Mortality after partner's cancer diagnosis or death: A population-based prospective cohort study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The health statuses of closely connected individuals are interdependent. Little is known about mortality risk associated with partner's cancer diagnosis and cause-specific mortality risk associated with partner's death. METHODS: Relative risks for all-cause and cause-specific mortality following a partner's cancer diagnosis or death compared to the period when the partner is cancer-free and alive were investigated in the population-based prospective cohort study that enrolled 140,420 people at the age between 40-69 in 1990-1994. RESULTS: 55,050 participants (27,665 men and 27,385 women) who were identified as married couples were followed-up for 1,073,746.1 (518,368.5 in men and 555,377.6 in women) person-years, during which 9,816 deaths (7,217 in men and 2,599 in women) were observed. After a partner's cancer diagnosis, the mortality rate ratio (MRR) of all-cause mortality was not increased among both men and women, while an increase of externally-caused MRR was observed. The suicide MRR significantly increased among men (MRR = 2.90 [95% CI, 1.70-4.93]) and it persisted for more than 5 years. After a partner's death, the MRRs of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease (RD), and externally-caused mortality significantly increased only among men. Stratified analysis by smoking status among men showed significantly increased MRRs of CVD and RD mortality among former/current smokers, but not among never-smokers. CONCLUSION: Partner's cancer diagnosis did not increase all-cause mortality risk, but increased externally-caused mortality risk, especially suicide among men. The impact of partner's death on mortality risk differed by the mortality causes and sex, and smoking affected some of cause-specific mortality risk.

Non-cancer-related Deaths in Cancer Survivors: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in cancer care have improved survivorship, potentially leading to changes in mortality causes. This study aimed to investigate the causes of death among cancer survivors, specially focusing on non-cancer-related mortality. METHODS: This nationwide population-based cohort study analyzed the causes of death based on the time since cancer diagnosis using data from the National Cancer Registry in Japan between January 2016 and December 2019. Non-cancer-related deaths were identified, and mortality risks associated with non-cancer diseases were compared to those of the Japanese general population using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Follow-up period was up to 4 years after cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 3,990,661 patients (45.8%, women) were included in the analysis, yielding 6,237,269 person-years of follow-up. Of these, 1,001,857 (25.1%) patients died during the study period. Cancer-related and non-cancer-related causes accounted for 86.6% and 13.4% of deaths, respectively. The proportion of non-cancer-related deaths increased from 10.2% at 6 months to 31.6% at 4 years after cancer diagnosis. Heart disease (21.8%), cerebrovascular disease (9.8%), and pneumonia (9.1%) were the leading cause of non-cancer-related deaths: The SMRs for these diseases were 2.69 (95% CI, 2.66-2.72), 2.07 (95% CI, 2.03-2.10), and 2.41 (95% CI, 2.36-2.45), respectively. The SMR for suicide was 1.81 (95% CI, 1.74-1.89); however, it lost significance in males and females 2 and 2.5 years after cancer diagnosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of non-cancer-related deaths among cancer patients has increased over time, emphasizing the need to manage cancer and its comorbidities carefully.

Growth and respiratory status at 3 years of age after moderate preterm, late preterm and early term births: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between gestational age at birth and the risk of growth failure and respiratory symptoms at 3 years of age. DESIGN: Cohort study using the Japan Environment and Children's Study database. PATIENTS: A total of 86 158 singleton infants born without physical abnormalities at 32-41 weeks of gestation were enrolled between January 2011 and March 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Growth failure (weight <10th percentile and height <10th percentile) and respiratory symptoms (asthma and wheezing) at 3 years of age. METHODS: Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk of growth failure and respiratory symptoms in the moderately preterm, late preterm and early term groups compared with the full-term group after adjusting for socioeconomic and perinatal factors. Multiple imputation was used to reduce the attrition bias related to missing data. RESULTS: The respective adjusted ORs (95% CI) of growth failure and respiratory symptoms for the moderate preterm, late preterm and early term groups compared with the full-term group were as follows: weight <10th percentile, 2.29 (1.48-3.54), 1.43 (1.24-1.71) and 1.20 (1.12-1.28); height <10th percentile, 2.34 (1.59-3.45), 1.42 (1.25-1.60) and 1.15 (1.09-1.22); asthma, 1.63 (1.06-2.50), 1.21 (1.04-1.41) and 1.16 (1.09-1.23); and wheezing, 1.39 (1.02-1.90), 1.37 (1.25-1.51) and 1.11 (1.06-1.17). CONCLUSION: Moderate preterm, late preterm and early term births were associated with a higher risk of growth failure and respiratory symptoms at 3 years of age than full-term births, with an inverse dose-response pattern.

