Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Inhaled hinoki cypress essential oil improves saliva secretion and swallowing function in older adults with dysphagia: a randomized crossover study.","authors":"Yoichiro Aoyagi, Ryo Furuya, Masaki Kawasaki, Masako Takenouchi, Miho Ohashi, Qing Li","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00319","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Olfactory stimulation with hinoki cypress essential oil reportedly reduces stress hormones and enhances parasympathetic activity, which may in turn increase salivary secretion and facilitate swallowing. However, its effects on swallowing in older adults with dysphagia remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this placebo-controlled, single-blind, randomized crossover study, older adults with dysphagia (Food Intake Level Scale ≤9) underwent 5-minute olfactory stimulation with hinoki cypress essential oil or rice oil (placebo) in two sessions one week apart. Repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), 3 mL modified water swallowing test (MWST), 30 mL water swallowing test (WST), saliva secretion for 5 minutes, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and after each stimulation. Changes from pre- to post-stimulation were compared within each condition and between conditions using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-four participants (47% women; 80 ± 10 years) were included. Hinoki cypress essential oil significantly improved RSST (median difference 0.5, 95% CI 0.0-1.0; p = 0.004), MWST (0.5, 95% CI 0.0-1.0; p = 0.003), and saliva secretion (1.0 mL, 95% CI 0.5-2.0; p = 0.002), whereas placebo produced no significant change (all p > 0.05). Improvements in swallowing function were greater with hinoki than with placebo. The increase in saliva secretion following hinoki stimulation was not associated with changes in RSST or MWST scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Brief olfactory stimulation with hinoki cypress essential oil improved swallowing function and increased saliva secretion in older adults with dysphagia compared with placebo in a randomized crossover design. Hinoki cypress essential oil inhalation may represent a simple, noninvasive adjunctive strategy for dysphagia management, warranting confirmation in larger and longer trials.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study was registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) under registration number UMIN000053271.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12834643/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145997661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of adverse childhood experiences with health service use and catastrophic health expenditures in China: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.","authors":"Shiyu Xie, Siying Yu, Yue Ma, Jing Luo, Yonghui Zhang, Rui Wang, Yafei Wang, Yuling Wang, Xueqiang Wang","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00012","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Backgrounds: </strong>Associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) among middle-aged or older Chinese individuals remain inadequately documented. In addition, the role of chronic diseases is not entirely clear. This study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to investigate the association of ACEs with hospital visits and medical expenditures and the mediating effect of chronic diseases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected from CHARLS in 2014 and 2015 (N = 11,072). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to assess associations of the ACEs with the number of outpatient visits and inpatient hospital days. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between the ACEs and CHEs. The influence of chronic diseases was examined through mediation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of each ACE indicator ranges from 0.27% (incarcerated household member) to 31.5% (emotional neglect). Our analysis revealed a significant dose-response relationship between cumulative ACE score and CHEs (P for trend < 0.001), but not for the number of outpatient visits and inpatient hospital days. The average causal mediation effects (ACME) and average direct effects (ADE) are presented. Chronic diseases served as a mediating factor between ACEs and CHE (ACME = 0.000904, P = 0.03; ADE = 0.00813, P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ACE has the capacity to predict CHE, and the findings of this study reinforce the potential pathway through which ACE may exert its influence on CHE via the burden of chronic diseases. Measures should be implemented to prevent ACEs and mitigate the risk of chronic diseases to lessen the economic burden on individuals and families as well as the adverse impact of national financial risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12783321/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145899332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CeRNA plays a key role in the induction of cardiovascular diseases by environmental endocrine disruptor exposure.","authors":"Yingxi Zeng, Jie Xu, Jie Yu","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00165","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) represent a novel mechanism involving interactions among different RNAs, playing a crucial role in the gene regulatory networks throughout the life cycle. CeRNAs are implicated in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) caused by environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs); however, existing studies are not yet systematic, and the mechanisms underlying their effects remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to systematically elucidate the role of ceRNAs in EDC-induced CVDs and provide valuable insights regarding disease mechanisms and developing new therapeutic strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Comprehensive searches for research related to EDC-induced cardiovascular diseases were conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases. Eligible studies were screened, and those containing information on the regulatory mechanisms of ceRNAs were extracted and analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Notably, ceRNA-mediated effects of EDC exposure on CVDs mainly occurred through four pathways. First, upon exposure to EDCs, micro RNAs, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long-chain non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs are differentially regulated, activating signaling pathways such as nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB, which lead to atherosclerosis. Second, EDC exposure alters mRNAs and proteins involved in ceRNA networks, activating the PTEN-induced kinase 1/Parkin and transforming growth factor-β1/LIM domain kinase 1 signaling pathways, leading to cardiomyopathy. Third, EDCs increase ceRNA-related mRNA levels, thereby raising the risk of CVDs. Lastly, ceRNAs participate in EDC exposure to upregulate nitric oxide or reactive oxygen species, ultimately causing vascular diseases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Altogether, the findings of this study show that ceRNAs hold significant potential for identifying target genes and signaling pathways associated with CVDs, which may facilitate deeper studies into CVD management.