Age at first birth and long-term mortality for mothers: the Ohsaki cohort study

Abstract Background Although maternal age at first birth has been rising in many developed countries, its long-term effects on the health of the mothers themselves are unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between maternal age at first birth and long-term mortality. Methods We conducted a cohort study of 20,624 parous Japanese women aged between 40 and 79 years in 1994 and followed up their survival for 14 years. Based on maternal age at first birth, the women were divided into four groups: ≤19 years, 20–24 years, 25–29 years, and ≥30 years. Using the 20–24 years group as a reference, hazards ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality were calculated. Results Multivariate HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.17 in the ≤19 years group, 1.09 in the 25–29 years group, and 1.33 in the ≥30 years group. A U-shaped relationship was apparent between maternal age at first birth and mortality. This relationship was also observed for mortality attributable to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other diseases. This U-shaped relationship was observed only for women born before 1935 and the birth year of the first child before 1960. Conclusion A U-shaped relationship was apparent between maternal age at first birth and mortality. As maternal age at first birth is rising worldwide, the risk it imposes appears to have significance in the context of public health

女子看護学生の生活習慣および喫煙に対する考えと喫煙行動との関連

雑誌掲載版カリキュラムに喫煙防止教育プログラムを平成6年から導入している、ある短期大学看護学科の女子看護学生の生活習慣や喫煙に対する考えと喫煙行動との関連性を検討した。対象は平成12〜15年度の女子入学生224名で、いずれの年度でも1〜3学年の全ての学年において質問紙調査を行い、その回答(回収率89.5〜100%)を分析して以下の結論を得た。喫煙率は年度、学年によって0〜22.9%の範囲でバラツキがあり、一定の傾向は見られなかった。喫煙者は非喫煙者に比べて「ストレスを強く感じる」「朝食を余り食べない」「ほぼ毎日飲酒する」などの生活習慣に問題がある学生が有意に多かった。喫煙者は非喫煙者に比べて「レストランと公共の場は禁煙にすべき」「医師と看護師は喫煙すべきでない」「職場では喫煙を禁止すべき」などへの同意の割合が有意に低く、喫煙に対して肯定的な傾向が強かった