江西省和日本中学生吸烟状况的调查和比较

本文报道了江西省和日本中学生吸烟状况的调查和比较结果。江西省中学生曾吸率为30.5%,高于日本(25.4%),但现吸率(5.8%)和常吸率(1.1%)均远低于日本(8.7%和5.3%)。此外,江西省男性学年别曾吸率高于日本,但男性现吸率和常吸率及女性学年别各吸烟指标均低于日本。
中学生吸烟率在日本是城市高于农村,在江西省是农村高于城市,平均每日吸烟支数日本高于江西。
本次调查表明:朋友及兄弟姐妹吸烟与否、学校的健康教育、学校生活的自我感觉及对吸烟的认识等,对吸烟率的影响较大。     

Differences in the influence of tobacco smoking on lung cancer between Japan and the USA: possible explanations for the 'smoking paradox' in Japan

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among Japanese men has been consistently high compared with males in Western countries over the past 30 years. However, during the same period, the incidence and mortality rates for lung cancer have been consistently lower in Japan than in Western countries, which has been termed the 'Japanese smoking paradox'. The odds ratio/relative risk of cigarette smoking for lung cancer mortality and incidence for the same number of cigarettes smoked per capita in Japan have been lower than those in Western countries. This difference in the odds ratio/relative risk is likely to be the main reason for the Japanese smoking paradox. The aim of this study was to clarify the reason for the difference in the odds ratio/relative risk between Japan and the USA. STUDY DESIGN: Literature review to compare environmental, hereditary and other factors that may be related to lung cancer in Japan and the USA. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The main factors likely to have brought about the difference in the odds ratio/relative risk between Japan and the USA (and perhaps other Western countries as well) are: lower alcohol consumption by Japanese males; lower fat intake by Japanese males; higher efficiency of filters on Japanese cigarettes; lower levels of carcinogenic ingredients in Japanese cigarettes; and lung-cancer-resistant hereditary factors among Japanese males.     

Cadmium absorption from smoking cigarettes: Calculation using recent findings from Japan

Consumed substances, including food, drink, and tobacco, produced in the environment are exposure sources of Cd. The object of the present study was to estimate Cd exposure and absorption amount from smoking cigarettes, one exposure source of Cd, using recent findings from Japan. The market share of cigarettes produced in foreign countries has increased in Japan, the proportion of tobacco leaves harvested in foreign countries has increased in cigarettes produced in Japan, and the percentage of smokers in Japan has changed. Therefore, obtaining the absorption value of Cd from smoking cigarettes using recent findings from Japan is significant. We collected information on (1) the concentrations of Cd in tobacco leaves by country of harvest and in cigarettes by country of production, (2) the concentrations of Cd in cigarette smoke, (3) the proportion of tobacco leaves harvested in foreign countries used in cigarettes made and sold in Japan, (4) the absorption rate of Cd in the airways for cigarette smoke, (5) the smoking rate by gender, age, and year in Japan, (6) the number of cigarettes sold in Japan by year and country of production, (7) the number of cigarettes smoked by smokers per day according to gender and age in Japan, and (8) the population size in 1998 by gender and age in Japan. The mean amount of Cd absorbed via the airways by smoking for smokers in Japan was calculated to be 0.89–1.78 μg/day from the above information. The values are not small in comparison with the amount of Cd absorbed from the digestive organs. The concentration of Cd in tobacco leaves harvested in Japan and cigarettes produced in Japan is generally higher than that of leaves harvested and cigarettes produced in foreign countries. The increase in the market share of cigarettes produced in foreign countries and sold in Japan and the increase in the proportion of tobacco leaves harvested in foreign countries used in cigarettes made and sold in Japan have decreased the amount of Cd absorbed by smoking for smokers in Japan.     

