The Japanese Decisional Balance Inventory (DBI) was developed and its reliability and validity was examined. DBI measures behavioral change in weight loss and control. It is constructed by two sub-scale labeled benefits (Pros) and costs (Cons). The Inventory was administered to 988 female college students. Six items were excluded by factor analysis, leaving 14 items that were confirmed as reliable and valid. Results indicated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Correlational analyses with scores on the Japanese Food Choice Questionnaire (KC-FCQ), Japanese Situational Appetite Measure (KC-SAM) and Japanese Diet Efficacy Measure-6 (KC-DEM6) showed validity in relation to weight loss or control. Different scores of Pros and Cons, as well as the difference between Pros and Cons were also compared across groups representing five stages in the change process. The results were the same as the results of the previous study. The Decisional Balance Inventory Japanese Edition is available as a weight loss and control program.

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The influence of blaming self and blaming fate for the death of a family member, on mental health after bereavement, was examined. Participants (n=228) whose spouses or parents had died of cancer, responded to questionnaires concerning blaming self and blaming fate for the death of a family member, religious beliefs, the dispositional for optimism-pessimism (LOT), and mental health (GHQ, 28 items version). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that self-blame and fate-blame for the death of a family member were distinct constructs. While blaming self was influenced by sex and pessimism of the participant, blaming fate was influenced by the age, religious beliefs and optimism. In both spousal loss and parental loss, there was a relationship between blaming self and all subscales of the GHQ-28. The results of structural equations modeling indicated that blaming self, negatively influenced mental health after bereavement. The implications of these findings for bereavement care are discussed.

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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between preparatory information about pain stimuli and differences in cold pressor pain sensation, as well as to clarify the interaction between preparatory information and characteristics of individual participants. Seventy-two participants were divided into two groups, according to the type of preparatory information provided. In one group, participants were provided with information about the pain sensation that they were going to receive. In the other group, participants were provided with information about the overall experimental procedure. The results indicated that the two groups of participants experienced different pain sensations. Also, there was a significant correlation between coping and preparatory information, suggesting that different people experience sensory information differently.

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The relation between caregiver stresses and stress relieving factors was investigated based on questionnaire data collected from 239 of 551 members in caregiver groups with bedridden and/or demented elderly in their families. A caregiver stress support model was proposed using a multifactorial analysis. Correlations among stressors (degree of help, profession of caregiver), the first evaluation of stress (burden), the second evaluation of stress (mental health: burnout, fatigue, self satisfaction), and mediation factors (social support, coping methods) were examined.
It was found that burden as the first evaluation is positively affected by the degree of dementia and the age of the elderly person, and personal relations with caregiver groups and sub-caregivers provide a negative correlation. Burnout as the second evaluation is positively correlated with burden and evasive coping (emotional discharge). Fatigue is reduced by sub-caregivers, and self satisfaction increases with coping responses toward problem solving. The stress relieving effect of social support was found to partially reduce burnout, but had only a limited effect in promoting mental health.

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The impact of a specific stressful event on the mental health of workers was investigated by using two methods of stress measurement, and by the assessment of coping using life event scores, as well as by measuring negative cognition in that situation. Participants (n=240, 137 men and 103 women) were asked to select the most stressful event they had experienced from a scale of life events pertaining to workers. Participants were also asked to rate the frequency of coping, and their own mental health during that period. Although the life event score was not related to mental health, negative cognition in the stressful event showed a positive correlation with mental health. To explain the impact of stress on mental health, multiple regression analyses were conducted. In men, the impact of negative cognitions upon the event, and coping predicted mental health. In women, in addition to these two variables, mental health was also predicted by life event scores.

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This study investigated the relationship between social support (SS) and daily stress on the mental health of visually impaired people. In order to examine the effect of reciprocity and network size of SS on mental health and daily stress, visually impaired people (n=44) responded to the Stress Check List for the Visually Impaired People (SCLVI), the modified SSQ9 and the GHQ. We also compared the link between SS and mental health to that of sighted people. The results indicated that visually impaired people with reciprocal relationships feel less daily stress in conflicting situation than those with other types of relationships. In addition, sighted people with larger networks have better mental health, but no such direct connection was found in visually impaired peopled.

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We investigated the effect of the mother's touch during infancy on future aggressiveness. Participants in Study 1 were 67, Grade 5 elementary school students (34 boys and 33 girls) and their mothers. The students assessed their personalities and their mothers assessed how much they touched their children when they were infants. The result indicated that children's aggressiveness (particularly in girls) was positively correlated with the amount of touch received from their mothers. In Study 2, participants were 143 high school girls and their mothers. Participants assessed their aggressiveness (verbal aggression and irritability) and their mothers assessed how much they touched their children when they were infants. The result indicated that student's aggressiveness was positively correlated with the amount of physical touch received from their mothers in their infancy. The reasons and practical implications of this research are discussed.

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A two-dimensional model of “ikigai” is proposed by examining profiles of life views. University students (n=279) responded to a questionnaire on the view of life and PIL. Findings indicate that "ikigai" was positively correlated with a cooperative view of life, with ambitious life, and with multicolored life. It was negatively correlated with introspective life. The profiles of the life view questionnaires were classified into four categories through cluster analysis. A two-dimensional model of “ikigai” based on the profiles of introspective views, and other views of life is proposed and it is discussed from the viewpoint of inner and social life.

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This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between stressors on club activities, stress responses and subjective evaluation of performance in club activities. Junior high school students (n=392) were sampled. A multiple regression analyses indicated that (1) specific factors in the stressors scale influenced certain factors in the stress responses scale, (2) restriction of daily activity by club activities and helplessness influenced subjective evaluation of performance in club activities. Findings concerning athletic club activities were different from cultural club activities. Future studies should investigate the causal factors in these relationships. Furthermore, our results suggest the necessity to investigate other factors, especially a function of cognitive appraisal in the stress process. In the practice of stress management, it is necessary to accurately evaluate the stress process. Further investigations of stress on club activities offers the possibility of practicing effective stress management with junior high school students.

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Evidence indicated that physical activity was an important contributor to heal elementary school children. Particular attention was paid to enhancing physical activity in elementary school children. School, community, and health care set can be important infrastructures for promoting physical activity. This paper reviews studies of physical activity in school, community, and health care setting among elementary school children to determine characteristics and effects of interventions. The two theoretical approaches —cognitive-behavioral approaches ecological model of health behavior— to promote physical activity were also presented. Along with results of intervention studies reviewed, these findings provide guidance for designing future research studies in the area of physical activity promotion.

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