Postdischarge functional outcomes in older patients with acute heart failure in Japan: the Longevity Improvement & Fair Evidence study.

BACKGROUND: The association between care needs level (CNL) at hospitalisation and postdischarge outcomes in older patients with acute heart failure (aHF) has been insufficiently investigated. METHODS: This population-based cohort study was conducted using health insurance claims and CNL data of the Longevity Improvement & Fair Evidence study. Patients aged ≥65 years, discharged after hospitalisation for aHF between April 2014 and March 2022, were identified. CNLs at hospitalisation were classified as no care needs (NCN), support level (SL) and CNL1, CNL2-3 and CNL4-5 based on total estimated daily care time as defined by national standard criteria, and varied on an ordinal scale between SL&CNL1 (low level) to CNL4-5 (fully dependent). The primary outcomes were changes in CNL and death 1 year after discharge, assessed by CNL at hospitalisation using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of the 17 724 patients included, 7540 (42.5%), 4818 (27.2%), 3267 (18.4%) and 2099 (11.8%) had NCN, SL&CNL1, CNL2-3 and CNL4-5, respectively, at hospitalisation. One year after discharge, 4808 (27.1%), 3243 (18.3%), 2968 (16.7%), 2505 (14.1%) and 4200 (23.7%) patients had NCN, SL&CNL1, CNL2-3, CNL4-5 and death, respectively. Almost all patients' CNLs worsened after discharge. Compared to patients with NCN at hospitalisation, patients with SL&CNL1, CNL2-3 and CNL4-5 had an increased risk of all-cause death 1 year after discharge (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.19 [1.09-1.31], 1.88 [1.71-2.06] and 2.56 [2.31-2.84], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with aHF and high CNL at hospitalisation had a high risk of all-cause mortality in the year following discharge.

Association of Statin Use with Dementia Risk Among Older Adults in Japan: A Nested Case-Control Study Using the LIFE Study.

Background: Previous studies have shown a possible association between statin use and a decreased risk of dementia, but the association has not been sufficiently established, especially in the super-aging society of Japan. Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between statin use and the risk of dementia among Japanese participants aged> =65 years old. Methods: Data from the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence (LIFE) Study were utilized, including medical and long-term care (LTC) claim data from 17 municipalities between April 2014 and December 2020. A nested case-control study was conducted with one case matched to five controls based on age, sex, municipality, and year of cohort entry. We used a conditional logistic regression model to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: This study included 57,302 cases and 283,525 controls, with 59.7% of the participants being woman. After adjusting for potential confounders, statin use was associated with a lower risk of dementia (OR, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.68-0.73) and Alzheimer's disease (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.63-0.69). Compared with non-users, the ORs of dementia were as follows: 1.42 (1.34-1.50) for 1-30 total standardized daily dose (TSDD), 0.91 (0.85-0.98) for 31-90 TSDD, 0.63 (0.58-0.69) for 91-180 TSDD, and 0.33 (0.31-0.36) for >180 TSDD in dose-analysis. Conclusions: Statin use is associated with a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease among older Japanese adults. A low cumulative statin dose is associated with an increased risk of dementia, whereas a high cumulative statin dose is a protective factor against dementia.

