Search

Purpose This study aimed to clarify the components related to midwifery care for pregnant women's continued self-care for relieving "hiesho" (sensitivity to cold) at birth centers. Methods In total, 129 midwives working at birth centers for at least five years, handling deliveries across the country, and who provided support for pregnant women's self-care for relieving hiesho at prenatal checkups were selected for this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. The main method of analysis was an exploratory factor analysis of midwifery care for pregnant women's continued self-care to relieve hiesho. This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Yokohama City University and followed all relevant ethical considerations (approval number: F221000004). Results In total, 95 valid questionnaire survey responses were received (valid response rate 92.2%). The two items that were "always implemented" (response rate of >95%) for midwifery care of pregnant women's continued self-care for relieving hiesho were "Interacting with pregnant women to be aware of the presence of the fetus" and "Interacting with pregnant women so that they can have the desire to give birth on their own." The four components of midwifery care were as follows: (1) Promoting awareness while understanding pregnant women's thoughts of continuing self-care for hiesho, (2) Motivating pregnant women to start with self-care for hiesho that they can do, (3) Creating opportunities for pregnant women to access information about self-care for hiesho themselves, and (4) Sharing information among midwives that leads to promote self-care for hiesho with respect for the individuality of pregnant women. Conclusion It was deemed important, in the context of midwifery care for pregnant women's continued self-care for relieving hiesho, to increase the intrinsic motivation of pregnant women for self-care, and related efforts were implemented at a high frequency. The four components of midwifery care extracted in this study encouraged pregnant women to continue self-care for relieving hiesho by motivating them to change their behavior, increasing their self-efficacy for self-care, creating opportunities for them to actively access information about self-care for hiesho, and implementing care that respects their individuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the health regulatory focus (i.e., promotion focus and prevention focus) and its relationship with health behaviors (specifically diet and exercise) among young adults in Japan. A sample of 268 young Japanese adults aged 18-24 years participated in the study. They completed a set of questionnaires, which included the Health Regulatory Focus Scale and items assessing the type and frequency of their health behaviors. Results indicated that a promotion focus was positively correlated with health behaviors, while a prevention focus showed no significant correlation. Further, categorizing health behaviors revealed that descriptions of vegetable intake and activities such as walking and muscle training were particularly prominent among young adults. These findings lead to a discussion on recommendations for future health promotion strategies for young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases has become a major issue in Japan and other developed countries. The Food for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) system is a policy implemented in Japan to promote health through economic activities. In prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and promotion of health, it has been observed that frames in behavioral economics and nudges can promote health activities. In this study, this finding was used to evaluate FOSHU and to determine whether gain frames influence purchase decisions using a stratified randomized control trial. The results indicated that gain frames enhance willingness to pay more than loss frames. However, there was no influence of frames on purchase decisions. Gain frames were found to increase subjective value, but further validation is required to determine their influence on promoting a purchase. A new approach encompassing behavioral economics, nudges, and marketing is important to study FOSHU, which aims to promote health through economic activities.

