Articles

Occupational status and self-reported low back pain by gender: a nation-wide cross-sectional study among the general population in Japan

We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between occupational class and self-reported low back pain (LBP) in a representative sample of the Japanese general population.

Authors: Kimiko Tomioka, Midori Shima and Keigo Saeki

Substance use and associated factors among preparatory school students in Kolfe-Keranyo sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Substance abuse is a worldwide problem that primarily affects adolescents, resulting in chronic health complications as well as psychosocial challenges and economic losses. However, the magnitude of the proble...

Authors: Leila Seid, Binyam Gintamo, Zelalem Negash Mekuria, Hussien Seid Hassen and Zemichael Gizaw

The role of absolute humidity in respiratory mortality in Guangzhou, a hot and wet city of South China

For the reason that many studies have been inconclusive on the effect of humidity on respiratory disease, we examined the association between absolute humidity and respiratory disease mortality and quantified ...

Authors: Shutian Chen, Chao Liu, Guozhen Lin, Otto Hänninen, Hang Dong and Kairong Xiong

Early life blood lead levels and asthma diagnosis at age 4–6 years

The USA has a high burden of childhood asthma. Previous studies have observed associations between higher blood lead levels and greater hypersensitivity in children. The objective of the present study was to e...

Authors: Marina Oktapodas Feiler, Carly J. Pavia, Sean M. Frey, Patrick J. Parsons, Kelly Thevenet-Morrison, Richard L. Canfield and Todd A. Jusko

Associations between screen time, physical activity, and depressive symptoms during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak among Chinese college students

The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerges in China, which spreads rapidly and becomes a public health emergency of international concern. Chinese government has promptly taken quarantine measures t...

Authors: Yi Zhang, Xiaoyan Wu, Shuman Tao, Shiyue Li, Le Ma, Yizhen Yu, Guilong Sun, Tingting Li and Fangbiao Tao

Relationship between maternal employment status and children’s food intake in Japan

Although long maternal working hours are reported to have a negative effect on children’s dietary habits, few studies have investigated this issue in Japan. Healthy dietary habits in childhood are important be...

Authors: Sachie Mori, Keiko Asakura, Satoshi Sasaki and Yuji Nishiwaki

Long-term participation in community-based group resistance exercises delays the transition from robustness to frailty in older adults: a retrospective cohort study

How community-based group resistance exercises affect the transition from robustness to frailty remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine whether the trajectory from robustn...

Authors: Chisato Hayashi, Hiromitsu Toyoda, Soshiro Ogata, Tadashi Okano and Sonoe Mashino

Electrocardiogram abnormalities in residents in cold homes: a cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan

Excess winter mortality caused by cardiovascular disease is particularly profound in cold houses. Consistent with this, accumulating evidence indicates that low indoor temperatures at home increase blood press...

Authors: Wataru Umishio, Toshiharu Ikaga, Kazuomi Kario, Yoshihisa Fujino, Masaru Suzuki, Shintaro Ando, Tanji Hoshi, Takesumi Yoshimura, Hiroshi Yoshino and Shuzo Murakami

Circadian effects of ionizing radiation on reproductive function and clock genes expression in male mouse

Exposure to the ionizing radiation (IR) encountered outside the magnetic field of the Earth poses a persistent threat to the reproductive functions of astronauts. The potential effects of space IR on the circa...

Authors: Fenju Qin, Ningang Liu, Jing Nie, Tao Shen, Yingjie Xu, Shuxian Pan, Hailong Pei and Guangming Zhou

Lifestyle behaviors associated with the initiation of renal replacement therapy in Japanese patients with chronic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study using a claims database linked with specific health checkup results

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for progression to an end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. We investigated the association of lifestyle behaviors wit...

Authors: Azusa Hara, Takumi Hirata, Tomonori Okamura, Shinya Kimura and Hisashi Urushihara

Associations between urinary heavy metal concentrations and blood pressure in residents of Asian countries

Previous studies have suggested that exposures to heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium) may be associated with differences in blood pressure. However, the findings of these studies have been inco...

