Spatial and temporal indoor temperature differences at home and perceived coldness in winter: A cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan.

Residents themselves are responsible for controlling their living environment, and their perception of coldness is important to protect their health. Although previous studies examined the association between perceived coldness and indoor temperature, they did not consider the spatial-temporal differences in indoor temperatures. This study, conducted in Japan, measured indoor temperatures in 1,553 houses across several rooms (living room, changing room, and bedroom) and heights (at 1 m above the floor and near the floor) over two weeks and obtained the perceived coldness from 2,793 participants during winter.

Role of housing in blood pressure control: a review of evidence from the Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan.

Current countermeasures for preventing hypertension emphasize only improvements to lifestyle. Recently, improving life environment has attracted attention, in parallel with publication of the WHO Housing and health guidelines. We quantitatively evaluated the relationship between housing thermal environment and blood pressure (BP) in a real-world setting.

Association between Indoor Temperature in Winter and Serum Cholesterol: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Smart Wellness Housing Survey in Japan.

Aim: Issuance of the WHO Housing and health guidelines has paralleled growing interest in the housing environment. Despite accumulating evidence of an association between outdoor temperature and serum cholesterol, indoor temperature has not been well investigated. This study examined the association between indoor temperature and serum cholesterol.

[Descriptive epidemiology of winter indoor and outdoor temperatures and their relationships based on SWH survey].

Objectives　The purpose of this study was to make clear the descriptive epidemiology and the relationship between the room temperature of living room, bedroom, dressing room, and outdoor during winter, based on the climate areas in Japan.Methods　This study targeted 3,781 people, survey for 5 years from 2014, based on the Smart Wellness Housing (SWH) project, which was carried out nationwide with the support of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. During winter, we recorded the outdoor temperature and living room, bedroom, and dressing room temperatures at 1 m above the floor and near the floor for two weeks.

Electrocardiogram abnormalities in residents in cold homes: a cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan.

Background: Excess winter mortality caused by cardiovascular disease is particularly profound in cold houses. Consistent with this, accumulating evidence indicates that low indoor temperatures at home increase blood pressure. However, it remains unclear whether low indoor temperatures affect other cardiovascular biomarkers.

Impact of indoor temperature instability on diurnal and day-by-day variability of home blood pressure in winter: a nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan.

Home blood pressure (HBP) variability is an important factor for cardiovascular events. While several studies have examined the effects of individual attributes and lifestyle factors on reducing HBP variability, the effects of living environment remain unknown. We hypothesized that a stable home thermal environment contributes to reducing HBP variability.

Decline in independence after three years and its association with dietary patterns and IADL-related factors in community-dwelling older people: an analysis by age stage and sex.

Background: Few studies have shown age stage and sex differences in the association among dietary patterns and various health factors related to disability in older people. This study aimed to reveal the differences of characteristics, including several dietary patterns, associated with a decline in independence over 3 years in community-dwelling independent older people. Specifically, we examined data by age stage, for people between 65 and 75 years (earlier-stage) and people aged 75 years or above (later-stage), and sex.

Disparities of indoor temperature in winter: A cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Smart Wellness Housing Survey in Japan.

The WHO Housing and health guidelines recommend a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C to prevent cold-related diseases. In Japan, indoor temperatures appear lower than in Euro-American countries because of low insulation standards and use of partial intermittent heating. This study investigated the actual status of indoor temperatures in Japan and the common characteristics of residents who live in cold homes.

Intervention study of the effect of insulation retrofitting on home blood pressure in winter: a nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey.

Objective: The WHO's Housing and health guidelines (2018) listed 'low indoor temperatures and insulation' as one of five priority areas, and indicated insulation retrofitting to help mitigate the effect of low indoor temperatures on health. However, there is still not enough evidence for the effect of insulation retrofitting based on an objective index.

Methods: We conducted a nonrandomized controlled trial comparing home blood pressure (HBP) between insulation retrofitting (942 households and 1578 participants) and noninsulation retrofitting groups (67 households and 107 participants).

Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Relationship Between Home Blood Pressure and Indoor Temperature in Winter: A Nationwide Smart Wellness Housing Survey in Japan.

Mortality due to cardiovascular disease rises sharply in winter. Known as excess winter mortality, this phenomenon is partially explained by cold exposure-induced high blood pressure. Home blood pressure, especially in the morning, is closely associated with cardiovascular disease risk.

[Association between feelings of happiness among community-dwelling, independent, elderly individuals in an Okinawan farm village and survival three years later].

Objectives　As an indicator of subjective wellbeing, feelings of happiness assessed based on simple items have not been fully elucidated in terms of its relation to survival during old age. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the predictive validity of feelings of happiness assessed using a 4-item measure is high as an indicator of assessing survival three years later, using a variety of factors as adjustment variables among independent, elderly individuals living in a farm village in Okinawa, wherein a spirit of mutual help is prevalent among the residents.Methods　From a longitudinal study conducted in 2012, a total of 1,471 respondents (638 men, 833 women), excluding participants who needed long-term care and non-respondents of their feelings of happiness, completed a detailed questionnaire.

Lower Physical Performance in Colder Seasons and Colder Houses: Evidence from a Field Study on Older People Living in the Community.

The aim of this paper was to explore the effect of seasonal temperature differences and cold indoor environment in winter on the physical performance of older people living in the community based on a field study. We recruited 162 home-dwelling older people from a rehabilitation facility in the Osaka prefecture, Japan; physical performance data were available from 98/162 (60.5%).

Dietary quality and its structural relationships among equivalent income, emotional well-being, and a five-year subjective health in Japanese middle-aged urban dwellers.

