Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six foreign technical intern trainees to clarify their health problems and coping behaviors after their arrival in Japan. A verbatim record was created, and the characteristic health problems and coping behaviors experienced by the study participants were summarized on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, all cases were analyzed qualitatively and inductively for each item in the interview guide, and the characteristics of each item were shown.

The characteristic health problems in the cases were loss of appetite/weight loss, cold urticaria, chilblains, dysmenorrhea/cystitis, pericoronitis, and sinusitis. As a result of qualitative and inductive analysis, health problems experienced by foreign technical intern trainees after coming to Japan, were [health problems caused by Japan’s climate], [health problems caused by work], [health problems caused by changes in the environment], and [recurrence of pre-existing illness]. The coping behaviors after the onset of health problems were [use of medicines from home country], [improvement of health condition by self-care], [consultation with a reliable person], and [visiting a medical institution]. In addition, the behaviors after medical consultation included [adherence to medication], [preventive health behavior], and [abandoning treatment continuation due to high medical expenses].

Regarding health problems caused by Japan’s climate, work, and environment, it is important to provide basic knowledge, and to raise awareness of prevention and coping methods at the initial stage through health education and health guidance.

To clarify the relationship between difficulties felt by nurses caring for elderly patients with dementia in acute care hospitals and their burnout, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 2,032 nurses working in wards where elderly people with dementia are hospitalized in 14 national and public acute care hospitals nationwide. The questionnaire was composed of 22 items related to burnout according to the Japanese version of Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), 16 items related to the difficulty of nurses caring for the elderly with dementia in acute care hospitals, 24 items related to work-life balance, 18 items of personal properties, and 10 items of work environmental factors. The number of valid responses was 1235 (60.8%). The mean total score of the burnout was 12.6, and there was no significant difference among the hospitals. In multiple regression analysis with the total burnout score as the objective variable, the factors related to burnout are, in descending order of the standardized partial regression coefficient, the total score of difficulty, the total score of work-life balance, ability to maintain one’s health and satisfaction with the workplace. Since nurses who find it difficult to care for elderly with dementia tend to burn out, it is necessary to develop a support program for the nursed to prevent burnout.

We sought to understand the status and effects of feedback on physical activity, in the daily lives of community-dwelling, older adults. Physical activity was assessed using a wristwatch-type pulsimeter, with an accelerometer (PS). Activity records were also used.

We targeted 14 community-dwelling men and women aged ≥60 years (7 men and 7 women), with a median age of 73.5 years (range : 61.0-91.0) for this survey-based study. In the first survey, each participant was asked to wear a PS for a week, answer questionnaires, and fill out a recording sheet. Based on the results and records of the first survey, the participants were provided with feedback. They were then asked to wear the PS for a further week, and to answer questionnaires for a second survey.

It was found that the median daily average physical activity duration measured by PS was 1.1 (range : 0.1-4.3) h, and the average daily physical activity duration was 6.3 (range : 2.9-8.2) h. With regard to the type of physical activity (including the movements of medium or high intensity), we observed that men performed activities related to going out, whereas women performed activities related to housework. After receiving feedback relating to increasing their physical activities, the participants exhibited an increase in the duration of their average daily body movements (p<0.05).

Feedback regarding existing physical activity in daily life may, therefore, effectively increase the physical activity of older adults, both male and female.

Hinohikari rice is considered to have a distinct taste for many Japanese people. However, there are no studies comparing the physicochemical properties of Hinohikari rice and those of other cultivars. Therefore, in this study, we compared the characteristics of cooked rice and their starch pasting properties of the Koshihikari, Hinohikari, and Akitakomachi cultivars.

The obtained protein and amylose contents suggest that all three rice cultivars have a good taste. The presence of a gel-like layer, which primarily consists of polysaccharides, was observed on the surface of the cooked rice. The amount of water-soluble polysaccharides present in the surface layer of Hinohikari rice was significantly higher than those of the other two cultivars. Further, cooked Hinohikari rice showed a different frictional force-horizontal movement distance curve and water-soluble polysaccharides adhering to the surface layer. The breaking characteristics of cooked rice were similar between the Koshihikari and Hinohikari curtivars. Our results suggest that cooked Hinohikari rice presents different characteristics from those of Koshihikari and Akitakomachi rice.

A lecture was given to 80 nursing students using slides explaining the biological characteristics of breast cancer, and an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted after the lecture to evaluate the degree of understanding of breast cancer. Of the 80 subjects, 60 (75.0%) gave valid responses. Among these 60 people, 57 (95.0%) understood the staging of breast cancer (stage, invasion, progression), 55 (91.7%) understood the subtype, 54 (90.0%) understood the pathological type and 57 (95.0%) understood that breast cancer has different biological characteristics among individuals. The free descriptions on the questionnaire were organized and summarized into 6 categories. There were 18 descriptions related to various types of breast cancer, 14 descriptions related to self-examination, and 10 descriptions related to hereditary breast cancer. Lectures using slide teaching materials for adolescents and young adults are considered to be highly effective because it is clear that they will increase the interest in “I want to know more about breast cancer.” In the future, it will be necessary to establish a system that makes it easy to obtain health information so that slide teaching materials can be viewed at any time.