Differences in depressive symptoms by rurality in Japan: a cross-sectional multilevel study using different aggregation units of municipalities and neighborhoods (JAGES)

[Background] Rurality can reflect many aspects of the community, including community characteristics that may be associated with mental health. In this study, we focused on geographical units to address multiple layers of a rural environment. By evaluating rurality at both the municipality and neighborhood (i.e., a smaller unit within a municipality) levels in Japan, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between depression and rurality. To explore the mechanisms linking rurality and depression, we examined how the association between rurality and depression can be explained by community social capital according to geographical units. [Methods] We used cross-sectional data from the 2016 wave of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study involving 144, 822 respondents aged 65 years or older residing in 937 neighborhoods across 39 municipalities. The population density quintile for municipality-level rurality and the quintile for the time required to reach densely inhabited districts for neighborhood-level rurality were used. We calculated the prevalence ratios of depressive symptoms by gender using a three-level (individual, neighborhood, and municipality) Poisson regression. Community social capital was assessed using three components: civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity. [Results] The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in municipalities with lower population density than those with the highest population density; the ratios were 1.22 (95% confidence intervals: 1.15, 1.30) for men and 1.22 (1.13, 1.31) for women. In contrast, when evaluating rurality at the neighborhood level, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 0.9 times lower for men in rural areas; no such association was observed for women. In rural municipalities, community civic participation was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. In rural neighborhoods, community social cohesion and reciprocity were linked to a lower risk of depressive symptoms. [Conclusions] The association between rurality and depression varied according to geographical unit. In rural municipalities, the risk of depression may be higher for both men and women, and the presence of an environment conducive to civic participation may contribute to a higher risk of depression, as observed in this study. The risk of depression in men may be lower in rural neighborhoods in Japan, which may be related to high social cohesion and reciprocity

Defect of Interferon γ Leads to Impaired Wound Healing through Prolonged Neutrophilic Inflammatory Response and Enhanced MMP-2 Activation.

Interferon (IFN)-γ is mainly secreted by CD4+ T helper 1 (Th1), natural killer (NK) and NKT cells after skin injury. Although IFN-γ is well known regarding its inhibitory effects on collagen synthesis by fibroblasts in vitro, information is limited regarding its role in wound healing in vivo. In the present study, we analyzed how the defect of IFN-γ affects wound healing. Full-thickness wounds were created on the backs of wild type (WT) C57BL/6 and IFN-γ-deficient (KO) mice. We analyzed the percent wound closure, wound breaking strength, accumulation of leukocytes, and expression levels of COL1A1, COL3A1, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). IFN-γKO mice exhibited significant attenuation in wound closure on Day 10 and wound breaking strength on Day 14 after wound creation, characteristics that are associated with prolonged neutrophil accumulation. Expression levels of COL1A1 and COL3A1 mRNA were lower in IFN-γKO than in WT mice, whereas expression levels of MMP-2 (gelatinase) mRNA were significantly greater in IFN-γKO than in WT mice. Moreover, under neutropenic conditions created with anti-Gr-1 monoclonal antibodies, wound closure in IFN-γKO mice was recovered through low MMP-2 expression levels. These results suggest that IFN-γ may be involved in the proliferation and maturation stages of wound healing through the regulation of neutrophilic inflammatory responses

Socioeconomic status and improvement in functional ability among older adults in Japan: a longitudinal study

Abstract Background Recovery from functionally disabled status is an important target of public health measures for older adults. This study aimed to examine socioeconomic inequalities in the improvement of functional ability among older adults stratified by the level of disability at baseline. Methods In the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, we conducted a mail survey of community-dwelling older adults (1937 men and 2212 women) who developed functional impairment during 2010–2014. The survey data were individually linked to the longitudinal records of changes in the levels of functional disability based on the Public Long-Term Care Insurance System. Results The mean (standard deviation) follow-up period was 316 (269) days. During follow-up, 811 participants (19.5%) showed improved functional ability. Among those with severe disabilities at baseline, men with 13 or more years of education were more likely to improve functional ability than men with 9 or fewer years of education (hazard ratio: 1.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.12–3.45). A similar association was observed among women (hazard ratio: 2.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–4.53). Neither income nor occupation was statistically associated with improved functional ability. Conclusions There are education-related inequalities in the improvement of functional ability, especially among older adults with severe disabilities. Health policy makers and practitioners should consider the educational background of individuals with reduced functionality in formulating strategies to improve their functional ability

Social Capital and the Improvement in Functional Ability among Older People in Japan: A Multilevel Survival Analysis Using JAGES Data

We investigated the contextual effects of community social capital on functional ability among older people with functional disability in Japan, and the cross-level interaction effects between community social capital and individual psychosocial characteristics. We used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study for 1936 men and 2207 women nested within 320 communities and followed for 46 months. We used objective data for functional ability trajectories derived from the national long-term care-insurance system, and a validated measure of health-related community social capital comprising three components: civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity. A multilevel survival analysis with a community-level random intercept showed that in communities with high civic participation, women who actively participated in any community group showed greater functional ability improvement than did women who did not participate (pinteraction = 0.05). In communities with high social cohesion, older men who perceived that their communities’ social cohesion was high showed greater functional ability improvement than men who perceived it to be low (pinteraction = 0.02). Community social capital can thus affect functional ability improvements variously, depending on individual psychosocial characteristics and gender. Community interventions aiming to foster social capital should focus on people who are excluded from existing opportunities to participate

Additional file 1 of Does disaster-related relocation impact mental health via changes in group participation among older adults? Causal mediation analysis of a pre-post disaster study of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake

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