Association of onset of obesity with sleep duration and shift work among Japanese adults.

Objective: The objective of this longitudinal epidemiological study was to investigate the association of risk factors for cardiovascular illness with sleep duration and shift work.

Methods: This study used data obtained at medical checkups conducted in 1999 and 2006 for the employees of a local government organization in Japan (covering 21,693 male employees and 2109 female employees). The medical checkup data included (1) body measurements, (2) blood test parameters, and (3) replies to a self-administered questionnaire (inquiring about sleep duration, with or without shift work, etc.

Association between depression and insomnia subtypes: a longitudinal study on the elderly in Japan.

Study Objective: To examine the association between depression and three subtypes of insomnia, namely, difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), early morning awakening (EMA), and difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS).

Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

Setting: Community dwellers in Japan.

Prevalence of and factors associated with smoking among Japanese medical students.

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with smoking among Japanese medical students, to help promote effective antismoking measures in this population.

Methods: From the 80 university medical schools in Japan, 20 were randomly selected and invited to participate in our survey. The survey focused on medical students and employed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire.

Associations between sleep disturbance and mental health status: a longitudinal study of Japanese junior high school students.

Background: A limited number of longitudinal studies have addressed the association between sleep disturbance and mental health status among adolescents. To examine whether each of these is a risk factor for the onset of the other, we conducted a prospective longitudinal study of Japanese adolescents.

Methods: In 2004, we performed a baseline study of students attending three private junior high schools in Tokyo, and in 2006, a follow-up study was performed on the same population.

A tale of two countries--the United States and Japan: are differences in health due to differences in overweight?

Background: Despite similar standards of living and health care systems for older persons, there are marked differences in the relative health of the elderly populations in the United States (US) and Japan. We explore the association of overweight and obesity with these health disparities.

Methods: Data on older adults from the US National Health Interview Survey (1994) and the Longitudinal Study of Aging II (1994) were compared to similar data from the 1999-2001 Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Alcohol consumption behavior of pregnant women in Japan.

Objective: This study was conducted to clarify the prevalence of alcohol consumption among pregnant women in Japan and its associated factors.

Method: 344 institutions participated in the survey which was conducted in February 2006. Each subject was requested to fill out a self-administered anonymous questionnaire.

Alcohol consumption and abstention among pregnant Japanese women.

Background: In order to clarify the alcohol consumption status of pregnant women in Japan and the characteristics of pregnant women who abstained from alcohol after their pregnancy had been confirmed, a nationwide questionnaire-based study of alcohol consumption behavior was performed. We also examined the factors associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy and abstention after the confirmation of pregnancy.

Methods: After random sampling, 260 institutions participated in the survey; these were selected from a list of survey points fixed by the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Smoking trends before, during, and after pregnancy among women and their spouses.

Background: Pregnancy and childbirth can act as strong factors motivating parents to spontaneously quit smoking. The aim of the present survey was to establish smoking cessation guidelines for this group. The objectives were to clarify the smoking status of parents before, during and after pregnancy, as well as the factors associated with continuous smoking during pregnancy and post-partum smoking relapse among women who had stopped smoking during pregnancy.

Novel wide-range quantitative nested real-time PCR assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA: development and methodology.

Previously, we designed an internally controlled quantitative nested real-time (QNRT) PCR assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in order to rapidly diagnose tuberculous meningitis. This technique combined the high sensitivity of nested PCR with the accurate quantification of real-time PCR. In this study, we attempted to improve the original QNRT-PCR assay and newly developed the wide-range QNRT-PCR (WR-QNRT-PCR) assay, which is more accurate and has a wider detection range.

Novel wide-range quantitative nested real-time PCR assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA: clinical application for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.

Although the "gold standard" for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is bacterial isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, there are still several complex issues. Recently, we developed an internally controlled novel wide-range quantitative nested real-time PCR (WR-QNRT-PCR) assay for M. tuberculosis DNA in order to rapidly diagnose TBM.

Association between sleep duration and hemoglobin A1c level.

Objective: The association between sleep habits and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level has not been sufficiently examined. In the present study of residents in a local community, the associations between sleep duration and HbA1c level were examined.

Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to 1062 residents in a rural community in Japan, and completed questionnaires were collected.

Effect of age at menopause on blood pressure in postmenopausal women.

Background: A major mechanism of hypertension in many postmenopausal women is deficiency of female gonadal steroids. A long postmenopausal period may thus represent one factor that influences the prevalence of hypertension because of long periods of estrogen loss.

Methods: When we conducted a medical survey in northwestern China, we also asked 150 postmenopausal female subjects to provide age at menopause in a questionnaire.

Association between subjective well-being and sleep among the elderly in Japan.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sleep and subjective quality of life in an elderly Japanese population.

Methods: Elderly people aged 70 years or more (n=1,769) were selected randomly from all areas of Japan. They were visited and interviewed in November 2003.

Prevalence of smoking and associated factors among pregnant women in Japan.

