Determinant factors of the difference between self-reported weight and measured weight among Japanese.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the difference between self-reported and measured weight values in Japanese men and women and to determine the underlying determinants of the differences between self-reported and measured values. METHODS: The data were collected from 363 general Japanese individuals aged 16-88 years living in Kumamoto prefecture. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire designed for this study with self-reported weight and height values. Measured weight and height were measured immediately after questionnaire completion. Paired t-tests identified differences between self-reported and measured values by sex. Multiple-stepwise regression analysis examined the independent variables' effects on the differences between self-reported and measured weights. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between self-reported and measured values for both sexes (p < 0.001). There was a significant negative relationship between the difference in an individual's self-reported and measured weight in each sex, with higher measured weight individuals more likely to underestimate their weight. Multiple-stepwise regression analysis models explained 12.1 % (p < 0.01), 11.3 % (p < 0.01), and 5.6 % (p < 0.01) of the variance in all participants, men, and women, respectively. Significant effects were found for age, weight measurement frequency, and measured weight in total participants, weight measurement frequency, and measured weight for men, and age for women. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the mean absolute value of the weight and height variances proved the unreliability of self-reported weight and height values. This study's findings suggest self-reported weight inaccuracy especially for obese populations. This should be adjusted when using it in epidemiological studies and healthcare planning.

Community factors to promote parents' quality of child-nurturing life.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of community factors in parents' quality of child-nurturing life (QCNL). METHODS: We developed a questionnaire to evaluate the degree of QCNL and determine the structural factors related to QCNL as community factors related to parents' QCNL derived from focus group interviews and the Delphi technique. The questionnaire also included the battery of the self-rating depression scale and Tsumori-Inage Infant's Developmental Test. Using the questionnaire, we then conducted a quantitative survey of parents whose children attended nursery schools in Kumamoto Prefecture. Factor analysis, calculation of the mean score and/or ratio to each item, Pearson's correlation coefficient, t test, multiple regression analysis, and covariance structure analysis were performed. RESULTS: The questionnaire we developed consisted of seven items with 75 elements, involving ten elements as community factors. Subjects included 699 parents (mean age 33.6 ± 5.4 years) and 965 children (age range 0-6 years). Factor analysis revealed that community factors consisted of five factors, such as "lifestyle rooted in the ground," "balance of housekeeping and work," "community network," "amenity," and "regeneration of life". These factors may be dominant in a rural area. Finally, we developed a structural model with "community factors," QCNL, QOL, and "child growth" by covariance structural analysis. The analysis revealed that community factors had a positive relation to parents' QCNL (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and that parental SDS score had a negative relation to parents' QCNL (r = -0.59, p < 0.001). The analysis did show that community factors were positively related to the sound growth of children. CONCLUSION: The covariance structure analysis revealed that community factors were associated with parents' QCNL, SDS, and "child growth."

Relationship between lifestyle and lifestyle-related factors in a rural-urban population of Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the actual state of residents' lifestyle in a mixed rural-urban area in Japan, and to investigate the relationship between residents' lifestyle and lifestyle-related factors. METHODS: The Japanese version of Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II), lifestyle-related factors developed through group work with residents of Town A, and demographic variables were used to evaluate 1176 community residents' lifestyles and associated factors. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed that there were 4 factors related to healthy lifestyle. Nonparametric analysis revealed that female and elderly groups showed higher overall HPLP-II score than male and young groups. A significant correlation coefficient was seen between scores of overall HPLP-II and lifestyle-related factors (r = 0.611, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that HPLP-II was significantly associated with each lifestyle-related factor, showing a similar order in both gender and age groups. Finally, covariance structure analysis demonstrated that the score of health cognition and regional factors increased the score of HPLP-II, which then increased the score of self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS: The present research clarified the actual state of residents' lifestyles by age and gender in a mixed rural-urban area in Japan, demonstrating a vector model from health cognition and regional factors to self-rated health, via residents' lifestyle.