Trends in dietary fiber intake in Japan over the last century

Summary. Background: Insufficient intake of dietary fiber (DF) is currently a major problem in the overall promotion of health in the general population in Japan. Aim of the study: To analyze the time trends in DF intake, including DF density (total DF intake/1,000 kcal), and the ratio of water-insoluble fiber to water-soluble fiber (IS ratio) in Japan. Methods: The time trend in DF intake in Japan was calculated from data compiled in the Japanese National Nutrition Survey. Results: The mean daily DF intake (total DF intake) in 1952 was 20.5 g/day, which rapidly declined to about 70 % of the 1952 level in 1970, after which there was little change to 1998. DF density in 1952 was 9.7 g/1000 kcal, which declined by about 30 % in 1970, and remained at about the same level to 1998. The IS ratio has remained stable over this period. Whereas total DF intake and DF density in Japan are similar to those in Western countries, the IS ratios are higher in Japan. Therefore, the higher incidence of, and mortality from, colon diverticulosis, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, etc., which are all thought to be related to fiber deficiency, in Western countries compared to Japan might be due to the differences in the IS ratio. Conclusions: A decline in total DF intake and DF density is predicted for Japan in the future, because these parameters were lower among the younger generation. This may be due to the marked changes in the dietary habits of the younger generation, and is a problematic trend for Japanese health. Received: 26 April 2002, Accepted: 22 August 2002 Correspondence to: Shigeyuki Nakaji, MD, PhD     

Alkaline Digestion and Solid Phase Extraction Method for Perfluorinated Compounds in Mussels and Oysters from South China and Japan

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), have been identified in the coastal waters of China and Japan. An alkaline digestion method, coupled with solid-phase extraction (SPE), and high-performance liquid chromatography interfaced with high-resolution electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was developed to determine PFCs in mussel and oyster samples from coastal waters of south China and Japan. These techniques produced adequate recoveries and reporting limits with small quantities of PFCs. Concentrations of individual PFCs in mussels and oysters from south China and Japan ranged from 113.6 to 586.0 pg/g, wet weight (ww) for PFOS, 63.1 to 511.6 pg/g, ww for perfluorohexane sulfonate, 9.3 to 30.1 pg/g, ww for perfluorobutane sulfonate and 37.8 to 2957.0 pg/g, ww for perfluorooctane sulfonamide. The quantification of perfluorinated carboxylates was compromised by interferences from carboxylates in the procedural blanks. Perfluoroundecanoate and perfluorononanoate had relatively great blank interferences, which resulted in relatively poor limits of quantification for these compounds. Some PFCs were only identified in a limited number of samples: perfluorododecanoate in samples from Tokyo Bay, Japan (195.9 pg/g, ww); and perfluorodecanoate in Fuzhou, China (131.7 pg/g, ww) and Tokyo Bay (118.6 pg/g, ww). The greatest concentrations of perfluorooctanoate, perfluoroheptanoate, and perfluorohexanoate were observed in samples from Tokyo Bay and Bei Hai, south China.     

Genetic relatedness of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis isolates from bathrooms of healthy volunteers,rivers, and soils in Japan with human clinical isolates from different geographical areas

Japan reportedly has high incidence rate of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (14.7 cases per 100,000 person in 2014). In Japan, the most common etiology is Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH). MAH is a typical inhabitant of the environment, especially bathrooms, which are considered as a potential source of infection. To corroborate this hypothesis, we determined the detection rate of MAH in bathrooms of healthy volunteers by an ordinary culture method and we analyzed the genetic relatedness of these isolates with those from patients and other sources. We collected swabs of bathtub inlets, showerheads, bathroom drains, and shower water from 180 residences throughout Japan. The overall MAH detection rate was 16.1%, but the rate varied among regions: it was high in Kanto (9/34, 26.5%) and Kinki (9/33, 27.3%), but low in Kyushu (0/11, 0%), Tohoku (1/23, 4.3%), and Hokkaido (2/23, 8.7%). MAH was detected primarily in bathtub inlet samples (25 out of 170 residences). Variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis was used to examine the genetic relatedness of 57 MAH isolates from bathrooms of the healthy volunteers with human clinical isolates. A minimum spanning tree generated on the basis of the VNTR data indicated that isolates from the bathrooms of the healthy volunteers had a high degree of genetic relatedness with those from Japanese patients, bathrooms of patients, and river water, but not with those from Russian patients and Japanese pigs. These results showed that bathtub inlets in Japan provide an environmental niche for MAH and suggest that bathrooms are one of the important infection sources of MAH in Japan. Understanding country-specific lifestyle habits, such as bathing in Japan, as well as the genetic diversity of MAH, will help in elucidating the sources of this pathogen.     