Early achievement of walkability after cardiac surgery and the risk of cardiovascular disease after hospital discharge.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the association between the time to achieve walkability after cardiac surgery and the risk of cardiovascular disease after hospital discharge. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 553 ambulatory patients aged 71.5 (range, 64.0-77.0) years who underwent cardiac surgery. All patients were divided into five groups based on the time to achieve walkability ≥100 m within 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days after cardiac surgery. We examined the risk of post-cardiovascular disease outcomes, including readmission due to heart failure, ischaemic heart disease and other cardiovascular disease, according to the time to achieve walkability with reference to 5 days using the Fine and Gray regression model, considering competing risks. RESULTS: In the survival curve analysis, we examined the time to experience post-cardiovascular disease incidence after hospital discharge. During a median of 3.3 years of follow-up, 118 patients developed cardiovascular disease. We observed a positive association between the time to achieve walkability and cardiovascular disease risk, particularly heart failure. The multivariate hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for heart failure readmission were N/A (not assessed due to the sample size being too small) for 1 day, 0.31 (0.10-0.99) for 2 days, 0.60 (0.21-1.79) for 3 days and 0.76 (0.22-2.72) for 4 days (P for trend = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: The shorter walkability achievement time was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, more specifically heart failure readmission, among patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The time required to achieve walkability is a useful predictor for cardiovascular diseases after hospital discharge.

Validity of self-reported participation in cancer screenings and health checkups in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The participation rate for screening is regarded as a useful indicator for preventing cancer and cardio-metabolic disease. However, the validity of self-reported screening participation has not yet been thoroughly evaluated in Japan. We aimed to examine its validity using the municipal screening records among the Japanese population. METHODS: We included 3,060 men and 3,860 women insured by the National Health Insurance for residents aged <75 years or the Medical Care System for the Elderly aged ≥75 years in the Chikusei area of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation. They were asked about their participation in cancer screenings and health checkups during the previous year. We compared their responses to the municipal records and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of self-reported screening participation. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of self-reported participation were 0.49 and 0.86 for lung cancer screening; 0.67 and 0.85 for colorectal cancer screening; 0.77 and 0.79 for stomach cancer screening; and 0.86 and 0.65 for health checkup, respectively. Among women, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.83 and 0.81 for breast cancer and 0.85 and 0.90 for cervical cancer, respectively. CONCLUSION: Self-reported cancer screening participation for colorectal, stomach, breast, and cervical cancers had moderate-high sensitivity and specificity. Self-reported participation, especially for lung cancer screening and health checkups, should be carefully interpreted when assessing the performance of preventive measures.

Statin use and risk of Parkinson's disease among older adults in Japan: a nested case-control study using the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence study.

The association between statin use and the risk of Parkinson's disease remains inconclusive, particularly in Japan's super-ageing society. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between statin use and the risk of Parkinson's disease among Japanese participants aged ≥65 years. We used data from the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence Study, which included medical and long-term care claim data from April 2014 to December 2020 across 17 municipalities. Using a nested case-control design, we matched one case to five controls based on age, sex, municipality and cohort entry year. A conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Among the 56 186 participants (9397 cases and 46 789 controls), 53.6% were women. The inverse association between statin use and Parkinson's disease risk was significant after adjusting for multiple variables (odds ratio: 0.61; 95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.66). Compared with non-users, the dose analysis revealed varying odds ratios: 1.30 (1.12-1.52) for 1-30 total standard daily doses, 0.77 (0.64-0.92) for 31-90 total standard daily doses, 0.62 (0.52-0.75) for 91-180 total standard daily doses and 0.30 (0.25-0.35) for >180 total standard daily doses. Statin use among older Japanese adults was associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease. Notably, lower cumulative statin doses were associated with an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, whereas higher cumulative doses exhibited protective effects against Parkinson's disease development.

