The immediate effects of 10-minute relaxation training on salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and mood state for Japanese female medical co-workers

This study examined the effects of relaxation training on salivary IgA (s-IgA) and mood state in Japanese female medical workers. Participants were enrolled and assigned to relaxation or control groups. The relaxation group Japanese female medical workers (n = 38, mean age = 33.5 years, SD = 9.6) participated in a lecture on stress for 1 h and had 10 min of relaxation training. The control group (n = 41, mean age = 35.0 years, SD = 8.6) participated in only the lecture. S-IgA was measured, and a self-report mood questionnaire administered before the lecture and then again after the relaxation training for the relaxation group. The control group was measured before and after the lecture. The results showed that s-IgA levels significantly increased after relaxation training in the relaxation group compared with the control group (p = 0.03). A marginally significant intervention effect was observed for mood state (p = 0.06) ; indicating that the relaxation group was more likely to reduce any fatigue and confusion than was the control group. These findings suggest that short-time relaxation training is effective in relaxing mood and causes changes in immunological function

Effects of Alcohol-related Health Education on Alcohol and Drinking Behavior Awareness among Japanese Junior College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving Japanese junior college students aimed at investigating the effects of a single session of alcohol health education concerning the effects of alcohol, alcohol-related health problems, and drinking behavior. Students were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=38) or a control group (n=33). The intervention group attended a 90-minute alcohol health education session that included demonstration of an ethanol patch test, watching videos, and a lecture by an ex-alcoholic. The control group received health education regarding smoking. The students. knowledge regarding alcohol, their drinking behavior, and problem drinking (CAGE) were measured by a self-administered questionnaire at the baseline and at a two-month follow-up. A repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) of those who completed the follow-up indicated the education sessions. significant intervention (group*time) effect on the scores related to knowledge of alcohol-related health problems (p=0.035), with a greater increase in the scores of the intervention group at the follow-up. No significant intervention eff ect was observed regarding drinking behavior or problem drinking as measured by CAGE (p&#62;0.05). Alcohol-related education can be considered an effective way to increase awareness of alcohol-related health problems, but less effective for changing drinking the behavior of Japanese junior college students.</p

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN JAPAN : JAPANESE COLLECTIVISM AND STEREOTYPICAL GENDER-ROLE

It is widely believed that Japanese culture is collective, and that its people are more likely to be expected to pursue harmony with others, compared with many Western individualistic societies, where people are more likely to be expected to be independent and focus on their own abilities. In past years, Japanese people have participated in community activities, including community associations, women\u27s associations, PTA and health-welfare activities. Since Japanese culture is also oriented toward stereotypical gender-roles, women are more likely to participate community activities than men, who more likely to engage in economic activity. In recent years, community bonds are weakening, and Japanese participation in community activities is decreasing. One reason may be that women\u27s participation in economic activity is increasing. Couples\u27 gender-role distinctions are also changing. In this section, recent trends in community participation in the Japanese community are reviewed, and new data in which psychosocial factors related to participation in community workshop for married couples during childrearing is shown. We focus on Japanese collectivism and gender-roles, and discuss future prospects for community activities, which are related to childrearing, elder care, education, and the promotion of health

Job strain and smoking cessation among Japanese male employees: a two-year follow-up study

The purpose of the present study was to assess the association between job strain and smoking cessation among Japanese male employees. In 1997, a baseline questionnaire was given to 2,625 (2,113 males and 512 females) employees of an electronics firm in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The self-administered questionnaire was a set of questions on smoking habits and consisted of items on socio-demographic variables and smoking habits, including the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). The JCQ consists of scales of job control, job demand, supervisory support, coworker support, job insecurity, physical demands, and isometric load. A total of 733 male smokers were then followed for 2 years, with 446 completing a follow-up questionnaire in 1999 (follow-up rate, 61%). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between job strain and smoking cessation. Among the 446 participants, 38 had quit smoking. After adjusting for age ((odds ratio: OR) = 0.38, 95% (contidence interval: CI) = 0.15-0.94), men with a high level of physical demands at baseline showed a lower smoking cessation rate at follow-up than did those with a low level. However, when adjustments were made for age and other socio-demographic variables, the odds ratio of smoking cessation showed marginal significance (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.16-1.29). There was no significant association between other job strain variables and smoking cessation at the 2-year follow-up. No significant association was found between job strain and change in the number of smoked cigarettes per day. The present study did not support the hypothesis that higher levels of job stressors are associated with a lower rate of smoking cessation among men.</p

