Child Care Literacy Scale for Mothers

This study aimed to develop a Childcare Literacy Scale for Mothers with Infants and Children (CLMIC) and verify its reliability and validity. Using a 28-item childcare literacy measurement scale proposed after a preliminary survey, an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. Participants were mothers who came to the city’s infant health checkups ; 211 people were included in the analysis. Cronbach’s α was used to verify reliability. To verify the validity, exploratory factor analysis was performed as construct validity. Following factor analysis of 28 items on the childcare literacy measurement scale, 4 factors and 24 items were adopted. For all factors, Cronbach’s α were greater than or equal to .80. CLMIC and Communicative and Critical Health Literacy, Health Literacy Scale for Women of Reproductive Age, and Japanese Short-Form-8-Item Health Survey showed significant positive correlations. CLMIC and Japanese Parenting Stress Index Short Form indicated a significant negative correlation. The reliability and validity of the developed CLMIC were confirmed. It was shown to be a useful scale that can contribute to health behaviors that protect against child-rearing stress and promote child safety and security, valuing the unique perspective of child-rearing that is appropriate for Japanese mothers

母親のヘルスリテラシーを測定している尺度に関する文献検討

目的：近年，健康や医療に関する情報を入手，理解，評価，活用して健康に結びつく意思決定ができる力であるヘルスリテラシーが健康を決める力として注目されている．本研究では，母親の育児に関するヘルスリテラシーを把握できる尺度の必要性を検討するため，国内外で母親のヘルスリテラシーを測定している尺度について，その特徴と関連する要因について明らかにすることにした． 方法：2018年10月にPubMed，医学中央雑誌の２データベースを使用し，MeSH Termsを用いて1990年から2018年の母親のヘルスリテラシーに焦点をあてた文献を検索した． 結果：16件の英語文献が抽出された．米国における研究が14件で最も多く，日本人を対象とした研究はなかった．多く用いられていた測定尺度は，母親を対象に開発された尺度ではなく，広く成人を対象に用いられている尺度であり，基本的な識字能力をみる機能的リテラシーを測定する尺度であった．母親のヘルスリテラシーの関連要因として，母親の年齢や教育，社会経済的状態など先行研究と同様の結果と子どもへの薬の投薬方法，子どもの睡眠状況や疾患の症状，重症度など子どもの健康に関連する特徴的な結果が得られた． 考察：本研究の結果，母親のヘルスリテラシーを高めることの必要性が示唆された．しかし，母親のヘルスリテラシーを測定していた尺度は，元々それを測定するために開発されたものではなく，どのような対象でも汎用性がある尺度であった．そこで，一定の社会保障が確保され，識字率が高い日本の母親を対象とした信頼性と妥当性のあるヘルスリテラシー測定尺度の開発が必要である．また，今後は健康や医療に関する情報はもちろん，子どもとのつながりを重視した育児に焦点をあてた母親の育児に関するヘルスリテラシーを適切に把握できる尺度の開発が必要であると考える．Objective: In recent years, health literacy – which empowers people to make better health decisions through the reception, understanding, evaluation, and utilization of information about health and medicine – is garnering attention as a driver of health. This study aimed to investigate the need for measures that assess health literacy regarding child rearing in mothers and to clarify the characteristics of current health literacy measures in Japan and abroad, as well as factors related to health literacy. Method: In October 2018, we conducted a search for studies focused on health literacy in mothers published between 1990 to 2018 using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms in two databases, PubMed and Igaku Chuo Zasshi. Results: The search returned 16 studies in English. Most (n=14) were from the United States and none were conducted on Japanese subjects. The measures used in these studies were not specifically developed for mothers, but functional literacy measures widely used on adults to assess basic literacy. With regards to factors related to health literacy in mothers, the studies supported results from previous work (e.g. mother’s age, education, socioeconomical status) as well as identified characteristic factors related to child health (e.g. children’s sleep conditions, symptoms and severity of disease). Discussion: The results suggested the necessity to improve health literacy in mothers. However, the measures used to examine health literacy in mothers were not originally designed for that purpose; instead, they were versatile measures applicable for a wide range of subjects. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a health literacy measurement scale with reliability and adequacy for Japanese mothers with a certain level of social security and high literacy rate. In addition to distributing information on health and medicine, developing measures for grasping health literacy appropriately regarding child rearing in mothers – particularly with emphasis on the importance of the connection with the child – is a crucial area of future work

