Purpose: We validate the effects of a model for alleviating menstruation-associated symptoms so as to improve the QOL of female university students. Methods: We developed the model that focused on the coping behavior to menstruation-associated symptoms and positive attitude toward menstruation, self-efficacy, stress coping behavior on the basis of healthy lifestyle as support about the improvement of the reduction of the menstruation associated symptoms in the female college student and the quality of life before. Using this model, we prepared a health education program based on social cognition theory. From May to September 2014, RCT was conducted among female university students divided into an intervention group and a control group. Results/Discussion: The intervention group showed significant in sleep regularity and stress management among lifestyle-related items, frequency of actions taken for managing menstrual symptoms, and self-efficacy than the control group. Compared with pre-intervention levels, significant increases were found after intervention in the total scores for lifestyle, which was a factor related to menstruation-associated symptoms, as well as the frequency of actions taken to cope with menstruation-associated symptoms and self-efficacy in the intervention group. In this group, improvements were found in pain among mMDQ and menorrhagia as well as in QOL. Conclusion: While no significant differences were found between the intervention and control groups in menstruation-associated symptoms and QOL, certain changes were noticed in the actions and mindset of the intervention group.

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[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of family function on antenatal depression and parenting self-efficacy of Japanese primiparas in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. [Methods] In this study, 502 primiparas participated. During the two study periods (i.e., second and third trimesters), a self-administered questionnaire that comprised of questions about personal attributes and the following scales were administered : i) Family Functioning Scale (FFS) ; ii) Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) ; iii) Parenting Self-efficacy (PSE) Scale. Data from the valid responses of 310 women (second trimester, 151 and third trimester, 159) were analyzed. [Results] The prevalence rates of women suspected of having depression were as follows : 47.7% in the second trimester and 47.8% in the third trimester. The results of the path analysis showed a significant negative path from "cognitive and attentional symptoms" to PSE Scale score and a significant positive path from "affective bonding" and "external relationships" to PSE Scale score. However, "affective bonding", "roles and responsibilities", and "external relationships" alleviated "cognitive and attentional symptoms" "communication" and "family norm" strengthened "roles and responsibilities" and "communication" "roles and responsibilities" strengthened "affective bonding" furthermore, "communication" "financial resources" and "roles and responsibilities" strengthened "external relationships". The adaptations of this model yielded the following values : CMIN/df=.989 ; NFI=.98 CFI=1.000 ; AIC=76.87 and RMSE=.000 (n=310). [Discussion] In the present study, we found that encouraging effective "communication" among family members in order to solve problems that arise during the pregnancy period and clarifying "roles and responsibilities" enhanced the family's "affective bonding" and "external relationships", leading to alleviation of "cognitive and attentional symptoms" improvement of parenting self-efficacy. These findings suggest that families would be able to deal as a system with psychosomatic and physical changes among primiparas by invigorating family functions from early pregnancy. Consequently, antenatal depression can be prevented and parenting self-efficacy of primiparas can be improved.

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The objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate the effects of time and sleep on changes in postpartum fatigue among Japanese primiparous women (≥ 35 years old). A convenience sample of 21 mothers who had given birth to a single infant underwent sleep assessment and completed questionnaires at 4 days and 1, 2, and 4 months postpartum. Sleep characteristics were evaluated using actigraphs. The degree of fatigue was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. The effects of each sleep parameter (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, waking time after sleep onset, and wake episodes) on changes in fatigue over time (1, 2, and 4 months postpartum) were examined. Shorter total sleep time was significantly associated with more severe fatigue. Nurses and other healthcare providers should provide information about the importance of sleep to mothers and their families; nurses should include mothers' assessments of sleep conditions on home visitations or in health examinations to identify accumulated fatigue.

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