災害時におけるペットとの避難行動を規定する要因の検討

内容の要約広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(学術)Doctor of Philosophydoctora

Factors Regulating Preparations for Pets in the Event of a Disaster: An Examination of Psychological Relationships Between Pets and Owners

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011, and the Kumamoto Earthquake occurred in 2016. These disasters affected not only humans but also many animals. The Ministry of the Environment formulated the “Disaster Preparedness Guideline for Humans and Pets” in 2018. The guidelines state that the self-help of pet owners is fundamental in dealing with disasters. With the aim of furthering preparations for pets in the event of a disaster, we conducted an exploratory investigation of the factors that facilitate or inhibit disaster preparation for pets and examined how the psychological relationships between pets and owners affects the degree of execution for “preparedness in everyday life” and “preparing for disasters.” We conducted an Internet-based survey of pet owners (N = 260). We then conducted ordinal logistic regression analyses with “preparedness in everyday life” and “preparing for disasters” as objective variables. We found that the “number of pet friendships” (friends made through interactions because of one’s pet) facilitated “preparedness in everyday life” and “preparing for disasters.” Moreover, the “degree of animal welfare practice” facilitated “preparedness in everyday life”, and the degree of “difficulty being separated from pets” facilitated “preparing for disasters.” We discussed the contributions and limitations of this study.本研究は，文部科学省プログラム広島大学「放射線災害復興を推進するフェニックスリーダー育成プログラム」による補助を受けた

Association between sarcopenia and low back pain in local residents prospective cohort study from the GAINA study

[Background] Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common ailments that people experience in their lifetime. On the other hands, Sarcopenia also leads to several physical symptoms and contributes to reducing the quality of life of elderly people.The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between sarcopenia and low back pain among the general population. [Methods] The subjects included 216 adults (79 men and 137 women; mean age, 73.5 years) undergoing a general medical examination in Hino, Japan. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), The percentage of young adults’ mean (%YAM) of the calcaneal bone mass using with quantitative ultrasound (QUS) method and walking speed were measured, and subjects who met the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia were assigned to the sarcopenia group. Subjects with decreased muscle mass only were assigned to the pre-sarcopenia group, and all other subjects were assigned to the normal group. Then, we compared the correlations with low back pain physical finding. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the low back pain visual analogue scale (VAS) were used as indices of low back pain. Statistical analysis was performed among three groups with respect their characteristic, demographics, data of sarcopenia determining factor, VAS and ODI. We also analysed prevalence of LBP and sarcopenia. We investigated the correlations between ODI and the sarcopenia-determining factors of walking speed, muscle mass and grip strength. [Results] Sarcopenia was noted in 12 subjects (5.5%). The pre-sarcopenia group included 38 subjects (17.6%), and the normal group included 166 subjects (76.9%). The mean ODI score was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group (25.2% ± 12.3%; P < 0.05) than in the pre-sarcopenia group (11.2% ± 10.0%) and the normal group (11.9% ± 12.3%). %YAM and BMI were significantly lower in the sarcopenia group than in other groups (P < 0.05). A negative correlation existed between walking speed and ODI (r = −0.32, P < 0.001). [Conclusions] The results of this study suggested that decreased physical ability due to quality of life in residents with LBP may be related to sarcopenia

The Risk Factor of Worsening Low Back Pain in Older Adults Living in a Local Area of Japan: The GAINA Study

Background: Several factors, particularly osteoporosis, obesity, and a lack of exercise, contribute to low back pain (LBP). This observational longitudinal cohort study to identify the risk factors for worsening low back pain. Methods: We sent a self-administered questionnaire and a consent form for this study to 1,450 subjects aged > 40 years in Hino, Japan. Baseline assessments of 273 individuals undergoing medical check-ups were conducted from 2014 to 2016. The subjects were divided into Group A (no change or improvement in LBP) and Group B (worsening LBP). LBP was assessed using a visual analog scale; body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density, skeletal muscle index (SMI), standing posture, and habitual exercise frequency were also evaluated. We defined, habitual exercise as nontherapeutic exercise (e.g. swimming, walking, physical exercise and work out). Results: Overall, 81.2% subjects performed habitual exercise in Group A, a greater number of subjects than the 40.8% in Group B. BMI, SMI, and bone mineral density (BMD) were not significantly different between the two groups. Lack of exercise was a significant risk factor for worsening of LBP. On the other hand, the lack of osteoporosis treatment was significantly different between subjects with worsening LBP despite habitual exercise and those who did not perform habitual exercise. Conclusion: Although habitual exercise is useful to prevent LBP, it may not necessarily be useful for those with a lack of osteoporosis treatment. Although exercise is typically posited to prevent LBP, it may not be effective in preventing LBP associated with osteoporosis

Internal Knowledge Sharing by Infrastructure Maintenance Engineers in Small and Medium Size Construction Companies in Japan