Authors: Yuki Mizuno, Hana Shimizu-Furusawa, Shoko Konishi, Tsukasa Inaoka, Sk Akhtar Ahmad, Makiko Sekiyama, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, Rajendra Prasad Parajuli, Yukio Ikemoto, Tran Dinh Lam, Chiho Watanabe and Masahiro Umezaki

The role of Environmental Health in preventing antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly becoming a threat to global public health, not least in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where it is contributing to longer treatment for illnesses, use o...

Authors: David Musoke, Carol Namata, Grace Biyinzika Lubega, Filimin Niyongabo, Joviah Gonza, Kondwani Chidziwisano, Sarah Nalinya, Rebecca Nuwematsiko and Tracy Morse

Covid-19 vaccine management (Comirnaty and mrna-1273 Moderna) in a teaching hospital in Italy: a short report on the vaccination campaign

In this article, we aim to share our experience in the hospital reorganization made to conduct the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign, based on the principles of flexibility and adaptability.

Authors: Francesca Papini, Niccolò Grassi, Giovanni Guglielmi, Vittorio Gattini, Lucia Rago, Costanza Bisordi, Monica Scateni, Michele Totaro, Alberto Tulipani, Andrea Porretta, Lara Tavoschi, Jacopo Guercini, Grazia Luchini, Silvia Briani, Gaetano Pierpaolo Privitera and Angelo Baggiani

Acute effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency transportation due to acute alcoholic intoxication: a retrospective observational study

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in people’s drinking habits and the emergency management system for various diseases. However, no studies have investigated the pandemic’s impact on emergency transport...

Authors: Marina Minami, Kazumoto Kidokoro, Masamitsu Eitoku, Atsufumi Kawauchi, Masato Miyauchi, Narufumi Suganuma and Kingo Nishiyama

Differences of body composition and physical strength among Japanese and Thai older adults living in Chiang Mai, Thailand: an inter-ethnic cross-sectional study

The number of adults aged over 65 years is rapidly increasing in several Southeast Asian countries. Muscle mass decreases with age, leading to sarcopenia. The primary objective of this study was to determine w...

Authors: Takeshi Yoda, Bumnet Saengrut, Kensaku Miyamoto, Rujee Rattanasathien, Tatsuya Saito, Yasuko Ishimoto, Kanlaya Chunjai, Rujirat Pudwan, Kawin Sirimuengmoon and Hironobu Katsuyama

Respiratory symptoms related to flour dust exposure are significantly high among small and medium scale flour mill workers in Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional survey

International Labour Organization (ILO) report indicates more than 2.4 million workers die from work-related diseases and accidents each year. Work-related respiratory ailments related to airborne particulate ...

Authors: Tesfaye Hambisa Mekonnen, Awrajaw Dessie and Amensisa Hailu Tesfaye

Factors influencing protective behavior in the post-COVID-19 period in China: a cross-sectional study

The study aimed to explore the factors influencing protective behavior and its association with factors during the post-COVID-19 period in China based on the risk perception emotion model and the protective ac...

Authors: Guiqian Shi, Xiaoni Zhong, Wei He, Hui Liu, Xiaoyan Liu and Mingzhu Ma

Industry and workplace characteristics associated with the downloading of a COVID-19 contact tracing app in Japan: a nation-wide cross-sectional study

To combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many countries have used contact tracing apps, including Japan’s voluntary-use contact-confirming application (COCOA). The current study aimed to identify industr...

Authors: Tomohiro Ishimaru, Koki Ibayashi, Masako Nagata, Ayako Hino, Seiichiro Tateishi, Mayumi Tsuji, Akira Ogami, Shinya Matsuda and Yoshihisa Fujino

Tuberculosis and anemia—cause or effect?

Authors: Frank Cobelens and Andrew D. Kerkhoff

Effect of COVID-19-restrictive measures on ambient particulate matter pollution in Yangon, Myanmar

Particulate matter (PM) is recognized as the most harmful air pollutant to the human health. The Yangon city indeed suffers much from PM-related air pollution. Recent research has interestingly been focused on...

