[The effects of bereavement of friends on depression in adulthood: age and family support as moderators].

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the moderating effects of age and social support from family members in the relationship between the bereavement of friends and depression. The participants were 1 402 Japanese community-dwelling men and women aged between 40 and 79 years, who had done the baseline and the two-year follow-up surveys of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA). By using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, we detected a significant interaction between age, social support from family members, and the bereavement of friends.

[Age and gender differences as factors related to depressive symptoms among community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly people].

This study was conducted to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms among males and females in two age groups; the middle-aged (40-59 years) and elderly (60-79 years). Subjects were 2211 community-dwelling people (1115 males and 1096 females). Depressive symptoms were estimated by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).

Age differences in the effect of physical activity on depressive symptoms.

This study examined associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms in 1,151 community-dwelling adults in Japan. Physical activity was measured using a pedometer, whereas depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. A structural equation modeling with a cross-lagged panel design revealed that for the older adults (65-79 years of age), daily walking at baseline predicted fewer depressive symptoms at the 2-year follow-up, even after adjusting for confounders.

The impact of health problems on depression and activities in middle-aged and older adults: age and social interactions as moderators.

In this study, we compared the impact of health problems (HPs) on everyday activities and depressive symptoms between middle-aged and older adults. We also examined what type and source of social interactions moderate the noxious effects of HPs. Longitudinal analyses of data with 1,802 Japanese community-dwelling adults indicated that HPs were significantly related to (a) an increase in depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults and (b) a decline in everyday activities among older adults.

[Effects of shift work schedule on mood changes among female nurses].

This study examined the short-term effects of shift work on mood changes. The subjects were 1,608 Japanese female nurses, working on rotating 3-shift schedules consisted of day, evening, and night shift. Repeated measurements of six dimensions of mood and sleep hours in four consecutive days were analyzed.