This study examined the relationship between per capita sugar consumption and per capita real GDP using cross-country panel data and time series data from Japan. Globally, taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages has been discussed as a way to reduce sugar intake and prevent lifestyle-related diseases. However, in Japan, sugar consumption has reduced without any policy restriction since the 1980s, presenting an exception to the global trend. Analyzing global trends in the relationship between sugar consumption and income level can help identify commonalities in preferences towards sugar consumption among consumers. The results of this study consist of the following three findings. First, the global trend is that as income increases, sugar intake increases gradually and does not decrease. Second, this trend of income increase being associated with sugar intake increase may be changing slightly since 1992 in high income countries. Third, the decrease in sugar intake in Japan is not necessarily influenced by income. It is hoped that studies in this field will accelerate the discussions towards keeping sugar consumption at an adequate and healthy level.

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This study examined the effects of personality traits on health policies such as taxation of unhealthy foods and subsidies for healthy foods among Japanese university students. The results showed the following: first, food consumption habits were influenced by personality traits centered on diligence and exercise habits; second, while conscientiousness affected the willingness to consume healthy foods, personality traits did not suppress the consumption of unhealthy foods; third, while subsidies for healthy foods increased the frequency of purchase of such foods by those who were diligent and extroverted, the decreased frequency of purchase of unhealthy foods in response to taxation of such foods was not related to personality characteristics. Based on our study, further research is required to obtain more information that can help plan future health policies in Japan.

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Suicidal ideation, which includes the desire to commit suicide and specific planning for suicide, is one of the major risk factors associated with suicide. However, other than suicidal ideation, sometimes daily negative events or negative thoughts can cause people to think, “I want to die.” Previous studies have shown that the tendency is triggered by death-related thoughts, and the tendency is possibly affected by belief in determinism; however, this has not been examined previously. Thus, the present study developed “the death associative tendency scale,” which is a questionnaire to measure the tendency to associate negative thoughts and events with death-related thoughts. Moreover, the longitudinal survey revealed that the belief in determinism predicts an increase in the death associative tendency over a three-month interval. The present study newly showed that the belief in determinism might be a risk factor that increases thoughts related to death.

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