[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health最新文献

{"title":"[Development of a High-School Students' Version of the Daily Conversation Scale with Classroom Teachers].","authors":"Wataru Imura, Tomoko Namba, Michiko Ishda","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-069","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objective　This study was intended to develop a \"High-School Students' Version of the Daily Conversation Scale with Classroom Teachers\" to measure the frequency of daily conversations between high-school students and their classroom teachers.Methods　The study consisted of Surveys I and II. Survey I was intended to validate the structural validity and reliability of the \"High-School Students' Daily Conversation Scale with Classroom Teachers (Prototype Version).\" It measured the frequency of high-school students' daily conversations with classroom teachers using the prototype scale and employed confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory to assess the factor measurement model and item performance, respectively. Internal consistency was evaluated using McDonald's ω (omega) reliability coefficient. Study II was intended to validate the prototype scale through hypothesis testing. The survey assessed daily conversation frequency, teacher support perception, depression/anxiety, and the teacher-student relationship. Two models were constructed: one predicting the impact of daily conversation frequency on support perception and depression/anxiety and the other predicting the impact on the teacher-student relationship. It was hypothesized that both models would fit well, with daily conversation frequency positively associated with support perception and relationship, and depression/anxiety negatively associated with support perception and relationship.Result　The sample analyzed in Survey I consisted of 1,394 students in grades 1-3. The results of confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, and McDonald's omega reliability coefficient met the criteria. The sample for Survey II consisted of 1,688 students in grades 1-3. The results of the analysis supported the hypothesis.Conclusion　The results of this study suggest that the prototype version of the scale was conceptually unidimensional and that the difficulty level of each item was well-balanced, indicating the successful development of a \"High-School Students' Version of the Daily Conversation Scale with Classroom Teachers.\" By using this scale and examining the effects of the frequency of daily conversation with homeroom teachers on the psychology and behavior of high-school students, we believe that it will be possible to contribute to an understanding of primary prevention measures that homeroom teachers can take to address mental health problems among their high-school students. We believe that this scale will contribute to future school health activities in the field of public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"266-274"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139934476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Evaluation of the relationship between household economic situation and food group intake in children attending nursery school].","authors":"Atsuki Sakai, Katsushi Yoshita, Takako Takahashi, Tetsuko Okabe, Ruriko Sasaki, Hiromi Ishida, Hiromitsu Ogata, Mitsuhiko Hara, Yukiko Yoshioka, Miho Nozue, Tatsuaki Sakamoto, Sanae Ito, Nobuko Murayama","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-059","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　The relationship between household income and dietary intake among older children and adults in Japan has been studied. However, few studies have examined the relationship in younger children, and we believe that this should be taken into consideration from early childhood to correct health disparities. In this study, we examined the relationship between family income and dietary food group intake, and investigated the adequacy of food intake based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top for young children aged 3 to 6 years attending nursery school. The goal of this study was to obtain trends in food intake that can be used to improve poor dietary intake of young children caused by socioeconomic factors.Methods　A dietary survey using the food weighing or recording method and a self-administered questionnaire on dietary status were conducted on two non-consecutive days, including weekdays and weekends, from October to December 2019 or 2020. The participants were 761 young children (423 boys and 338 girls) attending nursery schools in seven cities in Japan. Equivalent income was calculated from household income and the number of family members indicated in the dietary status survey. Intake of each food group and consistency with the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top were compared in five quintiles.Results　Compared to the low equivalent income group, the high equivalent income group showed a decreasing trend in cereal intake and an increasing trend in the intake of sugar and sweeteners, green and yellow vegetables, and dairy products. The percentage of the low-income group who did not meet the definition of adequate intake using the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was lower for meals that include cereals and grain products, and higher for meals that include meat and fish, vegetable, milk and dairy products, and fruits.Conclusion　The lower income group had higher intake of cereals and lower intake of vegetables and fruits compared to the higher income group. This finding is similar to the results of studies in adults and older children. However, based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, >90% of young children have a diet that fall below the adequate intake of meals, including vegetable dishes and even on weekdays, which suggests a general vegetable deficiency in young children. Multifaceted support is required to address this concern, including measures to correct disparities of income and to ensure desirable nutrient intake in early childhood.