Maternal dietary intake of fish and child neurodevelopment at 3 years: a nationwide birth cohort—The Japan Environment and Children's Study

BackgroundResults on the association between fish intake during pregnancy and a reduction in neurodevelopmental delays in children have been inconsistent, with some reports finding an association and others finding none. Because neurodevelopmental delays are more pronounced at the age of 3 years, their association needs to be examined at this age.MethodsAfter exclusion and multiple imputation from a dataset comprising 104,057 records from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, logistic regression analysis was conducted in quintiles to evaluate the association between maternal fish intake during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at age 3 years in 91,909 mother–child pairs. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), validated in the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study for the Next Generation, was used to assess maternal fish intake during pregnancy. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires-3 was used to assess children's neurodevelopment in five domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social.ResultsConsistently lower odds were found for the highest vs. lowest quintile for the domains of communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social but not gross motor skills, with adjusted odd ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.89 (0.80–0.998), 0.90 (0.83–0.97), 0.86 (0.80–0.94), 0.87 (0.77–0.98), and 1.04 (0.94–1.16), respectively. The trend for lower odds of symptoms of neurodevelopmental delays across quintiles of higher maternal fish intake were significant for fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social but not communication or gross motor.ConclusionsFish consumption during pregnancy may be associated with a reduced risk of neurodevelopmental delay in 3-year-olds, particularly in the fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains. Continued investigation after the age of 3 could further clarify the association

Concern over radiation exposure and psychological distress among rescue workers following the Great East Japan Earthquake

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that followed caused severe damage along Japans northeastern coastline and to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. To date, there are few reports specifically examining psychological distress in rescue workers in Japan. Moreover, it is unclear to what extent concern over radiation exposure has caused psychological distress to such workers deployed in the disaster area.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One month after the disaster, 424 of 1816 (24%) disaster medical assistance team workers deployed to the disaster area were assessed. Concern over radiation exposure was evaluated by a single self-reported question. General psychological distress was assessed with the Kessler 6 scale (K6), depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), fear and sense of helplessness with the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI), and posttraumatic stress symptoms with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Radiation exposure was a concern for 39 (9.2%) respondents. Concern over radiation exposure was significantly associated with higher scores on the K6, CES-D, PDI, and IES-R. After controlling for age, occupation, disaster operation experience, duration of time spent watching earthquake news, and past history of psychiatric illness, these associations remained significant in men, but did not remain significant in women for the CES-D and PDI scores.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings suggest that concern over radiation exposure was strongly associated with psychological distress. Reliable, accurate information on radiation exposure might reduce deployment-related distress in disaster rescue workers.</p

Impact of longer working hours on fathers’ parenting behavior when their infants are 6 months old: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

ObjectiveLong working hours have been suggested to affect fathers’ parenting behavior, but previously reported findings have been inconsistent. This study examined the association between the working hours and parenting behavior of fathers while accounting for other factors related to their parenting behavior, using data from the Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS), a large cohort study in Japan.MethodsData from 43,159 father–mother pairs were analyzed. The mother assessed the father’s frequency of seven parenting behaviors at 6 months after delivery. Then, each behavior was classified into a high-engagement group (always and sometimes) or a low-engagement group (rarely and never). The father’s weekly working hours was obtained from his responses and was classified into six levels.ResultsLogistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for covariates, fathers’ weekly working hours was inversely associated with the frequency of all parenting behaviors examined in this study (p for trend &lt;0.0001). Compared with fathers working ≥0 to ≤40 h per week, those working &gt;65 h per week showed the following adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for low engagement in parenting behaviors: playing at home, 2.38 (2.08–2.72); changing diapers, 2.04 (1.89–2.20); and bathing the child, 2.01 (1.84–2.18).ConclusionThis study suggests that the greater time constraints imposed by longer working hours constitute a major factor that discourages fathers from engaging in childrearing behavior. Intervention targeting long working hours could contribute to measures aimed at promoting high-engagement parenting behaviors among fathers

Effects of Tridocosahexaenoyl-Glycerol Emulsion on Proteinuria in Rats with Nephrotoxic Serum Nephritis

