Taro Matsuki

Purpose: This study examined associations between restorative sleep and subjective well-being, self-rated health, and positive lifestyle factors among community-dwelling adults (20-64 years) and older adults (≥65 years) in Japan, and identified sleep-promoting behaviors related to restorative sleep. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-based survey in Japan. Sample: Stratified random sample of 5000 residents aged ≥20 years in City B, Prefecture A; 2371 valid responses analyzed (47.4%). Intervention: Not applicable. Measures: Restorative sleep, subjective well-being, self-rated health, and positive lifestyle factors were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Analysis: Logistic regression was conducted separately for adults (20-64 years) and older adults (≥65 years), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking, and sleep medication; χ ² tests examined sleep-promoting behaviors. Results: In adults, restorative sleep was associated with subjective well-being (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.35-2.73), self-rated health (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.63-3.15), exercise habit (AOR = 1.85), diet balance (AOR = 1.40), and purpose in life (AOR = 1.40). In older adults, it was associated with self-rated health (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.19-3.77) and availability of a confidant (AOR = 2.62, 95% CI: 1.44-4.78). Getting up at a fixed time every morning and avoiding worries while in bed were related to restorative sleep in both groups. Conclusion: Restorative sleep was associated with health, psychosocial, and lifestyle factors with age-specific patterns. Limitations include cross-sectional, self-reported data, so causality cannot be inferred.

Background and Aims: In the neurobiological theory of attention, the orienting network mainly supports the temperamental regulatory function in infancy, with soothing methods such as visual attention distraction influencing its development. The attention distraction method chosen for soothing is thought to be influenced by maternal sensitivity, which has been found to decrease with poor maternal mental health. We hypothesize that the degree of maternal distress may affect the choice of attention distraction soothing method. Further, individual differences in being soothed by attention distraction will be associated with the temperamental regulation function in infancy/toddlerhood.Method: Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted on longitudinal data at 6 and 24 months on a sample (N = 1892) drawn from the sub‐cohort of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Temperament was examined through the short Infant Behavior Questionnaire‐Revised (Japanese version) and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (Japanese version). Distress in caregivers was measured through the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Japanese version) at prenatal and 1‐year‐postnatal stages. Individual differences in using visual distraction soothing methods were also measured using tailor‐made items.Results: Postnatal maternal distress at 12 months was negatively related to the tendency to use visual attention distraction as a soothing method (β = −0.06, p = 0.006) at 24 months. When we applied the subscale of the temperamental regulatory factor in SEM, the more the mothers chose the distraction method for soothing, i.e., the more the toddlers experienced it, the higher their attention shifting scores (β = 0.07, p = 0.002).Conclusion: The findings support the view that caregivers' choice of method for distracting offspring's attention from distress may be associated with the development of self‐regulation during infancy and toddlerhood.

The composition of human gut microbiota influences human health and disease over the long term. Since the flora in specimens can easily change at ambient temperature outside the body, epidemiological studies need feasible methods of stool specimen collection and storage to be established. We aimed to validate two methods: feces frozen-stored in tubes containing guanidine thiocyanate solution for two months after collection (Method B), and feces excreted in diapers and frozen-stored (Method C). Validation was by comparison with a gold standard Method A. Bacterial flora of five adults were sampled and stored by all three methods. Bacterial composition was examined by amplicon sequencing analysis. Bland–Altman analyses showed that Methods B and C might change relative abundances of certain bacterial flora. Thereafter, we analyzed the bacterial flora of 76 toddlers (two age groups) in stools sampled and processed by Method C. The diversity indices of toddlers’ flora were less than those of adults. The relative abundance of some bacteria differed significantly between children aged 1.5 and 3 years. The specimen collection and storage methods validated in this study are worth adopting in large-scale epidemiological studies, especially for small children, provided the limited accuracy for some specific bacteria is understood.

食事は，消防職員の体調を維持するために必要不可欠な要素である．本研究では，写真記録法による食事調査を行い，消防職員の栄養素・食品摂取状況を明らかにすること，また，そこから産業保健における栄養学上の課題を整理することを目的とした．その結果，1回以上の出動があった勤務日における消防職員の栄養素・食事摂取状況の特徴として，国民健康・栄養調査で報告されている一般成人の摂取量と同様の傾向があり，エネルギー，食物繊維，ビタミン類，ミネラル類等の摂取量が少ないことが明らかとなった．今後の課題として，熱中症予防のための食塩付加量，望ましい食事摂取と仮眠のタイミングなどに注目し，消防職員の作業性，人的能力，作業条件，作業環境などのシステム要素と栄養課題の調和を図る研究が必要と考えられた．

