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ABSTRACT: To elucidate whether extracurricular sports activity during rapid growth correlates with improved bone properties in late adolescence, a longitudinal observation was performed among 96 high-school enrollments (46 boys and 50 girls, born in 1981-1982) in metropolitan Tokyo.
In each year of high school, tibial cortical speed of sound (TCSOS) was measured by quantitative ultrasonometry, and participation in extracurricular sports activity (ECSA) since primary school was examined by structured questionnaire. We calculated the number of years since peak height velocity (ysPHV) based on annual records of height from 6 to 18 y of age to indicate progression of puberty.
The increase in TCSOS during high school in boys (32.5 m/s) was significantly greater than that in girls (5.4 m/s). The magnitude of positive association between ysPHV and TCSOS attenuated gradually over time. ECSA in grades 7-9 in boys and in grades 4-6 in girls were significant predictors of TCSOS throughout high school, independent of potential confounders.
The bone benefits of ECSA around the growth spurt are maintainable in subsequent years. The importance of physical activities that are integrated into the ordinary lifestyle of children and adolescents during this crucial period is emphasized.
Acta Paediatrica 01/2007; 95(12):1608-13. · 2.07 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Green tea has been widely acknowledged in Japan to induce a pleasurable mental feeling. Recent laboratory studies have suggested positive psychological effects as a result of consuming green tea. The present study examined whether green tea consumption in everyday life in Japan is associated with positive mental health.
A cross-sectional study was performed in February-March 2002.
The subjects of the study consisted of a general population of 600 Japanese aged 20-69 years. Responses of 380 subjects, obtained by home-visit interview, were analysed. The questionnaire inquired about consumption of brewed green tea and other beverages, perceived mental health status, lifestyle and others. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 12) was used for the assessment of mental ill-health (GHQ score >or=4).
After adjustments for age, area, perceived mental stress, lifestyle and daily caffeine intake, the consumption of brewed green tea was not statistically associated with any decrease in risk of mental ill-health among either males or females (odds ratio (OR)=0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.47-1.29 for males; OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.51-1.14 for females). Daily caffeine intake (100 mg) inclusive of green tea, black tea, coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages was associated with a higher risk of mental ill-health among females (OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.01-1.56).
The results provide population-based evidence on the consumption of brewed green tea in everyday life and mental health, together with information on consumption patterns of various beverages and lifestyles.
Public Health Nutrition 01/2006; 8(8):1300-6. · 2.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Objective Green tea has been widely acknowledged in Japan to induce a pleasurable mental feeling. Recent laboratory studies have suggested positive psychological effects as a result of consuming green tea. The present study examined whether green tea consumption in everyday life in Japan is associated with positive mental health.Design A cross-sectional study was performed in February–March 2002.Setting and subjects The subjects of the study consisted of a general population of 600 Japanese aged 20–69 years. Responses of 380 subjects, obtained by home-visit interview, were analysed. The questionnaire inquired about consumption of brewed green tea and other beverages, perceived mental health status, lifestyle and others. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 12) was used for the assessment of mental ill-health (GHQ score ≥4).Results After adjustments for age, area, perceived mental stress, lifestyle and daily caffeine intake, the consumption of brewed green tea was not statistically associated with any decrease in risk of mental ill-health among either males or females (odds ratio (OR) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.47–1.29 for males; OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.51–1.14 for females). Daily caffeine intake (100 mg) inclusive of green tea, black tea, coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages was associated with a higher risk of mental ill-health among females (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.01–1.56).Conclusions The results provide population-based evidence on the consumption of brewed green tea in everyday life and mental health, together with information on consumption patterns of various beverages and lifestyles.
Public Health Nutrition 11/2005; 8(08):1300 - 1306. · 2.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In order to examine the consumption of dietary supplements among urban adults and the impact of psychological stress on supplement use in relation to lifestyle, 375 interviews of a population-based sample of urban Japanese in 2002 were analysed. The usage of various supplements, stress process (daily stressors, psychological moderators, stress outcomes), personal health practices (smoking, alcohol drinking, physical exercise, fruit and vegetable juice consumption, health-conscious eating habits) and other background factors were measured. We examined the impacts of stress on the use of vitamin tablets and capsules, vitamin-enriched health drinks and health drinks for intestinal adjustment. The percentages of these three categories of supplement user were 26.9, 18.7 and 35.7%, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, subjects with 'two or more' daily stressors out of the eight stressors investigated consistently showed 2-fold higher levels of consumption of either vitamin tablets and capsules or vitamin-enriched drinks compared with their counterparts with 'one or less' daily stressors. Stress-outcome indicators also related, to a greater or less extent, to the elevated consumption of various supplements. Further lifestyle-stratified analyses revealed that the stress-supplementation relationships were weaker in subjects fulfilling more than three of the five investigated health practices (i.e. the healthy lifestyle group), but stronger in subjects with fewer than two healthy practices (i.e. the less healthy lifestyle group). In conclusion, dietary supplement consumption is independently associated with stress in urban adults. The uncontrolled use of supplements for the self-medication of stress or to compensate for unhealthy behaviour represents a health concern for the general population.
British Journal Of Nutrition 10/2005; 94(3):407-14. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the geographic variation in mortality indicators in Songjiang District of Shanghai under rapid change with urbanization. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to visualize the distributions of health status and to test the extent of spatial auto-correlation in the indictors. In 2001, total crude mortality was 687/100,000 for the district; the rates for the townships (N=15) in the district ranged from 444/100,000 to 805/100,000. GIS maps indicated that the mortality was higher in the marginal areas of the district. Significant positive auto-correlations were found in total crude mortality rates, death rate for infectious diseases, and death rates for digestive diseases. The measures that consider intra-region inequality in health needs will be required in the regions under urbanization.
Journal of medical and dental sciences 01/2005; 51(4):179-85.
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ABSTRACT: Preventive health practice is an important component of health promotion strategy. The objectives of this cohort study were to assess changes of health practices over 3 years among middle-aged Japanese men and to examine the factors related to their positive changes in lifestyle.
Three hundred thirty-four randomly selected men in Tokyo completed two face-to-face structured interviews, one in 1998 and the other in 2001. Daily health practices, health values, health-information-seeking, socioeconomic characteristics, and health status were assessed. A Health Practice Index (HPI) was calculated to reflect overall health behavior. According to the change of HPI, the mode of change in general health practice between the first and second interview was classified as positive change, no change, and negative change.
Percentages of the subjects who engaged in eight identified healthy practices ranged from 31.7% to 54.5% at baseline. The follow-up interval revealed the adoption of each particular healthy or unhealthy practice as 5.7% to 33.6%. A high value placed on health independently associated with positive change of general health practice (OR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.23 to 7.08), and inversely associated with negative change (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.18 to 1.10); consciously seeking health information associated with positive change (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.36) after controlling for socioeconomic and health status.
Considerable opportunity remains for urban middle-aged men to further improve their health behavior. Health values saliency, sensitively designed health information, and health status perception, as well as socioeconomic status, should be considered for successful promotion of healthy lifestyle among the adult male population.
Preventive Medicine 12/2004; 39(6):1164-71. · 3.22 Impact Factor
