Prevalence of pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis in the postpartum period: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis in postpartum women within 1 year of delivery. We searched MEDLINE via PubMed and Igaku Chuo Zasshi for articles published in English or Japanese from the inception of the database to September 2021. Two researchers independently screened and included observational studies reporting the prevalence of pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis in postpartum women within 1 year of delivery.

Feasibility and Usability of the Job Adjustment Mobile App for Pregnant Women: Longitudinal Observational Study.

Background: Working pregnant women often need to adjust their physically demanding jobs for a healthy pregnancy. However, uncertainty about the extent of these adjustments can hinder their effectiveness. To address this, we developed the Job Adjustment mobile app, which allows users to input job and health details to generate a variety of personalized action plans.

Occupational stress is associated with job performance among pregnant women in Japan: comparison with similar age group of women.

Background: Pregnancy results in physical and psychological changes in women; however, pregnant women hesitate to take a break from work even when they feel the need. Since working while physically ill leads to decreased job performance, it is important to determine the factors that lead to this phenomenon.

Aim: To study the occupational stress associated with job performance and absenteeism of pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women.

Prevalence of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and related factors among Japanese female healthcare workers.

Objectives: Women working in the medical field may be at risk for pelvic floor dysfunction due to high physical activity levels leading to increased abdominal pressure; however, the actual situation remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and its associated factors among Japanese women working in the medical field.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among female employees at a public hospital in Japan from July to August 2020.

Prevalence of urinary retention after vaginal delivery: a systematic review and meta- analysis.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Postpartum urinary retention requires timely detection and intervention as late detection can lead to long-term voiding dysfunction; however, trends in the prevalence of urinary retention during the postpartum period remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled overall prevalence of overt and covert urinary retention in women after vaginal delivery and the difference in prevalence within 4 days after delivery.

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Ichu-shi web, and J-stage databases were searched up until October 2020.

Relationship between low back pain and stress urinary incontinence at 3 months postpartum.

Previous studies have proposed that pelvic misalignment may be associated with stress urinary incontinence through a decrease in the contractile function of the pelvic floor muscles; however, this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between low back pain, an indication of pelvic misalignment, and stress urinary incontinence at 3 months postpartum. We conducted a cross-sectional study of women who gave birth to full-term babies between July 2008 and July 2009.

Factors Associated With the Work Productivity of Japanese Working Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: Working pregnant women experience physical and psychosocial changes, which are associated with two aspects of work productivity: presenteeism and absenteeism. We examined the factors that affect these two aspects.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April to May 2019 through an online survey.

Associations between Coparenting Relationships and Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Negative Bonding to Infant.

Maternal mental illnesses during early postpartum may be caused by lack of the coparenting relationship parents share and cooperate regarding child-rearing. This study clarifies the association of the coparenting relationship and negative mental health of mothers at one and three months after childbirth. This study conducted a secondary analysis of data from an intervention study wherein 24 mothers rearing their first child with a cohabitant (husband/partner) participated.

Relationship between number of menopausal symptoms and work performance in Japanese working women.

Objective: The presence of various menopausal symptoms could decrease work performance because symptom management strategies differ, and it is difficult to control all symptoms at work. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the number of menopausal symptoms experienced and work performance in working women.

Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted with 599 working Japanese women aged 45 to 65 years.

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Sedentary Behavior Reduction Program during Pregnancy: A Semi-Experimental Study.

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with maternal benefits. Therefore, innovative strategies that promote PA are needed. This study investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a sedentary behavior (SB) reduction program during pregnancy.

Obesity, smoking, and risk of vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a pooled analysis of eight cohort studies.

Background: Frequent and severe vasomotor symptoms during menopause are linked with adverse health outcomes. Understanding modifiable lifestyle factors for the risk of vasomotor menopausal symptoms is important to guide preventive strategies.

Objective: We investigated the associations between body mass index and smoking, their joint effects with the risk of vasomotor symptoms, and whether the associations differed by menopausal stage.

Developing a Prenatal Couple Education Program Focusing on Coparenting for Japanese Couples: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Having and raising children can be a source of joy for parents. However, the transition to parenthood is associated with a certain degree of strain and stress, and couple relationship quality often declines during the transition. Coparenting, the shared responsibility of childrearing, benefits both parents and children and is an important aspect of the transition to parenthood.

Longitudinal study of physical activity using an accelerometer in Japanese pregnant women.

Aim: To describe the characteristics of objectively measured physical activity (PA) during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy using a accelerometer.

Methods: This was a longitudinal observational study wherein PA in pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters was measured for seven consecutive days using a accelerometer (Silmee W10, TDK, Japan).

Results: A total of 34 primiparous women were examined.

Soy intake and vasomotor menopausal symptoms among midlife women: a pooled analysis of five studies from the InterLACE consortium.

Background/objectives: Phytoestrogen rich-foods such as soy may be associated with less frequent/severe vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS), although evidence is limited. We thus investigated the associations between the consumption of soy products and soy milk and the frequency/severity of VMS.