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"220-230"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139547971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[State of commitment to universal health coverage and associated challenges].","authors":"Akihito Watabe, Eiko Saito","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-089","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Purpose　Since 2020, UHC2030 has undertaken a project to review the progress of UN member states in fulfilling their commitments toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC) as outlined in the 2019 UHC Political Declaration. This involves identifying countries where UHC progress is of particular concern and engaging with multi-stakeholders. This article aims to provide a concise overview and widespread introduction to the State of UHC Commitment project for public health experts in Japan, with particular emphasis on the key findings from a pilot project on voluntary national reviews.Method　In order to gauge the evidence-based accountability actions of governments toward UHC, we conducted a comprehensive review of initial five-year Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports (2016-2020, 187 reports) published at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF). This included all descriptions (quantitative and qualitative information) regarding UHC and health systems. We also compared the descriptions in the latest VNR reports (40 reports) available as of February 2021. We checked whether there have been any improvements in the evidence-based accountability of each country.Research Results　We compared the 2021 VNR reports and the first five-year VNR reports and observed an improvement in evidence-based accountability. However, considering the wealth of data released by the United Nations Statistics on UHC and health systems, these indicators have not yet been fully utilized for accountability purposes.Conclusion　Despite the UHC Political Declaration follow-up meeting and the SDGs Mid-term Review held at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023, some UHC targets set in 2019 have been postponed to 2025. The current status of UHC progress poses challenges to achieving the 2030 goal. There is an urgent need to strengthen governments' evidence-based accountability using UN statistics and promote UHC progress by implementing the agreed Political Declaration.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"203-208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139545100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[An examination of relevant factors attributable to child health, food behavior, and lifestyle concerns of parents with infants aged at least 18 months: With a view to expanding into Shokuiku (food and nutrition education)].","authors":"Saki Horie, Midori Ishikawa, Yumiko Morinaga, Tetsuji Yokoyama","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-038","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　This study focused on food after weaning and examined the children's diet and home environmental factors that influence parents' concerns during health checkup for infants (aged 1.6 and 3 years).Methods　In the analysis, 646 participants, excluding invalid responses, who cooperated with the survey during health checkup for 1.6- and 3-year-old in the Tohoku, Chubu, and Chugoku regions from March 2019 to January 2020, were included. The survey included 56 items of dietary, lifestyle, and health concerns (yes/no answers), child attributes, and frequency of food intake (six options, 18 types). Concern factors were extracted by factor analysis. The association between the worry scores and each factor was analyzed.Results　The 1.6- and 3-year-olds were associated with high scores for (health awareness and lifestyle) and low fruit intake, high salty snacks intake, and low subjective economic status, high scores for (diet content and atmosphere) and low intakes of carotene-rich vegetables, other vegetables, seaweed, and fruits, high scores for (interest and motivation in food) and low carotene-rich vegetables intake, high scores for (food experience and behavior) and high cereals (bread) intake, low subjective economic status. The 3-year-olds were associated with high scores and being boys.Conclusion　We extracted four worry factors that parents with children after the weaning period have and clarified the factors related to each factor and group characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"209-219"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139547965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Utilization of the standard questionnaire in specific health checkups].","authors":"Yukari Sugita, Satoko Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Saito, Rie Akamatsu, Yasuharu Tabara, Takeo Nakayama","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-062","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　Interviewing people about their health behaviour in specific health checkups (SHCs) is thought to promote awareness of and help improve such behaviour. The standard questionnaire (SQ) for SHCs consists of 22 items presented in the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. However, using items other than those necessary for stratification for specific health guidance (SHG) is optional. We believe that clarifying the actual utilization of SQ items could contribute to improving the procedure used for the fourth SHCs and SHG, which will be initiated in 2024.　