Risk of gestational diabetes in women with PCOS based on body mass index: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

CONTEXT: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, have a potentially increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of PCOS on GDM based on maternal body mass index (BMI) using data from a large birth cohort study in Japan. DESIGN: Prospective observational study using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). PARTICIPANTS: Singleton pregnancies in the JECS during 2011-2014 were included. Mothers with HbA1c levels of ≥6.5% in the first trimester and history of DM or steroid use during pregnancy were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were categorized according to their pre-pregnancy BMIs: G1 (<18.5 kg/m2), G2 (18.5-19.99 kg/m2), G3 (20.0-22.99 kg/m2), G4 (23.0-24.99 kg/m2), and G5 (≥25.0 kg/m2). The impact of PCOS on early (Ed) and late-onset (Ld) GDM for each group was estimated using a multiple logistic regression model. RESULTS: We included 92774 participants, comprising 2012 PCOS(+) cases. GDM occurrence was higher in women with PCOS (p<0.001). PCOS had no effect on GDM in G1, G2, and G3. In G4, PCOS increased the risk of Ed GDM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-8.29). In G5, PCOS increased the risk of both Ed (aOR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.53-4.02) and Ld GDM (aOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.23-3.07). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of PCOS on GDM occurrence depended on the pre-pregnancy BMIs, which may facilitate personalized preconception counseling among women with PCOS.

Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of resectable clinical stage III non-small cell lung cancer in a Japanese real-world setting: Surgery cohort analysis of the SOLUTION study.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the treatment and surgery outcomes with or without perioperative therapies in Japanese patients with clinical stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in real-world settings. METHODS: We performed subset analyses of the SOLUTION study, a multicenter, noninterventional, observational study of Japanese patients diagnosed with clinical stage III NSCLC, for those who started first-line treatment (surgery±perioperative therapy) between January 2013 and December 2014 (study registration: UMIN000031385). Follow-up data were obtained using medical records from diagnosis to March 1, 2018. RESULTS: Of 149 eligible patients, 67 underwent surgery alone (median age 71 years) and 82 underwent surgery+perioperative therapy (median age 63 years). Lung resection was performed in 137 patients and the others underwent exploratory thoracotomy or other procedures. Perioperative therapies included adjuvant therapy only (n = 41), neoadjuvant therapy only (n = 24), and neoadjuvant+adjuvant therapy (n = 17). The median overall survival (OS) and 3-year OS rate were 29.3 months and 44.0%, respectively, in patients who underwent surgery alone, and not reached and 61.1%, respectively, in patients who underwent surgery+perioperative therapy. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 42.4% and 47.1%, respectively, in patients who underwent surgery+perioperative therapy and 28.5% and 28.9%, respectively, in patients who underwent surgery alone. In multivariable Cox regression, perioperative therapy was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.49 [0.29-0.81]), PFS (0.62 [0.39-0.96]), and DFS (0.62 [0.39-0.97]) versus surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that perioperative therapy may be associated with better survival among patients undergoing surgical treatment of clinical stage III NSCLC.

Development of a Concise Healthy Diet Score for Cardiovascular Disease among Japanese; The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.

AIMS: Several diet quality indicators have been developed primarily for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in Western countries. However, those previous indicators are complicated and less feasible in clinical and health-promoting settings. Therefore, we aimed to develop a concise dietary risk score for CVD prevention in Japanese. METHODS: Using the self-administered food frequency questionnaire with 35 food items, we developed a concise healthy diet score (cHDS) ranging from 0 to 5 points. We examined the association of cHDS with risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among 23,115 men and 35,557 women who were free of CVD and cancer. RESULTS: During 19.2 years of median follow-up, 6,291 men and 5,365 women died. In men, the multivariable hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the highest cHDS (5 points) compared to the lowest (0-1 points) were 0.74 (0.60-0.91, P-trend=0.008) for CVD and 0.86 (0.77-0.95, P-trend=0.05) for all causes. No significant associations were found for stroke, coronary heart disease, and other causes in men. The corresponding hazard ratio in women was 0.65 (0.52-0.81, P-trend＜0.001) for CVD, 0.63 (0.45-0.88, P-trend＜0.001) for stroke, 0.48 (0.30-0.78, P-trend=0.008) for coronary heart disease, 0.67 (0.54-0.84, P-trend＜0.001) for other causes, and 0.75 (0.66-0.85, P-trend＜0.001) for all causes. CONCLUSION: We developed a concise diet quality score named cHDS in the Japanese population and found the inverse association of cHDS with mortality from CVD and all causes for both men and women.