Objective: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of smoking among pregnant women living in Japan and to analyze the factors associated with their smoking behavior.

Method: Five hundred institutions with maternity services were randomly sampled from a list of the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Of these institutions, 260 participated in the survey which was conducted in February 2002.

Use of alcohol and hypnotic medication as aids to sleep among the Japanese general population.

Objective: The present study was conducted to clarify the prevalence of the use of alcohol and hypnotic medication as sleep aids, and associated factors, in the general population in Japan.

Methods: The survey was conducted in June 2000, using self-administered questionnaires, targeting a population that was selected randomly from among 300 communities throughout Japan. A total of 18,205 responses indicating alcohol use and 16,804 responses indicating hypnotic medication use were analyzed.

Quantitative nested real-time PCR assay for assessing the clinical course of tuberculous meningitis.

Although the "gold standard" for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is bacterial isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. Tb), there are still several complex issues. Recently, in the diagnosis of TBM, the detection of M.

The relationship between depression and sleep disturbances: a Japanese nationwide general population survey.

Objective: Among the existing epidemiologic studies that have examined the relationship between depression and sleep disturbances, there are few nationwide studies that have been conducted on subjects representing the general population. The present study was therefore conducted to clarify the relationship between depression and sleep disturbances, in particular the relationship between depression and both sleep duration and subjective sleep sufficiency, using a large sample representative of the general population.

Method: The survey was conducted in June 2000, using self-administered questionnaires, targeting a population that was selected randomly from among 300 communities throughout Japan.

Factors associated with exclusive breast-feeding in Japan: for activities to support child-rearing with breast-feeding.

Background: Benefits of breast-feeding are not only limited to nutrition and sanitation in developing countries but also extend to cost-saving health care and alleviation of anxiety related to childrearing in developed countries. This study aims to elucidate factors associated with exclusive breast-feeding in Japan and use this information to achieve child-rearing support worldwide by promoting breast-feeding.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from a survey conducted by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of the Japanese government, the First Longitudinal Survey of Babies in 21st Century.

Epidemiological study on passive smoking among Japanese infants and smoking behavior of their respective parents: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Background: Passive smoking is a well-known health hazard for infants. This study was conducted to: (1) estimate the prevalence of passive smoking among Japanese infants and (2) clarify the prevalence of indoor smoking and associating factors among parents having infants.

Methods: Subjects were all 53,575 infants born throughout Japan on January 10-17, 2001 or July 10-17, 2001.

Daytime sleepiness, sleep habits and occupational accidents among hospital nurses.

Aim: This paper reports a study to determine the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep habits among hospital nurses and to analyse associations between excessive daytime sleepiness and different types of medical error.

Background: It has been reported that sleep disorders, and the tiredness and sleepiness brought about by sleep disorders may be associated with occupational accidents. However, to our knowledge, there has so far been no report on associations between sleep disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness in particular, and occupational accidents among hospital nurses.

Relation of smoking and drinking to sleep disturbance among Japanese pregnant women.

Background: Pregnant women suffer from sleep disturbance, which may be aggravated by smoking and/or drinking. We investigate here the joint effect of smoking and drinking with respect to sleep disturbance during pregnancy.

Methods: Survey of about 16,000 pregnant women in Japan, conducted in 2002 using a self-administered questionnaire.

The relationship of job type to burnout in social workers at social welfare offices.

This study sought to determine the relationship of job type differences to burnout level, the details of job characteristics for each job type, and the association between burnout and job factors in 189 social workers at all social welfare offices in a prefecture in Japan. Among the three job types, 32.9% of social workers involved with public assistance, 29.

Excessive daytime sleepiness among the Japanese general population.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the principal symptoms of sleep disturbances, and is often associated with serious consequences including traffic and industrial accidents, decreased productivity, and interpersonal problems. However, there are few epidemiologic studies on excessive daytime sleepiness in a large scale sample targeting Japanese general population.

Methods: The survey was performed using a self-administered questionnaire in June 2000, targeting a population randomly selected from among 300 communities throughout Japan.

Smoking among Japanese nursing students: nationwide survey.

Aim: This paper reports a study estimating the nationwide prevalence of and attitudes towards smoking among Japanese nursing students.

Background: The World Health Organization established "World No Tobacco Day" in 1987, and has been promoting antismoking measures worldwide since then, with annual themes. It has emphasized that health care professionals, including nurses, as role models for healthy living, should not smoke, and that as promoters of health education they should not seem to justify or condone their patients' smoking.

Endoscopic prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma by evaluation of bleeding esophageal varices.

Background: Prognostic indicators for patients with liver cirrhosis accompanied by esophageal varices are hemorrhage of the varices and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although predictors for HCC have been reported, few studies have investigated the correlation between carcinoma development and endoscopic findings of bleeding varices. We examined whether endoscopic variceal findings such as form (F factor), color (C factor) and red color sign (RC factor) predict development of HCC.