Erosive Esophagitis in Women With Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) are strongly associated with erosive esophagitis (EE). The prevalence of MS and EE, and the distribution of adipose tissue have been known to differ markedly between men and women. Although the prevalence of EE in men with MS is known to be higher in visceral fat type MS (V-type MS) than in subcutaneous fat type MS (S-type MS), the association between EE and the types of MS in women with MS is unclear. This study was a cross-sectional study elucidating the association between EE and the types of MS in women with MS. Subjects were 454 women with MS who underwent a regular health check-up. A distinction was made between V-type MS and S-type MS and the prevalence of EE and the association between EE and other data were elucidated. Although there were some significant different factors in characteristics between V-type MS and S-type MS, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of EE between V-type MS and S-type MS. The presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was significantly lower than in subjects with EE (13.7%) than in subjects without EE (41.9%). The frequency of hiatal hernia was significantly higher in subjects with EE (60.8%) than in subjects without EE (24.6%). Logistic regression analysis showed hiatal hernia (odds ratio: 4.673; 95% confidence interval: 2.448–8.920; P < 0.001), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (2.325; 1.110–4.870; P < 0.05), and the presence of H. pylori (0.239; 0.101–0.567; P < 0.005) were significant predictors of the prevalence of EE. V-type MS may not be such an important factor for the prevalence of EE in women with MS as in men with MS. The absence of H. pylori, hiatal hernia, and HbA1c may be more important for the prevalence of EE than the types of MS in women with MS

Acceptability in subjects undergoing EGD

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) has become an indispensable examination to discover upper gastrointestinal diseases, including cancer, and perform endoscopic treatment. However, many individuals who undergo the procedure have feelings of anxiety and fear regarding EGD. Although the use of medication for sedation during EGD is useful for reducing anxiety and the stability of hemodynamics, sedation may increase the likelihood of complications. Several noninvasive distractions have been introduced to decrease pain and anxiety during endoscopic examinations ; however, most assessments of these distractions evaluated subjective items such as impression. We herein add the results of our studies using objective items and review the effectiveness of distractions for EGD

Molecular Imaging in Endoscopy

During the last decade, researchers have made great progress in the development of new image processing technologies for gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, diagnosis using conventional endoscopy with white light optical imaging is essentially limited, and ultimately, we still rely on the histopathological diagnosis from biopsy specimens. Molecular imaging represents the most novel imaging methods in medicine, and the future of endoscopic diagnosis is likely to be impacted by a combination of biomarkers and technology. Endoscopic molecular imaging can be defined as the visualization of molecular characteristics with endoscopy. These innovations will allow us not only to locate a tumor or dysplastic lesion but also to visualize its molecular characteristics and the activity of specific molecules and biological processes that affect tumor behavior and/or its response to therapy. In the near future, these promising technologies will play a central role in endoluminal oncology

Relationship between the Contentment of Mothers of Infants with Parenting Advice and Their Recognition in Judging Credibility

Background: This study sought to clarify the contentment of mothers of infants with parenting advice, judgment regarding credibility of parenting advice, and the relationship between such contentment and judgment. Methods: We conducted an anonymous, self-reported questionnaire-based survey from April to June 2016, targeting 1,118 mothers of infants in Prefecture A. The questions covered basic attributes, contentment with parenting advice, and judging the credibility of such advice. Descriptive statistics were compiled for each factor. A t-test was performed to examine the relationship between contentment with parenting advice and judging the credibility of parenting advice. This study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Tokushima University Hospital. Results: The questionnaires were returned by 272 subjects (collection rate of 24.3%), with 265 determined as valid (valid response rate of 23.7%). The mean score for contentment concerning parenting advice was 6.17 (standard deviation: ±1.69). More than 80% of the subjects indicated being able to select credible parenting advice, and more than 70% had sought professional consultation about childrearing. However, among subjects who had not sought professional consultation, some had wanted to seek professional consultation but had not been able to do so. Relating contentment to judging the credibility of parenting advice, the mean contentment scores of the subjects who felt able to select credible parenting advice were significantly higher than the scores of those who did not (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Although study participants’ contentment relating to parenting advice seemed higher than that of teenage mothers, their levels of contentment appeared insufficient. Additionally, some subjects wanted to seek professional consultation about childrearing but could not. Furthermore, mothers who reported being able to select credible parenting advice were found to obtain and apply sufficient parenting advice, compared to those who did not feel the same confidence

Strengths Measurement Scale

This study aimed to develop a Strengths Measurement Scale (SMS) for assessment of people in the process of transforming their own lifestyle, and to examine the reliability and validity of the SMS. This is to establish a foothold for introducing the Strengths Model into health guidance for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. We conducted an anonymous, voluntary questionnaire survey with our SMS comprising 38 items proposed in a preliminary investigation. In total, 1,339 Japanese adults participated, and responses from 1,160 participants (effective response rate of 86.6%) were analyzed. We calculated Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for testing the reliability. To test the validity, we examined the construct validity through exploratory factor analyses. Based on the results of the factor analysis performed on the 38 question items of the SMS, we adopted four factors and 36 question items. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of all the factors were 0.80 or above. There were significant, positive correlations between the SMS and the Modified Perceived Health Competence Scale (PHCS), and between the SMS and the Adolescent Resilience Scale (ARS). The reliability and validity of the SMS for the lifestyle transformation process were confirmed, suggesting that the scale is applicable to health guidance for preventing lifestyle-related diseases