Assessment of health-promoting lifestyle profile in Japanese university students.

OBJECTIVES: This descriptive study of 314 students was conducted to determine whether there were any relationships of their demographic variables with a health-promoting lifestyle profile. METHODS: The Japanese version of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) questionnaire was used to investigate students' lifestyles. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison procedures using the Scheffe test were conducted to identify significant differences among university year (first, second, etc.) groups. The t-test independent participants was utilized to compare the HPLP-II scores according to gender and living with family (yes/no). Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of various demographics on the overall HPLP-II score and the six health-promoting lifestyle subscales. RESULTS: The whole cohort of participants had an overall HPLP-II mean score of 2.50 (SD = 0.29), with the highest mean score being for interpersonal relations (3.05 ± 0.44), and the lowest mean score being for health responsibility (2.01 ± 0.53). The overall HPLP-II score of the students during the first university year was 2.59 (SD = 0.29), and this score progressively declined in their second year (2.49 ± 0.29), third year (2.47 ± 0.28), and fourth year (2.45 ± 0.30). Female students practiced significantly better health responsibility, interpersonal relations, and nutrition than males, and male students practiced significantly better physical activity than females. The students who were living with family had significantly higher nutrition scores than those not living with family. CONCLUSIONS: These significant findings linking the HPLP-II, university year level, and living with family (yes/no) in university students will enable healthcare providers to develop interventions to assist students in improving their health lifestyles in the university environment and will help in devising suitable education programs.

A comparative study of health-promoting lifestyles in agricultural and non-agricultural workers in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the difference in health-promoting lifestyles between agricultural and non-agricultural workers in Japan, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 627 residents living in a town with a mixed rural-urban population. METHODS: The subjects were divided into 8 groups by job (agricultural and non-agricultural), age (young and old), and gender (male and female). To evaluate the subjects' lifestyles, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) was applied. The Bartlett test and the Kendall rank test were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the overall score of the HPLP-II between the two job groups. However, for the HPLP-II subscales, a significantly higher score for "spiritual growth" and a significantly lower score for "physical activity" were seen in the agricultural group than in the non-agricultural group. In general, the old and female groups showed higher scores than the corresponding groups, regardless of job type. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that the major countermeasures to maintain a healthy lifestyle in agricultural workers should be associated with how to introduce daily activities that maintain and enhance "spiritual growth" and improve "physical activity".

Policy framework for formulating environmental management strategy for sustainable development of tanneries in India.

OBJECTIVES: The leather industry is one of the main examples of industries which play an important role in the Indian economy in terms of exports and employment opportunities, while being blamed for environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to find the advances or improvements in the Japanese leather industry which are not found in typical leather industries in developing countries. We examined the Japanese leather industry in this context because Japan is a developed country in which tanning processes have been a traditional business from ancient times, and also the leather industry has played an important role in the process of economic development of Japan. METHODS: The study was based both on information collected from various areas related to the leather industry or leather industry stakeholders, and also on a review of published information. Information was collected through site visits, interviews, questionnaires, and detailed discussions with these stakeholders, as well as from their websites. RESULTS: The framework of a typical leather industry is discussed in three sections: pollution prevention, pollution control, and pollution mitigation related to sources, processes, and impact possibilities, respectively. Eleven basic differences were noted between the Japanese and Indian leather industries. The availability of melting centers is the main important feature of the Japanese leather sector. CONCLUSION: Guidelines are suggested which focus on some changes that are expected to lead to both environmental and economic benefits, with better pollution management, which should lead to continuous improvement of the environmental performance of the industry, and, finally, sustainable development.