Background: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one of the n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and an important component of cell membrane phospholipids (PL). Nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis was a worldwide model of the Goodpasture syndrome. We investigated the effects of tridocosahexaenoyl-glycerol (DHA-TG) emulsion on proteinuria in rats with NTS nephritis. Methods: Sixteen male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200 g were used. Twelve rats were treated with NTS via the tail vein and divided into 3 groups (groups A, B, and C). Another 4 rats treated with saline served as controls (group D). DHA-TG and soybean oil emulsions were intraperitoneally administered to the rats in groups A and B, respectively, 24 h prior to NTS injection, and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 days after the injection. Saline was administered to the rats in groups C and D in the same manner. All rats were sacrificed on day 6 to obtain plasma and kidney samples. Analyses of urinary protein levels and fatty acid composition of plasma and kidney as well as histological examination of the kidneys were performed. Results: Urinary protein levels in group A were significantly lower than those in group C (35.0 ± 13.3 vs. 79.2 ± 11.8 mg/day on day 5, means ± SE, p Conclusions: These results suggest that the DHA-TG emulsion may have beneficial effects on NTS nephritis in the rat

A mindfulness-based stress management program and treatment with omega-3 fatty acids to maintain a healthy mental state in hospital nurses (Happy Nurse Project): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: It is reported that nursing is one of the most vulnerable jobs for developing depression. While they may not be clinically diagnosed as depressed, nurses often suffer from depression and anxiety symptoms, which can lead to a low level of patient care. However, there is no rigorous evidence base for determining an effective prevention strategy for these symptoms in nurses. After reviewing previous literature, we chose a strategy of treatment with omega-3 fatty acids and a mindfulness-based stress management program for this purpose. We aim to explore the effectiveness of these intervention options for junior nurses working in hospital wards in Japan. Methods/Design: A factorial-design multi-center randomized trial is currently being conducted. A total of 120 nurses without a managerial position, who work for general hospitals and gave informed consent, have been randomly allocated to a stress management program or psychoeducation using a leaflet, and to omega-3 fatty acids or identical placebo pills. The stress management program has been developed according to mindfulness cognitive therapy and consists of four 30-minute individual sessions conducted using a detailed manual. These sessions are conducted by nurses with a managerial position. Participants allocated to the omega-3 fatty acid groups are provided with 1, 200 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid and 600 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid for 90 days. Discussion: An effective preventive intervention may not only lead to the maintenance of a healthy mental state in nurses, but also to better quality of care for inpatients. This paper outlines the background and methods of a randomized trial that evaluates the possible additive value of omega-3 fatty acids and a mindfulness-based stress management program for reducing depression in nurses

Peritraumatic Distress, Watching Television, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Rescue Workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake

BACKGROUND: The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2001 left around 20,000 dead or missing. Previous studies showed that rescue workers, as well as survivors, of disasters are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined the predictive usefulness of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) among rescue workers of Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) deployed during the acute disaster phase of the Great East Japan Earthquake. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this prospective observational study, the DMAT members recruited were assessed 1 month after the earthquake on the PDI and 4 months after the earthquake on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised to determine PTSD symptoms. The predictive value of the PDI at initial assessment for PTSD symptoms at the follow-up assessment was examined by univariate and multiple linear regression analysis. Of the 254 rescue workers who participated in the initial assessment, 173 completed the follow-up assessment. Univariate regression analysis revealed that PDI total score and most individual item scores predicted PTSD symptoms. In particular, high predictive values were seen for peritraumatic emotional distress such as losing control of emotions and being ashamed of emotional reactions. In multiple linear regression analysis, PDI total score was an independent predictor for PTSD symptoms after adjusting for covariates. As for covariates specifically, watching earthquake television news reports for more than 4 hours per day predicted PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The PDI predicted PTSD symptoms in rescue workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Peritraumatic emotional distress appears to be an important factor to screen for individuals at risk for developing PTSD among medical rescue workers. In addition, watching television for extended period of time might require attention at a time of crisis

Resonant particle production with non-minimally coupled scalar fields in preheating after inflation

We investigate a resonant particle production of a scalar field $\chi$ coupled non-minimally to a spacetime curvature $R$ ($\xi R \chi^2$) as well as to an inflaton field $\phi$ ($g^2\phi^2\chi^2$). In the case of $g < 3 \times 10^{-4}$, $\xi$ effect assists $g$-resonance in certain parameter regimes. However, for $g > 3 \times 10^{-4}$, $g$-resonance is not enhanced by $\xi$ effect because of $\xi$ suppression effect as well as a back reaction effect. If $\xi \approx -4$, the maximal fluctuation of produced $\chi$-particle is $\sqrt{}_{max} \approx 2 \times 10^{17}$ GeV for $g < 1 \times 10^{-5}$, which is larger than the minimally coupled case with $g \approx 1 \times 10^{-3}$.Comment: 33pages, 12figures. to appear in Physical Review