Service provision conditions for foreign residents in municipalities in Japan.

This study examined the actual conditions of service provision to foreign residents (FRs) addressing prevention of lifestyle-related diseases (LRDs) and disaster preparedness/disaster responses (DPRs) in Japanese municipalities. : A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire with representatives of public health nurses in each municipality in Japan from December 2021 to January 2022. Services considering FRs are more likely to be implemented in cities than in towns, and in municipalities where FRs account for ≥2.

Transition to a market economy and chronic psychosocial stress in northern Laos: An exploratory study of urinary free cortisol in rural residents.

Objectives: The indigenous population in northern Laos has experienced a transition from self-sufficiency to a market-oriented economy, which may have brought about unprecedented chronic psychosocial stress. This study examined the association between the transition to a market economy and urinary free cortisol (UFC) concentration as a stress biomarker among rural residents of three villages with different degrees of integration into the market economy.

Methods: An interview survey and urine sample collection were conducted in August 2018 and March 2019.

Impact of modernization on oxidative stress among indigenous populations in northern Laos.

Objectives: To explore the impact of modernization on oxidative stress during a momentous health transition process, we investigated differences in oxidative stress among the indigenous populations of villages in northern Laos with different levels of modernization.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 380 adults in three villages with different levels of modernization. Three biomarkers related to oxidative stress were measured: urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane concentrations (both measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), and blood telomere length (measured with qPCR).

Factors associated with failure to undergo health check-ups in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.

Municipal National Health Insurance (NHI) in Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan struggles with poor attendance of health check-ups, which was only 39.6% in 2018. This study aimed to evaluate factors that encourage healthy behaviors, including opting for health check-ups, and the characteristics of middle-aged and older individuals who did not undergo health check-ups.

Determinants of oxidative stress among indigenous populations in Northern Laos: Trace element exposures and dietary patterns.

Objectives: To investigate determinants of oxidative stress in an indigenous population, we examined associations of trace element exposures and dietary patterns with three oxidative stress-related biomarkers among indigenous populations in Northern Laos.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 341 adults from three villages with different levels of modernization. We used three oxidative stress-related biomarkers: urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane concentrations, which were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and blood telomere lengths, which were measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method.

Food store accessibility affects nutritional intake through shopping frequency and food intake in middle-aged to older adults in rural Nagasaki, Japan.

Objectives: The food environment is an important determinant of dietary and nutritional intake, but studies thus far have reported mixed results. We examined associations between food store accessibility and nutritional intake among middle-aged to older adults in rural Japan using data from a questionnaire survey of national health insurance enrollees.

Methods: The survey was conducted in Nagasaki, Japan, for individuals aged 40-74 years.

Impact of modernization on urinary concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium in rural residents of Northern Laos.

Objectives: The impacts of modernization on toxic heavy metal exposure and essential trace element intake in indigenous populations of subsistence societies are unknown. We assessed urinary trace element concentrations in rural residents of Northern Laos and examined associations with levels of modernization.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted comprising 380 residents of three villages in Northern Laos with different levels of modernization.

Factors Affecting Undernutrition among School Children in Cebu, Philippines.

School children in vulnerable areas continue to be at risk for undernutrition. This study investigated the factors associated with the nutritional status of school children in a rural municipality in Cebu, Philippines. Children aged 6-12 years (n = 327) and their parents were asked to participate.

Impact of prenatal heavy metal exposure on newborn leucocyte telomere length: A birth-cohort study.

Arsenic, cadmium and lead are toxic environmental contaminants. They were shown to be associated with telomere length (TL) in adults. Although they can cross the placental barrier, the effect of prenatal exposure of these metals on newborn TL is unknown.

Urban-rural difference in the determinants of dietary and energy intake patterns: A case study in West Java, Indonesia.

Background: Few studies have explored differences in the determinants of individual dietary/energy intake patterns between urban and rural areas.

Objective: To examine whether the associations between individual characteristics and dietary/energy intake patterns differ between urban and rural areas in West Java, Indonesia.

Methods: A 3-day weighed food record, interviews, and anthropometric measurements were conducted in Bandung (urban area; n = 85) and Sumedang (rural area; n = 201).

Prenatal Heavy Metal Exposure and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Myanmar: A Birth-Cohort Study.

Arsenic, cadmium and lead are well-known environmental contaminants, and their toxicity at low concentration is the target of scientific concern. In this study, we aimed to identify the potential effects of prenatal heavy metal exposure on the birth outcomes among the Myanmar population. This study is part of a birth-cohort study conducted with 419 pregnant women in the Ayeyarwady Division, Myanmar.

A systematic review of the prevalence and predictors of the double burden of malnutrition within households.

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the emergence of the double burden of malnutrition within households. We provide an overview of the literature regarding this phenomenon by reviewing previous studies of the prevalence of double-burden households and associated factors together with the research methods used. Studies were identified from the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science, using the same search terms for both.