Intestinal Bacteria Fluctuating in Early-Stage Colorectal Cancer Carcinogenesis are Associated with Diet in Healthy Adults.

This hospital-based, cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between diet and fluctuating intestinal bacteria in early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) (Atopobium parvulum, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Solobacterium moorei, and Bifidobacterium longum). Healthy participants (n = 212) who underwent total colonoscopy at National Cancer Center Hospital (Tokyo, Japan) were divided into two groups according to the relative abundance of bacteria in their feces: those in the top 25% of relative bacterial abundance as cases and the bottom 25% as controls. The participants were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) according to their intake of food groups associated with CRC. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the association between dietary intake and higher relative abundance of bacteria. Dairy products were inversely associated with a higher relative abundance of A. parvulum, A. odontolyticus, and S. moorei, with odds ratios (high vs. low) and 95% confidence interval as follows: 0.16 (0.06-0.44), 0.25 (0.08-0.82), and 0.29 (0.11-0.78), respectively. Additionally, dietary fiber was inversely associated with a higher relative abundance of S.moorei (0.29 [0.11-0.78]). No association was observed between diet and B.longum. In conclusion, healthy adults with a higher intake of dairy products and fiber had lower odds of having a higher relative abundance of CRC-associated microbiota.

Prenatal risk factors of indoor environment and incidence of childhood eczema in the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

The quality of indoor environment is a risk factor for early childhood eczema and atopic dermatitis; however, its influence during pregnancy on childhood eczema in Japan has not been investigated. In this study, we aimed to determine the indoor environmental factors that are associated with eczema in children up to 3 years of age, using national birth cohort data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Information on indoor environments and eczema symptoms until 3 years of age was collected using self-administered questionnaires to the mothers. A total of 71,883 and 58,639 mother-child pairs at 1.5- and 3-years-old, respectively, were included in the former analyses. To account for prenatal indoor risk factors, 17,568 (1.5-years-old) and 7063 (3-years-old) children without indoor mold and/or ETS exposure were included in the final analysis. A higher mold index, gas heater use, parquet flooring use, and frequent insecticide use showed significantly increased risks for childhood eczema up to 3 years of age. These associations were consistent after stratification analysis among children whose parents did not have a history of allergies. The updated WHO guidelines on indoor air quality should be implemented based on recent findings regarding the effects of prenatal exposure to indoor dampness on health effects of children further in life, including asthma, respiratory effects, eczema, and other immunological effects.

Prevalence of and factors influencing Hikikomori in Osaka City, Japan: A population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Hikikomori is commonly defined as a social condition in which individuals avoid social participation and relationships beyond their family members by confining themselves to a room or their house for 6 months or longer. Hikikomori has been predominantly considered a problem among young people; however, as the population is ageing, hikikomori has also emerged as a social issue among adults. Nevertheless, no comparative studies have examined the differences in the factors associated with hikikomori among teenagers/young adults and middle-aged/older adults. Thus, this phenomenon has not been thoroughly examined, and it remains unclear whether the risk factors vary between teenagers/young adults and middle-aged/older adults. Based on the Japan Cabinet Office's definition of hikikomori, this cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence and related factors of hikikomori among the working age population (15-64 years), utilising univariate and multivariate analyses. The study also compared differences in the prevalence of and factors related to hikikomori between teenagers/young adults and middle-aged/older adults. METHODS: We distributed self-administered questionnaires to individual participants and their families between 24 December 2020 and 18 January 2021. RESULTS: Data from an anonymised sample of 3,092 individuals (split into two groups of 15-39 and 40-64 years) were subjected to analysis. The results revealed a hikikomori prevalence of 2.3% in the target population; the prevalence rate was 2.12% among individuals aged 15 to 39 years and 2.42% among those aged 40 to 64 years. The analysis demonstrated strong correlations between hikikomori and several factors, including unemployment, truancy, a history of psychiatric consultation or hospitalisation, being male and the absence of ibasho, which is defined as a place where individuals can feel peace, security, acceptance and belonging. The factors associated with hikikomori differed between teenagers/young adults and middle-aged/older adults. CONCLUSION: Our findings, thus, contribute to existing research by providing a comparative analysis of risk factors across different age groups.

