Motor development is suggested to influence cognitive development during childhood; however, the contributions of specific motor functions remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between distinct motor function components and cognitive development in elementary school children. A total of 60 children participated. Cognitive development was assessed using the Digit Span Test (DST), while motor development was evaluated through standing long jump (power, coordination), side steps (agility), grip strength (strength), one-legged stance with eyes open (balance), and sit-ups (endurance). Ordinal logistic regression analysis was conducted, with DST scores as the dependent variable and motor function indices as explanatory variables, controlling for sex, age, and Rohrer index. The results indicated that standing long jump distance was significantly associated with both forward and backward DST scores (p＜0.05), while sit-up performance was significantly associated only with the forward DST score (p＜0.01). Other motor function indices showed no significant associations with DST performance. These findings suggest that whole-body coordination and muscular endurance may contribute to cognitive development, particularly working memory and attention, in childhood.

This study investigated the relationship between the prevalence of low back pain and the practice of manual lifting among care workers, as well as the rate of introduction of assistive devices for transfer support, in 43 special nursing homes for the elderly. Among the 1,553 care workers surveyed, 14.2% reported experiencing constant low back pain, and 21.9% were engaged in manual lifting care. Among the assistive devices examined, lifts had the lowest introduction rate at 7.6%. Correlation analysis revealed that facilities with a higher number of care workers experiencing back pain also had a higher proportion of staff performing manual lifting. Additionally, the proportion of workers engaged in manual lifting was significantly correlated with all four types of transfer assistive devices analyzed in this study. A multiple regression analysis, using the proportion of manual lifting care providers as the dependent variable, identified the introduction rate of lifts as the only significant predictor. These findings suggest that to reduce the prevalence of manual lifting and to prevent or alleviate low back pain among care workers, it is necessary to promote the introduction of transfer assistive devices, particularly lifts.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing SUI in middle-aged and older women, with a particular focus on the impact of spinal alignment, including the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral postures, in addition to commonly recognized factors such as body mass index (BMI), number of childbirths, and physical activity habits. The study included 20 women with SUI and 28 women without urinary incontinence (urinary continence), all of whom were middle-aged or older. Data on body mass index (BMI), number of childbirths, and physical activity were collected via interviews. Spinal alignment, specifically the postures of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions, was measured using the Spinal Mouse, a spinal shape analysis device. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that only the thoracic kyphosis angle was significantly associated with SUI. On the contrary, the number of childbirth and exercise habits, which are generally recognized as causes of stress urinary incontinence, were not identified. These findings suggest that targeting the thoracic kyphosis angle may be an effective strategy to prevent SUI in middle-aged and older women, particularly when postural changes begin to occur.

In this study, to examine the effect of the Fukuoka Prefecture no-lifting care promotion project, we investigated the prevalence of low back pain, the frequency of lifting care and installed assistive technology for transfer among care workers who participated in the project. As a result, the prevalence of low back pain in the first year of the project was 62%, but in the fifth year of the project, this rate had decreased to 47%. The frequency of lifting care was 81% of caregivers in the first year of the project, but decreased to 40% in the fifth year of the project. On the other hand, the number of installed assistive technology for transfer increased the longer the project period. These results suggest that the Fukuoka Prefecture no-lifting care promotion project is expected to reduce the prevalence of low back pain and the frequency of lifting care. However, it will take time for the effects of no-lifting care to become significantly evident for care workers.