An intervention study to promote self-improvement of lifestyle in a Japanese community: a new health support program.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of two health support programs developed to improve the lifestyle of community residents through exercise, nutrition-based health education, and group dynamics. METHODS: A total of 171 subjects were selected from community residents showing an abnormal result in at least one metabolic syndrome-related laboratory test. The subjects were divided into two groups: a group participating only in the 5-month initiation program (i.e., the initial program; n = 83), and a group participating both the initiation program and the subsequent 6-month enhancing program (i.e., the total program; n = 88). Each group was followed up for 1 year after completing the intervention program. The effectiveness of the intervention was determined based on data from the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II and laboratory tests, which were collected four times during the 2-year follow-up. Thirty-nine individuals were selected as the control group, based on the same criteria, to confirm the effectiveness of completing the intervention program. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that completion of the initiation programe was an effective intervention in terms of individual improvements in lifestyle and laboratory test results. The improvements achieved by the end of the initiation program had been sustained at the end of the total program, and were similar in both groups. One year after the end of the total program, both groups showed similar findings, confirming the effectiveness of the intervention. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of two health support programs for improving the lifestyle of community residents. It is worth noting that, at the end of the 2-year follow-up, the improvements in lifestyle due to the initiation program were similar to those of the total program.

Applying the social cognitive perspective to volunteer intention in China: the mediating roles of self-efficacy and motivation.

When predicting volunteer intention, much attention is paid to the volunteer organization environment (VOE). Given that self-efficacy and motivation have emerged as important predictors of volunteer intention, we adopted a combination of ideas of Bandura's social cognitive theory and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior integrating VOE, self-efficacy and motivation to examine their effects on volunteer intention and to determine whether self-efficacy and motivation mediate the relationship between VOE and volunteer intention. The subjects of this study consisted of 198 community health volunteers in Shanghai city, China. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify the factor structure using standard principal component analysis. Six new factors were revealed, including two VOE factors, relation with organization and support from government; two motivation factors, personal attitude and social recognition; self-efficacy and volunteer intention. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that relation with organization accounted for 14.8% of the variance in volunteer intention, and support from government failed to add significantly to variance in volunteer intention; self-efficacy and personal attitude motivation partially mediated the effects of relation with organization on volunteer intention; social recognition motivation did not mediate the relationship between relation with organization and volunteer intention; and relation with organization, self-efficacy and personal attitude motivation accounted for 33.7% of the variance in volunteer intention. These results provide support for self-efficacy and personal attitude motivation as mediators and provide preliminary insight into the potential mechanisms for predicting volunteer intention and improving volunteering by integrating VOE, self-efficacy and motivation factors.

Quality of life associated with perceived stigma and discrimination among the floating population in Shanghai, China: a qualitative study.

The floating population refers to the large and increasing number of migrants without local household registration status and has become a new demographic phenomenon in China. Most of these migrants move from the rural areas of the central and western parts of China to the eastern and coastal metropolitan areas in pursuit of a better life. The floating population of China was composed of 121 million people in 2000, and this number was expected to increase to 300 million by 2010. Quality of life (QOL) studies of the floating population could provide a critical starting point for recognizing the potential of regions, cities and local communities to improve QOL. This study explored the construct of QOL of the floating population in Shanghai, China. We conducted eight focus groups with 58 members of the floating population (24 males and 34 females) and then performed a qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews. The following five QOL domains were identified from the analysis: personal development, jobs and career, family life, social relationships and social security. The results indicated that stigma and discrimination permeate these life domains and influence the framing of life expectations. Proposals were made for reducing stigma and discrimination against the floating population to improve the QOL of this population.

The role of the ribosomal protein S19 C-terminus in Gi protein-dependent alternative activation of p38 MAP kinase via the C5a receptor in HMC-1 cells.

