Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi(JAPANESE JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH)
Online ISSN : 2187-8986
Print ISSN : 0546-1766
ISSN-L : 0546-1766
Volume 50, Issue 3
Displaying 1-8 of 8 articles from this issue
Sounding board
Review article
  • Akira SEKIKAWA, Tomonori OKAMURA, Takashi KADOWAKI, Kenichi MITSUNAMI, ...
    2003 Volume 50 Issue 3 Pages 183-193
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: December 10, 2014
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
     Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (US). Approximately half of deaths from CHD occur out of hospital, most being sudden. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths occur in asymptomatic subjects. Recent lipid-lowering trials in asymptomatic subjects have demonstrated the potential for risk reduction for CHD events by primary prevention. It is, however, generally acknowledged that risk will be underestimated in asymptomatic subjects who fall into the category of intermediate risk by the traditional risk factors. Non-invasive measurements of subclinical atherosclerosis, which is the end result of risk-factor exposure, have the possibility of improving the risk stratification of asymptomatic subjects in intermediate-risk.
     Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) is a non-invasive and highly sensitive means to detect calcification within coronary arterial wall. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a recognized marker of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic burden of coronary arteries correlates strongly with the amount of CAC measured by EBCT. Studies examining the predictive value of CAC among asymptomatic subjects consistently reported that CAC is a risk for CHD. Two studies reported that unadjusted odds ratios of CAC for CHD were over 20. Incremental value of EBCT over the traditional risk assessment models, however, has not been established.
     Although CHD mortality in Japan remains uniquely low in industrialized countries, among men aged 30-49, risk factor profiles for CHD are similar between men in the US and Japan, except higher prevalence of cigarette smoking in Japan and higher prevalence of obesity in the US. It is reported that the declining trend in CHD mortality in Japan has recently slowed down in metropolitan areas, especially in men aged 30-49, and that the incidence has increased in middle-aged workers in a metropolitan area. A mortality validation study reported that the differences in CHD mortality between the US and Japan were not as large as suggested by vital statistics. It is, therefore, important to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis measured by EBCT in men in recent birth cohorts in Japan and compare it to that in men in the US in order to predict future trend in CHD in Japan.
    Download PDF (388K)
  • Nobuyuki HAMAJIMA, Hidemichi YUASA
    2003 Volume 50 Issue 3 Pages 194-207
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: December 10, 2014
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    PurposeInterleukin (IL)-1A C-889T, IL-1B C-511T, IL-1B C-31T, IL-1B C3954T, and IL-1RN 86-bp VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) are polymorphisms potentially influencing IL-1β production. This review summarizes 1) the biological roles of IL-1β, 2) allele frequencies of the polymorphisms, and 3) the reported associations between these polymorphisms and disease risk.
    Methods Papers were obtained from PubMed with keywords “IL-1, polymorphism”, as well as from the references in each paper. The most relevant papers were then selected. In this review, a narrative approach was adopted.
    Results IL-1β is a multifunctional proinflammatory cytokine, whose signal is transduced through IL-1 receptor I (IL-1RI) on the cell surface. Binding levels are influenced by the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), IL-1RII (decoy receptor with no signal transduction), soluble IL-1RI, and soluble IL-1RII. IL-1B encoding IL-1β is located on chromosome 2q14, along with IL-1A encoding IL-1α and IL-1RN encoding IL-1Ra. The minor alleles, IL-1A -889T, IL-1B 3954T, and IL-1RN 2R, are rarer in Japanese than in Caucasians, while IL-1B -511T and IL-1B -31C are more frequent. These polymorphisms have been reported to have potential associations with the risk of diseases, such as stomach cancer, breast cancer, inflammatory bowel, Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis.
    Discussion Although there are many inconsistent findings on associations with the polymorphisms, IL-1B C-511T and the tightly linked T-31C may be useful for predicting the risk of diseases with an inflammation basis among Japanese.
    Download PDF (460K)
Original article
  • Koichiro OKA
    2003 Volume 50 Issue 3 Pages 208-215
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: December 10, 2014
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
     The transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) has been used to account for how people change their health behavior. It was originally developed to explain or predict change in unhealthy addictive behavior (e.g., smoking), but recently the use of the TTM within the physical activity and exercise behavior domain has been proposed. In the present study, we examined its structure in this regard among middle-aged Japanese adults. In particular, the relationship between the stages of change for exercise behavior and self-efficacy was investigated.
     Firstly, a scale was developed to assess self-efficacy for exercise. Four hundred and sixty seven middle-aged adults completed questionnaires. As a result of stepwise variable selection procedure in exploratory factor analysis, a scale comprising 1 factor with 5 items was developed. Psychometric analyses revealed that this scale had high reliability and validity.
     Secondly, a cross-sectional investigation was conducted to examine the relationship between stage of change and self-efficacy among middle-aged adults (n=808) using a questionnaire approach. Significant associations were found between stage of change for exercise behavior classification and self-efficacy for exercise. Specifically, scores on self-efficacy of the subjects in the present study were less for those in a precontemplation stage and greater for those in maintenance compared to all other stages, and generally followed a linear pattern of change across the stages.
     Although the use of a cross-sectional research design and nonrandom sampling methods in the present study limit interpretation, the similarity of these results to those in the previous literature suggests that the relationship between stages of change for exercise behavior and self-efficacy for exercise holds across different age groups and cultures. By accurately understanding these relationships, health promotion professionals may be able to improve physical activity and exercise promotion efforts.
    Download PDF (352K)
  • Yoshie YOKOYAMA, Mari YAMASHIRO, Syuichi OOKI
    2003 Volume 50 Issue 3 Pages 216-224
    Published: 2003
    Released on J-STAGE: December 10, 2014
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Objective This study was conducted to assess the birth weight and height in triplets, and to identify associated factors.
    Method The subjects were 371 sets of triplets (1,113 triplets), who were born after 1986. Data on birth weight, birth height, gender, birth order, mode of delivery, gestational age, maternal weight gain at delivery, and infertility treatment were obtained. Pregravidic body mass index (BMI) was computed to evaluate maternal physique.
    Results Mean triplet birth weight was 1,763.3±420.6 g and mean birth height was 42.2±3.36 cm. Overall, 96% were low birth weight newborn, 24.4% were very low birth weight newborn, and 4.9% had less than 1,000 g weight. The triplet birth weight was significantly associated with gender (male>female), sex combination (opposite-sexed sets>same-sexed sets), mode of delivery (vaginal delivery>caesarean section), and pregravidic body mass index (BMI) (more than 26.0 kg/m2>less than 19.8 kg/m2). There was a significant correlation coefficient between maternal weight gain at delivery and birth weight. The triplet birth height was significantly associated with gender (male>female), sex combination (opposite-sexed sets>same-sexed sets), and pregravidic BMI (more than 26.0 kg/m2>less than 19.8 kg/m2). Moreover, the birth height was associated with maternal weight gain at delivery and infertility treatment.
    Conclusion The birth weight and birth height in triplets are much lower than those for singletons and twins. Triplet birth weight is associated with gender, birth order, pregravidic body mass index, mode of delivery, and maternal weight gain at delivery, taking into account gestational age. Birth height is associated with gender, pregravidic body mass index, and infertility treatment.
    Download PDF (293K)
Information
feedback
Top