The purpose of this study is to construct a causal relationship model for psychosocial factors promoting health behavior. A survey was conducted among middle-aged and early-elderly people using the internet and 1,240 participants were analyzed. “Horizontal connection,” “social support,” “cognitive social capital (cognitive SC),” “health view,” and “sense of coherence (SOC) ” were extracted as latent variables of relevant factors of health behavior.

As a result of creating a causal relationship model using covariance structure analysis, it was found that the factors that directly promote health behavior is health view, that is, the ability to feel healthy and confident about controlling one's health at all ages and among all sexes. It strongly influences the health behavior among elderly people compared with middle-aged people. Among elderly women, horizontal connection also directly influenced health behaviors. As a factor that indirectly promotes health behaviors, increasing SOC enhanced health view and promoted health behavior among people of all ages and sexes. In addition, cognitive SC indirectly promoted health behavior by influencing health view among middle-aged women and elderly males and horizontal connections among elderly women. In order to promote health behavior, it is effective to strengthen the SOC, which is a factor that raises health awareness. Furthermore, it is effective to support the strengthening of male cognitive SC and the promotion of horizontal connection among women for the effective promotion of health behaviors prepared for the elderly.

This study investigated the influence of mental stress on trunk vibration while standing and on autonomic nerve function.

The study included 16 healthy male volunteers. As a mental workload, participants performed a Stroop task (ST) consisting of reading aloud groups of letters in which the meaning of the letters and their color did not correspond. Monochrome letter groups were read aloud as a control task. The evaluation parameters included subjective evaluation of the task using the visual analog scale (VAS), vibration at two locations in the back (T1-2 and T11-12), and the earlobe pulse wave. Frequency analysis of the pulse wave was performed, and the low frequency component was divided by the high frequency component (LF/HF ratio) to evaluate autonomic nerve function.

Psychological stress and fatigue VAS scores were significantly higher after the ST compared to the control task (P<0.05). Vibration at T1-2 and the LF/HF ratio during the ST significantly increased compared to before and after the ST (P<0.01). The increase in upper trunk vibration and LF/HF ratio with mental stress suggests that mental stress increases muscle tone in association with increased sympathetic nerve activity.

We clarified the relationship between a dietary feeding pattern and discomfort accompanying menstruation, and we comprehensively examined the improvement based on a number of factors including diet, stress, lifestyle, and consciousness concerning physique. A total of 276 university female students agreed to participate, and 172 participants (64.4%) were enrolled in this study. The study was approved by the NUniversity, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. The questionnaire contents included participant backgrounds, theMenstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ), the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQg), and the Stress Check List-KM. We first analyzed several of the MDQ scores during the menstrual cycles and conducted a oneway analysis of variance to test for significant differences. A: The FFQg data resulted in extraction of patterns of food intake through the main-ingredients analysis (the Varimax rotation). B: We also obtained factors that related to MDQ scores by conducting a correlation analysis (Spearman). Other factors affecting the menstrual symptoms were extracted through multiple regression analysis, carried out separately for each menstrual cycle. The independent variables were the scores for A and B. The dependent variable was the MDQ score. The multiple regression analysis revealed the following factors that affect theMDQ total score: ideal weight (β=—0.171, p<0.05), stress scores (β=0.380, p<0.01) during the premenstrual and the menstrual periods, rest (β=—0.166, p<0.05), the pattern of consuming animal protein except seafood (β=—0.153, p<0.05), and overall stress scores (β=0.321, p<0.01).

We concluded the following: 1) The desire for slenderness, 2) lack of rest, 3) lack of animal protein except seafood and, 4) daily stress are the major aggravators of menstrual symptoms. Of these four factors, daily stress has the greatest negative effect on menstrual symptoms. In order to relieve discomfort accompanying menstruation, the correction and resolution of these factors are necessary.

The object of this self-administered survey was seeking information that could lead to alleviating high school teacher's occupational stress from the point of view of the knowledge on the relationship between minds and bodies of workers. We sent the questionnaires to 1,191 public high school teachers, received 87 replies (excluding those with defects, etc.), and used these replies as the object of our analysis (response rate-8.2%, valid response rate-88.8%). We analyzed the data on the relationship between finding about positive value in work (having of job satisfaction and worthwhile job) and scores on the New Simple Questionnaire on Occupational Stress (The New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire).

Seventy eight point two percent of those who replied with valid responses (68 people) find positive value in their work as a teacher; and their stress control was good. Using a multiple regression analysis we found that there were stress factors related to or unrelated to positively valuing work. While it was pointed out that the creation of feelings of job satisfaction and that one's job was worthwhile was necessary to alleviate teachers'occupational stress, this study suggested that it was not enough.