Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children overweight in Japan in 2020.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and overweight incidence among preadolescent elementary school children in Japan.

Methods: A population-based longitudinal study was conducted in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan, using data from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study. The control group (2016-2018) comprised 434 children, and the COVID-19 exposure group (2018-2020) included 3500 children.

Association between maternal dissatisfaction with oneself at birth and shaking and smothering toward the offspring up to 18 months old.

Background: A mother who feels dissatisfaction with herself may resort to abusive behavior such as shaking or smothering toward their offspring. Understanding this association can inform effective prevention strategies.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations between maternal feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself and infant physical abuse.

The effect of breathing relaxation to improve poor sleep quality in adults using a huggable human-shaped device: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To examine whether or not breathing relaxation, using a huggable human-shaped device, improves poor sleep quality in adults.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial using outpatients with sleep problems from two clinics in Japan. The intervention group conducted three minutes of breathing relaxation using a huggable human-shaped device before going to bed every night for four weeks.