Bidirectional Longitudinal Association between Back Pain and Loneliness in Later Life: Evidence from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the bidirectional and temporal-ordinal relationship between loneliness and back pain. METHODS: Data from 7,730 participants in waves 6 (2012-2013), 7 (2014-2015), and 8 (2016-2017) of the national English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were analyzed. Back pain was graded on a scale of 0-10 (0, no discomfort; 10, unbearable pain). Loneliness was measured using the Revised University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. A targeted minimum loss-based estimator was used to examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations between back pain and loneliness. RESULTS: No loneliness in waves 6 and 7 (relative risk [RR]=0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.94), no loneliness in wave 6 but loneliness in wave 7 (RR=0.58; 95% CI, 0.50-0.68), and loneliness in wave 6 but not in wave 7 (RR=0.69; 95% CI, 0.57-0.86) were associated with significant risk reductions of back pain in wave 8 compared with the scenario of loneliness in waves 6 and 7. Mild back pain in wave 6 but moderate back pain (RR=0.55; 95% CI, 0.35-0.86) or severe back pain in wave 7 (RR=0.49; 95% CI, 0.34-0.72) showed a significant risk reduction of loneliness in wave 8 compared with severe back pain in waves 6 and 7. CONCLUSION: Loneliness may be a risk factor for back pain, and back pain may be a risk factor for loneliness. The results of this study will inform the development of more effective interventions for loneliness and back pain.

Leaflet information by the local government on mental health during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in a rural area in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated infodemic increased depression and anxiety. Proper information can help combat the infodemic and promotes mental health; however, rural residents have more difficulties in getting correct information than urban residents. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the information on COVID-19 provided by the local government maintained the mental health of rural residents in Japan. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire survey of Okura Village (northern district of Japan) residents aged ≥16 years was conducted in October 2021. The main outcomes, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and anxiety were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale 7-item. Exposure was defined as whether the resident read the leaflet on COVID-19 distributed by the local government. The targeted maximum likelihood estimation was used to analyse the effect of leaflet reading on the main outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 974 respondents were analysed. Reading the leaflet was significantly lower risk for depressive symptoms relative risk (95% confidence interval): 0.64 (0.43-0.95). Meanwhile, no clear effects of leaflet reading were observed on mental distress and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: In rural areas with local governments, analogue information may be effective to prevent depression.

Assessing the impacts of smoking cessation and resumption on back pain risk in later life.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the impacts of smoking cessation and resumption over 4 years on the risk of back pain at the 6-year follow-up among older adults in England. METHODS: We analysed 6467 men and women aged ≥50 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. Self-reported smoking status, assessed in waves 4 (2008-2009) and 6 (2012-2013), was used as exposure for the study, whereas self-reported back pain of moderate or severe intensity, assessed in wave 7 (2014-2015), was used as the outcome. A targeted minimum loss-based estimator was used with longitudinal modified treatment policies to adjust for baseline and time-varying covariates. RESULTS: Regarding the estimation of the effects of changes in smoking status on the risk of back pain, during the follow-up, individuals who resumed smoking within 4 years had a higher risk of back pain than those who avoided smoking for over 4 years, and the relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 1.536 (1.214-1.942). Regarding the estimation of effects of smoking cessation on the risk of back pain, smoking cessation over 4 years was associated with a significantly lower risk of back pain, as indicated by the originally observed data, and the RR (95% CI) was 0.955 (0.912-0.999). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults who avoided smoking for over 4 years had a lower risk of back pain. However, those who resumed smoking within 4 years had a higher risk of back pain. SIGNIFICANCE: Older adults who avoided smoking for over 4 years had a lower risk of back pain. However, those who resumed smoking within 4 years had a higher risk of back pain. Our study data suggest the importance of maintaining smoking cessation to reduce the risk of back pain in the older population.

Health-related quality of life in various health conditions: two consecutive surveys of older Japanese adults.