Job stress factors measured by Brief Job Stress Questionnaire and sickness absence among Japanese workers: A longitudinal study

This study aimed to investigate associations between Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ)-measured job stress factors and sickness absence in Japanese workers. Among 551 healthy, employed Japanese men and women (age range: 21-73 years) who underwent mental health examinations at the Osaka Medical Center for Health Science and Promotion between 2006 and 2009, 197 (67 men, 130 women) consented to participate in this study. Their sickness absences until the end of March 2010 were then followed-up via postal mail survey, with 112 participants effectively responding to the question on sickness absence (56.9%). The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for age, sex, and lifestyle factors. Among the 112 respondents, 12 took sickness absence after their study entry, as found during the mean 2.3 years of follow-up (258.8 person-years). Among all sickness absences, those of eight participants were because of mental illness. Physical demands were positively associated with increased risks of all sickness absence (adjusted HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.01-7.64). Physical demands were predictive for all sickness absence, and should be alleviated at workplaces to prevent such absence

AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF LINGUISTIC ABILITIES ON COMMUNICATION STRESS, MEASURED BY BLINKING AND HEART RATE, DURING A TELEPHONE SITUATION

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in communication stress responses, as they were affected by levels of linguistic ability, and measured by heart rate and blinking during a telephone communication. Nine female participants were selected as representative of the medium level of communication skills and linguistic level assessed by questionnaires. They were assigned to three conversation tasks: Japanese, English and French. The questionnaires (STAI and Iceberg Profile) were also assessed. The results showed that both blinking rate and heart rate during the English and the Japanese tasks were higher than during the French task. Results from the questionnaires showed that the highest communication stress occurred during the conversation in English

EFFECTS OF STRESS COPING STRATEGIES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES DURING SPEECHES IN JAPANESE AND ENGLISH

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between personal levels of active and passive coping through physiological and psychological responses during stressful tasks. Participants were 78 Japanese male and female undergraduate students. They were assigned to give 3-minute speeches in Japanese and English. Their ECG and EOG were measured, and their anxiety and nervousness were assessed. Before the experiment, each participant\u27s tendency to use active or passive coping strategies was assessed by a questionnaire. The results showed that passive coping was related to blink rate, anxiety, and nervousness. Active coping was related to nervousness. Based on the median score for passive coping, participants were classified as high (n=37) or low (n=41). The high group had a significantly increased blink rate and anxiety level compared to the low group. Passive coping strategies increased nervousness; however, active coping strategies may have had a moderating effect on nervousness

EFFECT OF GENDER-TYPES ON INTERPERSONAL STRESS MEASURED BY BLINK RATE AND QUESTIONNAIRES : FOCUSING ON STEREOTYPICALLY SEX-TYPED AND ANDROGYNOUS TYPES

This study was conducted to determine how differences of self gender-type and partner\u27s gender-type in Japan had an effect on interpersonal stress (anxiety/uneasiness) during a conversation among mixed-sex pairs. The level of interpersonal stress was discussed in relation to blink rate. The participants were assigned to one of the following four pair types: (a) Male and female were androgynous (maleA-femaleA); (b) Male was androgynous and female was stereotypically sex-typed as feminine (maleA-femaleST}; (c) Male was stereotypically sex-typed as masculine and female was androgynous (maleST-femaleA); (d) Both were stereotypically sex-typed (maleST-femaleST). Dependent measures were (1) Blink rate during five-minute conversation of one-minute intervals, and (2) Questionnaires (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory I and Iceberg Profile). Results suggested that participants who had a conversation with an androgynous partner reduced their interpersonal stress