An analysis of qualitative and mixed methods abstracts from Japanese,UK and US primary care conferences

Background

As research in family medicine covers varied topics, multiple methodologies such as qualitative research (QR) and mixed methods research (MMR) are crucial. However, we do not know about the difference in the proportion of QR or MMR between Japan, the UK and the US. This knowledge is needed to shape future research within countries with developing primary care such as Japan and other Asian countries. This study aims to describe the use of QR and MMR in Japanese primary care and compare this to the UK and US; then to make informed recommendations for primary care research.

Methods

A repeated cross-sectional study (2012–2016) based on the abstracts submitted to the annual conferences of the Japanese Primary Care Association in Japan, the Royal College of General Practitioners in the UK, and the North American Primary Care Research Group in the US and other North American countries. The proportions of QR/MMR among all the posters and paper presentations for each of these three conferences were assessed. Also examined were trends and types of qualitative techniques for all three countries and participants/settings for Japan.

Results

There were 1080 abstracts for Japan, 575 for UK and 3614 for US conferences. QR/MMR proportions were 7.5%, 15.1% and 28.1%, respectively. Japan’s proportion was lower than that of UK and US (p?<?0.001). The proportion was increasing over time for the UK (p?=?0.02). Steps for coding and analyses was most popular for Japan, thematic analysis for the UK and grounded theory for the US. Primary care doctors and hospitals were the commonest contexts for Japan.

Conclusions

QR and MMR were not as popular in primary care in Japan compared to the UK and the US, whereas their use was increasing in the UK. Approaches, participants and settings may differ among these countries. Education and promotion of QR/MMR and multi-disciplinary collaborations need to be recommended in Japan with developing primary care.

     

Exploratory study on psychosocial impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak on Chinese students living in Japan

The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the 2003 SARS outbreak on Chinese students living in Japan. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. The participants were recruited at multiple locations at the University of Tokyo, Japan. The results showed approximately 60% (96/161) of the respondents felt an impact of SARS on college life; they had experienced SARS-related fear, worry, depression as well as social discrimination and had taken SARS prevention measures for daily protection in Japan during the epidemic. The magnitude of the impact was associated with socio-demographic factors, including their age, specialty, area of previous residence in China and length of stay in Japan. The findings suggest that the SARS outbreak had a psychosocial impact on the Chinese students living in Japan, even though none of them had SARS. Social support tailored for these foreign students should be provided during such a disease outbreak.     

Antigenic variation in Bordetella pertussis isolates recovered from adults and children in Japan

Recently, the incidence of reported pertussis cases of adults has dramatically increased in Japan. In the present study, we analyzed seven Bordetella pertussis isolates recovered from adults in Japan using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and sequencing of their antigenic and virulence-associated proteins, compared with those from children. PFGE analysis demonstrated that the adult strains were closely related to the child strains (78-100% genetic similarity). On the other hand, the genotyping revealed that 71% (5/7) of the adult strains and 47% (25/53) of the child strains had the same combination of antigenic/virulence-associated allelic variants (ptxS1B/prn1/fim2-1/fim3A/fhaB1/tcfA2) as the Japanese vaccine strain Tohama, respectively. In comparison to the child strains, there was no apparent antigenic and genetic shift in the adult strains. Our result suggests that (i) there is no B. pertussis circulating strain specific to adults and (ii) the antigenic/virulence-associated proteins are unrelated to the rise in adult pertussis incidence in Japan.     

