Objective: This study investigated the relationship of height and body mass index (BMI) to survival days over a three-year period among urban elderly dwellers.
Methods: A self-report questionnaire survey was administered to 20,938 men and women aged 65 years or older in an urban city of Tokyo in September 2004. Responses were received from 13,460 participants (response rate 64.3%): however, 12,833 responses were analyzed in the study, as 126 lost their ID number and 501 had moved to another city. By August 2007, 549 participants had died. A comparison of survival duration among subgroups based on height and BMI was conducted using ANOVA and a Cox regression model.
Results: Total number of survival days was significantly lower among participants with a BMI ⟨19 in both men and women, and among shorter participants (⟨150 cm in men and ⟨140 cm in women) compared to taller participants. Cox regression model analysis confirmed that younger age, BMI ⟩19, and height ⟩150 cm in men and ⟩140 cm in women contributed to a significantly longer life. On the other hand, favorable socio-economic factors such as having a career did not contribute to longer life in our study population directory.
Conclusion: This study showed that younger age, BMI ⟩19, and height ⟩150cm in men and ⟩140cm in women contributed to longer life among elderly individuals residing in an urban area.

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Objective: To elucidate the factors related to continued participation in marathons by members of a local marathon club holding a yearly marathon.
Methods: Among the 16 members of an independent marathon club, a self-report questionnaire survey was conducted among the 15 members who agreed to participate in the present study. Four different processes linked with enhancement of self-efficacy were investigated. In addition, a group interview was conducted with 8 out of the 15 participants.
Results: This study identified several factors contributing to the participants' continued participation in the marathons. These factors were related to high self-efficacy gained by verbal encouragement from the club members and vicarious experience in being together with the club members. In particular, the successful completion of the marathon constituted an enactive attainment experience signaling a sense of self-competence. Furthermore, continued participation in marathons was associated with a number of social factors: lectures held by the city, implementation of marathons in their living environs in the Tokyo outskirts, and the marathon boom.
Conclusion: Self-efficacy was raised among the marathon club members through experience of the positive effects of marathons in their own living environs. Although the marathon is a very intense sport, member support and environmental support can promote the participants' self-direction and sustainable participation.

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Objective: To explore perceptions of the elderly regarding dementia and its prevention, with the goal of helping the elderly engage in dementia preventive activities.
Methods: In June 2009, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six elderly women without dementia (mean age 87.5 years) who required daytime nursing care services in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan. participants' perceptions of dementia and its prevention were probed with questions such as “What is your image of dementia?”, “What do you think helps prevent dementia?”, and “What are you doing to prevent dementia?”.
Results: This qualitaive analysis has generated two broad categories regarding perceptions of dementia: anxiety about developing dementia, and perceptions or knowledge of dementia. Five dominant factors influencing perceptions of dementia were: the experience of memory difficulties, other health-related anxieties, contact with daytime nursing care services, caring for parents with dementia, and depictions of dementia in mass media. Also, this analysis categorized perceptions of dementia prevention as involving subjective protective or risk factors. Three dominant factors influenced participants' acting to prevent dementia: perception of the importance of preventing dementia, opportunities for action, and motivating factors for action.
Conclusions: This research explored participants' perceptions of dementia and its prevention, elucidating factors which influenced their concerns regarding dementia, their desire to take preventive action, and their acting on such desires. These results suggest opportunities for improving the care of participants at risk for dementia.

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The purpose of this paper is to describe the background behind the introduction of the Safe Community strategy to Atsugi-city, the process and results of such development activities, and the specific safety promotion measures enacted in the city. This overview is presented from the viewpoint of the city's Expert Committee Member.
The defining feature of Atsugi city's safety promotion program resides in the recognition of crime prevention as an important issue within the community. This issue has been a common focus of political and administrative attention across Japan and a matter of national concern since 2002. Prevention of street crimes, especially those against vulnerable children, was, likewise, a major concern in Atsugi city.
Moreover, citizens' perceptions of public safety had deteriorated continuously despite the marked decrease in the number of crimes reported in 2008. In essence, a discrepancy between safety and peace of mind was observed. The administrative authorities realized that the existing bureaucracy-led system could not resolve the problem. It was their sense of urgency about the problem that prompted the Atsugi city authorities to develop an interest in the Safe Community model and to initiate research in this direction. Meanwhile, many citizens sought safety and peace of mind in all aspects of their lives, from prevention of crime and beyond. Thus, the following priorities were established as the urgent tasks of the municipal government: revitalization of bonds among people in the community, civic collaboration, and improvement of overall quality of life(QOL).
Facing a difficult situation, the innovative strategy of Safe Communities proved to be just the call to action that the government, police and the community strongly desired and demanded. In March 2010, Atsugi city submitted to the Collaborating Center on Community Safety the application form for official designation as a Safe Community, based on the activities of the past two years. Atsugi city is certain to be granted the Safe Community title this November, making it the third such community in Japan.

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The aim of present study was to analyze the system, infrastructure, finance, human resources and recent trends and tasks of Korea's health promotion services and the trends of health education specialists using HP-Source.net, a capacity mapping tool.
A law for the national health promotion was enacted in1995 in Korea. After that, the health promotion services are administratively and financially supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, The Korea health promotion fund was also established based on the law.In 2002, Health Plan 2010 was established to reduce diseases and deaths caused by lifestyle-related diseases. In 2004, a Healthy City project was started. In addition, the nation has conducted various types of services regarding new public health sectors by executing a Healthy City project to create a healthy environment. In 2010, Korea executed national certification (1^st-3^rdclass) of health education specialistsfor the first time. 18 persons, or 25.7 percent, acquired second-class certifications, and2,246 persons, or 42.7 percent, acquired third-class certifications.
Korea needs to establish evidence about the efficiency of its health promotion services by conducting a health impact assessment. Moreover, it is important that new scientific health promotion services should be tried and continued in Korea.

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