Hitomi Okubo

National Institute of Public Health | NIPH · Department of Health Promotion

Purpose: Individuals with impaired masticatory function tend to prefer soft foods, which results in decreased masticatory muscle activity. This study examined the association between the oral condition (number of teeth, occlusal force, and occlusal contact area) and dietary hardness using a daily dietary questionnaire. Methods: This cross-sectional...

Milk is a good source of fats, minerals, and vitamins. The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal dairy product intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioral problems in 5-year-old Japanese children. Study subjects were 1199 mother–child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history question...

Objective Tryptophan is an essential amino acid wholly derived from diet. While the majority of tryptophan is degraded through the kynurenine pathway into neuroactive metabolites like quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, a small proportion of ingested tryptophan is metabolized into the neurotransmitter serotonin. The current cross-sectional study in...

Purpose Evidence regarding the relationship between maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and childhood blood pressure is limited and inconsistent. The present prebirth cohort study examined this issue in Japanese children aged 6 years. Methods Subjects were 854 mother-child pairs. Maternal intake during pregnancy was assessed with a validated...

A future sustainable dietary pattern for Japanese is yet undefined. This study aimed to explore more sustainable Japanese diets, that are nutritious, affordable, and with low greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and particular emphasis on cultural acceptability. A newly developed Data Envelopment Analysis diet model was applied to 4-d dietary record dat...

It is uncertain whether the effects of prenatal exposure to isoflavones on childhood behaviour are beneficial or detrimental. This prebirth cohort study investigated the associations between maternal consumption of soy products and isoflavones during pregnancy and behavioural problems in Japanese children aged 5 years. Subjects were 1199 mother–chi...

Objectives: Lower maternal metal intake during pregnancy might affect childhood development. The current prebirth cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal intake of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged five years. Methods: Subjects were 1199 mother-chil...

Aim To examine the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the development of food allergy in young Japanese children up to 3 years of age. Methods The study involved 1522 mother–child pairs. Data on maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy were assessed with a validated diet history questionnaire. Food allergy was defin...

Objective: We investigated the qualities or abilities that registered dietitians who belonged to various occupational fields needed for their current profession. Methods: Participants of this investigation were 203 registered dietitians who were members of the Japan Dietetic Association in July 2017, chosen from each professional category in divisi...

Objective: This study aimed to examine the standards of professional practice and the necessary qualities or abilities of a registered dietitian as considered by actively working registered dietitians, as well as the organization, environment, and education required to achieve these standards. Methods: Study participants were 200 actively working r...

Objective: In order to contribute in the development of the model core curriculum, this study aimed to evaluate the standards of professional practice and the qualities or abilities for registered dietitians and dietitians aimed to attain as their profession. Methods: From the 431 members of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Dietetics board of...

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the undergraduate and postgraduate educational contents considered necessary by practicing registered dietitians (RDs) and comparing the responses elicited with reference to the timing of RDs' license acquisition. Method: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire-based survey was conducted in August 2017,...

Background: Recently, more attention has been paid to behavioral problems in children. However, for the most part, risk factors for these problems have yet to be determined. Objective: The current prebirth cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal calcium consumption during pregnancy and behavioral problems in five-year-old Japane...

Objective: The aim of this pre-birth cohort study was to examine the associations between maternal intake of vegetables, fruit, and antioxidants during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children 5 y of age. Methods: Participants were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional, c...

Background: The National Nutrition Survey on Preschool Children, Japan (NNSPC) provide fundamental information for policy making for child nutrition. However, the response rate and background characteristics of subjects are unclear. Here, we examined response rate and sociodemographic factors related with response to the survey, and evaluated the m...

There is growing recognition that eating slowly is associated with a lower risk of obesity, and chewing well might be an effective way to reduce the eating rate. However, little is known about these relationships among children. We therefore investigated the associations of eating rate and chewing degree with weight status among 4451 Japanese child...

Objectives: The current prebirth cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal B vitamin intake during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged 5 years. Methods: Subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivi...

Background There is increasing evidence of causal links between poor mastication and cognitive impairment, but possible effects of dietary hardness, which clearly affects mastication, on cognitive function is unknown. Objective We investigated the hypothesis that hardness of the habitual diet would be associated with cognitive function among older...

