Models of Aviation Noise Impact in the Context of Operation Decrease at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Air traffic bans in response to the spread of the coronavirus have changed the sound situation of urban areas around airports. This study aimed to investigate the effect of this unprecedented event on the community response to noise before and after the international flight operation at Tan Son Nhat Airport (TSN) in March 2020. The "before" survey was conducted in August 2019, and the two "after" surveys were conducted in June and September 2020. Structural equation models (SEMs) for noise annoyance and insomnia were developed by linking the questionnaire items of the social surveys. The first effort aimed to achieve a common model of noise annoyance and insomnia, corresponding to the situation before and after the change, respectively. Approximately, 1200 responses were obtained from surveys conducted in 12 residential areas around TSN in 2019 and 2020. The average daily flight numbers observed in August 2019 during the two surveys conducted in 2020 were 728, 413, and 299, respectively. The sound pressure levels of the 12 sites around TSN decreased from 45-81 dB (mean = 64, SD = 9.8) in 2019 to 41-76 dB (mean = 60, SD = 9.8) and 41-73 dB (mean = 59, SD = 9.3) in June and September 2020, respectively. The SEM indicated that the residents' health was related to increased annoyance and insomnia.

Health status and lifestyle factors as predictors of depression in middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults: a seven-year follow-up of the Komo-Ise cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common mental disorder. Several studies suggest that lifestyle and health status are associated with depression. However, only a few large-scale longitudinal studies have been conducted on this topic. METHODS: The subjects were middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults between the ages of 40 and 69 years. A total of 9,650 respondents completed questionnaires for the baseline survey and participated in the second wave of the survey, which was conducted 7 years later. We excluded those who complained of depressive symptoms in the baseline survey and analyzed data for the remaining 9,201 individuals. In the second-wave survey, the DSM-12D was used to determine depression. We examined the risks associated with health status and lifestyle factors in the baseline survey using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: An age-adjusted analysis showed an increased risk of depression in those who had poor perceived health and chronic diseases in both sexes. In men, those who were physically inactive also had an increased risk of depression. In women, the analysis also showed an increased risk of depression those with a BMI of 25 or more, in those sleeping 9 hours a day or more and who were current smokers. A multivariate analysis showed that increased risks of depression still existed in men who had chronic diseases and who were physically inactive, and in women who had poor perceived health and who had a BMI of 25 or more. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that lifestyle and health status are risk factors for depression. Having a chronic disease and physical inactivity were distinctive risk factors for depression in men. On the other hand, poor perceived health and a BMI of 25 or more were distinctive risk factors for depression in women. Preventive measures for depression must therefore take gender into account.

Predictive validity of the total health index for all-cause mortality assessed in the Komo-Ise cohort.

BACKGROUND: The Total Health Index (THI), a self-administered questionnaire developed in Japan, is used for symptom assessment and stress management of employees and others; however, it has not been reported whether it can predict mortality risk. METHODS: The THI, with 12 primary and 5 secondary scales, was applied to a cohort consisting of middle-aged residents in Japan. This study, called the Komo-Ise cohort study, was started in 1993. The scale scores were related to 481 deaths from all causes among 10,816 residents over 93 months. The statistics were tested by the Cox hazard model and adjusted for three background variables (sex, age, and district where the subject resided). RESULTS: Five of the scales [depression and aggression (primary scales), and psychosomatics, neurotics, and schizophrenics (secondary scales)] indicated significant hazard ratios for mortality. The lowest quintile group of the aggression scale score had the largest hazard ratio of 2.58, compared with the middle quintile group (95% confidence interval: 1.88-3.52). The psychosomatics, neurotic scales and depression scales also had a minimum hazard ratio in the middle quintile group. One of the secondary scales, T1, which represents a somatoform disorder, had a significant linear relationship with the mortality risk, although its proportionality with the cumulative mortality rates was not satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: Five scales of the THI were significantly related to mortality risk in the Komo-Ise cohort, which could be used for score evaluation and in the personal health advice system of the THI.

[Factors associated with pollinosis in a middle aged population in Gunma, Japan].

OBJECTIVE: There are several hypotheses for why the prevalence of pollinosis is increasing. The purpose of this study is to assess various factors related to the pollinosis. METHODS: The subjects were 10,898 participants aged between 47 and 77 years old who completed a self-administered questionnaire in 2000, in the second survey of a population-based cohort in Gunma Prefecture, named the Komo-Ise Study. The questionnaire included items on health status, history of diseases including pollinosis, occupation, habits, daily activities, and family life. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the odds ratios of various life-style factors in relation to the history of pollinosis. The odds ratios were adjusted for sex, study area, and age. RESULTS: A history of pollinosis was observed in 17.1% of all the subjects. Women were more frequently affected than men [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.46]. City residents were more likely to have a history of pollinosis than village residents (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.36-1.76). Those in their 70s had less history of pollinosis than counterparts in their 40s (aOR= 0.19, 95% CI: 0.15-0.24). There was a statistically significant association between age and remission of pollinosis (P for trend < 0.001). With respect to health, trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, a history of hyperlipidemia, asthma, ulcer, low back pain, and depression or neurosis were significantly linked with pollinosis, while a history of diabetes had a significant inverse association. With respect to life-style, the following factors were all significantly associated with the history of pollinosis: currently employed person, office worker, emotional stress at work, eating between meals, having meals regularly, eating until completely full, drinking wine or sake less than once a week, drinking beer, drinking spirits, whisky or brandy almost everyday, taking long walks, doing physical exercise, cleaning the house, going out for entertainment, going shopping, having been married, having children with some problems and more than 10 million yen income. There were significant inverse associations between a history of pollinosis and being a farmer, having a current smoking habit, going to pachinko and going to karaoke. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a history of pollinosis is strongly associated with the following host factors: being female, young age, city dwelling, self-rated stress, over-nutrition, office working, and high socio-economic status.

Perceived health as related to income, socio-economic status, lifestyle, and social support factors in a middle-aged Japanese.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the association of perceived health with socio-economic status, especially income, and social isolation and support in Japan. The purpose of this study is to clarify the associations among perceived health, lifestyle, and socio-economic status, as well as social isolation and support factors, in middle-aged and elderly Japanese. METHODS: Subjects were 9,650 participants aged 47-77 years who completed a self-administered questionnaire in 2000 in the second survey of a population-based cohort (the Komo-Ise study). The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic and socio-economic factors, social isolation and support, lifestyle, past history of chronic disease and perceived health. Perceived health was dichotomized into excellent or good health and fair or poor health. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds ratios of socio-economic status, social characteristics and lifestyle in relation to self-reported fair or poor health. RESULTS: We found that household income, physical activity, sleeping, smoking habit, and BMI had a strong association with self-reported fair or poor health in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men and women. Male subjects tended to report fair or poor health as household income decreased. The results for women differed in that social isolation and low social support had a stronger association for self-reported fair or poor health than low household income. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that perceived health was associated with socio-economic and social characteristics among middle-aged and elderly residents in Japan.