Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Associations of serum carotene levels and decline for the ability of attention: a longitudinal study in the Japanese general population.","authors":"Hiroshi Okumiyama, Yoshiki Tsuboi, Ryosuke Fujii, Akihiko Iwahara, Takeshi Hatta, Shuntaro Sato, Hiroya Yamada, Koji Suzuki","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00090","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although serum carotene may contribute to dementia prevention, there is a lack of longitudinal evidence for early cognitive decline before dementia symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine whether serum carotene levels were associated with annually evaluated cognitive trajectories among the Japanese general population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Among 581 baseline participants, 199 individuals (83 males; mean age [min, max], 62.7 [39, 90] years) who underwent cognitive assessments more than twice after baseline were analyzed. \"Attention\" levels were assessed using one- and three-target Digit Cancellation Tests (D-CAT1 and D-CAT3). \"General cognitive ability\" was assessed by the short version of Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE). Serum carotenes (α-carotene, β-carotene and lycopene) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. After the measurements, we calculated total carotene levels by summing up the levels of all measured carotene. Carotene levels were categorized into three groups for analysis (low: 0%-25%, middle: 25%-75%, and high: 75%-100%). A linear mixed model was used to estimate the slope of the D-CAT score trajectory and to compare it between three categories.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the middle carotene group, decline of attention was faster in the D-CAT1 for low β-carotene (β = -3.48, p = 0.035), lycopene (β = -3.10, p = 0.062), and total carotene (β = -4.75, p = 0.003), but not for α-carotene (β = -2.60, p = 0.111). For the D-CAT3, decline of attention was faster in the group of low lycopene (β = -3.17, p = 0.002) and total carotene (β = -2.17, p = 0.037) compared with the middle carotene group, while no clear association for α-carotene (β = -0.67, p = 0.521) and β-carotene (β = -0.64, p = 0.639). There were no clear associations between serum carotene and the SMMSE score.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest low levels of serum lycopene are associated with a decline of attention in the setting of the general population.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"58"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12326196/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144706756","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":"Moving primary prevention into a tertiary care hospital?","authors":"Diane Geindreau, Lou Martineau, Aymery Constant, Alexis Descatha, Celine Schnebelen","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00263","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00263","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"76"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483757/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145136710","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 heated tobacco product use and worsening asthma symptoms: findings from a nationwide internet survey in Japan, 2023.","authors":"Shingo Noguchi, Tomohiro Ishimaru, Kazuhiro Yatera, Yoshihisa Fujino, Takahiro Tabuchi","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00197","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are widely used in Japan, following cigarettes, but their health effects remain unclear. HTPs are often considered a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and are commonly used by adults with asthma, even though smoking is one of the most obvious and treatable factors in asthma. We aimed to elucidate the association between HTP use and asthma symptoms in adults with asthma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 3,787 individuals with asthma were extracted from the data in the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey 2023, an ongoing longitudinal internet-based cohort study conducted by a nationwide internet research company in Japan. They were categorized into three groups (never, past, and current smokers) based on cigarette use. The association between HTP use and worsening of asthma symptoms within the previous 2 months in each group was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Both exposure and outcomes were assessed by self-reporting.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the participants, 2,470 (65.2%) were never smokers, 845 (22.3%) were past smokers, and 472 (12.5%) were current smokers. Overall, the proportion of HTP users was 429 (11.3%), and worsened asthma symptoms were observed in 400 (10.6%) individuals. The total proportion of HTP users and worsened asthma symptoms was 70 (2.8%) and 259 (10.5%) among never smokers, 180 (21.3%) and 72 (8.5%) among past smokers, and 179 (37.9%) and 69 (14.6%) among current smokers. After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratio (OR) was 3.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86-5.68, p < 0.001), 1.47 (95% CI 0.93-2.34, p = 0.1), and 2.23 (95% CI 1.46-3.43, p < 0.001) for never, past, and current cigarette smokers with HTP use, respectively, where never smokers without HTP use were set as the standard.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The use of HTPs, not only cigarette smoking, was associated with worsening of asthma symptoms in adults with asthma. Therefore, people need to understand the harmful effects of HTPs on asthma symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"77"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12510777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145205943","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 physical activity level and all-cause mortality among stroke survivors: evidence from NHANES 2007-2018.","authors":"Fude Liu, Xiangning Han, Yawen Cheng, Ning Zhu, Shiliang Jiang, Jiahao Li, Jin Zhao, Guogang Luo","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00322","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.24-00322","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Post-stroke disability diminishes the physical activity (PA) level of survivors, potentially affecting their long-term prognosis. This study endeavors to explore the correlation between daily PA level and the all-cause mortality in patients with a history of stoke in the United States.