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12981975/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147325002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exercising alone in men and group exercise in women are cross-sectionally associated with positive mental health among older Japanese.","authors":"Kimiko Tomioka, Midori Shima, Keigo Saeki","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00118","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although previous studies have reported that exercising with others has a more beneficial effect on the health of older adults than exercising alone, gender differences in the association between exercise patterns and health are unknown. We investigated the cross-sectional association between exercise patterns and physical and mental health by gender.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed 4,211 men and 4,944 women aged ≥65 years without disabilities. Physical and mental health was assessed using the SF-8 Health Survey. Exercise patterns were measured based on three types: participation in exercise groups, non-group-based exercise with others, and exercising alone. Each exercise pattern was classified into five groups according to frequency and continuity: maintained frequent (i.e., daily or weekly), increase in frequency, maintained moderate (i.e., monthly or yearly), decrease in frequency, and continuing non-exercise. Modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) for poor physical/mental health. Covariates included age, marital status, education, economic status, body mass index, chronic medical conditions, smoking, dietary variety, cognition, working status, and social participation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For physical health, among both genders, all exercise patterns had a significant dose-response relationship between lower levels of exercise frequency and continuity and a higher prevalence of poor physical health, after adjustment for covariates and mutual adjustment for other exercise patterns (all P for trend <0.036). For mental health, among men, only exercising alone had a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend <0.001) [APR: 1.22 (95% CI: 1.07-1.39) for continuing non-exercise, 1.32 (1.11-1.57) for decrease in frequency, compared to maintained frequent]. Among women, the cross-sectional association with mental health was limited to participation in exercise groups (P for trend: 0.006) [APR: 1.24 (95% CI: 1.09-1.40) for continuing non-exercise, 1.26 (1.09-1.47) for decrease in frequency, and 1.37 (1.13-1.66) for maintained moderate, compared to maintained frequent].</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>All exercise patterns were cross-sectionally associated with physical health across genders. However, mental health outcomes varied: Cross-sectional associations with mental health were observed for men when exercising alone, and for women when exercising in groups. These results highlight the importance of gender-sensitive public health strategies, such as tailored community exercise programs. Due to the cross-sectional design, causality cannot be determined. However, the results do suggest that future longitudinal research is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13014103/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147431648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ambient particulate-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures and gastrointestinal disease prevalence in China: a population-based cross-sectional study.","authors":"Linwei Yao, Xi Wang, Yong Shen, Haobo Zhong","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00006","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evidence regarding the association between ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures and non-neoplastic gastrointestinal diseases in general populations remains limited. This study examined whether provincial ambient particulate-phase PAH burden was associated with prevalent gastrointestinal disease among middle-aged and older adults in China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Provincial annual mean concentrations of particulate-phase PAHs for 2015 were compiled from published monitoring studies across 12 Chinese provinces and linked to participants in the 2015 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Gastrointestinal disease was defined as a self-reported physician diagnosis and/or current treatment, excluding tumors and cancer. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for prevalent gastrointestinal disease per doubling (log2) of total PAHs and of 17 individual PAHs, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related covariates. The Benjamini-Hochberg procedure controlled the false discovery rate. Likelihood ratio tests for interaction were used to assess effect modification.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 3,671 adults aged 45 years or older, 1,056 (28.8%) reported a gastrointestinal disease. In fully adjusted models, each doubling of total PAH concentration was associated with increased odds of gastrointestinal disease (odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.12; false discovery rate-adjusted q = 0.014). Following multiple-comparison correction, naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene each demonstrated consistent positive associations. The association for total PAHs was more pronounced among non-drinkers (odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.71; P for interaction = 0.015) and rural residents (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.65; P for interaction = 0.035).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Higher provincial ambient particulate-phase PAH burden was associated with a greater prevalence of self-reported non-neoplastic gastrointestinal disease among middle-aged and older Chinese adults, with potential heterogeneity by residence and alcohol consumption. Given the cross-sectional design and province-level exposure assignment, longitudinal studies with individual-level exposure assessment and validated outcomes are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13057908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147590971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lessons learned from Okinawa, Japan underscore the importance of clinical epidemiology in COVID-19 prevention and control.","authors":"Takuji Kishimoto, Daisuke Tasato, Yoshitaka Nagasawa, Akihiro Yamashiro, Hayashi Shokita","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00310","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00310","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This letter highlights the importance of clinical epidemiology in COVID-19 prevention and control, based on experiences at a core hospital in northern Okinawa, Japan, and relevant literature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from 5,097 COVID-19 patients, we conducted: (1) a descriptive cross-sectional study analyzing cases by person, time, and place; (2) an analytical cross-sectional study linking health checkup data to identify factors associated with severity (published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine); and (3) a cohort study of healthcare workers exploring determinants of post-vaccination antibody titers (published in Journal of Clinical Virology Plus).