Copyright of Japan Marketing Review / Maketingu Rebyu is the property of Japan Marketing Academy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is known that middle-aged men, compared to women, are more reluctant to participate in public health promotion programs to increase exercise, change their diet, control alcohol consumption, or cease smoking. Hence, we developed material for a health promotion program for supporting middle-aged couples by encouraging men to participate and change their behavior by collaborating with their partners. We named the program, “Small Change Health Promotion for Couples.” We conducted focus group interviews (FGIs) with representatives of the target audience before recruiting participants for the program as formative reseach. Seven couples (5 men and 7 women: mean age 48.5 years) current health behaviors participated in the FGIs held separately for men and women, in which we focused on the following issues: (1) current health behaviors, (2) conversation topics about health with each other, (3) small behavior changes that each partner can undertake, (4) small behavior changes that couples can undertake together, (5) tangible methods of promoting each other’s health, and (6) health intervention strategies to accommodate men (in the female group only). The FGIs showed clear gender differences in health promotion attitudes, health-related conversation topics, and psychosocial factors influencing behaviors, including barriers and facilitators. Based on this information, we developed supporting material for a couple’s program, which we plan to introduce in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of non-communicable diseases. A recent Japanese national health and nutrition survey has demonstrated that only 12.9% of young women exercise regularly despite these health benefits. Moreover, sufficient evidence exists that a nudge can encourage stair climbing. However, studies examining the effects of nudge message content are lacking. To address this research gap, this study investigated the effectiveness of the nudge message content for young women for encouraging the use of stairs instead of escalators at a train station. We employed a quasi-experimental design and conducted a count of individuals who used stairs/escalators over a span of 36 days. A 3-week baseline period was followed by two 3-week periods with motivational message interventions. The first 3-week intervention used a nudge that emphasized a healthy lifestyle, whereas that for the second 3-week intervention highlighted an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare the use of stairs versus escalators at the baseline and between the two 3-week interventions with nudge messages for healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyles. The authors noted 34,696 observations of individuals using stairs or adjacent escalators within the study period. The results indicate that the use of stairs significantly increased among young women only during the intervention period with environmentally friendly nudge messages, which were considered to be more effective among young women than the healthy lifestyle nudge messages. Accordingly, we suggest that attention toward a content that can motivate the target population should be increased in formulating nudge messages aimed at health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the features and evaluations of the organizational support provided by occupational health nurses (OHNs) in private practice to promote sustainable health and productivity management (HPM) in medium-sized enterprises., Methods: Corporate managers and employees of four enterprises with fewer than 300 employees received support from an experienced OHN in private practice through five support sessions per company, primarily targeting company managers. The OHNs documented their support steps and evaluations. After completing the support process, we conducted semi-structured interviews with company managers and OHNs to evaluate the support provided by the OHNs. The support processes were organized for each company according to an analytical framework based on the consolidated framework for implementation research; the support features of OHNs were extracted. The evaluations of the support provided by OHNs from the perspective of company personnel were categorized using content analysis., Results: Six features of support by OHNs for the promotion of HPM were extracted, including clarifying corporate needs while focusing on relationships of trust with company representatives, providing appropriate health information, and introducing external resources to facilitate independent and continuous efforts in the company to promote sustainable HPM. The managers' evaluations of the support provided by the OHNs included the following six categories: 1) identified and recognized current internal health issues; 2) received specific assistance tailored to the company; 3) gained an opportunity to work on health promotion measures; 4) considered the development and continuation of future health promotion measures; 5) learned about the existence of OHNs as easy to consult with; and 6) identified aspects of support from OHNs that were different from what they expected., Conclusions: This study clarified the features and evaluations of the support provided by OHNs in private practice in medium-sized enterprises for the promotion of HPM. Our findings suggest that the involvement of OHNs in private practice may increase the number of medium-sized enterprises that can autonomously commit themselves to HPM in a sustainable manner.

OBJECTIVES The study aimed to investigate the role and perspective of sport science in health promotion and the improvement of elite sport performance. METHODS The study was performed by the review of previous papers and manuscripts related to sport science development and future. RESULTS Sport science has emerged as an important part of human science since long ago. In the BC 1800s, evidence of sports being used as treatment for diseases was the foundation for ‘Exercise Medicine’ , as suggested by ACSM in 2007. Similar to the characteristics of other academics, sport science also shows a periodic wave, alternating between a flow of segmentation and specialization and a flow of convergence and interdependence. The sport science approach not only prevents diseases but also aids in the treatment of diseases. The process of development of evidence-based sports science includes questions on the applicability on the actual setting and collecting evidences of its answer. Sport science must be recognized as an important academic field that provides clear answers to the questions posed by the public, athletes, and coaches. Convergence with diverse modern sciences and evolution is suggested. Convergence of culture industry and increased participation in sports have brought positive effects, including healthy lifestyles, ICT innovation, IT software utilization, sociability among the elderly, development of global sport networks, strengthened tourism industry, and development of sensory virtual reality. CONCLUSIONS Relative to other academic fields, sport science requires more reality and productivity. Active attempts to investigate in both laboratories and fields, analysis of actual settings, and experience-based interpretation are crucial to truly improve performance and further develop sport science. Sport science in the future will require association and harmony with more diverse academic fields, as well as utilization of modern technology and communication among diversified information technologies. An active association between sport science and sport culture is emphasized.