Background: Although dietary quality in middle-age and the prime age of a person's work career might be determined by positive emotional well-being based on socioeconomic status (SES), causation among determinants of dietary quality still remains unclear. Our purpose was to elucidate the structural relationships among five-year prior dietary quality, equivalent income, emotional well-being, and a five-year subjective health by sex and age group separately.

Methods: In 2003, 10,000 middle-aged urban dwellers aged 40-64 years, who lived in ward A in the Tokyo metropolitan area, were randomly selected and a questionnaire survey was conducted by mail.

Association between socioeconomic status (SES), mental health and need for long-term care (NLTC)-A Longitudinal Study among the Japanese Elderly.

This study was carried out to explore the relationship between the SES, mental health and the NLTC of the Japanese elderly, with the aim of providing useful information to lower the NLTC. A longitudinal survey was carried out in Tama City, Tokyo in 2001 and 2004. Data were collected from the urban-dwelling older adults, aged 65 years old and above, through self-reported questionnaires, which was participated by 7905 respondents (47.

Socioeconomic status, comorbidity, activity limitation, and healthy life expectancy in older men and women: a 6-year follow-up study in Japan.

This study aimed to explore the structural contributions of socioeconomic status (SES), comorbidity, and activity limitation to the healthy life expectancy (HALE) of Japanese suburban elderly. A questionnaire survey was distributed to all residents aged 65 years and older in Tama City, Tokyo, in 2001; a follow-up study was conducted in 2004; and individual vital status data from the municipal residents' registry were tracked until 2007. In all, 7,905 respondents were included for analysis.

[Risk factors for falls and survival after falling in elderly people in a community].

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with falls and to examine the effects of falls on survival of elderly people in a community.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in 16,462 urban elderly dwellers aged 65 years or more in City A in September 2001. A follow-up survey was carried out in September 2004.

The effects of socio-economic status and physical health on the long-term care needs of Japanese urban elderly: a chronological study.

Objectives: The aim of this chronological study was to elucidate the effects of socio-economic status (SES) and physical health on the long-term care (LTC) needs of a Japanese elderly population and to explore their causal relationships.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all residents aged 65 years and older of Tama City, Tokyo, in September 2001. A total of 13,195 completed questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 80.

[The relationship between students' well-being and their parents' knowledge and support in a metropolitan area].

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the causal relationship between students' well-being and their parents' knowledge and support in raising them in a prefecture by using covariance structural analysis.

Methods: In November 2007, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 11,363 elementary school students (4th grade),junior high school students (1st grade) and high school students (1st grade) as well as their parents. The total number of responses analyzed were 9,651 pairs of matched data for parents and their children.

[Chronological evaluation of physical, psychological and social health of urban elderly dwellers over 6 years and assessment of causal inter-relationships].

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to make a chronological evaluation over 6 years of physical, psychological and social health of urban elderly dwellers.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with all urban elderly dwellers of 65 years old or more in A City in September, 2001. Answers were obtained from 13,195 people (response rate of 80.

Declining hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in pregnant women: impact of anti-HCV screening of donated blood.

Background: Screening blood donors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody has effectively mitigated transfusion transmission of HCV. We conducted a post hoc analysis to clarify the impact of donor screening on a general population of reproductive-age females and their offspring.

Study Design And Methods: Anti-HCV screening in Japan started in late-1989.

[Comparison of factors correlating life satisfaction between full-time working women and housewives in an urban city using covariance structural analysis].

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify and compare components of life satisfaction between full-time working women and housewives in an urban city using covariance structural analysis.

Methods: A total of 165 community women were identified from the 2003 survey of life conditions in Kawasaki city. By using covariance structural analysis, the relationships between life satisfaction and three latent variables, [[gender role consciousness]] ([[ ]] indicates latent variable), [[self-efficacy]] and [[support from family or friends]] were analyzed within the context of working style.

[A study on the availability of subjective health indices for the aged focus on Japanese and Chinese studies].

With the follow on availability of indices for studies on subjective health centered in Japan and China, this paper reviews previous studies from the following perspectives: 1) reliability; 2) validity; 3) practicality. The aims was to determine the status of research, and future subjects for exploration. The following four conclusions were needed subjective health: 1) With regard to measurement methods an "even number balanced scale" which does not include middle points of choices such as "average" or "cannot tell which is better" is more reliable than an "odd number balanced scale" which includes middle points.

Relationships between plasma beta-amyloid peptide 1-42 and atherosclerotic risk factors in community-based older populations.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that atherosclerosis contributes to the development of dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). Convenient and valid biochemical markers of DAT are needed to control risk factors for this disease. The aims of the present study were thus (1) to determine the distribution of plasma beta-amyloid peptide1-42 (Abeta1-42) levels in an older population and (2) to investigate factors correlating with plasma levels of this amyloid peptide.

[Regional differences in ikigai (reason(s) for living) in elderly people--relationship between ikigai and family structure, physiological situation and functional capacity].

The purpose of this paper is a) to make a comparative study of the existence of ikigai (reason(s) for living) in elderly people and its relevance to their family structure, physiological situation and functional capacity in both rural areas and metropolitan suburban areas, and b) position basic research into the structure of ikigai in the near future, by clarifying several related factors, from which the concept of ikigai may be defined. The meaning of the word "ikigai" in Japanese is difficult to express exactly, and specialists in gerontology have varying definitions. If ikigai were translated from Japanese into English, it could be "reason(s) for living", "self-actualization", "meaning of life" and/or "purpose in life".