Objective: This study was conducted to identify lifestyles related to overweight among elementary school students by gender and developmental stages.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education conducted a self-completed questionnaire diet survey among 2,369 third and fifth graders in 19 public elementary schools in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in June 2015. Body size and lifestyles by gender and grade were compared using chi-square tests. To examine lifestyles related to overweight, an adjusted logistic regression analysis was conducted by using body size as the dependent variable and lifestyle as the independent variable.

Results: A total of 2,168 students (1,011 third graders, 1,157 fifth graders) were analyzed (response rate: 91.5%). The rate of being overweight was higher in fifth graders than that in third graders (26.7%, 22.3%, p=0.016) and among fifth graders it was higher in boys than in girls (29.4%, 23.8%, p=0.032). Lifestyles that were positively related to overweight were eating fast in boys, having less breakfast in girls, having less breakfast in third graders, and eating fast and engaging in less exercise other than physical education class in fifth graders. In addition, spending a long time between dinner and bedtime was related to overweight in fifth grade girls.

Conclusion: Lifestyles related to overweight among elementary school students were different according to gender and developmental stages. The factors which were related to overweight were: eating speed in boys, breakfast frequency in girls, breakfast frequency in third graders, and eating speed and frequency of exercise in fifth graders.

Objective: To elucidate the factors associated with the recommended amount of physical activity and sedentary behavior, by confirming the fulfilment status of physical activity recommended to promote the maintenance of health and physical activity and to reduce sedentary behavior among company workers.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, bone density tests and questionnaire surveys were conducted for 567 company workers aged 20 to 59 years old. The amount of physical activity and sitting time were evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short-version. The recommended amount of physical activity was evaluated using the 2013 guidelines for physical activity for promoting health. Moreover, to comprehend the related factors, the workers were asked about their demographic factors, lifestyle, and health status.

Results: The proportion those fulfilling the recommended amount of physical activity was 52.0%. The recommended amount of physical activity was found to be positively associated with being male, lower sitting time in a day, higher bone density, and a predominantly standing posture while working. The lower sitting time was found to be positively associated with being over 50 years of age, lower income, manufacturing profession, and predominantly standing posture while working.

Conclusion: This study confirmed the association of fulfillment status of the recommended amount of physical activity and sitting time with age, income, bone density, and manufacturing profession among company workers. Considering these factors, intervention measures should be taken for them to promote recommended amounts of physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of the local elderly community maintaining group exercise regularly.

Project Contents: The research target was eight groups (120 people) who participated in a community-wide intervention to promote physical activity in Fujisawa city. Data were collected via questionnaires (e.g.; physical activity, social capital) and evaluations of physical fitness and cognitive function at the beginning of the project and six months later. They continued the group exercise for six months. We provided exercise programs, monitoring tools, periodic follow-up, exchange meetings, and group work.

Project Assessment: (1) We reclassified the groups into four groups based on characteristics of the leader and assistant and compared physical activity, mental health, social capital, and individual factors. (2) We compared group characteristics based on qualitative information (questionnaires, exchange meetings, group work). We integrated the results and identified rules (naturally occurring promises or decisions), roles (autonomy roles), and tools (goods and social resources) as important aspects of community organization. Rules that form the basis of activities were categorized into three groups: rules common to all groups, rules for smooth group activities, and rules for exercise implementation and maintenance. Groups with clear rules had many roles and could efficiently utilize tools.

Challenges: Through physical activity promotion in the community, we were able to identify the rules, roles, and tools for implementation and maintenance of group exercise. Long-term observation and utilization of results are issues for future research.

Objectives: In Japan, junior doctors and medical students have not systematically learned the concepts and methods of health promotion advocacy in the past. Therefore, we held a workshop to teach them, and created a foundation to appropriately disseminate their opinions to society. This article summarized the content, assessment, and perspectives of this workshop.

Activities: We prepared the workshop with four existing organizations for junior doctors and medical students. The content included lectures on the concepts and methods of advocacy and small group exercises to formulate advocacy strategies. After these exercises, the strategies were shared among the groups.

Assessment: There were 19 participants, including 9 junior doctors, 8 medical students, 1 administrator and 1 researcher. The themes discussed within each group included: improving resilience of young physicians and medical students; improving the sustainability of life-work balance for junior doctors; reducing the risk of medical malpractice due to long working hours; and changing medical education to include learning practical medical English to treat non-Japanese speakers. From two sessions, we obtained the following two advocacy messages: "unbeatable doctors, creating healthy societies", "Japanese doctors for the Globe."

Future perspectives: We need to hold more advocacy workshops regularly and create opportunities for more junior doctors and medical students . In the workshops, sufficient time should be allocated for strategy formulation group work, and proper support should be provided for each action on the worksheet, depending on the participants' familiarity with the subject. A network should be also created for participants to carry out advocacy in the future.

Objective: This article described the goal of Health and Productivity with the introduction of its concept and the latest trends. Taking advantage of the experiences regarding Health and Productivity in a large-sized company, how to achieve the same goal was presented for small and medium-sized companies.