This study seeks to clarify the actual utilization of the SQ for (1) conducting SHCs, (2) planning, implementing, and evaluating SHG and health programs aimed at preventing lifestyle-related diseases, and (3) planning, implementing, and evaluating the data health plan.Methods　We enrolled 3,179 people from 1,741 departments in charge of national health insurance, 47 Japan Health Insurance Association branches, and 1,391 health insurance societies across all municipalities in Japan. One participant among the study participants was the main person in charge of SHCs and SHG at each facility. We conducted a self-reported survey on the implementation of SHCs and SHG in February 2022. This study was approved by the ethics review board of the institution to which the first author belongs.Results　A total of 1,221 (38.4%) were received. The proportions of valid responses from national health insurance departments, Japan Health Insurance Association branches, and health insurance societies were 816 (46.9%), 47 (100%), and 358 (25.7%), respectively. Over 96% of responders used the group SHCs method, and over 93% of those adopting the individual SHCs method used each of the 22 SQ items. However, 187 (18.2%) responders found it difficult to use the item \"If you had the opportunity to receive health guidance for lifestyle improvement, would you take it?\" The reason was that the on-request SHG system was misunderstood. Additionally, only approximately 50% of respondents used the SQ to develop, implement, and evaluate their health program.Conclusion　We believe there will be no problem in implementing the SQ even if using all its component items is required. However, the aforementioned item needs to be revised. Methods to encourage health insurers and their supporters to use the SQ for health-related data collection and health program planning should be devised.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"231-239"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138833259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Current conditions and challenges of employing older assistant care workers based on geriatric health services facilities' scale].","authors":"Tomoya Sagara, Mai Takase, Keiko Sugiura, Isuzu Nakamoto, Panpan Ma, Youko Muto, Kentaro Higashi, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murayama","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-052","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　To support care workers, some care facilities employ older individuals as care assistants for peripheral, non-professional tasks. However, the size of the facilities influences their employment needs and support systems for older care workers. Therefore, this study examined the rationale for employing older assistant care workers; the challenges they face; educational systems; and the efforts to facilitate continued employment based on facility size.Methods　Initially, a fax survey was conducted with 3,591 facilities associated with the National Association of Geriatric Health Services Facilities to determine the proportion of older assistant care workers employed. Thereafter, a questionnaire survey was administered to gather more information. Out of 3,591 facilities, 2,170 responded to the survey, and 1,261 responded to the questionnaire. In this study, care assistants aged ≥60 years were classified as older care assistants. The facilities were categorized based on admission capacity into two groups: \"small/medium facilities\" (≤99 residents) and \"large facilities\" (≥100 residents). A chi-square test was conducted for data analysis.Results　Of the all geriatric health services facilities, 31.7% employed older assistant care workers. Moreover, the questionnaire survey responses showed they are employed by 687 facilities. Further analysis revealed that larger facilities employed a higher number of older care assistants than small/medium facilities. Small/medium facilities tended to have fewer training systems for older care assistants than larger facilities (30.0% for small/medium facilities vs. 21.6% for large facilities; P=0.014). Furthermore, the work of older care assistants in small/medium facilities was more susceptible to family circumstances than those in larger facilities (15.7% for small/medium facilities vs. 10.2% for large facilities; P=0.033). Compared to small/medium facilities, larger facilities were more likely to state that their employment objective was to reduce the risk of care accidents (19.8% for small/medium facilities vs. 26.3% for large facilities; P=0.046) and provide psychological support, such as periodic interviews, to older care workers to ensure continued employment (24.1% for small/medium facilities vs. for large facilities 37.3%; P<0.001).Conclusion　Larger facilities employeda higher number of older care assistants than small/medium facilities. Furthermore, small/medium facilities were less likely to provide psychological support and had a less structured training system, compared to larger facilities. Additionally, the work of older care assistants in small/medium facilities was more susceptible to family circumstances and other factors, which could affect their work performance. Thus, developing adequate support systems in small/medium facilities is crucial to promoting the employment of older care assistants.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"177-185"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138833237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Is \"tobacco harm reduction\" possible? Other countries' experiences and perspectives, and how they could inform tobacco control in Japan].","authors":"Kota Katanoda, Kayo Togawa, Masakazu Nakamura","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-076","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>　\"Tobacco harm reduction\" is defined as a method to minimize harm and risk of death and disease without eliminating tobacco and nicotine use. In Japan, where heated tobacco products (HTPs) are prevalent, the tobacco industry is progressively endorsing the concept of \"tobacco harm reduction.