The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of gender differences with regard to pain among university students. The participants comprised 408 university students. They were administered the following questionnaire. (1) Did you experience pain during the last month? (2) What kind of pain did you experience during the last month? (3) What was the strongest pain you experienced during the last month? (Subjective evaluation of pain) (4) Did you take any pain medication during the last month? (5) Did you go to hospital because of pain during the last month? (6) How much did the pain disturb your daily life during the last month? (7) How did you cope with pain during the last month? The results confirmed that over 60% of the participants, both male and female, experienced pain, and the gender differences with respect to pain were of little significance among Japanese adolescents. Moreover, the results indicated a correlation between the tendency to cope with catastrophic pain and subjective perception of pain. It was suggested that in addition to medical treatment, psychological coping strategies such as psychological pain education and cognitive restructuring are effective methods of managing pain among young people.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combined training on physical and psychological factors in obese middle-aged women. The subjects were 27 middle-aged women (age: 56.9±4.5 years, %fat: 36.1±2.0%). The training program consisted of combined of resistance training and aerobic training, for 10 weeks, 5 times per week: twice a week in the training room of the university and 3 times per week at home. We measured body weight (Bw), BMI, body fat volume (Bf), cross-sectional area of muscle of thigh group (Ct) and psoas major (Cp) in body composition, and serum lipids (Sl) as physical factors, and trait anxiety (Ta) and state anxiety (Sa) with STAI, and mental health (Mh) with GHQ28 as psychological factors before and after training period. In physical factors, Bw, BMI, Bf and Sl showed a more significant decrease, Ct and Cp showed a more significant increase after the training period than before. In psychological factors, Ta, Sa and social dysfunction included in Mh showed a more significant decrease after training period than before. These results suggest that combined training in obese middle-aged women improves body composition, serum lipids, anxiety, and social dysfunction in both physical and psychological factors.

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The aim of this research was to explore the relations among premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and changes in densities of plasma cortisol and inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. 9 women from 21 years to 32 years old were recruited. Plasma concentrations of E2, progesterone, ACTH, cortisol, IL-1β and leptin were measured three times per month. Also three types of psychological-emotional test batteries (POMS, Y-G characteristic inventory test and PMS inventory) were studied. Plasma cortisol significantly elevated as the menstruation cycle progressed. Neither POMS nor Y-G scores showed significant correlation between the menstruational cycle. But PMS inventory significantly increased in later half of menstruation process. Subjects were divided into two groups due to the differences between the PMS scores and expected PMS scores from the simple regression to the menstruation process. Subjects who showed higher PMS score-differences after 20th days of menstruation process, were included into group H (n=4) and the subjects who showed lower PMS score-differences after 20th days of menstruation process were divided into group L (n=7). Group H showed significantly (p<0.05) higher IL-1β compared with group L. Also group H showed higher tendency in cortisol and leptin. In the psychological tests, group H showed higher level of depressive tendencies. From these, we suspected that in PMS patients, hyper inflammatory response to the ovulation elevates the IL-1β secretion which activates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway and elevates cortisol secretion which causes depressive state. And cortisol is said to suppress leptin, so leptin elevates in group H in order to compete with cortisol increase. This process may cause cancellation of inhibition to overeating in PMS patients in pre-menstrual periods. In addition, IL-1β accelerates vasopressin secretion, which may cause premenstrual edema. Dependent associations of inflammatory cytokine around ovulation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation which includes leptin secretion should be considered in PMS patients.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the menstrual phases (premenstrual, mid-menstrual, and post-menstrual) on emotional responsiveness in female employees. Participants were 27 female and 10 male employees. The survey form includes 10 negative image words, 10 positive image words, and the Two Dimensional Mood Scale, and MDQ Japanese version). Emotional responsiveness to stimulus words was measured in 3 phases prospectively. The result indicated that there was the interaction of phases and sex. The emotional responsiveness scores in female participants were significantly lower in the mid-menstrual period compare to the scores in male participants or other phases. The result indicates that the understanding of the cyclic emotional changes in peri-menstrual periods may promote preventative self-care behaviors. Further study is needed to examine emotional changes in peri-menstrual periods.

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This study targets the increasing population of Japanese mothers with young children abroad. To find out about transcultural stress and child rearing stress factors and the mental health of Japanese mothers living in New York, 400 questionnaires and a GHQ 30 were distributed to Japanese mothers in New York and to a counter-group in a city in Japan. 192 anonymous questionnaires were collected by post (response rate 48%), 191 of which were subjected to statistical analysis. The mental health of the mothers in New York and the mothers in Japan was found to be poor for different reasons. One third of the mothers who responded may be in need of professional help. There were significant correlations between poor mental health, child rearing, dissatisfaction with life, isolation, and lack of support. More than half of the mothers in New York found child rearing abroad was stressful. Almost 90% of all mothers felt that their husbands were stressed because of their work, and there was a strong correlation between poor mental health and dissatisfaction with the husband's contribution to child rearing. Support for child rearing and adaptation to the new life will be helpful for mothers who are raising children abroad.

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