Authors: Win-Yu Aung, Paw-Min-Thein-Oo, Zaw-Lin Thein, Sadao Matsuzawa, Takehiro Suzuki, Yo Ishigaki, Akihiro Fushimi, Ohn Mar, Daisuke Nakajima and Tin-Tin Win-Shwe

The association between urinary bisphenol A levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Korean adults: Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2015-2017

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a global health problem. Bisphenol A (BPA), one of most widely used environmental chemicals, is suspected to be a contributor to the development NAFLD. This...

Authors: Sang Joon An, Eun-Jung Yang, Subin Oh, Kyong Jin Park, Taehyen Kim, Yeon-pyo Hong and Yun-Jung Yang

Biological and socioeconomic factors as moderator in relationship between leisure-time physical activity and cardiometabolic risk in adolescents from southern Brazil

Given the important repercussions that sociodemographic factors can have on physical activity, especially in the field of leisure, and cardiometabolic risk, it seems relevant to analyze the implications of the...

Authors: Ana Paula Sehn, Debora Tornquist, Luciana Tornquist, Javier Brazo-Sayavera and Cézane Priscila Reuter

Analysis of furans and pyridines from new generation heated tobacco product in Japan

In recent years, heated tobacco products (HTPs), which are widely used in Japan, have been sold by various brands using additives such as flavors. It has been reported that the components of mainstream smoke a...

Authors: Kanae Bekki, Shigehisa Uchiyama, Yohei Inaba and Akira Ushiyama

Education and household income and carotid intima-media thickness in Japan: baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Yawatahama, Uchiko, Seiyo, and Ainan

Epidemiological evidence for the relationship between education and income and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been limited and inconsistent. The present cross-sectional study investigated this issue...

Authors: Yoshihiro Miyake, Keiko Tanaka, Hidenori Senba, Yasuko Hasebe, Toyohisa Miyata, Takashi Higaki, Eizen Kimura, Bunzo Matsuura and Ryuichi Kawamoto

Correction to: Association between household solid fuel use and tuberculosis: cross-sectional data from the Mongolian National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey

Authors: Munkhjargal Dorjravdan, Katsuyasu Kouda, Tsolmon Boldoo, Naranzul Dambaa, Tugsdelger Sovd, Chikako Nakama and Toshimasa Nishiyama

Associations of exposure to secondhand smoke with hypertension risk and blood pressure values in adults

The effects of environmental chemical exposure on blood pressure (BP) have been confirmed, but the association between exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and hypertension risk and BP in the general population ...

Authors: Qi Zhang, Guowei Zeng, Xiaowei Wang and Kai-Hong Wu

Associations of negative life events and coping styles with sleep quality among Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Limited published research has examined the relationships of negative life events and coping styles with sleep quality in Chinese junior high school students. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of poor sle...

Authors: Zheng Ren, Xiumin Zhang, Yue Shen, Xiangrong Li, Minfu He, Hong Shi, Hanfang Zhao, Shuang Zha, Shuyin Qiao, Yuyu Li, Yajiao Pu, Xinwen Fan, Xia Guo and Hongjian Liu

Factors associated with food safety knowledge and practices among meat handlers in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Food handlers can play a vital role into reducing foodborne diseases by adopting appropriate food handling and sanitation practices in working plants. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with foo...

Authors: Md. Hasan Al Banna, Tasnim Rahman Disu, Satyajit Kundu, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Keith Brazendale, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Joshua Okyere, Nahidur Rahman, Shuvajit Mondal, Bidyut Matubber and Md Shafiqul Islam Khan

Association between height-related polymorphism rs17081935 and reduced handgrip strength in relation to status of atherosclerosis: a cross-sectional study

Aging is a process that increases oxidative stress. Increased oxidative stress leads to the development of atherosclerosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria contribute to energy production that might...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Shin-Ya Kawashiri, Kazuhiko Arima, Yuko Noguchi, Hirotomo Yamanashi, Kenichi Nobusue, Fumiaki Nonaka, Seiko Nakamichi, Yasuhiro Nagata and Takahiro Maeda

Correlation between estimated plasma remnant-like particle cholesterol and vegetable fat intake in Uku town, Japan

Remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) is highly atherogenic, which is associated with atherosclerosis. However, RLP-C has not been routinely measured in the clinical practice. We estimated RLP-C levels usi...