Maternal diabetes and risk of offspring congenital heart diseases: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

BACKGROUND: Few prospective cohort studies have examined the association between maternal diabetes, including pre-pregnancy and gestational diabetes, and the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in Asian offspring. METHODS: We examined the association between maternal diabetes and offspring CHD among 97,094 mother-singleton infant pairs in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) between January 2011 and March 2014. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of offspring CHD based on maternal diabetes (pre-pregnancy diabetes and gestational diabetes) were estimated using logistic regression after adjusting for maternal age at delivery, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), maternal smoking habits, alcohol consumption, annual household income, and maternal education. The diagnosis of CHD in the offspring was ascertained from the transcript of medical records. RESULTS: The incidence of CHD in the offspring was 1,132. Maternal diabetes, including both pre-pregnancy diabetes and gestational diabetes, was associated with a higher risk of offspring CHD: multivariable OR (95%CI) = 1.81 (1.40-2.33) for maternal diabetes, 2.39 (1.05-5.42) for pre-pregnancy diabetes and 1.77 (1.36-2.30) for gestational diabetes. A higher risk of offspring CHD was observed in pre-pregnancy BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 (OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.74-3.75) than in pre-pregnancy BMI <25.0 kg/m2 (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05-2.10, p for interaction = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal diabetes, including both pre-pregnancy and gestational, was associated with an increased risk of CHD in offspring.

The association between maternal social support levels during pregnancy and child development at three years of age: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

BACKGROUND: Social relationships are essential in maintaining the physical and mental health of mothers and their children. However, there is limited evidence on how social support provided to the mother during pregnancy could impact child development. Herein, we examined whether maternal social support levels during pregnancy was associated with the risk of developmental delay in 3-year-old children. METHODS: Overall, 68,442 mother-child pairs completed questionnaires on maternal social support during pregnancy and development delay in 3-year-old children. The maternal social support level was evaluated using four items. The risk of development delay was evaluated using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) with five domains of communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression according to the quintiles of maternal social support levels after adjusting for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Social support during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of development delay at 3 years of age. Beneficial effects were detected in all domains of the ASQ-3 (p for trend <0.001). Multivariable ORs (95% CIs) for the highest versus lowest quartiles of maternal social support level were 0.57 (0.50-0.65) for communication, 0.49 (0.43-0.55) for gross motor delay, 0.58 (0.53-0.64) for fine motor delay, 0.56 (0.51-0.62) for problem-solving delay, and 0.52 (0.45-0.60) for personal social delay. The associations remained unchanged when stratified by maternal education level, paternal education level, living with children, household income, and postpartum depression. CONCLUSION: Maternal social support during pregnancy was inversely associated with the risk of developmental delay at 3 years of age.

