Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a significant global health challenge, resulting in 41 million deaths annually, 86% of which are in low- and middle-income countries. In Indonesia, the prevalence of NCDs has increased in recent years. Health-seeking behavior (HSB) varies among individuals and is influenced by personal perspectives on wellness and illness. The factors influencing HSB among NCDs patients in urban and rural communities in Indonesia, remain unknown. This study examined factors influencing HSB among patients with NCDs in both urban and rural communities in Java Island, Indonesia. A random sample of a total of 332 patients with NCDs was selected and a structured questionnaire was utilized for data collection by direct interviews. A quantitative method design with cross-sectional multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. The behavioral economics-judgment (p = 0.01, odds ratio [OR] = 2.484); evaluated need (p = 0.016, OR = 1.800); and labor status-informal sector (p = 0.031, OR = 0.489) were significantly associated with HSBs in patients with NCDs. These results emphasize the need for improving the healthcare system in Indonesia by focusing on education, diagnosis, referrals, and patient-required information. Additionally, the findings highlight the necessity for implementing specific methods for health education to engage with informal workers for improving healthcare system. Furthermore, these findings may be insightful for other countries facing similar healthcare challenges.

Respiratory diseases are the leading cause of disaster-related deaths in Japan. Therefore, it is critical to protect older adults from pneumonia in evacuation shelters. Measures to maintain oral hygiene, support oral function and nutritional status, and reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia require multidisciplinary support. This study examined the support systems for oral health and nutritional care following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which occurred on January 1, 2024. We explored the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals who provided oral health and nutritional care within approximately two months after the disaster by using questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Qualitative analysis showed that there are six key themes regarding the challenges and support associated with oral health and nutrition: 1) logistics and distribution, 2) lack of human resources, 3) coordination and handover, 4) nutritional status and support, 5) oral status and support, and 6) knowledge of support personnel. These findings indicate that oral and nutritional care are critical for pneumonia prevention in disaster-affected areas. Early intervention and nutritional support are particularly important for older adults in evacuation centers. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach for oral and nutritional support is essential.

Objectives: Exercise therapy targets modifiable risk factors and reportedly prevents atrial fibrillation (AF). Gardening is a form of regular exercise that provides mental benefits. Thus, we hypothesized that gardening might be associated with a lower incidence of AF. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the association between gardening and the risk of AF onset.

Methods: Between August 2022 and March 2023, we surveyed 783 patients at risk of heart failure (HF) without a history of AF or HF-related hospitalization at a cardiology outpatient clinic (median patient age 73 years; 63% male). Gardening was defined as cultivating flowers, vegetables, or fruits for over a year. The presence, frequency, duration, years of experience, and scale were assessed. AF risk was estimated using the Cohorts for Heart and Aging in Genomic Epidemiology–Atrial Fibrillation (CHARGE-AF) score and categorized into tertiles. The association between gardening and CHARGE-AF score was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression, adjusted for confounders.

Results: Approximately 69% of the patients were engaged in gardening. Furthermore, 31%, 29%, and 40% of the patients had low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk CHARGE-AF scores, respectively. Gardening was inversely associated with CHARGE-AF score (odds ratio = 0.532, 95% confidence intervals [0.304–0.924]). Gardening extent demonstrated a trend towards lower AF risk, with significant associations only for years of experience.

Conclusion: Gardening may be associated with a lower risk of AF in patients at the outpatient cardiology clinic.

Breast and cervical cancers are leading causes of mortality among female, yet screening participation in Japan remains below 50%. The impact of positive psychological factors such as gratitude on screening attendance is unexplored. This cross-sectional analysis targeted females without a history of cancer. Breast cancer screening attendance was 48.6% Among 6,070 females aged 40–69, while cervical cancer screening attendance was 46.0% among 11,550 females aged 20–69. Middle tertile and upper tertile of gratitude trait were associated with higher prevalence ratios for screening attendance in both cancer types. This study highlights the need for further research into the role of positive psychological factors in promoting preventive health behaviors.

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a major impact on speech-language-hearing therapists (SLHTs) in Japan. Although there have been reports of telerehabilitation in Japan, the actual situation has not been reported. Therefore, we examined the merits and demerits of telerehabilitation in speech-language-hearing therapy after the COVID-19 outbreak and explored its potential for speech-language-hearing therapy in the future. SLHTs nationwide were asked to respond to a survey form developed by the authors using Google Forms. The survey period was between October 26 and December 31, 2023. Participants were divided into two groups according to their experience of telerehabilitation (with experience/WE group and without experience/WO group), and they were asked about the advantages and disadvantages of telerehabilitation. We received responses from 214 SLHTs (95 males, 119 females), with 28 (13.1%) in the WE group. In the WO group , 3 categories (occupational, infectious, and differences between inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation) were identified as advantages of telerehabilitation, and 2 (equipment and clinical) as disadvantages. The WO group identified 4 categories (environmental, clinical, provider, and infectious) as advantages and 3 (system, equipment, and clinical) as disadvantages. The reason why most of the responses in the advantage category were from the perspective of infection prevention may be because this survey was conducted after the COVID-19 outbreak; the difference seen between the two groups may suggest that the clinicians in the WO group, who had never experienced telerehabilitation, had wariness toward telerehabilitation. It is important to accumulate more evidence in the future.

Short Communication: The advantages and disadvantages of telerehabilitation in speech-language-hearing therapy after the COVID-19 pandemic were examined to explore the potential of telerehabilitation in speech-language-hearing therapy in the future in Japan. SLHTs nationwide were invited to respond to the survey. The large number of responses in terms of infection prevention in the advantages may be due to the fact that this survey was conducted after the COVID-19 outbreak. In the group that had no experience with telerehabilitation, it is speculated that the clinicians were cautious about telerehabilitation.