We have demonstrated that an alternative C5a receptor (C5aR) ligand, the homodimer of ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19), contains a unique C-terminus (I(134)-H(145)) that is distinct from the moieties involved in the C5a-C5aR interaction. To examine the role of I(134)-H(145) in the ligand-C5aR interaction, we connected this peptide to the C-terminus of C5a (C5a/RP S19) and found that it endowed the second binding moiety of RP S19 (L(131)DR) with a relatively higher binding affinity to the C5aR on a human mast cell line, HMC-1. In contrast to the C5aR, the second C5aR C5L2 worked as a decoy receptor. As a result, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) downstream of the Gi protein exchanged extracellular-signal regulated kinase for p38MAPK. This alternative p38MAPK activation could be pharmacologically suppressed not only by the downregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) by LY294002, but also by the over-activation of protein kinase C by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The activation was reproduced upon C5a-C5aR interaction by a simultaneous suppression of PI3K and phospholipase C with LY294002 and U73122 at low concentrations. Moreover, p38MAPK phosphorylation upstream of the pertussis toxin-dependent extracellular Ca(2+) entry was also suppressed by high concentrations of MgCl(2), which blocks melastatin-type transient receptor potential Ca(2+) channels (TRPMs). The active conformation of C5aR upon the ligation by C5a, at least on HMC-1 cells, is changed by the additional interaction of the I(134)-H(145) peptide, which seems to guide the alternative activation of p38MAPK. This activation is then amplified by a novel positive feedback loop between p38MAPK and TRPM.

Description of environmental determinants of quality of life in children with intellectual disability in Japan using the Delphi technique.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to define the framework of an environment conducive to the well-being of children with intellectually disability (CID). METHODS: A questionnaire composed of 31 items was developed through literature review. Then a 2-round Delphi survey was conducted with 3 different panels: health professionals (HPs), parents of CID, and teachers. The participants were asked to rate each item, select and rank the 10 most important items, and suggest additional ones. RESULTS: A total of 71 participants responded to the first round: 24 HPs, 22 parents, and 25 teachers. In the second round the overall response rate was 83%. At the end of the exercise, 12 items reached global consensus, i.e., in all groups. Only 5 items were ranked as most important by all groups: attitudes of family members at home; attitudes of HPs and teachers; support from family members at home; support at school (classmates and teachers); and government policies. Nevertheless, the panelists' views diverged on the remaining items. Several additional elements were suggested. CONCLUSIONS: The views of HPs, teachers, and parents are complementary for the improvement of quality of life (QOL) of CID. The present findings will be used as a basis for the development of an instrument to assess the living environment of CID.

Development of an assessment sheet for fall prediction in stroke inpatients in convalescent rehabilitation wards in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a study to develop an assessment sheet for fall prediction in stroke inpatients that is handy and reliable to help ward staff to devise a fall prevention strategy for each inpatient immediately upon admission. METHODS: The study consisted of three steps: (1) developing a data sampling form to record variables related to risk of falls in stroke inpatients and conducting a follow-up survey for stroke inpatients from their admission to discharge by using the form; (2) carrying out analyses of characteristics of the present subjects and selecting variables showing a high hazard ratio (HR) for falls using the Cox regression analysis; (3) developing an assessment sheet for fall prediction involving variables giving the integral coefficient for each variable in accordance with the HR determined in the second step. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: (1) Subjects of the present survey were 704 inpatients from 17 hospitals including 270 fallers. (2) We selected seven variables as predictors of the first fall: central paralysis, history of previous falls, use of psychotropic medicines, visual impairment, urinary incontinence, mode of locomotion and cognitive impairment. (3) We made 960 trial models in combination with possible coefficients for each variable, and among them we finally selected the most suitable model giving coefficient number 1 to each variable except mode of locomotion, which was given 1 or 2. The area under the ROC curve of the selected model was 0.73, and sensitivity and specificity were 0.70 and 0.69, respectively (4/5 at the cut-off point). Scores calculated from the assessment sheets of the present subjects by adding coefficients of each variable showed normal distribution and a significantly higher mean score in fallers (4.94 +/- 1.29) than in non-fallers (3.65 +/- 1.58) (P = 0.001). The value of the Barthel Index as the index of ADL of each subject was indicated to be in proportion to the assessment score of each subject. CONCLUSION: We developed an assessment sheet for fall prediction in stroke inpatients that was shown to be available and valid to screen inpatients with risk of falls immediately upon admission.