Contents: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan launched The Health & Productivity Stock Selection program in FY 2014 trying to improve healthy life expectancy. Since then, Health and Productivity has been attracting the public attention as an investment for survival of companies and their employees. In large-sized companies, how to achieve Health and Productivity has been accumulated. However, small and medium-sized companies have faced challenges to promote it since they have limited resources, such as manpower and budgets, and need to comply with laws and regulations. To overcome these challenges, it is useful to learn the progress about the integration of Occupational Health and Safety and Workplace Health Promotion. This is because it is effective to engage in conventional activities from the perspective of health promotion rather than creating other independent duties in the name of health and creativity.

Conclusion: The goal of Health and Productivity is to improve the health literacy of organizations. The most important factor in achieving such goal is the participation by the managers and employees. Small and medium-sized companies, in particular, are required to make "Their Own Unique and Original" efforts with fully utilizing their limited resources.

Purpose: This article first described Health and Productivity management activities carried out by ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (below, ‘CTC'). Then it explored how these activities can be applied in Health and Productivity management at small- and medium-size enterprises.

Details: CTC is an information and communications company listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company is certified under the Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program (White 500) that was established in 2016. As examples of increasing compliance in occupational health activities and expanding activities, CTC has made efforts to achieve a 100% periodical medical examination consultation rate, and establishing and maintaining a stable health committee. CTC also has carried out health promoting activities such as e-learning to encourage self-care, and events for combatting stiff shoulders and low back pain. For small and medium enterprises, the lessons learnt from CTC can be applied by starting actions with compliance. For those organizations supporting multiple small- and medium-sized enterprises, they should promote compliance with Industrial Safety and Health Act, by taking a proportionate universalism approach and strengthening their supporting services according to the socially disadvantage degree.

Conclusion: For small- and medium-sized enterprises to promote Health and Productivity management, the starting point should be in with compliance with rules and regulations of occupational health activities. It creates a foundation for Health and Productivity management and eventually will raise the health status of these enterprises.

Introduction: This article first described the Healthy Mileage Program as an example of Health and Productivity management carried out by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Then, it explored how its practices can be applied to the Health and Productivity management at small- and medium-size enterprises.

Details: In the Healthy Mileage Program, teams or individuals exercise health-related activities to receive points and win prizes as incentives. This program was launched in a small scale at limited offices in 2008 and expanded company-wide in 2012. It is currently a large scale program with nearly 4,000 participants each time. To create a lively work environment, different activities utilize the group analysis results of the stress check program. For these activities, voluntary participation is a key to make it sustainable. The following six points are found important when using these activities at small- and medium-size enterprises: (1) find key persons and tailor the approach to them; (2) start by simply making an attempt; (3) assess the activities if possible; (4) continue fine-tuning activities based on discussion among staff members and participant feedback; (5) do not give up even if results are not immediately apparent; and (6) work together as a team.

Conclusion: Small- and medium-size enterprises should pursue Health and Productivity management gradually and infuse it into the corporate culture to make it sustainable.

Objective: The Japanese government is promoting Health and Productivity management as a strategy for economic growth. An important question is to what extent this strategy can be incorporated into small- and medium-size enterprises. The Japan Health Insurance Association Chiba branch has sent key persons to companies to promote Health and Productivity management and explained its details to business owners and leaders. Then, 339 companies within the branch's jurisdiction have made a declaration to build a healthy work environment, but their feedback suggested they were not clear about how to proceed with Health and Productivity management. We collected and presented sucecssful examples of their activities.

Details: Interviews were held with leaders from three companies that carried out health management activities successfully. The type of companies was construction, transport, and cleaning business, respectively, and the company compositions differed. All three had well-formed interpersonal relations prior to health promotion, and it was the foundation for carrying out Health and Productivity management. A notable feature was that top executives and leaders shared a future vision and had built personal relationships. In addition, the companies hoped that Health and Productivity management would boost productivity.

Conclusion: To achieve Health and Productivity management, many small- and medium- enterprises should present an evaluation index to determine how well it is linked to business management. A future challenge will be using these three successful examples to scale up in the remaining companies.

Objective: Large enterprises have experienced successes and failures in Health and Productivity management. How can small- and medium-sized enterprises learn from such experiences? This article summarized the contents of participants' discussions in a workshop on this topic.

Methods: After a keynote lecture and three presentations on specific practices, all speakers and the chairperson went on stage and held discussion with all participants on the issues extracted from audience members' responses to questionnaires.

Results: A total of 83 participants took part in the workshop. The following key themes were extracted for promoting Health and Productivity management in small- and medium-sized enterprises: (1) taking the first steps in areas in one's own proximity, (2) expanding one's own sphere of contacts is important for building more alliances with colleagues willing to cooperate, (3) identifying new key people even in just one small area where people share a common affinity, and (4) introducing such key people's enthusiastic efforts to many people.

Conclusion: In the workshop, participants were able to share what aspects are important in establishing relationships and building alliances. They also came to understand the importance of dealing with health-related matters and of forming partnerships and expanding alliances to promote health.