Suicide risk among patients with cancer by sex in Japan: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, few studies have examined suicide risk for five-year relative survival rates for cancer sites. Since five-year relative survival rates differ by sex, we aim to examine suicide risk for patients with cancer separately for men and women. METHODS: We estimated the risk of suicide among patients with cancer by sex in Japan compared to the general population, using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Patients with cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1985-December 31, 2013 and registered in the Osaka Cancer Registry were followed-up with for up to 10 years. The outcome was suicide death. In addition, cancer sites were classified into three prognosis groups based on five-year relative survival rates: good (> 70%), moderate (40-70%), poor (< 40%). RESULTS: Among 623 995 patients with cancer observed for 2 349 432 person-years, 1210 patients died by suicide (867 men and 343 women). The SMRs were almost equal for men (1.66, 95% CI, 1.55-1.77) and women (1.65, 95% CI, 1.48-1.83). SMRs for cancer prognosis groups were 1.01 (95% CI, 0.84-1.22) for men and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.24-1.73) for women in the good group, 1.53 (95% CI, 1.39-1.68) for men and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.47-2.05) for women in the moderate group, and 2.54 (95% CI, 2.27-2.85) for men and 1.87 (95% CI, 1.43-2.46) for women in the poor group. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, both sexes had higher suicide risk with poor prognosis, but the difference in SMRs between the good and poor groups was smaller for women than men.

Long-term use of anti-cholesterol drugs and cancer risks in a Japanese population.

Several studies have investigated the association between the use of anti-cholesterol drugs and cancer risks, of which results have been inconsistent. This study included 67,768 participants from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. The data on anti-cholesterol drug use was collected using three questionnaires of the survey conducted every five years. We divided the participants into three groups according to the duration of the anti-cholesterol drug use. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). During the 893,009 person-years of follow-up from the 10-year follow-up survey, 8,775 participants (5,387 men and 3,388 women) were newly diagnosed with cancers. The duration of anti-cholesterol drug use was significantly associated with a decreased risk of liver cancer (HR:0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.64 in > 5 y group) and with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (HR:1.59, 95% CI 1.03-2.47 in > 5 y group). Moreover, a different trend was observed between men and women in the association with the risk of lung cancer. This study suggested that long-term use of anti-cholesterol drugs may have associations with a decreased incidence of liver cancer and with an increased incidence of pancreatic cancers.

Maternal Autistic Traits and Adverse Birth Outcomes.

Importance: Women with a high level of autistic traits in the general population may experience larger health disparities during pregnancy, particularly women diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which in turn may be associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. Objective: To investigate the association between maternal autistic traits and the risk of adverse birth outcomes in the general population. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included mothers of singletons from a nationwide, multicenter prospective birth cohort, the Japan Environmental Children's Study. Expecting mothers were recruited between January 2011 and March 2014. Data were analyzed between June 2021 and November 2023. Exposures: Autistic traits were self-reported during the second and third trimesters using the short form of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Japanese version (AQ-J10) (score range, 0-10; clinical range, ≥7). Main Outcomes and Measures: Data on preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation) and neonates born small for gestational age (SGA) were transcribed from medical records. Additional analysis of gestational age groups (very preterm birth, <32 weeks' gestation; moderate-to-late preterm birth, 32-36 weeks' gestation) was also performed. Results: Among 87 687 women (mean [SD] age, 31.2 [5.0] years) included in the study, 2350 (2.7%) had AQ-J10 scores within the clinical range yet only 18 (0.02%) were diagnosed with ASD. A higher AQ-J10 score was associated with an increased risk of all birth outcomes, including preterm births (relative risk [RR] per 1-SD increase, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09), moderate-to-late preterm births (RR per 1-SD increase, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08), very preterm births (RR per 1-SD increase, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26), and child born SGA (RR per 1-SD increase, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06) after adjusting for maternal and pregnancy-related factors. The risks of all outcomes increased with higher AQ-J10 scores; compared with women below the clinical range, women within the clinical range had greater risk of preterm births (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07-1.26), moderate-to-late preterm births (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03-1.22), very preterm births (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.18-1.89), and a child born SGA (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.19). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, higher level of maternal autistic traits was associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, particularly very preterm birth. Acknowledging the risks and providing tailored and timely antenatal care support to women with a high level of autistic traits in the general population, particularly women with autistic traits within the clinical range, regardless of formal diagnosis, is warranted.