Subjects/methods: We pooled data from 19,351 middle-aged women from five observational studies in Australia, UK, USA, and Japan that contribute to the International Collaboration for a Life course Approach to reproductive health and Chronic disease Events (InterLACE).

The role of sleep difficulties in the vasomotor menopausal symptoms and depressed mood relationships: an international pooled analysis of eight studies in the InterLACE consortium.

Background: Many women experience both vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS) and depressed mood at midlife, but little is known regarding the prospective bi-directional relationships between VMS and depressed mood and the role of sleep difficulties in both directions.

Methods: A pooled analysis was conducted using data from 21 312 women (median: 50 years, interquartile range 49-51) in eight studies from the InterLACE consortium. The degree of VMS, sleep difficulties, and depressed mood was self-reported and categorised as never, rarely, sometimes, and often (if reporting frequency) or never, mild, moderate, and severe (if reporting severity).

Maternal Gaze Behaviors During Latching-On for Breastfeeding.

Background: Studies in various fields have demonstrated that experts use specific gaze strategies to achieve better performance. Therefore, we hypothesized that mothers familiar with breastfeeding would use a specific gaze strategy to achieve better latching-on.

Methods: A head-mounted eye tracker was used to record pupil positions from 14 breastfeeding mothers with 1-month-old infants.

The InterLACE study: Design, data harmonization and characteristics across 20 studies on women's health.

Objectives: The International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Events (InterLACE) project is a global research collaboration that aims to advance understanding of women's reproductive health in relation to chronic disease risk by pooling individual participant data from several cohort and cross-sectional studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the characteristics of contributing studies and to present the distribution of demographic and reproductive factors and chronic disease outcomes in InterLACE.

Study Design: InterLACE is an individual-level pooled study of 20 observational studies (12 of which are longitudinal) from ten countries.

Immediate Needs and Concerns among Pregnant Women During and after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Introduction: Pregnant and postpartum women are especially vulnerable to natural disasters. These women suffer from increased risk of physical and mental issues including pregnant related problems. Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which hit the Philippines affected a large number of people and caused devastating damages.

Comfort with motherhood in late pregnancy facilitates maternal role attainment in early postpartum.

Quality of life, comfort, and wellbeing during pregnancy are essential for every country in the world. Pregnancy is considered a preparation period for becoming a mother. Maternal role development, including confidence and satisfaction as a mother, is important in the transition to motherhood.

Cross-sectional online survey of research productivity in young Japanese nursing faculty.

Aim: To investigate the factors affecting the research productivity of young nursing faculty in Japan.

Methods: An online survey targeting young nursing scholars (aged ≤ 39 years) who were members of the Japan Academy of Nursing Science was conducted from October to November 2012. Of 1634 potential respondents, 648 completed the survey (39.

Remote community-based public health nursing during a disaster: an ethnographic case study in Japan.

Background: The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 generated a tsunami that directly struck Japan. Public health nurses (PHNs) played important roles in this disaster response and community recovery. This research identified a PHN's experience in an affected area.

Committed to working for the community: experiences of a public health nurse in a remote area during the Great East Japan Earthquake.

We examined the experiences of a public health nurse (PHN) in a rural area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. We used an ethnographic method to obtain in-depth information about her experiences, from which six themes were developed. The PHN risked her life to protect members of the community, but she remained anxious to see her own young children as soon as possible.

Assessment of quality of life in pregnant Japanese women: comparison of hospitalized, outpatient, and non-pregnant women.

This cross-sectional study explored the comfort and quality of life in hospitalized, preterm, pregnant women compared with pregnant outpatients, and identified the relationship between comfort, quality of life, and hospitalization. Two-hundred-and-twenty-one hospitalized pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from obstetric units, and 1015 outpatient pregnant women were recruited from obstetric outpatient units in Japan. The women were questioned on six domains of the Japanese Short-Form-36 version 2 (bodily pain, general health, vitality, role emotional, social functioning, and mental health) and on their subjective comfort.

Cross-cultural comparisons of health-related quality of life in Australian and Japanese midlife women: the Australian and Japanese Midlife Women's Health Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to address (1) the existence of an association between menopausal status and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Australian and Japanese women and (2) the relative contributions of menopausal status, modifiable lifestyle risk factors, health, and sociodemographic factors on HRQOL.

Design: The Australian and Japanese Midlife Women's Health Study (AJMWHS) was a multisite, population-based study conducted in 2001 to 2002. Measures were conducted on data collected from a survey questionnaire used for a sample of women from Australia and Japan.

Relationship between menopausal symptoms and menopausal status in Australian and Japanese women: preliminary analysis.

The main aim of the present study was to explore the midlife experience for women living in Australia and Japan. The specific objectives of the study included: (i) comparing menopausal symptoms between the two groups; and (ii) comparing the factor structure of symptoms and exploring their relationship to menopausal status. Postal questionnaires were distributed to two structured, random population based samples of midlife women aged 45-60 years; consisting of 712 women living in Australia and 1502 women living in Japan.