Evaluation of the spread of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 among Japanese university students

The pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus is commonly known to affect younger individuals. Several epidemiological studies have clarified the epidemic features of university students in Japan. In this study, we reviewed these studies in Japan in comparison with reports from other countries. The average cumulative incidence rate among university students was 9.6 %, with the major symptoms being cough, sore throat, and rhinorrhea. These epidemiological features were similar between Japan and other countries. Attitudes and behaviors toward pandemic influenza control measures were different before and improved during and after the epidemic. These features were also similar to those in other countries. On the other hand, the epidemic spread through club activities or social events, and transmission was attenuated after temporary closure of such groups in Japan. This transmission pattern was inconsistent among countries, which may have been due to differences in lifestyle and cultural habits. Based on these results, infection control measures of pandemic influenza for university organizations in Japan should be considered.     

Comparison and verification of BSE surveillance in USA and Japan

Objective The objectives of this study are to (1) compare the BSE surveillance systems of Japan and the United States (US), and to (2) validate the US enhanced BSE Surveillance program. Methods This study compares the BSE surveillance systems in Japan and the US, specifically focusing on the procedures of initial test, diagnosis and confirmation. The study further examines the validity of statistical conclusions made in the US enhanced surveillance program based on the data collected from the BSE inspection performed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) between October 18,2001 and July 31, 2004. The inspection targeted all slaughtered healthy and high risk cattle. Results The US enhanced surveillance program assumes no BSE occurrence in the normal adult cattle population and thus its inspection focuses only on high risk cattle. The BSE inspection performed in Japan, however, revealed that 0.00022% of the normal adult cattle were BSE-infected using the US criteria. Assuming that the same ratio of cattle was BSE-infected in the US, the Japan finding indicates that approximately 30% of the US slaughtered normal cattle population aged 30 months and over needs to be tested to satisfy the statistical condition used by the US (i.e., 99% confidence level). On the other hand, in order for Japan to perform the surveillance with a 99% confidence level (the statistical condition used by US), Japan needs inspect: (1) 60,539 high risk cattle (i.e., 60% of 100,583 high risk cattle); (2) 78% of normal adult cattle aged 30 months and over (1,088,589/1,387,522) and (3) 90% of normal cattle aged 30 months or less (1,845,138/2,050,154). Conclusion The US enhanced surveillance program launched in July 2004 is based on the premise that no BSE occurs in normal adult cattle population. In Japan, however, BSE cases satisfying the US criteria have been found among the normal adult cattle. This fact suggests that the US needs to consider inspections targeting the normal adult cattle. This fact suggests that the US needs to consider inspections targeting the normal adult cattle in the future. At the same time, for more efficient surveillance, Japan may need to consider BSE inspections targeting the high risk cattle population with a higher confidence level and normal adult cattle with a lower confidence level.     

Epidemiologic studies of coronary heart disease and stroke in Japanese men living in Japan, Hawaii and California: prevalence of coronary and hypertensive heart disease and associated risk factors.

A study of coronary heart disease (CHD) among Japanese migrants compared with Japanese living in Japan provided the opportunity to study factors possibly responsible for the high rates of CHD in America as compared with Japan. Comparable methods were employed in examining 11,900 men of Japanese ancestry aged 45--69 living in Japan, Hawaii and California. The age-adjusted prevalence rates for definite CHD as determined by ECG were: Japan 5.3, Hawaii 5.2 and California 10.8/1000. For definite plus possible CHD the rates were 25.4, 34.7 and 44.6. The prevalence of angina pectoris and pain of possible myocardial infarction, determined by questionnaire, showed a similar gradient. Elevated serum cholesterol showed a Japan-Hawaii-California gradient, but the prevalence of hypertension in Japan was intermediate between the prevalence in Hawaii and the higher prevalence in California. The three geographic locations were compared as to prevalence of CHD at comparable levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. At each blood pressure level and at each cholesterol level, the greater prevalence of CHD in California persisted. These facts, plus the near universality of smoking in Japan, suggest that conventional risk factors only partly explain the observed gradient in CHD.     