PURPOSE: Measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in various health conditions in different countries is important given the regional differences. This study employed large-scale nationwide data targeting older adults in Japan to estimate the HRQOL in the key health conditions that are the major causes of disability. METHODS: Our data were derived from two survey waves (2016 and 2019 surveys) of cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, an ongoing nationwide study targeting functionally independent older adults in Japan. A total of 28,345 individuals from 27 of the 47 Japanese provinces were analyzed. The EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level instrument (EQ-5D-5L) was employed to assess the HRQOL utility scores. The targeted minimum loss-based estimator with sampling weighting methods was applied to estimate the utility score in eight major health conditions, including sensory organ disease, musculoskeletal disease, oral disorders, and depressive disorders. RESULTS: The estimated HRQOL utility score for those with the poorest health conditions in self-rated health, hearing loss, vision loss, number of remaining teeth (e.g., no teeth with no denture use), oral dysfunction, depressive symptoms, chronic low back pain, and chronic knee pain was 0.576 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.555-0.598), 0.768 (95% CI 0.737-0.800), 0.680 (95% CI 0.662-0.699), 0.809 (95% CI 0.796-0.821), 0.776 (95% CI 0.764-0.788), 0.723 (95% CI 0.710-0.737), 0.715 (95% CI 0.690-0.739), and 0.742 (95% CI 0.722-0.763), respectively. CONCLUSION: We successfully provided a catalog for the HRQOL utility score in key health conditions that are the leading causes of disability among older adults.

Changes in Body Mass Index on the Risk of Back Pain: Estimating the Impacts of Weight Gain and Loss.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between obesity and back pain in older populations is poorly understood. This study aimed to examine (a) the impacts of changes in obesity status on back pain risk and (b) the heterogeneity in the influence of changes in obesity status according to muscle strength. METHODS: We analyzed 6 868 participants in waves 4 (2008-2009), 6 (2012-2013), and 7 (2014-2015) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The exposure comprised continuous body mass index (BMI) values, whereas the outcome comprised self-reported moderate or severe back pain. The targeted minimum loss-based estimator was used to estimate the impacts of hypothetical changes in BMI in each wave under 10 scenarios encompassing a 5%-25% hypothetical reduction/increase in BMI. We also performed stratified analysis using handgrip strength at the baseline. RESULTS: For the hypothetical reduction scenarios, a 10% (relative risk [RR]; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.82 [0.73-0.92], p = .001) reduction in BMI estimated a significantly lower back pain risk compared to the observed data. For the hypothetical increase scenarios, a 5% (RR [95% CI] = 1.11 [1.04-1.19], p = .002) increase in BMI estimated a significantly higher back pain risk. Increased BMI had a higher risk of back pain among those with weak strength when stratified by handgrip strength but not among those with strong strength. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed that weight gain leads to a greater risk of back pain as well as heterogeneity in the influence of changes in obesity status according to the handgrip strength.

Effects of the different periods and magnitude of COVID-19 infection spread on cancer operations: Interrupted time series analysis of medical claims data.

BACKGROUND: No clear evidence exists regarding the effects of the different periods and magnitude of spread of the COVID-19 infection on cancer treatments. This study investigated the effects of the different periods and magnitude of COVID-19 infection spread on in-hospital cancer operations. METHODS: Medical claims data from 17 hospitals where in-hospital operations for patients with malignant neoplasms were performed between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2021 in Yamagata were extracted and analyzed. The critical time points as exposure used to evaluate the impact of different COVID-19 infection spread periods on cancer operations were (1) April 2020 (emergency declaration introduced by the government) and (2) December 2020 (the second wave). From April to November 2020 and December 2020 to March 21, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 130 and 840, respectively. The 17 hospitals were classified into intervention or control groups based on whether in-hospital treatments for patients with COVID-19 were provided. RESULTS: The interrupted time series analysis reported that the difference in the trend of pre-COVID-19 and postsecond wave (March 2020 to December 2020) periods was statistically significant between groups, with 50.67 fewer operations (95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.19-89.15) performed per month in the intervention group compared with the control group. Moreover, the immediate change in the number of operations in April 2020 (beginning of the first wave) was statistically significant between groups, with 80.14 operations (95% CI = 39.62-120.67) less immediately after the first wave in the intervention group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a statement of emergency by the government and the COVID-19 infection spread are both associated with the number of cancer operations performed in the Yamagata prefecture during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duration of Education and Back Pain: Lessons From English Schooling Reforms.

This study aimed to examine the associations of increases in the duration of education with back pain using the exogenous variation generated by the English schooling reforms of 1947 and 1972. We analyzed cross-sectional data derived from 9 waves (waves 1-9; 2002-2019) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. An instrumental variables regression using 2-stage least squares with the 2-way cluster-robust standard error was used. The mean severity of back pain, measured using the Numerical Rating Scale, was used as the outcome. A total of 22,868 observations from 5,070 participants were included (the 1947 reform = 16,565 observations from 3,231 participants, mean age = 74.5 years; the 1972 reform = 6,303 observations from 1,839 participants, mean age = 59.3 years). The schooling reforms significantly extended years of school attendance by a mean of 0.57 years for the 1942 reform cohort and 0.66 years for 1972 reform cohort. For participants born within 5 years of the pivotal cohorts, an additional year of education decreased the severity of back pain by 0.78 points (95% confidence interval: 0.65, 0.92) for the 1972 reform cohort. Our finding underscores the importance of the length of education in the reduction of back pain in middle-aged individuals.

