Longitudinal association between posterior occlusal contact and dementia development in a large retrospective cohort study using a Japanese claims database.

This study examines the association between posterior occlusal contact and the risk of dementia development in the Japanese population, utilizing Eichner classification to evaluate occlusal status. Data from Japanese health insurance claims were analyzed for the period from April 2016 to March 2022. Participants had undergone specific health checkups, had no prior history of dementia, and were classified according to their dental occlusal contact.

Food group intakes and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein among community-dwelling Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Healthy dietary patterns have been linked to lower levels of chronic inflammation. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between food group intakes and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) among community-dwelling adults.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Secondhand tobacco exposure assessed using urinary cotinine among 10-year-old children in Japan: An 11-year repeated cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The emergence of heated tobacco products (HTPs) has made it important to monitor HTP-generated aerosols in addition to combustible cigarette (CC) smoke as a source of secondhand tobacco (SHT) exposure. We investigated the trend of SHT exposure in school-aged children and assessed whether SHT exposure depended on household tobacco use status.

Methods: This repeated cross-sectional study from 2011 to 2021 (15,927 participants) was based on data from an annual survey of fourth-grade students (aged 10 years) in Kumagaya City, Japan.

Validity of claims-based definition of number of remaining teeth in Japan: Results from the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence Study.

Background: Secondary healthcare data use has been increasing in the dental research field. The validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data has been reported in several studies, but has not been tested in the general population in Japan.

Objectives: To evaluate the validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data and assess its predictability against subsequent health deterioration.

Changes in the Utilization of Outpatient and Visiting Dental Care and Per-attendance Care Cost by Age Groups During COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in Japan: A Time-series Analysis From the LIFE Study.

Background: The influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental care utilization may have differed according to individual characteristics or type of dental care provision. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dental care utilization and per-attendance costs by age group and type of dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Methods: This time-series study used healthcare insurance claims data from 01/07/2019 to 09/27/2021 (143 weeks) from nine municipalities in Japan.

Tooth loss mediates the association between smoking and an increased risk of dementia among older adults: The JAGES prospective cohort study.

Aim: Tooth loss has various causes; however, its cause-specific effects on health outcomes remain unclear. This study evaluated whether the association between past/current smoking and risk of dementia was mediated by tooth loss.

Materials And Methods: This 9-year-follow-up prospective cohort study targeted adults aged ≥65 years.

Bivalent mRNA vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 among older adults in Japan: a test-negative study from the VENUS study.

Background: Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines have been implemented worldwide since the booster vaccination campaigns of autumn of 2022, but little is known about their effectiveness. Thus, this study holistically evaluated the effectiveness of bivalent vaccines against infection in older adults in Japan.

Methods: We adopted the test-negative design using COVID-19 test data of individuals, aged ≥ 65 years, residing in three municipalities in Japan, who underwent tests in medical institutions between October 1 and December 30, 2022.

Association Between Awareness of Limiting Food Intake and All-cause Mortality: A Cohort Study in Japan.

Background: Improving diets requires an awareness of the need to limit foods for which excessive consumption is a health problem. Since there are limited reports on the link between this awareness and mortality risk, we examined the association between awareness of limiting food intake (energy, fat, and sweets) and all-cause mortality in a Japanese cohort study.

Methods: Participants comprised 58,772 residents (27,294 men; 31,478 women) aged 35-69 years who completed baseline surveys of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study from 2004 to 2014.

Reduced number of teeth with and without dental prostheses and low frequency of laughter in older adults: Mediation by poor oral function.

Purpose: Laughter is expected to have health-protective effects, but the potential link between tooth loss and laughter remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between tooth loss and a low frequency of laughter among older adults in Japan, to elucidate whether this association could be mitigated by dental prostheses, and to evaluate the magnitude of the association mediated by poor oral function.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 157,708 functionally independent participants aged ≥65 years (46.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against infection in Japan: A test-negative study from the VENUS study.

Background: Although the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is a crucial public health concern, evidence from Western Pacific countries is limited, including Japan. This study aimed to estimate the COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness (VE) against infection during the Delta variant predominance (July-September 2021) in Japan.