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The descriptive study showed cases rose from 70 in 2020 to 891 in 2021 and 3,995 in 2022, before declining to 141 in 2023. In the analytical cross-sectional study (n = 1,353), protective factors against severity included vaccination (odds ratio [OR] [2 doses vs. 0 or one doses]: 0.223, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.114-0.436; OR [≥3 doses vs. 0 or one doses]: 0.090, 95% CI 0.035-0.229) and regular exercise (OR [\"yes\" vs. \"no\"]: 0.458, 95% CI 0.242-0.866). In the cohort study (n = 354), lower antibody titers (lowest quartile) were more likely among older adults (hazard ratio [HR] 5.82 for 40s vs. 20s, 95% CI 2.05-16.51; HR 9.96 for 60s vs. 20s, 95% CI 3.07-32.34) and drinking habits (HR 2.26 for \"daily\" vs. \"never\", 95% CI 1.17-4.34).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings, supported by related literature, demonstrate that clinical epidemiology played vital roles in monitoring infection trends, evaluating diagnostic and preventive measures, establishing treatment strategies, optimizing healthcare resources, and guiding policy. Its continued application will be essential for preparedness against future emerging infectious diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12909085/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146118136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of household income and parental education with early childhood caries: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.","authors":"Fumie Kaneko, Eri Yamada, Junji Miyazaki, Satoyo Ikehara, Ryo Kawasaki, Hiroyasu Iso","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00358","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00358","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) has declined over the past few decades, it remains a significant public health concern in Japan. Socioeconomic disparities in ECC risk have been reported; however, the extent to which these disparities exist across different indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) and the degree to which early oral health practices help explain them remain unclear. This study evaluated the association between parental SES and ECC and examined the extent to which early oral health behaviors contributed to these associations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed the data from 68,312 children and their parents participating in the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort recruited between 2011 and 2014. Parental SES, including household income equivalized using the OECD-modified equivalence scale and educational attainment, was assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Diagnoses of dental caries from birth to age 4 years were reported retrospectively by caregivers when the child was 4 years old. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between SES and ECC. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate whether oral health behaviors at age 2, including fluoride application, tooth brushing practices, continued bottle feeding, and frequency of between-meal snacks, mediated these associations. All models were adjusted for demographic and potential confounding factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 23.0% of children had been diagnosed with caries by age 4 years. The higher prevalence was consistently observed among children from lower SES backgrounds starting at around age 2 years. Both lower household income and lower parental educational attainment were associated with higher odds of ECC. The highest odds were observed among children whose parents had secondary-level education (adjusted odds ratio: 1.52; 95% confidence interval: 1.44-1.59). Although oral health behaviors mediated these associations, each behavior accounted for less than 5% of the total effect.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Lower household income and parental educational attainment were consistently associated with a higher risk of ECC from early childhood. Mediation analyses using oral health behaviors assessed at age 2 indicated that these behaviors explained a small proportion of the observed socioeconomic disparities, suggesting a small contribution of individual behaviors to early-life socioeconomic inequalities in ECC.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13057869/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147510254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between marital status and mortality risk in cardiac disease: a cardiopulmonary exercise testing cohort study.","authors":"Shinya Takahashi, Atsuko Nakayama, Mamoru Nanasato, Mitsuaki Isobe","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00433","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although marital status is a key social determinant of health, its prognostic relevance in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) cohorts remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between marital status and mortality risk in patients with cardiac disease (CD) who underwent CPX.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective, single-center observational study involved consecutive patients with CD who underwent post-discharge CPX between 2008 and 2020. Participants (mean age: 69 years; 73% male) were categorized as either unmarried (never married, divorced, or widowed) or married. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was cardiovascular mortality. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Model 1 was adjusted for age and sex to estimate the overall association between marital status and outcomes. Model 2 was adjusted for Model 1 covariates and peak VO₂ to account for objectively measured exercise capacity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 4,681 patients analyzed, 1,117 were unmarried and 3,564 were married. In Model 1, being married was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (aHR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62-0.91, P < 0.001). This association persisted after adjusting for peak VO₂ in Model 2 (aHR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65-0.96, P = 0.002). For cardiovascular mortality, the estimates were consistent in direction (Model 1; aHR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.44-0.93, P = 0.019, Model 2; aHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.47-1.02, P = 0.061).