Potential for spread of HIV in Japan]

Beginning 3 years ago, rapid spread of HIV was observed in Thailand with consequent serious problems in the public. HIV initially spread among i.v. drug abusers and then invaded prostitutes. Sero-surveillance estimates that there are 300,000 HIV positives in all of Thailand. Thai authorities warn that 4 million persons may be infected by the year 2000. In Japan, the cumulative number of HIV positives is reported as 453 excluding hemophiliac cases. However, the reported figures are assumed to be only a part of the actual figure. WHO estimates there may be 20,000 HIV positives in Japan. From the epidemiological surveillance, incidence of HIV positives even in the risk groups is extremely low in Japan. HIV positives in blood donors is merely 0.31 per 100,000. The question is whether AIDS will continue to be a less serious problem in Japan? Examination of blood or a voluntary basis may not tell the real situation of HIV positives in Japan. There is a real concern regarding HIV positives in female foreign visitors who made up 86 per cent of all female positives in Japan. These females are suspected to be professionals engaged in sex business in Japan. A hypothetical simulation indicates they may possibly infect 60,000 people per year. On the other hand, contact between Japanese travellers visiting Thailand and Thai prostitutes is also possible. Using the figure of 230,000 males visiting Thailand in 1990, hypothetical simulation revealed that 690 may become infected per year which is 1/50 of those calculated to be infected inside Japan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Socioeconomic status and health in the Japanese population

There is growing interest in the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health. Individual SES has been shown to be closely related to mortality, morbidity, health-related behavior and access to health care services in Western countries. Whether the same set of social determinants accounts for higher rates of mortality or morbidity in Japan is questionable, because over the past decade the magnitude of the social stratification within the society has increased due to economic and social circumstances. SES must be interpreted within the economic, social, demographic and cultural contexts of a specific country. In this report we discuss the impact of individuals' socioeconomic position on health in Japan with regard to educational attainment, occupational gradient/class, income level, and unemployment.This review is based mainly on papers indexed in Medline/PubMed between 1990 and 2007. We find that socioeconomic differences in mortality, morbidity and risk factors are not uniformly small in Japan. The majority of papers investigate the relationship between education, occupational class and health, but low income and unemployment are not examined sufficiently in Japan. The results also indicate that different socioeconomic contexts and inequality contribute to the mortality, morbidity, and biological and behavioral risk factors in Japan, although the pattern and direction of the relationships may not necessarily be the same in terms of size, pattern, distribution, magnitude and impact as in Western countries. In particular, the association between higher occupational status and lower mortality, as well as higher educational attainment and either mortality or morbidity, is not as strongly expressed among the Japanese. Japan is still one of the healthiest and most egalitarian nations in the world, and social inequalities within the population are less expressed. However, the magnitude of the social stratification has started to increase, and this is an alarming sign.     

Biological monitoring of pyrethroid exposure of pest control workers in Japan

Synthetic pyrethroids such as cypermethrin, deltamethrin and permethrin, which are usually used in pest control operations, are metabolized to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and excreted in urine. Though 3-PBA can be used to assess exposure to pyrethroids, there are few reports describing urinary 3-PBA levels in Japan. This study aimed to investigate the seasonal variation of the exposure levels of pyrethroids and the concentration of urinary 3-PBA among pest control operators (PCOs) in Japan. The study subjects were 78 and 66 PCOs who underwent a health examination in December 2004 and in August 2005, respectively. 3-PBA was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The geometric mean concentration of urinary 3-PBA in winter (3.9 microg/g creatinine) was significantly lower than in summer (12.2 microg/g creatinine) (p<0.05). Geometric mean concentrations of urinary 3-PBA in the spraying workers and the not-spraying workers within 2 d before the survey were 5.4 microg/g creatinine and 0.9 microg/g creatinine for winter with a significant difference between the groups (p<0.05), and 12.3 microg/g creatinine and 8.7 microg/g creatinine for summer (p>0.05), respectively. A significant association of 3-PBA levels and pyrethroid spraying was thus observed only in winter. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that the exposure level of pyrethroids among PCOs in Japan assessed by monitoring urinary 3-PBA was higher than that reported in the UK but comparable to that in Germany. Further research should be accumulated to establish an occupational reference value in Japan.     