Authors: Hisashi Adachi, Tatsuyuki Kakuma, Mika Enomoto, Ako Fukami, Sachiko Nakamura, Yume Nohara, Nagisa Morikawa, Akiko Sakaue, Maki Yamamoto and Yoshihiro Fukumoto

Correction to: Classes of childhood adversities and their associations to the mental health of college undergraduates: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Authors: Peigang Wang, Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa, Bin Yu and Yinmei Yang

Paradoxical effects of arsenic in the lungs

High levels (> 100 ug/L) of arsenic are known to cause lung cancer; however, whether low (≤ 10 ug/L) and medium (10 to 100 ug/L) doses of arsenic will cause lung cancer or other lung diseases, and whether arse...

Authors: Caixia Ren, Yang Zhou, Wenwen Liu and Qi Wang

Interaction of smoking and being bullied on suicidal behaviors: a school-based cross-sectional survey in China

Suicidal behaviors are seriously social issues among adolescents in the world. Exposed to smoking and being bullied are risk factors of suicidal behaviors. The present study was aimed to examine the interactio...

Authors: Jie Hu, Xianbing Song, Danlin Li, Shuai Zhao, Yuhui Wan, Jun Fang and Shichen Zhang

The effect of health literacy on health status among residents in Qingdao, China: a path analysis

Health literacy is a public health goal which can be used as an independent factor of health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between health literacy and health status, as well as the two m...

Authors: Yiqing Huang, Fei Qi, Rui Wang, Xiaorong Jia, Yani Wang, Peng Lin, Meiyun Geng and Shanpeng Li

Factors associated with adults’ actions to confirm their own rubella immune status in Japan’s drive toward rubella elimination: Cross-sectional online survey of non-healthcare workers in their 20s to 40s

Rubella outbreaks occurred among adults in Japan in 2013-2014 and 2018-2019 due to immunity gaps. In response and aiming at rubella elimination by 2020, the government introduced countermeasures comprising sup...

Authors: Masataro Norizuki, Ai Hori and Koji Wada

Association between household solid fuel use and tuberculosis: cross-sectional data from the Mongolian National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey

Tuberculosis (TB) and indoor air pollution (IAP) are equally critical public health issues in the developing world. Mongolia is experiencing the double burden of TB and IAP due to solid fuel combustion. Howeve...

Authors: Munkhjargal Dorjravdan, Katsuyasu Kouda, Tsolmon Boldoo, Naranzul Dambaa, Tugsdelger Sovd, Chikako Nakama and Toshimasa Nishiyama

Regional disparity of certified teaching hospitals on physicians’ workload and wages, and popularity among medical students in Japan

Regional disparities in the working conditions of medical doctors have not been fully assessed in Japan. We aimed to clarify these differences in hospital characteristics: doctors’ workload, wages, and popular...

Authors: Yutaro Ikki, Masaaki Yamada and Michikazu Sekine

Impact of birth season on the years of life lost from respiratory diseases in the elderly related to ambient PM_2.5 exposure in Ningbo, China

Ambient fine particle (PM_2.5) pollution is an important public health problem in China. Short-term ambient PM_2.5 exposure is associated with increased mortality of respiratory diseases. However, few evidence was ...

Authors: Teng Yang, Tianfeng He, Jing Huang and Guoxing Li

Classes of childhood adversities and their associations to the mental health of college undergraduates: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Childhood adversities pose deleterious consequences on health and well-being, but limited studies explore whether unique patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the mental health of emerging ad...

Authors: Peigang Wang, Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa, Bin Yu and Yinmei Yang

Air pollution and children’s health—a review of adverse effects associated with prenatal exposure from fine to ultrafine particulate matter

Particulate matter (PM), a major component of ambient air pollution, accounts for a substantial burden of diseases and fatality worldwide. Maternal exposure to PM during pregnancy is particularly harmful to ch...