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data of stroke survivors were sourced from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. The population was stratified into three groups based on their PA level. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests for significance was used for survival analysis. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality. Subgroup analysis was conducted to strengthen the results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1395 participants were recruited, comprising 679 males and 716 females, with a median age of 68 years. Based on their PA levels, 779 individuals were classified as inactive, 156 as insufficiently active, and 460 as sufficiently active. Following a median observation period of 59 months, there were 476 recorded deaths, with 349, 47, and 80 cases in the three respective groups. Compared to the inactive group, the HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality in participants who were insufficiently active and sufficiently active were 0.58 (0.40, 0.84) and 0.47 (0.33, 0.67), respectively. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a significant difference in overall survival between the three groups, as confirmed by the log-rank test (P < 0.0001). Subgroup analysis further validated our results and demonstrated that the protective impact of PA on stroke prognosis varies according to distinct characteristics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results indicate that increased levels of PA are associated with a protective effect on long-term mortality among stroke survivors. Further prospective longitudinal studies are necessary to elucidate the optional PA level and special exercise guideline targeting this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143978833","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 between mental health and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Japanese population: NIPPON DATA2010.","authors":"Naoki Aono, Aya Higashiyama, Harumitsu Suzuki, Akira Fujiyoshi, Makiko Abe, Atsushi Satoh, Hisatomi Arima, Nobuo Nishi, Aya Kadota, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Tomonori Okamura, Nagako Okuda, Akira Okayama, Katsuyuki Miura","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.24-00292","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Deterioration in lifestyle associated with poor mental health could be an important concern during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, few studies have investigated the association between mental health status and lifestyle changes during the pandemic in nationwide Japanese general population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data among 1,546 participants of the follow-up study of NIPPON DATA2010 in 2021. Recent mental status, as assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6) scale, and lifestyle changes compared to before the pandemic were determined using self-reported questionnaires. Some lifestyle changes such as decreased physical activity were defined as undesirable, whereas others such as decreased alcohol drinking were defined as desirable. The participants were divided into three groups based on the K6 scores: the K6<5, 5≤K6<9, and K6≥9 groups. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the K6 groups for each lifestyle change compared with that in the K6<5 group were estimated after adjusting for possible confounders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ORs of the K6≥9 group for all undesirable lifestyle changes were significantly high, especially increased alcohol drinking (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 2.71-7.93), and decreased physical activity (OR 4.63; 95% CI, 3.29-6.52). Among the desirable changes, the OR of the 5≤K6<9 group was significantly high for increased eating home cooking.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Poor mental health showed a significant association with undesirable lifestyle changes, especially increased alcohol drinking and decreased physical activity, in a nationwide general Japanese population during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041440/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143995973","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":"Detailed hazard assessment of ethylbenzene to establish an indoor air quality guideline in Japan.","authors":"Kaoru Inoue, Yoko Hirabayashi, Kenichi Azuma","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00415","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important determinant of human health. In Japan, IAQ guidelines have been established for 13 chemicals since 1997. Regarding ethylbenzene (EB), a previous guideline value of 3800 µg/m³ was established in 2000. However, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare decided to revise the value because of the publication of new hazard information after the establishment of the previous guideline value and the establishment of their respective IAQ guidelines by foreign organizations based on the new hazard information. This study conducted a detailed hazard assessment on EB and derived hazard assessment values to provide a toxicologically valid basis for revising the IAQ guideline value.