Purpose Oral stereognostic ability (OSA) is a useful indicator of oral perception to recognize food characteristics during mastication. Previous studies have shown associations between dietary intake and oral health status, such as taste perception. However, the effect of oral sensory ability on dietary intake is unclear. The purpose of this study...

We assessed the adequacy of nutrient intakes of Japanese children aged 3–5 years. Dietary information was collected using a 3-nonconsective-day weighed dietary record among 143 boys and 143 girls. Estimates of usual nutrient intakes from foods and beverages were obtained using the best-power method. The proportions of children with intakes below an...

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether preconception maternal dietary pattern is associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome among Japanese women. Methods This prospective study included 140 Japanese women who underwent conventional‐IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The patients’ diets during the previous month befor...

Background and objectives: Despite growing interest in the association between dietary amino acid intake and optimal health, validated dietary questionnaires that can estimate amino acid intake have been scarce. We examined the validity of amino acid intakes estimated using a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) comparing with 16-day...

Objectives: The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged 5 years. Methods: Subjects were 1199 mother–child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity p...

Objective Several observational studies and trials examined the relationship between isoflavones or soybeans and depressive symptoms among peri- and postmenopausal women. We cross-sectionally evaluated the associations between intake of soy products and isoflavones and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan. Methods Study subjects were 1745...

Objective Our cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal fat consumption during pregnancy and behavioral problems in 1199 Japanese children aged 5 years. Methods Dietary intake of mothers during pregnancy was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, and peer problem...

Background Growing evidence suggests that oral health may be an important factor associated with cognitive function in aged populations. However, many previous studies on this topic used insensitive oral indicators or did not include certain essential covariates. Thus, we examined the association between occlusal force and cognitive function in a l...

Multivariable logistic regression models for occlusal force and MoCA-J score adjusted for significant independent variables. S1 Table.docx. (DOCX)

Minimal dataset. Minimal dataset.xslx. (XLSX)

Measurement of bilateral maximal occlusal force. S1 documents.docx. (DOCX)

Background and objectives: Information on a whole array of characteristics associated with dietary misreporting in a representative sample in each country is still limited. Using data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of under- and over-reporting of energy intake among 19,...

Abstract Background An increasing number of studies in Western countries have shown that healthy dietary patterns may have a protective effect against cognitive decline and dementia. However, information on this relationship among non-Western populations with different cultural settings is extremely limited. We aim to examine the relationship betwe...

Background High glycaemic load (GL) and glycaemic index (GI) diets have been linked to poor health. In cross-sectional studies, associations between GL and GI and psychological disorders have also been identified, though the direction of association has not always been consistent. Few longitudinal data exist and none in relation to associations bet...

Background: Only one Brazilian study has examined the association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The current cross-sectional study examined this issue in Japan. Methods: Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Between April 2007 and March 2008, information under study was obtained. Dietary patterns were deriv...

Epidemiologic evidence on the associations between dietary acid load and metabolic risk factors are limited and inconsistent. We investigated the hypothesis that dietary acid load is associated with adverse profiles of metabolic risk factors in Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study included 15 618 Japanese adults aged ≥20 y from the 2012 Nati...

Studies in many Western countries have consistently shown that monetary diet cost is positively associated with diet quality, but this may not necessarily be the case in Japan. This cross-sectional study examined the nutritional correlates of monetary diet cost among 3963 young (all 18 years old), 3800 middle-aged (mean age 48 years) and 2211 older...

The associations of dietary energy density with dietary intake and obesity have been largely unexplored in non-Western populations. The present cross-sectional study examined the associations using data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan. Dietary intake was assessed using a 1-d semi-weighed dietary record in 15 618 Japanese a...

Background: One epidemiological study in Canada has addressed the association between zinc intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy while another epidemiological study in Korea has examined the association between iron intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The present cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association betwee...

Objective Western studies have suggested cultural differences in food and nutrient intake patterns associated with dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL). Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the GI and GL of Japanese diets in relation to food and nutrient intakes. Design Dietary intake was assessed using a validated...

The possible effect of eating rate on promoting obesity has attracted considerable attention among various age groups, but little is known about these associations in an early stage of life. We investigated the hypothesis that eating rate in early childhood influences current and later BMI among young Japanese children. The study subjects were 492...