It is necessary to increase the capability of engineers to carry out maintenance management for keeping infrastructure safe and serviceable. Many regional training programs have been established to develop engineers into “maintenance experts.” While small and medium size construction companies and engineering consultants play an active role in infrastructure maintenance, they have limited human and economic resources for joining the training programs, so the sharing of knowledge acquired from the programs becomes important for improving the capability of the company as a whole. The objective of this research is to investigate how engineers who participated in regional training programs shared their knowledge inside their organization using an online questionnaire survey. It was found that leadership is an important factor for driving knowledge sharing activities, particularly for adapting the knowledge acquired from the training program to the company’s environment. However, the lack of experience serves as a barrier to the deeper transfer of knowledge, such as on-the-job training or seminars, as these methods of knowledge sharing require expert knowledge. For organizations to improve their knowledge sharing practices, it is necessary to consider the type of knowledge to be shared and the appropriate method for sharing, along with the improvement of the leadership for knowledge sharing in the organization

“ふれる”ことについての一考察

This paper discusses the meaning of “touch” for young people whose opportunities for direct interaction and actual experience are decreasing. In this paper, I define “touching” as a conscious or unconscious interaction through the body in order to directly interact with the world, such as touching, smelling, or sharing the same place.First of all, I will summarize the meaning of “touching” or “not touching” with reference to the literature.Next, I will review how “touching” has been discussed in the field of sandplay therapy, and reconsider the meaning of “touching” from the perspective of “establishment of the subject,” i.e., the existence of the self as a framework and the self as a reflection of that framework, and the acquisition of a perspective that overlooks the dynamic movement of both.Finally, I will discuss the meaning of the experience of “touching” for university students

Relationship of Physical Activity to Self-Care Agency and Physical Condition Among Older Adults in a Rural Area

[Background] Maintaining physical activity is important for older adults. “Self-care agency” is the ability to perform self-care, which is defined as people following their own will, managing themselves, and maintaining activities. We investigated the relationship among physical activity and self-care agency, demographic factors and physical condition in older adults. [Methods] Self-care agency was assessed by using the Self-Care Agency Questionnaire developed for Japanese patients with chronic diseases. Among 175 older adults aged 65 years or older living in a rural area, responses from 83 who performed physical activities were analyzed. Correspondence analysis was conducted to characterize demographic factors and self-care agency. [Results] A higher proportion of women than men were engaged in physical activity. Irrespective of age and sex, many of the participants performed stretching exercises, walking, radio exercises, TV exercises, and participated in community circles. Participants who engaged in physical activities had significantly higher self-care agency scores than inactive participants. Among the active participants, the self-care agency score was significantly higher for women than men (P = .04) and was also significantly higher for participants aged ≥ 75 years compared to those aged < 75 years. Individuals with a high self-care agency tended to participate in local programs and perform brief physical activities at home. [Conclusion] Physically active older adults demonstrated high self-care agency. Their activities were easily carried out in their daily lives, with activities varying by age and sex. Support from community health experts is needed to promote suitable physical activity among older adults tailored for age and sex, especially among older adults who have low self-care agency

Heritability and Environmental Correlation of Phase Angle with Anthropometric Measurements: A Twin Study

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived phase angle (PhA) is a valuable parameter to assess physical health. However, the genetic and environmental aspects of PhA are not yet well understood. The present study aimed to estimate the heritability of PhA and investigate the relationships between PhA and anthropometric measurements. PhA and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were examined using multi-frequency BIA in 168 Japanese twin volunteers (54 males and 114 females; mean age = 61.0 ± 16.5 years). We estimated the narrow-sense heritability of these parameters and the genetic and environmental relationships between them using a genetic twin modeling. For the PhA, 51% (95% confidence interval: 0.33, 0.64) of the variance was explained by additive genetic effects, and 49% (95% confidence interval: 0.36, 0.67) was explained by unique environmental effects. The heritability of PhA was lower than the height, body weight, and body mass index. PhA shared almost no genetic variation with anthropometric measurements and SMI but shared an environmental variation (14%) with SMI. These findings suggest that the genes affecting PhA are different than those affecting anthropometric measurements and SMI. The correlation between PhA and SMI is caused by common environmental factors

Heritability and Environmental Correlation of Phase Angle with Anthropometric Measurements: A Twin Study

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived phase angle (PhA) is a valuable parameter to assess physical health. However, the genetic and environmental aspects of PhA are not yet well understood. The present study aimed to estimate the heritability of PhA and investigate the relationships between PhA and anthropometric measurements. PhA and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were examined using multi-frequency BIA in 168 Japanese twin volunteers (54 males and 114 females; mean age = 61.0 ± 16.5 years). We estimated the narrow-sense heritability of these parameters and the genetic and environmental relationships between them using a genetic twin modeling. For the PhA, 51% (95% confidence interval: 0.33, 0.64) of the variance was explained by additive genetic effects, and 49% (95% confidence interval: 0.36, 0.67) was explained by unique environmental effects. The heritability of PhA was lower than the height, body weight, and body mass index. PhA shared almost no genetic variation with anthropometric measurements and SMI but shared an environmental variation (14%) with SMI. These findings suggest that the genes affecting PhA are different than those affecting anthropometric measurements and SMI. The correlation between PhA and SMI is caused by common environmental factors