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>As it was defined that the IAQ guidelines would not exert adverse health effects on humans even if they inhaled the chemicals from indoor air over a lifetime, we investigated the general toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of EB based on reliable hazard information cited in published assessment documents by domestic, foreign, or international risk assessment organizations. All the collected hazard information was examined, and we originally judged the no-observed adverse effect level and the lowest observed adverse effect level of each toxicity study. We then selected the most appropriate key study, an endpoint, and a point of departure and derived the hazard assessment values for each toxicity category. Finally, we selected a representative hazard assessment value for EB from the minimum hazard assessment value among general toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the three toxicity categories, the minimum hazard assessment value was obtained from general toxicity, which was 0.0858 ppm (370 µg/m³) based on the loss of the outer hair cells in the organ of Corti in the cochlea observed in a 13-week repeated-dose inhalation toxicity study using rats.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>It would be appropriate to adopt 0.0858 ppm (370 µg/m³) as a representative hazard assessment value to provide a basis for revising the IAQ guideline value for EB.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12086096/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143984648","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":"Environmental noise perception and risk of poor mental health in a region on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.","authors":"Andreu Nolasco, Jesús Rabasco, Nayara Tamayo-Fonseca, Javier Casillas-Clot, Pamela Pereyra-Zamora","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00015","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Exposure to environmental noise may have a negative impact on a population's mental health. We estimated the prevalence of exposure perception to high environmental noise in the Valencian Community, a region on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, and analysed its association with poor mental health risk, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and health status variables.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional study based on a sample of 5.485 subjects, aged 15 or above, of the 2016 Valencian Community Health Survey. The risk of poor mental health was assessed via Goldberg's questionnaire, a highly standardized self-reported questionnaire designed to screen for general psychological distress in the general population. Noise perception were determined in the home environment based on individuals' responses to the Valencian Survey question about external noise problems. Sociodemographic variables, such as sex, age, level of education, or country of birth, and health variables, such as self-perceived health, or chronic diseases, were also considered. Logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratios and confidence intervals of association between variables according to sex.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of poor mental health was 26.2% [n = 2665; 95% CI: 24.5-27.9] in men and 33.6% [n = 2820; 95% CI: 31.9-35.3] in women. A total of 7.8% [n = 5485; 95% CI: 6.8-8.8] presented exposure to high noise perception, with no differences according to sex. Being at risk of poor mental health was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with high noise perception after adjusting for the rest of the variables (OR: 2.16 [95% CI: 1.46-3.19] in men; 2.46 [95% CI: 1.72-3.50] in women).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although the prevalence of exposure perception to high noise was not very high, population subgroups presenting high values were detected. High noise perception was related to the risk of poor mental health, regardless of other variables. Poor mental health risk was associated with exposure perception to high noise, other socioeconomic determinants, and health status. Improving noise exposure conditions could reduce the risk of poor mental health.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12086095/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143992527","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 brominated flame retardants and obesity: a mediation analysis through markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.","authors":"Yue Fei, Yulan Cheng, Xiangdong Wang, Jialing Ruan, Dongnan Zheng, Haotian Cao, Xuehai Wang, Xiaoke Wang, Xinyuan Zhao, Jinxian Yang","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00328","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00328","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent studies have provided compelling evidence that exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can adversely affect human health. We aim to explore the potential impact of BFRs on adiposity and central obesity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) cycles conducted between 2009 and 2014 was used to study the connections between variables. After filtering, we analyzed a sample of 4,110 adults aged 20 years and above. Our goal was to examine the potential association between BFRs and consequences and investigate the part played by oxidative stress and inflammatory markers as intermediaries. To achieve this, we used advanced statistical methods such as weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g-computation (QGC), and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings showed that among the examined chemicals, exposure to PBDE85 (weight: 41%), PBDE100 (24%), and PBB153 (23%) may be the dominant contributors to general obesity risk. Upon controlling for all variables that could impact the results, it was found that the QGC outcomes indicated a positive correlation between exposure to mixtures of brominated flame retardants and the occurrence of abdominal obesity (OR = 1.187, 95% CI: 1.056-1.334, p = 0.004). Significant contributions were made by PBDE85 (52%), PBB153 (27%), and PBDE100 (21%). Mediation analysis shows that lymphatic cells (LC) and albumin (ALB) partially mediate the link between brominated flame retardants and obesity. The results of BKMR are generally consistent with those of WQS and QGC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>At a population level, our research has revealed a noteworthy correlation between BFRs and obesity. However, further investigation is required through prospective cohort studies and in-depth mechanistic exploratory studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12086098/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144062857","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":"Factors influencing mask-wearing behavior in the context of COVID-19 severity risks in the post-COVID-19 era: a Japanese Nationwide Epidemiological Survey in 2023.","authors":"Shingo Noguchi, Tomohiro Ishimaru, Kazuhiro Yatera, Yoshihisa Fujino, Masayoshi Zaitsu, Takahiro Tabuchi","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00138","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although the global COVID-19 mortality rate is decreasing, COVID-19 remains an infectious disease with a high mortality rate, especially in older adults and individuals with comorbidities. In Japan, mask-wearing has been left to individual discretion since March 13, 2023, but remains a key protective measure. This study aimed to identify factors influencing individual mask-wearing behavior in post COVID-19 era, with a focus on risk factors for severe COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from 33,000 participants, obtained from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey 2023, were used, which was conducted from September 25 to November 17, 2023. Participants were randomly selected from approximately 2.2 million panelists from a nationwide Japanese Internet research company, with sampling adjusted by age, sex, and living area to match the population distribution in Japan. The association between wearing a mask and risk factors for severe COVID-19 (age, sex, smoking, COVID-19 vaccination, history of COVID-19, body mass index (BMI), and comorbid conditions) was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 28,481 individuals were included, of whom 18,371 (64.5%) answered that they wore masks. After adjusting for confounders, older age (adjusted relative risk [RR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-1.55 for \"75-83\" years), no history of COVID-19 (adjusted RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.08), low BMI (adjusted RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07), and increased number of comorbid conditions (adjusted RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.18 for three or more) were significant positive factors for wearing a mask. In contrast, men (adjusted RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.87-0.90), no COVID-19 vaccination (adjusted RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.76-0.81), and current smoking history (adjusted RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99) were significant negative factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We demonstrated that mask-wearing behavior differed based on individual risk factors for severe COVID-19, with some risk factors negatively influencing mask use in Japan. It may be necessary to recommend mask-wearing for these individuals, especially during situations such as COVID-19 epidemic season or the onset of epidemics, considering individual mask-wearing behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144173042","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":"Bathing-related accidents requiring ambulance dispatches in relation to age and ambient temperature in Nagoya, Japan: differences between detached houses and apartment buildings.","authors":"Akihiko Narisada, Tomohiro Umemura, Nauta Yamanaka, Kohta Suzuki","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00123","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous studies have shown that old age and cold temperatures are risk factors for bathing-related accidents (BRAs) in Japan. The differences between outdoor and indoor temperatures are believed to depend on the housing type (detached houses or apartment buildings). This study aimed to investigate the associations between age, temperature, and BRAs according to housing type in Japan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included cases in which patients were transported by ambulance from domestic bathrooms between April 2016 and March 2022 in Nagoya city. Age-specific BRA incidence rates measured by 5-year age groups, temperature-specific age-adjusted standardized incidence rates (SIRs) for BRA calculated by temperature quintile groups, and the BRA risk regarding temperature based on a time-stratified case-crossover (CCO) design were compared between detached houses and apartment buildings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed 4,848 ambulance dispatches owing to BRAs (3,083 in detached houses and 1,765 in apartment buildings; SIR for detached houses compared to apartment buildings: 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-1.43). The ratio of detached houses to apartment buildings in the age-specific BRA incidence was almost the same in middle-aged people, but it significantly increased from the age of 70 years onward (incidence rate ratio for the 70-74-years age group: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.43-2.11). Temperature-specific SIR for detached houses compared to apartment buildings was not significantly different in the hottest temperature quintile but increased significantly in the other colder temperature quintiles (SIR in coldest quintile: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.47-1.66). BRA risk based on CCO design increased significantly with a decrease in temperature in detached houses (risk ratio [RR] for 3 °C: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.05-1.47), but not in apartment buildings (RR for 3 °C: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.86-1.34).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Detached houses had higher BRA incidence rates than apartments. Older age and lower temperatures, which are risk factors for BRAs, were more prevalent in detached houses than in apartment buildings. Thus, public health measures that focus on detached houses are necessary for preventing BRAs in Japan.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"72"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12463714/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145074742","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}