Several previous studies have shown that a diet score based on the Japanese food guide Spinning Top (the original score) is associated with both favourable and unfavourable dietary intake patterns. We developed a food-based diet quality score (the modified score) and examined associations with nutrient intakes. Subjects were 3963 young (all aged 18...

There has been a growing interest in the association between the number of teeth and dietary intake in older populations. However, people around the age of 80 y have frequently lost most of their teeth, and dental prostheses replacing the missing teeth play an important role in masticatory function. Therefore, masticatory function cannot be evaluat...

Evidence on the magnitude and nature of misreporting of food intake in non-Western children and adolescents is sparse. We investigated the hypothesis that under- and over-reporting of energy intake (EI) is prevalent and associated with some characteristics in 3866 Japanese boys and girls aged 1–19 y, using data from the 2012 National Health and Nut...

Objective: To examine the relationships of monetary value of diets with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and dietary intake among Japanese adults. Design: Cross-sectional study based on two nationally representative surveys: the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions and the National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2013. Dietary in...

Only one epidemiological study has investigated the association between dairy product intake during pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms. Epidemiological evidence on the relationships between calcium and vitamin D intake during pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms is also lacking. The present prospective study examined these issues...

Evidence from Western countries shows that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with lower quality of young children’s diets, but little is known about these relations in non-Western countries with relatively low consumption levels of SSBs. We hypothesized that SSB consumption in infancy would be associated with poor...

Objectives To investigate the association between lower extremity motor function and occlusion in older adults and to examine the possibility of dietary intake of protein mediating the association. DesignCross-sectional, population-based study. SettingUrban and rural area in Japan. ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling septuagenarians (N = 655) and octoge...

Simultaneous dietary achievement of a full set of nutritional recommendations is difficult. Diet optimization model using linear programming is a useful mathematical means of translating nutrient-based recommendations into realistic nutritionally-optimal food combinations incorporating local and culture-specific foods. We used this approach to expl...

A growing body of evidence from Western countries shows that infant feeding practices are associated with later childhood dietary habits, but little is known about these relationships in non-Western countries with different food cultures. We examined the association of breast-feeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods with later intake...

Background: Poor diet quality in early childhood is inconsistently linked to obesity risk. Understanding may be limited by the use of cross-sectional data and the use of body mass index (BMI) to define adiposity in childhood. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the effects of continued exposure to diets of varying quality across...

The intrauterine environment, including maternal nutrition status, may affect the development, formation, and mineralization of children's teeth. We assessed the relationship between self-reported maternal dietary vitamin D intake during pregnancy and the risk of dental caries among young Japanese children. This study is based on a prospective anal...

The relation of maternal caffeine intake with birth outcomes is still inconclusive and has not been examined in Japan, where the sources of caffeine intake are different from those in Western countries. We hypothesized that maternal consumption of total caffeine and culture-specific major sources of caffeine would be associated with birth outcomes...

We investigated the relationships between calcium intake and the prevalence of periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study included 1162 women with a mean age of 31.5 years. Information on dietary factors was collected using a diet history questionnaire during pregnancy. Oral examinations were performed between one and twelve months postpartum....

Background Seaweed is a popular traditional food in Japan and is a rich source of bioactive metabolites. The neuroprotective properties of seaweed have attracted attention; to date, however, there has been no epidemiological evidence regarding the relationship between seaweed consumption and depression. The current cross-sectional study investigate...

Background Epidemiologic evidence of the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders is inconclusive. Objective To examine the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders in Japanese chil...

Objective To examine the relationship between the intake of dairy products and calcium and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingKyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study (KOMCHS).SampleA cohort of 1745 pregnant Japanese women.Methods Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed usi...

Objective The relationship between vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms has been explored, but the results are inconsistent. Epidemiological evidence concerning the relationship between dietary vitamin D intake and depressive symptoms in pregnancy is nonexistent. The current cross-sectional study examined this issue in Japan. Methods Study sub...

Objective: Because saliva plays an important role in bolus formation, hyposalivation causes difficulty in mastication and may influence a food choice. Previous studies have indicated that not only occlusal status but also dry mouth were associated with dietary intakes in the elderly. However, dry mouth is based on the individual’s sensation rather...

Background: Maternal hyperglycemia in pregnancy is associated with greater adiposity in offspring. The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) describe the glycemic response to carbohydrate ingestion. However, the influence of maternal dietary GI and GL in pregnancy on childhood adiposity is unknown. Objective: We examined relations of matern...

