22 320 Japanese men, sleep duration was associated with lower risk; the multivariate hazard ratio of men who slept >or=9 h per day compared with those who slept less was 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.79, P for trend=0.02).