Toxicity study of the volatile constituents of Myoga utilizing acute dermal irritation assays and the Guinea-pig Maximization test.

Myoga is a fragrant plant which is the special product of Japan and is cultivated throughout Japan. According to our earlier investigation (unpublished data) of myoga cultivators in Japan, 8 of 35 cultivators experienced contact dermatitis in the harvest season. The purpose of this study was to assess the allergenicity of myoga and its major volatile components. The volatile components of myoga were analyzed by gas chromatograph (GC). They included a-pinene, beta-pinene and R-(+)-limonene. We performed a toxicity study of each of the major fragrant components of myoga using acute dermal irritation assays and the Guinea-Pig Maximization test (GPMT) in order to probe the mechanism of allergic contact dermatitis. In acute dermal irritation assays, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and limonene showed positive responses at concentrations of 4%; limonene oxide at 20% and myoga showed a positive response at concentrations of 100%. From the results of the GPMT, according to Kligman scores, limonene oxide was identified as an extreme skin sensitizer and myoga as a mild skin sensitizer. The results of the present study show that R-(+)-limonene is the most important allergen amongst the chemical components of myoga, and we consider it to be the reason why myoga cultivators experience allergic contact dermatitis.

[Analysis of relationship between birth weight by gestational age and decreasing birth weight in Kumamoto Prefecture, 1979-1997].

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate possible factors associated with the recent decrease in birth weight in Kumamoto Prefecture between 1979 and 1997. METHODS: Vital statistics on birth between 1979 and 1997 were obtained from the records of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan, on the basis of which, infants were divided into low-birth weight (LBW: <2500 g) group and the normal-birth-weight (> or =2500 g) group, and the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age (from 22 to 42 weeks) of both groups between 1979 and 1997 were compared. RESULTS: For the normal-birth-weight group, the peaks of the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age in 1997 shifted to early gestation, compared with the peaks in 1979. The birth weight by gestational age in 1997 decreased, compared with that in 1979 among the normal-birth-weight group, in particular, the birth weight from 37 to 40 gestational ages decreased significantly, and the mean birth weight showed a linear relationship with these gestational ages as observed in normal fetal development. However, in the LBW group, the mean birth weight showed a small increase after 1992 and a large increase in birth weight by gestational age in the last month of pregnancy in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: The changes in the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age among the normal-birth-weight group were found to be the important factors the recent decrease in birth weight. These factors might be associated with advances in medical technology and the fact that young women diet in order to slim.

Synthesis and characterization of Fe(III) and Pb(ll) complexes with 3-hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-thiones.

Two kinds of 3-hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-thiones were synthesized. The visible (VIS) spectroscopic analysis indicated that 3-hydroxy-1-methylpyridine-2(1H)-thione (4a) and 3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyridine-2(1H)-thione (4b) formed stable 3:1 Fe(III) complexes. The stability constant of the 4b-Fe(III) complex was estimated from the competitive reaction with EDTA and was found to be 36.7 in logbeta3. Treatment of compound 4b with Ga(acac)3 in D2O:CD3OD (9:1) solution afforded 3:1 Ga(Ill) complex, which was assigned by means of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. Treatment of compound 4b with Pb(NO3)2 gave 4b-Pb(II) complex. The Pb(II) selectivity over biologically relevant Mg(ll) and Ca(ll) was remarkably improved by adopting N-hydroxyethyl functionality instead of N-methyl group.

