Validity and reliability of Japanese version of the MAPO index for assessing manual patient handling in nursing homes.

Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) among caregivers in Japanese nursing homes has long been considered an occupational health issue. This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of our developed Japanese version of the Movement and Assistance for Hospitalized Patients (J-MAPO) index, a risk assessment tool for LBP, in nursing homes.

Methods: Two inspectors assessed 15 nursing homes using J-MAPO, and deduced 3 LBP risk levels as follows: low, moderate, and high risk.

Fitting the task to a person with disabilities: A case of return-to-work support for a patient due to left-sided poststroke hemiplegia using tailor-made jigs-and-tools.

Background: A 45-year-old Japanese male pharmacist developed a stroke in December 2018; hence, he had left-sided hemiplegia due to the after-effects of cerebral stroke. This paper reports the return-to-work (RTW) and after RTW support for poststroke patients from a combined ergonomic and rehabilitation perspective.

Methods: From April 2019 to July 2020, we visited hospitals and workplaces multiple times, making various preparations for workplace accommodation and exchanging information as follows: allowing staggered working hours; securing the flow routes in the back room; equipping a cane holder on his working desk; and adjusting the position of the work tablet.

Effect of six months lifestyle intervention in Japanese men with metabolic syndrome: randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) has been remarkably increasing worldwide. However, few studies have examined the effect of lifestyle intervention among subjects with MS. We investigated the effect of a six-month lifestyle modification program on the prevalence of MS and its associated biomarkers among Japanese men with MS.