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) spread worldwide. In Japan, From April 16 to May 25,2020, a state of emergency was declared and people were "strongly requested to refrain from going out unnecessarily and thoroughly reduce contact with others." As a result, the number of steps of all generations was expected to be lower than usual due to the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. This study investigated the weather walking steps decrease in the collegiate student due to COVID-19. A total of 221 collegiate students used their smartphones to enter the average number of steps taken every month from January to May. The number of steps taken by all students was 4,988±2,345 steps in January, 5182±2,516 steps in February, 5,118±2,291 steps in March, 3,281±1,689 steps in April, and 2,834±1,676 steps in May. A comparison between sex groups showed that the number of steps in April and May was significantly different (p<0.05), which means that the steps of women group was lower than that of men. These results suggest that the number of steps taken by students decreased with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread worldwide. In Japan, From April 16 to May 25, 2020, a state of emergency was declared and people were “strongly requested to refrain from going out unnecessarily and thoroughly reduce contact with others.” As a result, the number of steps of all generations was expected to be lower than usual due to the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. This study investigated the weather walking steps decrease in the collegiate student due to COVID-19. A total of 221 collegiate students used their smartphones to enter the average number of steps taken every month from January to May. The number of steps taken by all students was 4,988±2,345 steps in January, 5182±2,516 steps in February, 5,118±2,291 steps in March, 3,281±1,689 steps in April, and 2,834±1,676 steps in May. A comparison between sex groups showed that the number of steps in April and May was significantly different (p<0.05), which means that the steps of women group was lower than that of men. These results suggest that the number of steps taken by students decreased with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives　National policies to promote physical activity and exercise have been formulated by several ministries and agencies in Japan. This study aimed to examine the formulation and implementation of such policies in municipalities by administrative sector and population size.Methods　After stratifying all municipalities in Japan at the population level, we randomly selected 272 municipalities. We collected 1,632 cases in six sectors (health, sports, education, urban planning, transportation, and environment) within these municipalities.　A questionnaire survey on the status of policy formulation, implementation, and coordination among departments was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Differences between groups of municipalities were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The survey period was from September 2018 to March 2019.Results　A total of 616 responses were collected (response rate 37.7%). The response rates for health and education were lower than those for the other sectors. The rate of policy formulation to promote physical activity was extremely high in the health and sports sectors, and there was slight variation by population size. In contrast, formulation rates were generally low in the urban planning, transportation, and environment sectors, especially in smaller municipalities. In the sectors mentioned above, physical activity promotion projects mainly involved the development of exercise and sports infrastructures. Health, sports, and education were the primary sectors that used those environments. Regarding interdepartmental coordination in policy implementation, a cooperative relationship existed among the health, sports, and education sectors and between the urban planning and transportation sectors. However, smaller municipalities were found to have fewer opportunities for such collaboration and tended to implement policies independently.Conclusion　This study clarifies the policy formulation and implementation for promoting physical activity in municipalities at the national level in Japan. In addition, their characteristics were identified based on different administrative sectors and population size. These results are expected to be used in future local government policies.

