Journal of Epidemiology
Online ISSN : 1349-9092
Print ISSN : 0917-5040
ISSN-L : 0917-5040
Volume 9, Issue 1
Displaying 1-7 of 7 articles from this issue
  • Shaw Watanabe, Kimiyoshi Kitamura, Masahito Nagahashi
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 1-13
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The toxicity of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) has been known since 1950s. TCDD is a by-product of herbicide 2, 4-dichloroacetophenol (2, 4-D) and 2, 4, 5-trichloroacetophenol (2, 4, 5- T), but it was first found in fryash of municipal incinerator in 1979 in Japan. In 1998, the survey of municipal incinerators revealed that 105 out of 1, 641 produced above the allowed emission level of 80 ng TEQ/m3. Total annual release of dioxins is estimated to be about 5, 000 g TEQ in 1997 in Japan. Japanese government started a comprehensive survey for dioxin levels in milk and blood of residents around incinerators, and their health effects.
    Human effects by dioxin exposures in Western countries were mostly acute and at high level in accidentally and/or occupationally. Health effects of low-dose and long lasting exposure has not been well understood.
    Certain amount of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) is accumulated in our body. Mother's milk is also contaminated by PCDD/PCDF. Health effects of the polychlorinated chemicals are summarized, and the necessity of regulations and recommendations for making a guideline is discussed in this review. J Epidemiol, 1999 citation=4. IARC. Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Vol 69. Polychlorinated dibenzo-para- dioins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. IARC, Lyon, 1998.; 9 : 1-13
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  • Kenichi Tsuchida, Shunsaku Mizushima, Masanori Toba, Kenji Soda
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 14-19
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    To investigate relationship of dietary factors, especially source of calcium intake, to bone mineral density (BMD) among Japanese middle-aged women, a total of 995 healthy women age of 40 to 49 (mean±SD, 45±3), who lives in Yokohama-city, were recruited through convenience sampling by the municipal information paper and health announcement at each 18 public health center in 18 wards for the three-day course on prevention of osteoporosis from October 1996 to March 1998. The BMD of the 2nd metacarpal bone was measured using Computed X-ray Densitometry (CXD) method, by a trained radiologist. Dietary intake of calcium was assessed by self-reporting food frequency questionnaire on calcium dietary sources such as milk, dairy products, small fish, vegetables, and soybeans and carefully checked by trained dietician. An independent gradient of non-adjusted and adjusted BMD for age and weekly calcium intake, through soybeans intake frequency (p=0.03) was noted. This study suggest soybeans, through possible beneficial effects of vitamin-K, soyprotein, and isoflavonoid, may affect BMD of middle aged women. J Epidemiol, 1999 ; 9 : 14-19
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  • Shinichi Tanihara, Izumi Oki, Toshiyuki Ojima, Yosikazu Nakamura, Hiro ...
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 20-26
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper reviews the present situation and future aspects of epidemiologic studies on Japanese cedar pollinosis. Increase of allergic rhinitis patients is observed in both the Patient Survey and the Reports on the Surveys of Social Medical Care Insurance Services, however, these surveys are conducted when cedar pollens do not pollute the air. Many have reported on the prevalence of pollinosis in limited areas but only a few nationwide epidemiologic surveys have been conducted. Most of the studies were conducted at special medical facilities such as university hospitals. There is a high possibility that patients who visit the specific facilities do not exactly represent the actual number of patients and epidemiologic pictures of pollinosis in Japan. The rapid advances in laboratory test methods may change the diagnostic criteria and increase the number of reported patients. Therefore, the prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Japan has not been determined yet. Determination of the prevalence of cedar pollinosis and description of the epidemiologic pictures constitute the essential steps toward the control of this clinical entity. Thus it is necessary to conduct an epidemiologic survey on Japanese representative samples with a standardized survey form with clear and concise diagnostic criteria. J Epidemiol, 1999 ; 9 : 20-26
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  • Hidenori Uda, Suminori Akiba, Hiromichi Hatano, Reiko Shinkura
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 27-31
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    We conducted self-administered questionnaire surveys of school children living in the vicinity of Mt. Sakurajima using ATS-DLD questionnaire. In this paper, we report the results of analysis comparing the proportion of children with asthma-like disease in the area exposed to the volcanic ash and gases released by Mt. Sakurajima and control areas. Asthma-like disease was ascertained using ATS-DLD questionnaire and the definition proposed by the study group established by Environmental Protection Agency in Japan. The proportion of children with asthma-like disease was not different between the exposed and control groups. The odds ratio of asthma-like disease comparing the exposed and control groups was 1.1 and its 95% confidence interval was 0.7-1.8 (P=0.583). When the exposed area was divided into Tarumizu city, Sakurajima town and Kagoshima city, none of them showed an elevated proportion of children with asthma-like disease when compared with the control area. In the entire study population including both the exposed and control groups, the proportion of children with asthma-like disease was 6 and 3 % in boys and girls, respectively. These values were quite similar to those obtained from a survey of 45, 674 school children in western districts in Japan in 1992. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the proportion of children with asthma-like disease is not elevated in the exposed area. Further investigations are necessary to confirm our conclusions. J Epidemiol, 1999 ; 9 : 27-31
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  • Shizukiyo Ishikawa, Tomohiro Deguchi, Kazuo Hara, Shuzo Takuma, Kazuno ...