A Cohort Study of the Relationship between Active Collaboration and Operational Efficiency in Japanese Public Health Institutions.

Introduction: In recent years, public hospitals have seen an increasing need for management reform in light of increasing social security costs due to the aging population. This study investigated the relationship between collaboration with neighboring medical institutions and management efficiency in public hospitals. Methods: Data envelopment analysis was used to calculate the dependent variable. We used the referral rate for each public hospital as an independent variable to indicate active collaboration. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the association between the two variables above. The adjustment variables in the multivariate analysis incorporated those variables that were considered significant in the univariate analysis when the significance level was 10% on a two-sided basis. The Tobit regression model was used in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Ultimately, the analysis included 402 public hospitals. Approximately 8% fell into the high-collaboration group. Even after adjusting for significant variables from the univariate analysis, the inefficiency value was significantly lower in the high-collaboration group than in the low-collaboration group; namely, the efficiency value in the high-collaboration group was significantly higher than in the low-collaboration group. Moreover, hospitals with a higher ratio of subsidies to revenue had significantly lower values for management efficiency. Conclusions: The analysis of the relationship between efficiency value and the percentage of referred patients in Japan indicated that higher percentages of referred patients, that is, higher degrees of cooperation, were significantly associated with higher efficiency scores.

An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach to Predict Fall Risk Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: a Three-Year Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Adverse health effects resulting from falls are a major public health concern. Although studies have identified risk factors for falls, none have examined long-term prediction of fall risk. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that there are additional risk factors, such as psychosocial factors. OBJECTIVE: In this 3-year longitudinal study, we evaluated a predictive model for risk of fall among community-dwelling older adults using machine learning methods. DESIGN: A 3-year follow-up prospective longitudinal study (from 2010 to 2013). SETTING: Twenty-four municipalities in nine of the 47 prefectures (provinces) of Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years who were functionally independent at baseline (n = 61,883). METHODS: The baseline survey was conducted from August 2010 to January 2012, and the follow-up survey was conducted from October to December 2013. Both surveys were conducted involving self-reported questionnaires. The measured outcome at the follow-up survey was self-reported multiple falls during the previous year. The 142 variables included in the baseline survey were regarded as candidate predictors. The random-forest-based Boruta algorithm was used to select predictors, and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm with 10 repetitions of nested k-fold cross-validation was used for modeling and model evaluation. Furthermore, we used shapley additive explanations to gain insight into the behavior of the prediction model. KEY RESULTS: Fourteen out of 142 candidate features were selected as predictors. Among these predictors, experience of falling as of the baseline survey was the most important feature, followed by self-rated health and age. Moreover, sense of coherence was newly identified as a risk factor for falls. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that machine learning tools can be adapted to explore new associative factors, make accurate predictions, and provide actionable insights for fall prevention strategies.

Health-Related Quality of Life during COVID-19 Pandemic: Assessing Impacts of Job Loss and Financial Support Programs in Japan.

This cross-sectional study examined the association between job loss during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the Japanese working population and whether universal financial support program has a protective influence on the HRQOL. Two self-reported internet surveys were used to determine job loss during the pandemic: one was conducted between February and March 2020, just before the COVID-19 emergency declaration by the Japanese government (April 2020), and the other was conducted between August and September 2020. For the dependent variable, we used the EQ-5D-5L utility score (QOL utility score), which was assessed between August and September 2020. The independent variables were job loss after the state of emergency was declared and two types of government financial support (either universal support or support targeting child-raising households). The Tobit regression model was applied, adjusting for covariates. Job loss during the pandemic was negatively associated with the QOL utility score in the fully adjusted model; the coefficient (95% confidence interval [CI]) for job loss during the pandemic was -0.07 (-0.11 to -0.03). For the government financial support variables, the universal financial support program was associated with a better QOL utility score of the coefficient (95% CI), 0.05 (0.03 to 0.08). Job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively associated with HRQOL, while universal financial support is positively associated with HRQOL. Our study results imply that universal financial support during the COVID-19 era has a protective influence on an individual's HRQOL. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-021-09918-6.

