Gender differences in sleeping hours and recovery experience among psychiatric nurses in Japan

In their attempts to balance sleep routines with service schedules, nurses working in shifts are at risk for developing sleep disorders. Furthermore, nurses often experience considerable stress. In recent years, research has acknowledged the importance of activities other than work, and in particular recovery experiences. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore gender differences in sleeping hours and recovery experience of psychiatric nurses from a 16-hour shift to two days off duty. We found that males went to bed late and that females rose slightly early on days where they worked night shifts. On average, the sleeping hours of males were about 2 hours longer than were those of females. Furthermore, sleeping hours was positively related to mastery in males, while in females working hours was negatively related to psychological detachment and relaxation. Before the night shift, females engaged more housekeeping and used short sleeping hours during rest to compensate for the lack of sleep. Thus, recovery experience had different relationships with various life activities between male and female nurses. The results highlighted the need for health management intervention

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies CDKN1A as a Novel Locus Associated with Muscle Fiber Composition

departmental bulletin pape

Relationships between fat deposition in the liver and skeletal muscle and insulin sensitivity in Japanese individuals: a pilot study

Eiichi Yoshimura1,2, Hideaki Kumahara3, Takuro Tobina4, Sakiko Matono1, Akira Kiyonaga4, Miyuki Kimura5, Hiroshi Tsukikawa6, Shinya Kono6, Takashi Etou5, Shin Irie5, Keizo Anzai7, Hiroaki Tanaka41Graduate School of Sports and Health Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan; 2Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan; 3Faculty of Nutrition Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University, Fukuoka, Japan; 4Faculty of Sports and Health Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan; 5Kyushu Clinical Pharmacology Research Clinic, Fukuoka, Japan; 6PS Clinic, Fukuoka, Japan; 7Saga University Hospital, Saga, JapanPurpose: To evaluate the relationships between insulin sensitivity (IS), body fat accumulation, and aerobic capacity in middle- to older-aged Japanese participants with visceral adiposity.Participants and methods: Aerobic capacity was measured during an incremental ramp exercise test. Computed tomography was used to measure visceral (VFA) and subcutaneous (SFA) fat area, the fat in liver-to-spleen ratio (L/S), and low-density skeletal muscle area (LDMA). IS was assessed using euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps.Results: A total of 11 males and 9 females, age 58 ± 9 years (mean ± standard deviation), body mass index 29 ± 4.1 kg/m2, and VFA 190 ± 53 cm2 participated in this study. In unadjusted models, VFA, LDMA, and L/S were significantly correlated with IS, which remained in adjusted models for LDMA and L/S, but not for VFA. In multiple stepwise regression analysis including sex, age, body fat, VFA, SFA, alcohol consumption, and aerobic capacity (oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold), L/S, and LDMA accounted for 70% of the total variance in IS. Percentage body fat and SFA, but not VFA, were significantly correlated with high molecular-weight adiponectin levels (r = 0.58, P < 0.01 and r = 0.54, P < 0.05, respectively). IS and L/S were significantly and negatively correlated with tumor necrosis factor-α (r = -0.67 and -0.63, respectively; both P < 0.01) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (r = -0.58, P < 0.01 and -0.52, P < 0.05, respectively), whereas LDMA was not.Conclusion: These findings indicate that ectopic fat deposition in the liver and skeletal muscle may be associated with peripheral IS independently of body fat accumulation and aerobic capacity in middle- to older-aged Japanese individuals with visceral adiposity. Because of the small sample size, additional larger studies are needed to provide further insight into these preliminary findings.Keywords: aerobic capacity, fat in liver, lipid-rich skeletal muscle, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, peripheral insulin sensitivit

Lifestyle Intervention Involving Calorie Restriction with or without Aerobic Exercise Training Improves Liver Fat in Adults with Visceral Adiposity

Objective. To evaluate the effect of calorie restriction-induced weight loss with or without aerobic exercise on liver fat. Methods. Thirty-three adults with visceral adiposity were divided into calorie restriction (CR; n = 18) or CR and aerobic exercise (CR + Ex; n = 15) groups. Target energy intake was 25 kcal/kg of ideal body weight. The CR + Ex group had a targeted exercise time of 300 min/wk or more at lactate threshold intensity for 12 weeks. Results. Reductions in body weight (CR, -5.3 ± 0.8 kg; CR + Ex, -5.1 ± 0.7 kg), fat mass (CR, -4.9± 0.9 kg; CR + Ex, -4.4 ± 0.6 kg), and visceral fat (CR, -24 ± 5 cm2; CR + Ex, -37 ± 5 cm2) were not statistically different between groups. Liver fat decreased significantly in both groups, with no difference between groups. Change in maximal oxygen uptake was significantly greater in the CR + Ex group than in the CR group (CR, -0.7 ± 0.7 mL/kg/min; CR + Ex, 2.9 ± 1.0 mL/kg/min). Conclusion. Both CR and CR + Ex resulted in an improved reduction in liver fat; however, there was no additive effect of exercise training

University “Health Café” for the Community-Dwelling Elderly: Effect of Continuous Health Interventions on Motivation and Consciousness of Life

A health intervention called a “health café” was held by the university to provide lectures and support for elderly residents in the nearby community. We clarified its effect and verified the possibility of the university becoming a place to support the community of elderly people living in the area. Seven “health cafés” were held from July 2017 to March 2018, and they included activities such as cooking and exercise classes. A questionnaire survey on dietary habits, health consciousness, and body composition of 35 community-dwelling elderly (average age, 70 years; average BMI, 22.6) was conducted in the first and sixth sessions. Participants also regularly measured the amounts of activities for six months and their lifestyle changes were analyzed. Their eating habits were good, their health consciousness was higher than the average obtained from the Japanese national survey, and they actively participated in the health cafés. After six months, the participantsʼ motivation and consciousness of dietary habits and exercise increased, suggesting that the university has a role to play in supporting the elderly in the community. Further, similar programs and the accumulation of such motivated and energetic elderly data could contribute to the realization of a healthy society for the prevention of daily dysfunction.本研究の一部は JSPS 科研費基盤研究（C）（一般）課題番号 JP17K00789の助成を受けて実施した