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 32-39
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has been considered to be a predictor of premature coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. Lp(a) levels are largely genetically determined, but the detailed mechanism of Lp(a) elevation is uncertain.
    We examined the association between Lp(a) levels and apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] phenotypes as well as that of Lp(a) level and other various conditions. The subjects were 280 healthy Japanese (102 males and 178 females) aged 39 to 70 years who were living in a rural community in 1992. We obtained apo(a) phenotypes determined by SDS-PAGE as well as Lp(a) levels and other cardiovascular risk factors. We combined apo(a) phenotypes form 4 groups according to molecular weights (from high apo(a) molecular weight to low: I, II, III and IV).
    Lp(a) levels were associated with apo(a) phenotype-groups, that is, they were inversely associated with apo(a) molecular weight. Small apo(a) phenotypes were less frequent than large ones. The median Lp(a) level was higher in smoking (29.2 mg/dL) than in non-smoking subjects (18.5 mg/dL) in phenotype-group Ill. Adjusted means of total cholesterol and fibrinogen levels in apo(a) phenotype-group IV were the highest of all phenotype-groups. Age, apo(a) phenotype, smoking status, total cholesterol and fibrinogen were positively correlated with Lp(a) levels by multiple regression analysis.
    Lp(a) levels were found to be mainly associated with apo(a) phenotype, but varied broadly within the same apo(a) phenotype at various conditions, such as smoking status and high total cholesterol. J Epidemiol, 1999 ; 9:32-39
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  • Xinen Huang, Kazuo Tajima, Nobuyuki Hamajima, Manami Inoue, Toshiro Ta ...
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 40-45
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    To evaluate a combined effect of gastric cancer family history (GCFH) and selected living habits on the subsite-specific of gastric cancer, a hospital-based case-referent study was conducted in Tokai area of Japan. The study subjects were 850 newly diagnosed gastric cancer (GC) patients and 28, 619 cancer-free first-visit outpatients. Odds ratios (ORs) of all subsites of GC in subjects with both GCFH and habitual smoking were significantly higher (OR=4.22) compared with those with merely GCFH(OR=1.81) or habitual smoking (OR=2.83). When positive GCFH subjects frequently consumed raw vegetable, the risk of GC decreased in cardia (OR=0.68), antrum (OR=0.43) and all subsites (OR=0.74). Our findings provided evidence that GCFH and habitual smoking increased the risk of GC with family history, while frequent intake of raw vegetable decreased the risk and it was modified by other environmental factors. J Epidemiol, 1999; 9 : 40-45
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  • Norio Kurumatani, Tadaaki Kirita, Yan Zheng, Masahito Sugimura, Kunio ...
    1999 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 46-52
    Published: 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: November 30, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Mortality data of oral cancer over 40 years in Japan were analyzed to investigate time trends of the disease site-specifically and discuss the relation between these trends and the changing patterns of consumption of tobacco and alcohol beverages. Mortality rates were adjusted to the world standard population. In the males, overall oral cancer (141-9 : 141-149) mortality rates have increased consistently from the lowest value of 1.25 (per 100, 000 per year) in 1956 to 2.40 in 1992. The rates for females were constantly lower than those for males, and formed a modest peak of 0.96 in 1979. Regarding site-specific mortality rates, tongue cancer (141) presented a decreasing trend, while oro/hypopharyngeal (146, 148) and mouth (143-145) cancers showed increasing patterns, particularly in males. When the changing patterns of male truncated rates for ages 35-64 were compared with those of the annual consumption of cigarette and alcohol per capita, the time trend of oro/hypopharyngeal cancer mortality was analogous to cigarette consumption rather than to alcohol consumption, mouth cancer vice versa, and tongue cancer was not related to tobacco or alcohol consumption. The present findings suggest that tobacco and alcohol have different site-specific effects on the development of cancers within the oral cavity and pharynx. J Epidemiol, 1999; 9 : 46-52
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