Maintaining Moderate or Vigorous Exercise Reduces the Risk of Low Back Pain at 4 Years of Follow-Up: Evidence From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Few studies have examined whether maintaining moderate or vigorous physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of low back pain in older people. This study aimed to examine the magnitude of the associations of changes in PA on the risk of low back pain at 4 years of follow-up. We analyzed 4,882 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who were initially free from low back pain (mean age, 65.6 ± 8.9 years at baseline). Self-reported PA, which was assessed at wave 6 (2012-2013) and wave 7 (2014-2015), was used as the exposure. The PA of the respondents was categorized into "no PA at all," "up to moderate PA," and "up to vigorous PA" groups. Self-reported moderate/severe low back pain assessed at 4 years of follow-up (2016-2017) was used as the outcome. Maintaining moderate (relative risk [RR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.99) or vigorous (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.27-0.77) PA at least 1-3 times a month was negatively associated with prevalence of low back pain compared with no PA at all. Interventions for maintaining either moderate or vigorous PA might be beneficial in preventing the incidence of low back pain in the older population. PERSPECTIVE: This study examined the magnitude of the association between changes in physical activity over time and the risk of low back pain. The findings suggest that encouraging people to maintain at least moderate physical activity over 2 years is useful for reducing the risk of low back pain at 4 years of follow-up.

Effect of Early Rehabilitation Treatment on Activities of Daily Living in Patients Receiving Conservative Treatment for Vertebral Compression Fracture.

OBJECTIVES: : Vertebral compression fractures are common among older people. Currently, knowledge of the effects of early rehabilitation treatment on the recovery of activities of daily living (ADL) in older patients who receive conservative treatment for these fractures is limited. Using the instrumental variable (IV) method, we examined the effects on ADL at discharge of a delay in initiating rehabilitation treatment. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database were analyzed. The subjects were patients with vertebral compression fracture who had undergone rehabilitation treatment during their hospitalization between 2014 and 2019 in one of the 29 acute-care hospitals in Yamagata Prefecture. We analyzed data from 1706 patients (mean age, 82.1 years). The independent variable was the number of days between hospital admission and the start of rehabilitation treatment, and the outcome was the Barthel index (BI) score at discharge. An IV method was applied, with adjustments for covariates, including demographics and functional status at admission. RESULTS: Most patients started rehabilitation treatment within 3 days of hospital admission. Our IV method showed that the interval between hospital admission and the start of rehabilitation treatment was significantly associated with the BI score at discharge. The coefficient was -2.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.06 to -0.35). CONCLUSIONS: A delay in initiating rehabilitation treatment had a negative effect on ADL at discharge. This result emphasizes the importance of including early rehabilitation treatment in acute care, as recommended by several existing guidelines for the treatment of orthopedic diseases.

Use of Social Media by Hospitals and Clinics in Japan: Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of social media by hospitals has become widespread in the United States and Western European countries. However, in Japan, the extent to which hospitals and clinics use social media is unknown. Furthermore, recent revisions to the Medical Care Act may subject social media content to regulation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine social media use in Japanese hospitals and clinics. We investigated the adoption of social media, analyzed social media content, and compared content with medical advertising guidelines. METHODS: We randomly sampled 300 hospitals and 300 clinics from a list of medical institutions that was compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. We performed web and social media (Facebook and Twitter) searches using the hospital and clinic names to determine whether they had social media accounts. We collected Facebook posts and Twitter tweets and categorized them based on their content (eg, health promotion, participation in academic meetings and publications, public relations or news announcements, and recruitment). We compared the collected content with medical advertising guidelines. RESULTS: We found that 26.0% (78/300) of the hospitals and 7.7% (23/300) of the clinics used Facebook, Twitter, or both. Public relations or news announcements accounted for 53.99% (724/1341) of the Facebook posts by hospitals and 58.4% (122/209) of the Facebook posts by clinics. In hospitals, 16/1341 (1.19%) Facebook posts and 6/574 (1.0%) tweets and in clinics, 8/209 (3.8%) Facebook posts and 15/330 (4.5%) tweets could conflict medical advertising guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer hospitals and clinics in Japan use social media as compared to other countries. Social media were mainly used for public relations. Some content disseminated by medical institutions could conflict with medical advertising guidelines. This study may serve as a reference for medical institutions to guide social media usage and may help improve medical website advertising in Japan.

Can Daily Walking Alone Reduce Pneumonia-Related Mortality among Older People?