\" Therefore, stakeholders in tobacco control must urgently share perspectives and experiences surrounding this issue.　This discussion paper aimed to propose four requirements for effectively implementing \"tobacco harm reduction\" as a public health measure: (1) disease risk reduction, (2) cigarette smoking cessation, (3) no additional public health concerns, and (4) regulatory authorities held by health agencies, and compile information on them regarding nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and HTPs. Another aim was to summarize policies related to \"tobacco harm reduction\" adopted by an international organization (World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities in foreign countries (the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Italy, and the Republic of Korea) to explore the implications of these requirements on Japan's approach. Regarding the first three requirements, scientific evidence indicated that e-cigarettes offers some level of risk reduction and can assist with cigarette smoking cessation. The potential uptake of e-cigarettes among youth and their possibility to serve as a gateway to combusted cigarette use is a concern, though a definitive causal link is yet to be established between the uptake of e-cigarette in youth and the subsequent use of different tobacco products. There is insufficient scientific evidence for any of the three requirements for HTPs. Regarding the official policies, WHO took the position that the same regulations should be applied to all tobacco products. Only the UK and USA officially established a health system based on the concept of \"tobacco harm reduction\"; even in Italy and the Republic of Korea, where HTPs are relatively widespread, health authorities denied any risk reduction by introducing HTPs. The UK officially adopted a smoking cessation policy with e-cigarettes. The USA established a modified risk tobacco product system under federal legislation enacted in 2009, whereas of June 2023, no HTP or e-cigarettes were recognized as explicitly reducing health risk. Regarding the fourth requirement, the UK and USA institutionalized \"tobacco harm reduction\" under health authorities' regulation independent of the tobacco industry. The introduction of a tobacco harm reduction policy in Japan should be considered only in line with health authorities' regulation and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control measures independent of the tobacco industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"141-152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138833256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Questionnaire survey of municipalities on policies to promote physical activity among residents: An examination by administrative sector and population size].","authors":"Yukio Oida, Noriko Takeda, Shigeru Inoue, Motohiko Miyachi","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-040","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　National policies to promote physical activity and exercise have been formulated by several ministries and agencies in Japan. This study aimed to examine the formulation and implementation of such policies in municipalities by administrative sector and population size.Methods　After stratifying all municipalities in Japan at the population level, we randomly selected 272 municipalities. We collected 1,632 cases in six sectors (health, sports, education, urban planning, transportation, and environment) within these municipalities.　A questionnaire survey on the status of policy formulation, implementation, and coordination among departments was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Differences between groups of municipalities were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The survey period was from September 2018 to March 2019.Results　A total of 616 responses were collected (response rate 37.7%). The response rates for health and education were lower than those for the other sectors. The rate of policy formulation to promote physical activity was extremely high in the health and sports sectors, and there was slight variation by population size. In contrast, formulation rates were generally low in the urban planning, transportation, and environment sectors, especially in smaller municipalities. In the sectors mentioned above, physical activity promotion projects mainly involved the development of exercise and sports infrastructures. Health, sports, and education were the primary sectors that used those environments. Regarding interdepartmental coordination in policy implementation, a cooperative relationship existed among the health, sports, and education sectors and between the urban planning and transportation sectors. However, smaller municipalities were found to have fewer opportunities for such collaboration and tended to implement policies independently.Conclusion　This study clarifies the policy formulation and implementation for promoting physical activity in municipalities at the national level in Japan. In addition, their characteristics were identified based on different administrative sectors and population size. These results are expected to be used in future local government policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"153-166"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138833257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Relationship between the number of public health nurses and the total number of people receiving home-visit nursing services for mental health/intractable diseases, and those numbers' regional differences].","authors":"Yuri Akamatsu, Toshiyuki Ojima, Ichiro Fukunaga, Goro Ohsaka, Keigo Saeki, Michiko Shimamura, Chika Shirai, Hitomi Nagai, Masaya Miyazono, Katsuhiko Uchida","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-064","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objectives　