Methods: We performed a test-negative study using COVID-19 test data of ≥20-year-old residents in four municipalities who were tested in medical institutions between July 1 and September 30, 2021.

Compliance Trajectory and Patterns of COVID-19 Preventive Measures, Japan, 2020-2022.

COVID-19 remains a global health threat. Compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions is essential because of limited effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, emergence of highly contagious variants, and declining COVID-19 antibody titers over time. We evaluated compliance with 14 nonpharmaceutical intervention-related COVID-19 preventive behaviors, including mask wearing, ventilation, and surface sanitation, in a longitudinal study in Japan using 4 waves of Internet survey data obtained during 2020-2022.

Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat Intakes and Risk of Mortality in the Japanese Population: the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study.

Background: Previous cohort studies have yielded contradictory findings regarding the associations of dietary carbohydrate and fat intakes with risks of mortality.

Objectives: We examined long-term associations of carbohydrate and fat intakes with mortality.

Methods: In this cohort study, 34,893 men and 46,440 women aged 35-69 y (mean body mass index of 23.

Oral status and incident functional disability: A 9-year prospective cohort study from the JAGES.

Introduction: The population-attributable risk of oral status for incident functional disability remains unknown. We investigated the impact of a range of oral statuses (number of remaining teeth, chewing difficulty, dry mouth, and choking) on incident functional disability.

Methods: Participants (n = 44,083) aged ≥ 65 years from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were evaluated.

Secondhand Aerosol Exposure From Heated Tobacco Products and Its Socioeconomic Inequalities in Japan: The JASTIS Study 2017-2020.

Introduction: The growing use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) has raised concerns about secondhand aerosol (SHA) from HTPs, but few studies have been reported on it. This study aimed to investigate the trends in SHA exposure and their socioeconomic inequalities in Japan.

Methods: The prevalence of SHA exposure from 2017 to 2020 was estimated using longitudinal internet survey data of 5221 participants, aged 20-69 years in 2017 (baseline), with adjustments using inverse probability weighting for "being a participant in an internet survey".

Occasions for laughter and dementia risk: Findings from a six-year cohort study.

Aim: Currently, there is little evidence on the relationship between laughter and the risk of dementia, and since laughter is mainly a social behavior, we aimed to examine the association between various occasions for laughter and the risk of dementia in Japanese older adults.

Methods: We draw upon 6-year follow-up data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, including 12 165 independent older adults aged 65 years or over. Occasions for laughter were assessed using a questionnaire, while dementia was diagnosed using the standardized dementia scale of the long-term care insurance system in Japan.

Effect of the interaction between physical activity and estimated macronutrient intake on HbA1c: population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Introduction: Healthy diet and physical activity (PA) are essential for preventing type 2 diabetes, particularly, a combination of diet and PA. However, reports on interaction between PA and diet, especially from large epidemiological studies, are limited. We investigated the effect of interaction between PA and macronutrient intake on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in the general population.

Does laughing with others lower the risk of functional disability among older Japanese adults? The JAGES prospective cohort study.

While laughter is evoked mainly in social contexts, the potential link between laughter in daily life and health benefits is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between laughter in daily life and the onset of functional disability among older adults in Japan. Data were obtained from a 6-year follow-up cohort of 12,571 participants (46.

Sex-specific Relationship Between Stress Coping Strategies and All-cause Mortality: Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study.

Background: Stress coping strategies are related to health outcomes. However, there is no clear evidence for sex differences between stress-coping strategies and mortality. We investigated the relationship between all-cause mortality and stress-coping strategies, focusing on sex differences among Japanese adults.

Prolonged sedentary time under the state of emergency during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019: Assessing the impact of work environment in Japan.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and the resulting state of emergency have restricted work environments, which may contribute to increased duration of sedentary behaviors. This study investigated the self-reported sedentary time of Japanese workers during and after the first state of emergency (April 7 to May 25, 2020) and examined differences in sedentary time after starting work from home and according to job type.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey, a web-based questionnaire survey conducted from August to September 2020 (n = 11,623; age range 15-79 years; 63.