Effect of estradiol on heme biosynthetic pathway in lead-poisoned rabbits.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the effect of the female hormone estradiol (Est) on heme biosynthesis in lead-poisoned rabbits, parameters indicating lead exposure, such as free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) level and δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity, were determined. METHODS: Twenty-six male Japanese white rabbits (body weight (BW), 3kg) were divided into four groups: I (control), II (Est), III (Pb), IV (Est+Pb). About 3 weeks after castration, Est (3 mg/kg of BW) was injected intramuscularly, and 2 weeks thereafter, lead (1.2 mg/kg of BW) was injected intravenously. After the initial injection of each of these substances, the same dose of each of these substances was injected once a week until the 9th week. RESULTS: In groups III and IV, FEP level increased and ALA-D activity in the erythrocytes, bone marrow and liver decreased with an increase in lead concentration in blood. FEP level decreased significantly (p<0.01) in the 8th and 10th weeks after Est injection in group IV compared to with that in group III and was not elevated in group II compared with that in group I. ALA-D activity in the erythrocytes, bone marrow and liver increased significantly in group II compared with that in group I, whereas Ht and Hb levels decreased in group II compared with those in group I, and decreased in group IV compared with those in group III. The level of iron in plasma (Fe-P) was within the normal range during experiment. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, Est did not increase FEP level. From the above results regarding FEP level and ALA-D activity, Est may prevent an increase in FEP level caused by lead. Ht and Hb levels, which are the parameters of anemia, decreased mainly as a result of Est exposure rather than lead exposure.

Behavior and lifestyle factors related to quality of life in junior high school students.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze actual conditions of the quality of life (QOL) in junior high school students, we developed a questionnaire based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, and we conducted a survey by using this questionnaire. METHODS: We conducted a workshop organized with 29 specialists on school health and community health to develop the questionnaire. The QOL outcome was assessed by the QOL Profile-Adolescent Version (QOLPAV). The subjects of the questionnaire surveys were 1600 general students in four junior high schools. To investigate a correlation between QOLPAV, behaviors and three enhancing factors, two different multiple regression models were constructed. RESULTS: The question battery for QOLPAV was found to be a high value of Chronbach's α. Among present subjects, 16.5% were categorized as "problematic" or "very problematic" classified by QOLPAV scores. In the first multiple regression model, significantly high odds ratios were obtained between the QOLPAV and 4 questions for behaviors, such as "studying with high motivation" (OR 1.64), "getting along well with my friends" (2.72), "having things I am interested in" (1.70), and "making my own decisions" (1.80). In the second model, significantly high odds ratios were obtained commonly between the above 4 questions about behaviors and 2 questions on enabling factors, such as "easy to understand lessons" (1.32-1.71) and "speaking to friends easily" (1.30-3.22). CONCLUSIONS: 1) We developed a questionnaire to analyze the actual condition of QOL in junior high school students with sufficient validity and availability. 2) Among the present subjects, 16.5% were found to be problematic QOLPAV, 3) Among the factors of behaviors, those representing positive willing and high coping ability with the elements of each school life contributed significantly to the QOLPAV. And among enhancing factors, "enabling factors" and "reinforcing factors" were stronger contributors to the behaviors strongly related to the QOLPAV than that of "predisposing factors".

Quantification of α-methylene-λ-butyrolactone extracted from different parts ofAlstroemeria wilhelmina and evaluation of it's antigenicity using the guinea-pig maximization test.

To detect the type of contact dermatitis caused due to the handling ofAlstroemeria wilhelmina, 1% α-methylene-λ-butyrolactone (α-MBL) dissolved in physiological alien and a five-fold diluted saline solution of original extracts of flowers, leaves and stems of the flower were applied to guinea-pigs for extracts were applied to the animals as the challenge treatment in compliance with the guinea-pig maximization test (GMT). As a consequence, not only primary irritant dermatitis was observed, but also delayed type allergic contact dermatitis due toAlstroemeria wilhelmina was observed. α-MBL determined in the extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was found to be the biochemical material cause of the contact dermatitis. the flower region contained α-MBL in the highest concentrations compared with those of the leaves and stems. Therefore, the quantification of α-MBL in the extracts was concluded as being a useful evaluating method for contact dermatitis due to the handling ofAlstroemeria.