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In a large CPX cohort of patients with CD, married status was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. The association was attenuated but remained after adjustment for peak VO₂, suggesting that differences in exercise capacity may contribute but do not fully account for the observed association. Marital status should be interpreted as a social marker rather than a causal or interventional exposure, and future studies should clarify modifiable factors related to prognosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"26"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13057906/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147590902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current status and challenges of planetary health education: a scoping review.","authors":"Yayoi Shoji, Kana Suzuki, Masushi Kohta, Nao Tamai","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00437","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Climate change poses significant threats to human health, necessitating the integration of environmental protection into public health efforts. Planetary health education (PHE) represents an emerging paradigm connecting human well-being with natural systems; however, its global implementation remains inadequately documented, particularly in environmentally vulnerable regions. This scoping review aimed to investigate how PHE is implemented across educational settings and to identify current challenges and best practices to inform future educational program development for university students, educators, and healthcare professionals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we systematically searched the following databases for English and Japanese literature published up to September 30, 2025: Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, OpenGrey, and Ichushi-Web. Using the Patient-Concept-Context framework, we extracted data on educational programs, implementation methods, challenges, outcomes, and curriculum integration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were predominantly from high-income countries with varying Climate Change Performance Index rankings. Implementation was concentrated in higher education institutions, particularly medical and nursing schools. Educational approaches included lecture-based teaching, group work, practical training, online learning, and simulations. Key content areas were most frequently climate change and health/climate-sensitive care and sustainability/SDG-related topics, whereas pollution/waste and environmental toxins, food systems, and equity/justice-related content were reported less frequently. Primary challenges included difficulties with curriculum integration, time constraints, and insufficient awareness among educators. Reported outcomes demonstrated improvements in knowledge, critical thinking, and motivation for sustainable practices; however, longitudinal impact studies were notably absent.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PHE requires expansion beyond medicine into diverse disciplines and geographical contexts, particularly in low-income countries. Longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the long-term educational impact. Successful implementation depends on interdisciplinary approaches, strategic curriculum integration, and educator development programs. These efforts will help address global health challenges through education that connects human health with environmental sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"29"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13132659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147766198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A risk-benefit assessment of dietary selenium and its implications in preschool children's growth performance in Taiwan.","authors":"Chi-Sian Kao, Ying-Lin Wang, Chuen-Bin Jiang, Ying-Chih Chuang, Yi-Hua Chen, Hsing-Jasmine Chao, Pin-Hsuan Lin, Hsing-Cheng Hsi, Ling-Chu Chien","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00128","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00128","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Optimizing nutrient intake is crucial for the health and development of preschool children. While previous studies assessed the risks and benefits of selenium (Se) from fish and seafood, few have examined its intake from common foods and its association with children's growth.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this study, we evaluated optimal foods for achieving a dietary Se surplus and the implications for the growth performance of preschool children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mercury (Hg) and Se concentrations were analyzed in 108 commercially available foods to conduct a dietary risk-benefit assessment of Se intake. Hg exposure was evaluated using hair samples from 349 preschool children enrolled between August 2017 and July 2022. Information on food consumption frequencies and nutrient compositions was obtained through dietary surveys.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 42.4% of children had hair Hg levels above the US Environmental Protection Agency's reference dose of 1 µg/g, showing that Hg exposure among preschool children in Taiwan remains a significant issue. The risk-benefit assessment revealed that eggs and fish are superior sources of Se compared to other animal- and plant-based foods. Although marine fish contained higher Hg concentrations than eggs, their relatively high Se and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents supported a favorable nutritional profile when consumed in moderation. The minor negative health benefit value of Se (HBV_Se) observed for fruit does not pose a health concern, as it is offset by other Se-rich foods in the diet. The cumulative HBV_Se across food groups indicated that the children's overall dietary Se intake was positive and nutritionally advantageous. Dietary Se, mainly from fish and eggs, was positively associated with weight and height development, whereas excessive fruit consumption may slightly reduce Se intake and adversely affect growth.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Moderate consumption of fish and eggs should be encouraged to support optimal growth and neurodevelopment. Overall, dietary patterns of Taiwanese preschool children provide beneficial levels of Se and ω-3 fatty acids while maintaining low Hg-related risks, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring of Hg levels in locally consumed foods to ensure dietary safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12807879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145959173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}