In order to achieve caries-free in 3-year-old children, it is necessary to provide effective dental health guidance according to risk at oral health examination in 18-month-old children. The aim of this study is to clarify the influence of risk factors that affect the onset of dental caries from 18-month-old to 3-year-old by statistically analyzing the results of questionnaire surveys and oral health examination.

The subjects enrolled in this study were 560 children and their mothers who received oral health examination at both 18-month-old to 3-year-old health check-ups. It was revealed that five items,“prenatal oral health examination: no”, “frequency of eating between meals of child: 3 times or more per day”, “oral hygiene condition of child: fair or poor”, “smoking habit of mother: yes” and “mother’s knowledge of periodontal disease: no” were significantly related to the onset of dental caries during the period from 18-month-old to 3-year-old. As a result of structural equation modeling (SEM), it was confirmed that four items other than “smoking habit of mother: yes” were associated with caries in 3-year-old children. Furthermore, it was confirmed that “frequency of eating between meals of child: 3 times or more” had a slightly stronger influence than the other items.

These results suggest that it may be effective to provide health guidance during dental health checkups in 18-month-old children that takes into account the degree of impact on subsequent caries development.

Objectives: This study aimed to remotely implement the Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP), a positive parenting programme for parents of children with developmental disabilities, and to examine its effectiveness compared to in-person implementations.

Methods: Participants were recruited online in partnership with municipalities and other organisations. Nine parents of children aged 3–10 years with developmental disabilities received the intervention remotely. The following variables were compared before and after the intervention: parents’ childcare behaviour (Parenting Scale, PS); difficulties in child behaviour (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ); parents’ depression, anxiety, and stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, DASS); and parents’ attitudes to parenting (Parenting Experience Survey, PES).

Results: Before the intervention, all PS, SDQ (except ‘Emotional Symptoms’), and DASS subscale scores were within the clinical and borderline ranges. However, after the intervention, significant subscale improvements were observed: PS over-reactivity (p =0 .021), SDQ conduct problems (p =0 .042), and DASS depression (p =0 .021), stress (p =0 .027), and anxiety (p = 0.028). PES scores demonstrated significant improvement in childcare difficulty (p = 0.020), stressful feelings resulting from childcare (p =0 .043), confidence in childcare (p =0 .008), cooperation with one’s partner (p =0 .020), and happiness with one’s partner (p =0 .046).

Conclusion: The SSTP, conducted remotely with parents of children with developmental disabilities, significantly improved parents’ childcare behaviours, children’s conduct problems, and stressful feelings resulting from childcare. The intervention’s effects on the PS, DASS and partner relationships were nearly equivalent to those observed in previous in-person studies. (247 words)

Objectives: Hypertension is a risk factor for various diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but many people in Japan have untreated hypertension. In this cross-sectional study, we examined factors associated with untreated hypertension using health examination data from a health examination organization.

Methods: In 2023, 50,619 subjects aged 40 years or older who used the Ehime General Healthcare Association were included in the study. The prevalence of hypertension was assessed in the entire study population. Those without hypertension were then excluded from the analysis, and factors associated with untreated hypertension were examined in those with hypertension. Adjusted odds ratios for untreated hypertension were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for sex, age, habitual smoking, habitual exercise, diabetes, dyslipidemia, history of cerebrovascular disease, history of cardiovascular disease, history of chronic nephritis, BMI, and medical examination category.

Results: Of the 50,619 individuals, the prevalence of hypertension was 38.6%(19,548). Of the 19,548 people with hypertension, 41.0%(8,009) had untreated hypertension. Factors that were significantly inversely associated with the prevalence of untreated hypertension were male sex, age > 50 years, diabetes, dyslipidemia, history of cerebrovascular disease, history of cardiovascular disease, history of chronic nephritis and BMI > 25 kg/m² . On the other hand, habitual smoking, habitual exercise and a BMI less than 23 kg/m² were significantly positively associated with the prevalence of untreated hypertension.

Conclusions: The positive association between BMI < 23 kg/m² and untreated hypertension is noteworthy and may require a paradigm shift in health screening policies, as BMI < 25 kg/m² is a blind spot in specific health screening in Japan.