The primary aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the number of public health nurses (PHNs) and the total number of people who received home-visit nursing services for mental health or intractable diseases. The secondary aim was to clarify the extent of regional differences in the number of PNHs and mental health or intractable diseases.Methods　This study used the total number of people who received home-visit nursing services for mental health or intractable diseases in 2019 from the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat) and population and area data in January 2020. Single and multiple regression analyses (covariates: population and area) were performed on the relationship between the number of PHNs per 100,000 population (abbreviated as \"ratios of PHNs\") and the total number of people who received home-visit nursing services for mental health or intractable diseases per 100,000 population (abbreviated as \"mental health/intractable disease achievements\"). Regional differences in ratios of PHNs and mental health/intractable disease achievement were examined using mean, standard deviation, maximum/minimum values, and Gini coefficients. Analyses were performed for each of the five units: the prefectures as a whole, prefectural public health centers, municipalities within the jurisdiction of prefectural public health centers, and cities in which public health centers are established (including or not including special wards).Results　Regression analyses indicated a positive relationship between the ratios of PHNs and mental health/intractable disease achievements. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both achievements were positively associated with population size and negatively associated with area size. The largest regression coefficients between the ratios of PHNs and achievements were 34.07 and 5.48 regarding mental health achievements and intractable disease achievements, respectively. For regional differences, the smallest Gini coefficient was the ratios of PHNs, and the largest was intractable disease achievements. The smallest and largest coefficient of the prefectures as a whole was 0.15 and 0.34, respectively. The maximum/minimum values of the prefectures as a whole also indicated that the smallest was 3.8 in the ratio of PHNs and the largest was 30.0 in intractable disease achievement.Conclusions　Increasing number of PHNs is needed to provide more home-visit nursing services for mental health and intractable diseases. It is particularly important to fill up the larger number of PHNs in smaller populations or larger area prefectures. Due to regional differences in the home-visit nursing service, it is important to promote the increase in the level of these activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"167-176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138833258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Characteristics and courses of COVID-19 in patients from the first through fifth waves of the disease: Focused on a single public health center in Tokyo, Japan].","authors":"Nana Hijikata, Kuniko Murakami, Shoji Uehara, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Yoshiharu Fukuda","doi":"10.11236/jph.23-077","DOIUrl":"10.11236/jph.23-077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Objective　Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a global public health threat, and local public health centers in Japan implemented an infectious disease response to support patients. The response was subsequently modified to meet the needs for each of the five waves of infection. The study aim was to analyze the characteristics and courses of the disease in patients with COVID-19 at a single public health center. The study period included the first through fifth waves of the disease.Methods　We utilized a descriptive epidemiological design in this study and data of patients with COVID-19 from one administrative district in Tokyo, Japan. We analyzed age, gender, nationality, symptoms at diagnosis, the route of infection, the recovery environment, and associated morbidity intervals, including case fatality rate, days from symptom onset to diagnosis, days from diagnosis to hospitalization, and recovery time for each of the first through fifth waves.Results　From February 2020 to November 2021, 11,252 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. Specifically, in the first wave, 151 patients were diagnosed, followed by 803 in the second wave, 2,406 in the third wave, 1,480 in the fourth wave, and 6,412 in the fifth wave. Hospitalization was the primary recovery environment during the first wave, while home recovery became the primary approach from the third wave onward. The case fatality rate was highest during the first wave, likely because of limited testing and treatment options for severe cases. The median time from onset to diagnosis was seven days in the first wave, significantly longer than for the other waves. The median time from diagnosis to hospitalization was one day in the first through fourth waves but three days in the fifth wave. The extension of this interval suggests that hospitalization was delayed in this wave as the number of severe patients increased rapidly, likely because of the novel COVID-19 variant.Conclusion　This study of patients testing positive for COVID-19 provides valuable insights into the characteristics and courses of the pandemic within this district. These findings can inform regarding the development of effective strategies to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other future emerging infectious diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":72032,"journal":{"name":"[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health","volume":" ","pages":"117-123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138441737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}