交代制勤務年数における男性更年期症状とその背景としての生活習慣

Background: There are various health problems in rotating shift workers. There have been few studies on the associations of male climacteric symptoms with duration of working and lifestyle. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the differences in male climacteric symptoms depending on the number of working years and to determine whether lifestyle habits differ depending on the number of working years in rotating shift workers. Methods: We collected participant’s data from the manufacturing companies in Japan during the period from March to May in 2017. We conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey in 1561 male rotating night shift workers. Male climacteric symptoms were evaluated by using the Aging Males’ Symptoms (AMS) rating scale. We analyzed 636 rotating shift workers aged over 40 years old whose all AMS data was collected. Results: A significant difference in psychological AMS score was found between men who had worked for 10 - 19 years (9.4 ± 3.9) and men who had worked for more than 40 years (7.6 ± 3.0) (p = 0.011). Sexual functional AMS score significantly differed depending on the number of working years (less than 10 years: 8.1 ± 3.9, 10 - 19 years: 9.8 ± 4.1, 20 - 29 years: 7.9 ± 3.3, 30 - 39 years: 9.3 ± 3.5, more than 40 years: 9.3 ± 3.5) (p < 0.001). The proportion of workers with a balanced meal intake was significantly lower in men who had worked for less than 10 years and the proportions of such workers were significantly higher in men who had worked for 10 - 19 years and for more than 40 years. The proportions of men who did not drink alcohol were high in men who had worked for less than 10 years and 20 - 29 years and low in men who had worked more than 30 years. Conclusion: Psychological AMS score and sexual functional AMS score are significantly different among the 5 groups according to the number of working years on rotating shift. In addition, well-balanced diet on day shift and reduction of alcohol drinking is a related-factor for long-term rotating night shift workers

The strengths of women in the process of lifestyle transformation

目的：本研究では，生活習慣の変容過程において女性のもつストレングスの内容を明らかにすることを目的とする． 方法：本研究に同意を得られた３０歳代から６０歳代の女性９人を対象とした．データ収集は，インタビューガイドに基づき一人当たり約３０分間から１時間の半構造化面接により行った．対象者の言葉を逐語録に起こし，生活習慣変容過程において本人のもつストレングスの内容を質的帰納的に分析した．研究にあたっては，所属機関の臨床研究倫理審査委員会の承認を得た． 結果：生活習慣変容過程における女性のストレングスとして，【長期的展望で自分の生き方をみつめる力】，【人との関わりの中で自分自身の存在を認識する力】，【きっかけがあれば生活習慣の変容に向けて行動できるという自己認識力】，【ストレスに対応しコントロールする力】，【自分の傾向や生活を分析する力】，【試行錯誤を繰り返し再構築していく力】の６カテゴリが抽出された． 考察：生活習慣変容過程における女性のストレングスは，男性に焦点をあてた先行研究と類似していた．そして，ストレングスは，過去・現在・未来へと続く時間軸の中で，他者との相互作用により引き出されていた．さらに，ストレングスの内容は認識面にとどまらず，“コーピング”“分析”“再構築”といった行動面をも含んでいた．本研究結果より，生活習慣病予防のための保健指導に，ストレングスの概念を取り入れることの重要性が示唆された．Purpose：The purpose of this study is to clarify the strengths of Japanese women in their lifestyle transformation process. Methods：Participants were total of ９ women（age ３０s‐６０s）, obtained consent for this study. The design of this study is a qualitative inductive research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interview time needed about ３０ minutes to１hour per person. This study was approved by the clinical ethic board of the institution to which the authors belong. Results：The results of the qualitative inductive analysis showed six categories of the strengths : A long-term perspective on one’s own life ; Mutual human relationship with others ; Self-efficacy enabling one to take actions ; Ability to cope with stress in daily life ; Analyzing own character and lifestyle ; and Conducting feasible action through trial and error. Discussion：The strengths of the women in lifestyle transformation process were similar to the previous studies that focused on the men. And the strengths were brought out from the interaction with others in the time axis of past, present and future. In addition, The contents of the strengths included not only the recognition side but also the action side such as “coping” “analysis” “reconstruction”. These findings suggest the importance to introduce the concept of strength in the health guidance for prevention of lifestyle disease