Background We examined the effect of seasonality on the validity (ability to estimate the mean intake of a group and ranking ability) of nutrient intakes estimated with a comprehensive self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) developed for the assessment of Japanese diets during the preceding one month, using semi-weighed dietary records...

Objectives The number of teeth has frequently been used as an indicator of oral health in investigations of food intake; however, this measure doesn’t represent the efficacy of the masticatory performance. Masticatory performance may be more important for food selection and avoidance than number of remaining teeth. The aim of this study was to inve...

A recent meta-analysis showed no relationships between light to moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the risk of low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), or small-for-gestational-age (SGA). Here, we present the first epidemiological study on this topic in Japan. Study subjects were 1565 Japanese mothers with singleton pregnancies a...

Background and Aims Dietary antioxidants may play a protective role in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes. However, observational studies that examine the relationship between the antioxidant capacity of the diet and glucose metabolism are limited, particularly in older people. We aimed to examine the relationships between dietary total antioxidant c...

Unhealthy dietary patterns are associated with poorer lung function. It is not known whether this is due to low consumption of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, or is a consequence of higher intakes of harmful dietary constituents such as processed meat. We examined the individual and combined associations of processed meat, fruit and vegetab...

This cohort study examined the relationship between maternal intake of individual fatty acids, meat, and fish during pregnancy and the risk of wheeze and eczema in children aged 23-29 months because epidemiologic evidence on this topic is inconclusive. Subjects were 1354 Japanese mother-child pairs. Data on maternal intake during pregnancy were ass...

Background: Information on within- and between-individual variation in energy and nutrient intake is critical for precisely estimating usual dietary intake; however, data from Japanese populations are limited. Methods: We used dietary records to examine within- and between-individual variation by age and sex in the intake of energy and 31 select...

There are cadmium-polluted areas in Japan, where farmers may be at risk of renal dysfunction due to cadmium exposure through consumption of home-harvested rice. The aims of this study were to investigate levels of cadmium exposure and accumulation and their renal effects in female farmers residing in cadmium-polluted areas, and to consider the rele...

Objective: There have been many reports on associations between dental disease and arteriosclerosis. Possible pathway may be that tooth loss would affect eating behavior, including food choice, and reduce the intake of key nutrients.The aim of this study was to investigate the association of occlusal support with nutrient intakes related to arterio...

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between consumption of meat, fish, and specific types of fatty acids and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan. Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score...

Background An n-6 essential fatty acid, arachidonic acid (ARA) is converted into prostaglandin E2, which is involved in tumour extension. However, it is unclear whether dietary ARA intake leads to cancer in humans. We thus systematically evaluated available observational studies on the relationship between ARA exposure and the risk of colorectal, s...

Evidence on factors associated with misreporting of energy intake is limited, particularly in non-Western populations. We examined the characteristics of under- and over-reporters of energy intake in young Japanese women. Subjects were 3,956 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18-20 y (mean body mass index: 20.9 kg/m(2)). Energy intake was asses...

Objective: Previously relationship between number of teeth or wearing denture and food intake had been reported. However, number of teeth or wearing denture does not necessarily correspond to oral function and oral function should be more important for food intakes than dental status. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of oc...

Dietary habits established in early childhood contribute to lifelong dietary pattern and the development of early risk factors for disease in adulthood. Although a large body of epidemiologic data from Western countries show that the dietary pattern of children is influenced by maternal socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics, information on t...

Dietary fat exerts numerous complex effects on proinflammatory and immunologic pathways. Several epidemiological studies have examined the relationships between intake of fatty acids and/or foods high in fat and allergic rhinitis, but have provided conflicting findings. The current cross-sectional study investigated such relationships in Japan. Stu...

A comprehensive self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ: 150-item semi-quantitative questionnaire) and a brief self-administered DHQ (BDHQ: 58-item fixed-portion-type questionnaire) were developed for assessing Japanese diets. We compared the relative validity of nutrient intake derived from DHQ with that from the BDHQ, using semi-weighed...

Epidemiological evidence for the associations between intake of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D and allergic disorders has been inconsistent. To examine such associations in Japan. This cross-sectional study enrolled 1745 pregnant women. The definitions of wheeze and asthma were based on European Community Respiratory Health Survey criteria,...