The aim of the present study was to investigate the gender differences in motor performance, movement patterns, movement skills, and physical fitness and their annual changes among Japanese children. To examine gender differences, a meta-analysis was conducted. A total of 1830 effect sizes were calculated using children’s motor abilities reported in 100 published articles. Based on these effect sizes, 44 test items were conducted on a yearly basis. The integrated effect sizes were also calculated for movement patterns, movement skills, and physical fitness each year. Only 22 of 44 test items showed any gender difference. Based on the annual change in gender differences for each item, the following three patterns were observed: "test items that improve with growth among male children", "test items that remain constant over time among female children" and "test items with no specific gender difference". In gender differences and their annual changes for movement patterns, movement skills, and physical fitness, it was found that male children’s manipulation, walking, and throwing exceeds those of female children; however, excel in locomotion, manipulation with a ball, muscular endurance, and balance. The items in which male children surpassed female children appeared at higher ages and increased with growth. Furthermore, items in which female children excelled emerged at lower ages and disappeared with growth. These differences are considered to be the result of the precocious development of female children in comparison with male children. However, the items in which male children surpassed female children are thought to be considerably influenced by motor experiences.

The objective of this study was to explore the association of household income disparity and health risk behaviors with the poor mental health/depression (PMHD) of university students of Heilongjiang Province in China. A stratified cluster sample of 3,189 university students was used in a cross-sectional study. The data were obtained from a self-administered questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics and problem of health areas. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2) was used to determine PMHD of university students. Chi-square test and Cochran-Armitage trend test were used for the categorical data analysis. The associated factors for depression were examined using a logistic regression analysis. The low household income and health risk behaviors in university students were in general related to PMHD. The depression prevalence of low household income university students (29.4%) is higher than that of high household income students. Low household income, smoking habit, and engaging in premarital sex are all major associated factors of depression. For the interaction of these three associated factors, the odds ratio of depression was 3.08 (95% CI 1.11～8.58). Furthermore, the association of depression and other poor mental health has statistical significance. This study confirms that poor mental health was associated with–household income disparity and with health risk behaviors among university students of Heilongjiang Province in China.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how sleep time, ingestion of breakfast, commute time, and physical and mental health condition immediately before attending lectures influenced the students’ evaluation of morning classes in Japanese universities/colleges. In the first semester of 2007, students (n=100, average age, 19) in the second year of University A who took the "Bioethics course," those (n=31, average age, 21) in the fourth year of University A who took the "Nutritional Epidemiology course," and those (n=49, average age, 19) in the second year of Junior College B who took the "Physiology of Nutrition course" were used as target subjects. Evaluation was conducted using a questionnaire in every session. Questions listed in the questionnaire were 1) sleep time; 2) whether or not a student had breakfast; 3) commute time; 4) physical and mental health condition at the moment (on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 was worst condition and 10 was best condition); and 5) evaluation of class (on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 was worst class and 10 was best class). There were significantly positive correlations between college students’ physical and mental health conditions immediately before they attended a class and their class evaluation. Correlation coefficients were observed between the evaluation of class and physical and mental health condition in the following: overall Bioethics sessions (r=0.140, p<0.05), overall Physiology of Nutrition sessions (r=0.413, p<0.05), and overall Nutritional Epidemiology sessions (r=0.385, p<0.05). A high value must be attached to health education, including maintenance of college students’favorable lifestyles, for effective classes and the promotion of faculty development in universities/colleges.

The patient was a 16-year-old high school girl who had been suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) expressed as a rapid cycle of manic and depressive episodes. She attempted suicide and spent two months in a psychiatric hospital being treated for depression after which she was tentatively diagnosed as having major depression with borderline personality disorder. Following the first admission, the patient experienced three further manic-depressive episodes before being hospitalized again; all three episodes were related to her menstruation. We directed the patient to keep a daily diary of her psychotic symptoms and to record her basal body temperature. We prescribed the oral contraceptive (Ocps) in a dose of one pill per day for the purpose of interrupting the patient’s menstrual cycle. While experiencing high body temperature the patient tended to be depressed, however, while on a treatment of Ocps her mood stabilized and she was able to lead an otherwise ordinary lifestyle. Patients suffering from PMDD are at risk of being wrongly diagnosed as suffering from borderline personality disorder based on their acting out behavior and instability of mood. We consider that ovulation may play a role in the switch process of this patient’s manic and depressive phases.