Authors: Natalie M. Johnson, Aline Rodrigues Hoffmann, Jonathan C. Behlen, Carmen Lau, Drew Pendleton, Navada Harvey, Ross Shore, Yixin Li, Jingshu Chen, Yanan Tian and Renyi Zhang

Morphology and epidemiological study of idiopathic scoliosis among primary school students in Chaozhou, China

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) affects patients’ quality of life, yet there have been few reports of its morphology and epidemiological study in the southeast region of China. The aim of this study is to access the...

Authors: Zemin Cai, Ruibin Wu, Shukai Zheng, Zhaolong Qiu and Kusheng Wu

Associations of education and income with hazardous drinking among postpartum women in Japan: results from the TMM BirThree Cohort Study

Although the postpartum period is suggested to provide an ideal opportunity for interventions to prevent hazardous drinking, evidence on the associations of education and income with hazardous drinking during ...

Authors: Keiko Murakami, Mami Ishikuro, Fumihiko Ueno, Aoi Noda, Tomomi Onuma, Fumiko Matsuzaki, Hirohito Metoki, Taku Obara and Shinichi Kuriyama

Seasonality of mortality under a changing climate: a time-series analysis of mortality in Japan between 1972 and 2015

Ambient temperature may contribute to seasonality of mortality; in particular, a warming climate is likely to influence the seasonality of mortality. However, few studies have investigated seasonality of morta...

Authors: Lina Madaniyazi, Yeonseung Chung, Yoonhee Kim, Aurelio Tobias, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Xerxes Seposo, Yuming Guo, Yasushi Honda, Antonio Gasparrini, Ben Armstrong and Masahiro Hashizume

When physical activity meets the physical environment: precision health insights from the intersection

The physical environment can facilitate or hinder physical activity. A challenge in promoting physical activity is ensuring that the physical environment is supportive and that these supports are appropriately...

Authors: Luisa V. Giles, Michael S. Koehle, Brian E. Saelens, Hind Sbihi and Chris Carlsten

Symptoms of mental health problems among Italian adolescents in 2017–2018 school year: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Identifying individual and contextual factors that influence adolescent well-being is a research priority. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of symptoms of mental health problems and some related facto...

Authors: Francesco Donato, Maria Triassi, Ilaria Loperto, Alessia Maccaro, Sara Mentasti, Federica Crivillaro, Antonella Elvetico, Elia Croce and Elena Raffetti

Associations of novel 24-h accelerometer-derived metrics with adiposity in children and adolescents

Further research is required to explore the associations between 24-h movement behaviours and health outcomes in the paediatric population. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between novel...

Authors: Jan Dygrýn, María Medrano, Pablo Molina-Garcia, Lukáš Rubín, Lukáš Jakubec, David Janda and Aleš Gába

Geographical variations and associated factors of defaulting from immunization among children aged 12 to 23 months in Ethiopia: using spatial and multilevel analysis of 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

In Ethiopia, despite the considerable improvement in immunization coverage, the burden of defaulting from immunization among children is still high with marked variation among regions. However, the geographica...

Authors: Mukemil Awol, Zewdie Aderaw Alemu, Nurilign Abebe Moges and Kemal Jemal

A cross-sectional study to assess knowledge of women about cervical cancer: an urban and rural comparison

Cervical cancer and its etiopathogenesis, the age of women in whom it is diagnosed, average life expectancy, and prognosis are information widely covered in scientific reports. However, there is no coherent in...

Authors: Małgorzata Lesińska-Sawicka

Dietary supplement use in elementary school children: a Japanese web-based survey

A variety of dietary supplements are commercially available. However, the efficacy and safety of dietary supplement use in children are not well established. Understanding dietary supplement use is important f...

Authors: Kazue Ishitsuka, Satoshi Sasaki, Hidetoshi Mezawa, Mizuho Konishi, Maki Igarashi, Kiwako Yamamoto-Hanada, Shoji F. Nakayama and Yukihiro Ohya

Associations between handgrip strength and hypertension in relation to circulating CD34-positive cell levels among Japanese older men: a cross-sectional study

A positive association between handgrip strength and blood pressure has been reported. Since these factors are linked to the condition of the endothelium, the activity of endothelial repair might influence the...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Shin-Ya Kawashiri, Kenichi Nobusue, Hirotomo Yamanashi, Yasuhiro Nagata and Takahiro Maeda