In present-day society with its proliferation of various work styles, many companies and workplaces are faced with the important and complicated tasks of maintaining and promoting workers' health. Amid this climate, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan on March 31, 2020, announced its revised "Guidelines for Total Health Promotion Plan for Workers in Workplaces." This is a major revision of the original Total Health Promotion Plan (THP) that had been implemented up to that point. In the field of industrial/occupational health, physical activity and exercise are key topics addressed within the THP. This necessitates further study of physical fitness and sports medicine. In this study, based on societal trends and previous studies, we have reviewed the role of physical fitness and sports medicine research within the field of industrial/occupational health. We conclude it is important to clarify issues and objectives in each workplace and ways of concretizing plans to resolve and achieve them. Specific methods for doing so are diverse and indefinite, and creativity is required. Numerous options and types of tools should be created for applying outcomes on physical activity and exercise in accordance with the THP. Not only the viewpoint of avoiding risk, but also the viewpoints of accruing assets and taking a behavioral science approach toward continuing physical activity and exercise need to be considered. Research on these matters has not progressed sufficiently and we must advance a high volume of studies through various academic societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major aims of health psychology is promoting mental health. Therefore, we developed a short Cognitive Behavioral Training program to Promote Well-Being (CBT-PWB) by enhancing psychological well-being. Japanese university students (N = 18; 4 men and 14 women; mean age=20.5, SD= 1.8) participated in the CBT- PWB program. They evaluated their psychological well-being, behavior that promoted well-being, positive and negative automatic thoughts, and personal values. Results of a linear mixed model indicated significant changes in psychological well-being, positive and negative automatic thoughts, and personal values. Moreover, the effects of the intervention were observed after a follow-up period. However, behaviors that promoted well-being did not change significantly at the post-intervention follow-up. These results suggest that CBT-PWB is a useful technique in the field of health psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The World Health Organization (WHO) released "WHO recommendations: Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience" in 2018. The guideline is considered the revised edition of the "Care in Normal Birth: a practical guide" issued in 1996 dedicated to childbirth in healthy pregnant women. This study aimed to compare the old and new WHO guidelines, and to describe the changes that have been made. Methods First, the basic characteristics of both the guidelines were compared. Second, subheadings were created in Japanese to describe the contents of both the old and new guidelines. A comparable list of subheadings of the old and new guidelines was made, and the categories of recommendation were shown in the same table. Finally, we analyzed the following details: "newly added items in the new guideline", "items that were present in the old guideline but were not included in the new guideline", and "items in the new guideline for which the recommended levels have shifted". Then, the overall changes in the WHO recommendations for normal childbirth were described. Results The old and new WHO guidelines were similar with regard to promoting the respectful maternity care. The major points that were revised included the respect for diversity of the progress of labor and modification of the definitions and standard duration of the first and second stages of labor. Additionally, the new guideline included recommendations on the care for women who have undergone epidural anesthesia, and for newborns. Recommendations considered to have been widely accepted in several birth settings, such as the use of clean instruments was not included in the new guideline. The category levels that elevated from the old guideline were the items related to oxytocin administration at the third stage of labor, umbilical cord traction, and care for women who underwent epidural anesthesia. The new guideline emphasized the midwifery cares which promote women's positive childbirth experience. However, the contents of midwifery cares were consistently unchanged in the new and old guidelines, although there were differences in expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the associations of individual-level social capital (SC) and physical activity (PA) among Japanese elderly men and women. Individuals aged 65 or above were selected via population-based random sampling of 3000 adults, aged 20 years or above and living in Fujisawa city, who were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires. The sample consisted of 260 men [median (25-75% tile) age 73 (68-78) yrs] and 274 women [73 (68-78) yrs]. The daily duration of PA, SC [e.g., norms of reciprocity (mutual support in the community), social networks (relationship with community people, exchange with other generations), social participation (participation in community organization activities)], socio-economic status [educational attainment, work with income, perceived household economic status], and demographic characteristics [sex, age, living arrangements, BMI, physical limitations] were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for associations of SC with PA, stratified by sex. High level of mutual support in the community, relationship with community people, and exchange with other generations were associated with longer PA time in men after adjusting for potential confounders in the final model (OR = 2.40 (95% CI: 1.24-4.67), 5.28 (1.42-19.66), and 4.24 (1.15-15.67), respectively). In women, relationship with community people and participation in community organization activities were associated with longer PA time (3.10 (1.32-7.26) and 2.50 (1.27-4.91), respectively). The association of individual-level SC and PA differed between men and women. Future studies can investigate whether similar results can be obtained in other areas or attempt to conduct a large-scale survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Information Science & Technology Association/Joho no Kagaku to Gijutsu is the property of Information Science & Technology Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recently, the China Adult Physical Activity Guideline (CAPAG) have been published. However, it is unclear to know the prevalence of people meeting the CAPAG, and who meet. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the prevalence and demographic characteristics of people achieving the recommended CAPAG. Cross-sectional data in the present study was analyzed for 1,655 Chinese urban adults. The Chinese version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to examine CAPAG level of adults. According to CAPAG, Chinese adults are recommend to meet ≥6000 Step/day. Demographic data, including age, marital status, educational level, income level, body mass index and self-rated health were obtained with the questionnaire. To examine the association of demographic and health status with PA level, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized. Overall, 61.1% of respondents met the PA recommendation. Unmarried and healthy (self-rated health) were significantly associated with meeting the physical activity recommendation. Women aged 30 to 39 years were less likely to achieve the recommendation. Women with incomes of 1,000 Yuan or less were more likely to meet the recommendation than those with incomes of 4,000 Yuan or more. Adults with normal weight were more likely to those with underweight. Differences in associations of demographic correlates with the PA recommendation were observed between men and women, which suggest that gender-specific strategies might be more effective in promoting PA among Chinese urban adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Japan Academy of Midwifery is the property of Japan Academy of Midwifery and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Japan Academy of Midwifery is the property of Japan Academy of Midwifery and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives　The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that national and municipal governments take adequate steps to "improve daily living conditions," "(create governance to) tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources," and "measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of" government actions. This study provides an analysis of the health promotion policies of Japan and other countries and examines their conformance to these recommendations, and offers suggestions for developing a conducive social environment for Japan's health promotion policies.Methods　We reviewed grey literature on health promotion policies in Japan, the USA, England, Sweden, and Thailand, extracting the definitions of health inequalities and their characterization in each policy, and analyzing each document vis-á-vis the CSDH's three recommendations and "comprehensive national health equity surveillance framework."Results　The health promotion policies of Japan, England, Sweden, and the USA had similar definitions of health inequality, emphasizing fairness and prioritizing the reduction of health inequality as the key strategy for health promotion. However, their primary approaches to improve daily living conditions varied: In Japan, the primary approach is to create opportunities for participation and ensure access to social resources. Meanwhile, the USA relies largely on objective assessments and scientific evidence-based actions. England focused on enhancing support for socially disadvantaged individuals and areas. In Sweden, a universal intervention based on life-course perspectives was stressed, while Thailand attached much value to a multi-sectoral collaboration. All these countries, however, had a health policy implementation plan in quest of the elimination of unfair distributions of power, money, and resources. The USA planned to monitor a total of 187 social factors, the largest number among the 6 subject countries. It also had a wide range of perspectives on health inequalities, including income and disability, as well as conducting assessments using information from outside the health sector, with items assessed at various levels, including individual, regional, and national policies.Conclusion　With reference to these approaches in other countries, for Japan's health promotion policies, we recommend: (1) grasping of health inequalities from more diversified perspectives and adopting measures to address them, (2) setting targets based on multi-level social determinants of individual behavior and health status, including individual socioeconomic status, and (3) promoting collaborative initiatives and use of indicators with entities outside the health sector.

Purpose This paper describes the process of developing a Breast Awareness program, implementation and process evaluation, as a part of midwifery practice. Method Evaluation study. We developed a Breast Awareness program to introduce the concept of Breast Awareness particularly breast cancer awareness to lactating women. The program was guided by the concept of health promotion program development that has a circular process including: needs assessment, program planning, program implementation and process evaluation. This program implementation was conducted twice with five lactating women whose babies were nearly weaned participating in each program. Results Elements of the program were extracted by analyzing a breast cancer health issue in the needs assessment. In this segment, the contributing risk factors (predisposing, enabling and reinforcing) were clarified. Program purpose, sub-objects and strategic objects were indicated during program planning segment. Three program objects of participants were educed: (1) consider own breast as an important part of own body, (2) derive correct information about breast cancer, (3) knows and understands the aim of Breast Awareness, and a definite plan was selected to achieve those objectives. Five Breast Awareness codes formed the focal points of the program: 1) know what is normal for you, 2) look and feel, 3) know what changes to look for, 4) report any changes without delay, 5) attend breast screening if aged 50 (In case of Japan, if aged 40) or over (Department of Health, United Kingdom). The program was executed with a participatory approach, a lecture, demonstration and then mainly discussion. The program was revised after the second implementation and process evaluation. Considerations Three points were discussed: strategic significance of health promotion program development, consequential elements and tasks of the Breast Awareness program as a midwifery practice, and a recommendation to introduce Breast Awareness to women as an important component of women's health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]