Critical examination of reported energy intake in published dietary studies of Japanese subjects using the Goldberg cut-off

Although it is now generally acknowledged in Western countries that mismeasurement (under- and overestimation) of dietary intake is a serious problem in studies on diet and health, the validity of dietary assessment methods in Japan has seldom been externally evaluated with objective measures. This study used the Goldberg cut-off to examine whether the energy intake in Japan could be regarded as a measure of habitual energy intake at the group level. Examined here were six published dietary studies in Japan providing 14 subgroups when divided by sex and dietary assessment method. Reported energy intake was expressed as a multiple of basal metabolic rate estimated using equations (EI/BMR). EI/BMR was compared with the subgroup-specific cut-off values representing the lowest and highest values of EI/BMR that could reflect the habitual energy expenditure. Mean EI/BMR was 1.49 (SD=0.09), which was lower than an expected requirement of 1.55. When all 14 subgroups were combined, seven subgroups (50%) had an EI/BMR less than the subgroup-specific lower cut-off value, and one (7%) had the ratio greater than the upper value. The percentages of subgroups having the ratio less than the lower value and greater than the upper value ranged from 43 to 57% and from 0 to 14%, respectively, when subgroups of women (n=8), men (n=6), diet record (n=7), and questionnaire method (n=7) were evaluated separately. These findings suggest that responsible investigators in Japan should critically examine dietary intake data in any study of diet and health.     

Emergence of norovirus GII.2 and its novel recombination during the gastroenteritis outbreak in Japanese children in mid-2016

In mid-2016, norovirus GII.2 emerged as a major cause of gastroenteritis outbreak in Japan with overall detection rate of 56.3% of norovirus cases. The differences in ORF1 and ORF2 of some norovirus GII were observed. Inter-subtype recombinants GII.Pe/GII.2, GII.P16/GII.2 and GII.P17/GII.2 were detected. Three amino acid substitutions were noted at P2 antigenic site of GII.P16/GII.2 recombinants. Furthermore, this study revealed that the current immunochromatographic kit available in Japan could be used effectively for the detection of recent GII.2 genotype.     

食品过敏原荞麦的实时荧光PCR检测

目的:荞麦是日本法规要求强制性标识的食品过敏原,我国需要建立出口日本食品中过敏原荞麦成分的标准方法。方法:参考现有文献,采用实时PCR方法建立食品过敏原荞麦成分的检测方法。结果:研究表明建立的检测方法具有特异性,灵敏度高,检测限为1 mg/kg。结论:本方法适用于食品中过敏原荞麦成分检测。     

Phosphorus supply per capita from food in Japan between 1960 and 1995

The awareness of phosphorus intake is important because hyperphosphatemia and hypophosphatemia both impair bone metabolism. Phosphorus consumption from food was obtained from values in the Food Balance Sheet (PBS) of Japan from 1960 to 1995. The amounts of phosphorus calculated from the FBS increased gradually from 1,243 mg/d in 1960 to 1,332 mg/d in 1975 and to 1,421 mg/d in 1995. This is explained by the increased consumption of cow's milk and milk products, meat, and chicken eggs. The main foods supplying phosphorus in 1995 were cereals, milk and milk products, fishes and shellfishes, and vegetables; their contributions were 24.4, 15.8, 14.2, and 10.9%, respectively. The phosphorus-to-calcium ratio calculated from the FBS was 3.51 in 1960, which decreased to 2.89 in 1975 and 2.44 in 1995. Therefore total phosphorus consumption in 1995 was presumably more than 1,500 mg/d when imported food containing phosphorus and the consumption of phosphorus-containing food additives in Japan are also considered. These findings suggest that the phosphorus consumption estimated from the FBS is increasing and that more attention should be paid to the maintenance of healthy bones in Japan, where the average amount of calcium intake is less than 600 mg/d.