In this research, we put the viewpoint on the Intergenerational Exchange Program, and considered comprehensive evaluation from using subjective and objective indicators. Specifically, a Picture Diary had required to the children participants, an Observing Report had required to the program observers, a Face Picture Scale and AMY (alpha amylase) Stress Test had required to the elderly participants. After statistics analysis about obtained data, we classified each stress level they had following the activities. The results: both the children participants and program observers had had positive feelings or evaluations after the program (p<.01). On the other hand, the elderly participants’ stress levels had increased significantly (p<.05).However their subjective mood had also increased (p<.05). This result may indicate that their stress after the program was in fact eustress.

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This study compares the physiological work load between two ascending patterns, single-step (SS) and double-step (DS), when climbing a public staircase at the two different climbing rates, controlled speed (105steps/min) and free speed. The SS pattern involved climbing one step at a time, while the DS pattern involved climbing two steps in a single stride. Thirteen female subjects climbed a typical 7-storey building, giving a total of 168 steps and vertical movement of 27.7 m. The results for perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate level, oxygen consumption and muscle EMG activity were significantly higher (p < 0.05) with the DS than SS pattern at a controlled speed. The results also showed that the ascending speed, heart rate, blood lactate level, respiratory quotient (RQ) and RPE were significantly higher (p < 0.05) with the DS than SS pattern at a free speed. These results clearly indicate the higher physical workload involved with the DS than SS pattern at both free and controlled speeds.

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The health-promoting effect of daily physical activity was assessed on walking courses recently established by a local government. We evaluated the quality and quantity of physical activity resulting from ten young females walking on three different courses located in Nagoya city. The length of each course was between8,600 and 10,000 steps. The exercise intensity level was estimated from the cardiovascular response (% HRR) and blood lactate levels, and the energy consumption was estimated from the count of a pedometer during walking. The results indicate that each course had potential health-promoting effects for middle- and old-aged individuals.

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The objectives of this paper are to clarify the situation of kurumin companies, the leading ones in supporting employees' childcare in Japan, and to discuss the breakthroughs that are needed to solve their problems. This study surveyed all kurumin companies from March to May 2009. The main conclusions are as follows: Firstly, they have actively planned and practiced supporting employees’ childcare in order to recruit top-class personnel and to improve their employees’ work-life balance. Secondly, they have discovered the benefit of this work. They are, however, facing many problems. For example, in these companies, childcare support for male employees and long working hours have not improved enough. And some female employees want to delay their career advancement. From these results, it is important that kurumin companies should consider female employees as essential members, that they should understand the concept of “work-life synergy”, and that they should have a sense of responsibility when it comes to supporting childcare. These seem to be effective ways of raising next-generation children. In addition to these points, overtime should be eliminated. And the companies have to consider whether their childcare policies are really financial burdens.

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We conducted a questionnaire survey on 344 females who had undergone breast cancer surgery in order to investigate their postoperative concerns for clothing. We focused on the inconveniences of clothing and on their attitude and consciousness towards clothes in analyzing the results from the standpoint of their quality of life, QOL, and their body image, BI. The results obtained were as follows: (1) The QOL ratings of the participants, on the whole, were not particularly low and the inconvenience felt in everyday life was considered to be little. However, QOL seemed to be closely related to each patient’s stage of disease, number of operations undergone, postoperative time lapse, and side effects of the treatments given following surgery. On the other hand, BI results, in general, were low and reflected the participants’ pessimistic attitude towards their body image. The BI ratings seemed to be closely related to the degree of deformity in their breast area, and showed no trace of recovery even after a considerable postoperative time lapse. (2) The participants expressed their feeling of inconvenience related to clothing matters.Clothes that did not reveal their bust line were more often chosen, meaning that their choice of clothes was limited in shape and design. The participants with lower QOL ratings seemed to feel more inconveniences in the function or comfort of their clothes, indicating that their clothes were, for example, too tight or sensitive to the skin, while the participants with poorer BI felt more inconveniences in revealing their bust line. (3) While the general results for their attitude and consciousness towards clothes showed a negative tendency, the participants with lower QOL ratings tended to try and keep the level of comfort of their clothes, and the participants with lower BI ratings tended to take on a more positive consciousness and attitude towards clothes. Similar results could also be speculated from the analysis of their free description.

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