Pneumonia-related mortality is expected to increase in aging societies. This prospective cohort study examined whether daily walking (1 hour/day) could reduce pneumonia-related mortality among older people who lacked other exercise habits. We analysed data from Japanese Specific Health Checkup across 82 municipalities in 7 prefectures among participants aged ≥65 years who participated in daily walking but did not regularly engage in other forms of exercise (n = 132,448). Information on walking habits and health-related indicators was assessed at a baseline survey conducted between 2008 and 2014. Pneumonia-related and all-cause mortality were followed for a median of 3.4 years. We performed a competing risk model with propensity score matching to evaluate the association between daily walking habits and pneumonia-related mortality. Our propensity-matched analysis revealed a significant association between daily walking and pneumonia-related mortality among older people who lacked other exercise habits, such that the sub-hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals were 0.58 (0.39, 0.86). This study extends the findings of previous research on the effects of exercise on pneumonia by demonstrating that daily walking alone is sufficient to reduce pneumonia-related mortality among older people who do not regularly engage in other exercise habits.

The association between concerns toward adverse reactions during pre-approval drug reviews and the post-approval addition of clinically significant adverse reactions to package inserts: A retrospective analysis of pre-approval drug review reports and safety updates.

PURPOSE: To determine if concerns toward adverse reactions (ARs) identified during the drug approval process are associated with their post-approval addition to package inserts. METHODS: Pre-approval concerns toward 24 target ARs were identified in the drug review reports and initial package inserts of 126 target drugs approved for use in Japan between April 2004 and March 2009. Each target drug was monitored for 5 years after approval for the addition of these ARs as clinically significant adverse reactions (CSARs) in the package inserts. Positive predictive values (PPVs) and negative predictive value (NPVs) were calculated. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also analyzed to test the association between pre-approval concerns and post-approval CSAR additions. RESULTS: Target ARs with pre-approval concerns were added as CSARs in 88 of 406 AR-drug pairs (PPV: 21.7%). In contrast, target ARs without pre-approval concerns were added as CSARs in 93 of 2304 drugs (NPV: 96.0%). Hypoglycemia had the highest PPV (100%), whereas hepatitis and myocardial infarction had the lowest PPVs (0.0%). Abnormal hepatic function had the lowest NPV (85.4%), whereas myocardial infarction and convulsions had the highest NPVs (100%). Pre-approval concerns showed a significantly positive association with post-approval CSAR additions (OR: 6.57, 95% CI: 4.74, 9.11; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The significant association between pre-approval concerns and post-approval CSAR additions indicates that Japan's drug regulatory agency has generally conducted rigorous examination of the safety information available in the submitted data packages during drug review for approval.

Scientific Misconduct and Social Media: Role of Twitter in the Stimulus Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency Cells Scandal.

BACKGROUND: The academic scandal on a study on stimulus­triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells in Japan in 2014 involved suspicions of scientific misconduct by the lead author of the study after the paper had been reviewed on a peer­review website. This study investigated the discussions on STAP cells on Twitter and content of newspaper articles in an attempt to assess the role of social compared with traditional media in scientific peer review. OBJECTIVE: This study examined Twitter utilization in scientific peer review on STAP cells misconduct. METHODS: Searches for tweets and newspaper articles containing the term "STAP cells" were carried out through Twitter's search engine and Nikkei Telecom database, respectively. The search period was from January 1 to July 1, 2014. The nouns appearing in the "top tweets" and newspaper articles were extracted through a morphological analysis, and their frequency of appearance and changes over time were investigated. RESULTS: The total numbers of top tweets and newspaper articles containing the term were 134,958 and 1646, respectively. Negative words concerning STAP cells began to appear on Twitter by February 9-15, 2014, or 3 weeks after Obokata presented a paper on STAP cells. The number of negative words in newspaper articles gradually increased beginning in the week of March 12-18, 2014. A total of 1000 tweets were randomly selected, and they were found to contain STAP-related opinions (43.3%, 433/1000), links to news sites and other sources (41.4%, 414/1000), false scientific or medical claims (8.9%, 89/1000), and topics unrelated to STAP (6.4%, 64/1000). CONCLUSIONS: The discussion on scientific misconduct during the STAP cells scandal took place at an earlier stage on Twitter than in newspapers, a traditional medium.

Japan's advanced medicine.

Like health care systems in other developed countries, Japan's health care system faces significant challenges due to aging of the population and economic stagnation. Advanced medicine (Senshin Iryou) is a unique system of medical care in Japan offering highly technology-driven medical care that is not covered by public health insurance. Advanced medicine has recently developed and expanded as part of health care reform. Will it work? To answer this question, we briefly trace the historical development of advanced medicine and describe the characteristics and current state of advanced medical care in Japan. We then offer our opinions on the future of advanced medicine with careful consideration of its pros and cons. We believe that developing advanced medicine is an attempt to bring health care reform in line rather than the goal of health care reform.