Challenges in breast and cervical cancer control in Japan.

Since the mid-1990s, there has been an increasing incidence of, and mortality from, cervical and breast cancers in Japan. Such an increase has raised concerns over the efficiency of Japan's screening programmes for these cancers. Although citizens benefit from universal health coverage, the Japanese health insurance system mostly focuses on tertiary prevention and disease treatment, while secondary prevention (screening) is low priority.

Increase of colon and rectal cancer incidence rates in Japan: trends in incidence rates in Miyagi Prefecture, 1959-1997.

Background: During recent decades, colorectal cancer incidence rates have been rapidly increasing in Japan. To investigate trends in colorectal cancer incidence rates, we analyzed incidence data during 39 years between 1959 and 1997 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Methods: Using age-period-cohort models, we evaluated the effects of time period and cohort on colon and rectal cancer incidence.

Science and ethics in epidemiology.

This article is the summary of my Special Lecture at the 14th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japan Epidemiological Association in 2004. Epidemiology is defined as the "science of investigating the distribution of diseases in human populations and their determinants." Recent advances in study methodology, especially a widespread conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), have strengthened the scientific basis of epidemiology.

Reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale in Japan: relationship with demographic factors and health-related behavior.

We assessed the reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC scale) in a rural Japanese community. The study subjects were 2388 men and 2454 women aged 40-79 years, who completed a questionnaire regarding socio-demographics, health-related behavior, such as smoking and drinking, and the MHLC. The Cronbach alpha of the MHLC scale, which is an indicator of the internal consistency of the scale, was within the range 0.