Ready-meal consumption is increasing worldwide; however, its impact on human health remains unclear. We aimed to examine the association between processed food and beverage consumption during pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant women were recruited for the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS), a nationwide, large-scale, prospective cohort study. This study included 104,102 registered children (including fetuses or embryos) and collected questionnaire-based data during the first and second/third trimester of pregnancy. Participants’ medical records were transcribed at pregnancy registration, immediately after delivery, and 1 month after delivery. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between processed food consumption and pregnancy outcomes. The incidence of stillbirth was higher in the group that consumed moderate (1–2 times per week) and high (≥3–7 times per week) amounts of ready-meals (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.054, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.442–2.926, q = 0.002; aOR = 2.632, 95% CI: 1.507–4.597, q = 0.007, respectively) or frozen meals (aOR = 2.225, 95% CI: 1.679–2.949, q < 0.001; aOR = 2.170, 95% CI: 1.418–3.322, q = 0.005, respectively) than in the group that rarely consumed such foods. Processed food consumption during pregnancy should be carefully considered.

This study aimed to explore effective measurement angles for pelvic incidence (PI) classification and to develop a quick, noninvasive assessment tool for PI classification. We defined five variation types of hip–knee line (HKL) angles and tested the discrimination ability of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using 125 photographs of upright standing posture from the right lateral side. ROC analysis revealed an applicable HKL angle defined by the line connecting the most raised part of the buttock and the central point of the knee and the midthigh line. The acceptable cut-off points for discriminating small or large PIs in terms of HKL angle were 18.5° for small PI (sensitivity, 0.91; specificity, 0.79) and 21.5° for large PI discrimination (sensitivity, 0.74; specificity, 0.72). In addition, we devised a quick noninvasive assessment tool for PI classification using the cut-offs of the HKL angle with a view to practical application. The results of intra- and inter-rater reliability ensured a substantial/moderate level of the tool (Cohen’s kappa coefficient, 0.79; Fleiss’s kappa coefficient, 0.50–0.54). These results revealed that the HKL angle can distinguish the size of the PI with a high/moderate discrimination ability. Furthermore, the tool indicated acceptable inter-/intra-rater reliability for practical applications.

Background: Pyrethroid (PYR) insecticides are widely used for controlling various pests. There are two types that differ in terms of usage: agricultural-purpose PYR (agriculture-PYR) and hygiene purpose PYR (hygiene-PYRs). Few studies exist on the exposure to these chemicals in small children. In this study, we conducted biomonitoring of urinary pyrethroid metabolites in 1.5-year-old children throughout the year.Methods: Study subjects were 1075 children participating in an Aichi regional sub-cohort of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study as of 18-month health check-up. The concentrations of four specific hygiene-PYR metabolites including 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-1,4-benzenedimethanol (HOCH2-FB-Al), and five common metabolites of hygiene- and agriculture-PYRs including 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA) and cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (DCCA), were measured in urine samples extracted from soiled diapers using a triple quadrupole gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer.Results: The highest detection frequencies were for 3PBA, followed by DCCA, 1R-trans-chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acid, and HOCH2-FB-Al. Among the six metabolites, urinary concentrations were seasonally varied. However, this variation was not observed in the most studied PYR metabolite, 3PBA. Spearman’s correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between FB-Al and DCCA (r = 0.56) and HOCH2-FB-Al and 4-methoxymethyl-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol (r = 0.60).Conclusions: This biomonitoring survey found widespread and seasonally specific exposure to multiple hygiene- and agriculture-PYRs in 1.5-year-old Japanese children.

To discuss appropriate physical activity (PA) levels during pregnancy, this prospective cohort study examined the relationships between PA levels before and during pregnancy and physical and mental health status. Fixed data for 104,102 pregnant women were used from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, of which data for 82,919 women were analyzed after excluding women with multiple birth and pregnancy complications. PA levels were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. The 8-Item Short Form Health Survey was used to measure outcomes. Logistic regression with multiple imputations showed that moderate PA for over 720 min/wk and vigorous PA before pregnancy were associated with poorer mental health in the first trimester (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.087–1.376. Walking in the second and third trimesters was associated with better physical and mental health (AOR: 0.855–0.932). Moderate PA over 1080 min/wk and vigorous PA in the second and third trimesters were associated with poorer mental health (AOR: 1.223–1.873). Increases over 4135.4 MET–min/wk and decreases in PA levels were associated with poorer mental and physical health (AOR: 1.070–1.333). Namely, pregnant women receiving health benefits prefer continuous walking in addition to avoiding vigorous PA and excessive changes in PA levels during pregnancy.