The eligibility of COVID-19 vaccines has been expanded to children aged 12 and above in several countries including Japan, and there is a plan to further lower the age. This study aimed to assess ...factors related to parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. A nationwide internet-based cross-sectional study was conducted between May 25 and June 3, 2021 in Japan. The target population was parents of children aged 3-14 years who resided in Japan, and agreed to answer the online questionnaire. Parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (their intention to vaccinate their child) and related factors were analyzed using logistic regression models. Interaction effects of gender of parents and their level of social relationship satisfaction related to parental vaccine hesitancy was tested using log likelihood ratio test (LRT). Social media as the most trusted information source increased parental vaccine hesitancy compared to those who trusted official information (Adjusted Odds Ratio: aOR 2.80, 95% CI 1.53-5.12). Being a mother and low perceived risk of infection also increased parental vaccine hesitancy compared to father (aOR 2.43, 95% CI 1.57-3.74) and those with higher perceived risk of infection (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.04-2.32) respectively. People with lower satisfaction to social relationships tended to be more hesitant to vaccinate their child among mothers in contrast to fathers who showed constant intention to vaccinate their child regardless of the level of satisfaction to social relationship (LRT p = 0.021). Our findings suggest that dissemination of targeted information about COVID-19 vaccine by considering means of communication, gender and people who are isolated during measures of social distancing may help to increase parental vaccine acceptance.
We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of population‐based cohort studies of maternal body mass index (BMI) and risk of adverse birth and health outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income ...countries. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the British Nursing Index were searched from inception to February 2014. Forty‐two studies were included. Our study found that maternal underweight was significantly associated with higher risk of preterm birth (odds ratio OR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.01–1.27), low birthweight (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.50–1.84) and small for gestational age (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.69–2.02). Compared with mothers with normal BMI, overweight or obese mothers were at increased odds of gestational diabetes, pregnancy‐induced hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, caesarean delivery and post‐partum haemorrhage. The population‐attributable risk (PAR) indicated that if women were entirely unexposed to overweight or obesity during the pre‐pregnancy or early pregnancy period, 14% to 35% fewer women would develop gestational diabetes, pre‐eclampsia or pregnancy‐induced hypertension in Brazil, China, India, Iran or Thailand. The highest PAR of low birthweight attributable to maternal underweight was found in Iran (20%), followed by India (18%), Thailand (10%) and China (8%). Treatment and prevention of maternal underweight, overweight or obesity may help reduce the burden on maternal and child health in developing countries.
Upgraded electronics, improved water system dynamics, better calibration and analysis techniques allowed Super-Kamiokande-IV to clearly observe very low-energy B8 solar neutrino interactions, with ...recoil electron kinetic energies as low as ∼3.5 MeV. Super-Kamiokande-IV data-taking began in September of 2008; this paper includes data until February 2014, a total livetime of 1664 days. The measured solar neutrino flux is (2.308±0.020(stat)−0.040+0.039(syst))×106/(cm2 sec) assuming no oscillations. The observed recoil electron energy spectrum is consistent with no distortions due to neutrino oscillations. An extended maximum likelihood fit to the amplitude of the expected solar zenith angle variation of the neutrino-electron elastic scattering rate in SK-IV results in a day/night asymmetry of (−3.6±1.6(stat)±0.6(syst))%. The SK-IV solar neutrino data determine the solar mixing angle as sin2θ12=0.327−0.031+0.026, all SK solar data (SK-I, SK-II, SK III and SK-IV) measures this angle to be sin2θ12=0.334−0.023+0.027, the determined mass-squared splitting is Δm212=4.8−0.8+1.5×10−5 eV2.
Japan has entered the era of super-ageing and advanced health transition, which is increasingly putting pressure on the sustainability of its health system. The level and pace of this health ...transition might vary across regions within Japan and concern is growing about increasing regional variations in disease burden. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive, comparable framework. We used data from GBD 2015 with the aim to quantify the burden of disease and injuries, and to attribute risk factors in Japan at a subnational, prefecture-level.
We used data from GBD 2015 for 315 causes and 79 risk factors of death, disease, and injury incidence and prevalence to measure the burden of diseases and injuries in Japan and in the 47 Japanese prefectures from 1990 to 2015. We extracted data from GBD 2015 to assess mortality, causes of death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Japan and its 47 prefectures. We split extracted data by prefecture and applied GBD methods to generate estimates of burden, and attributable burden due to known risk factors. We examined the prefecture-level relationships of common health system inputs (eg, health expenditure and workforces) to the GBD outputs in 2015 to address underlying determinants of regional health variations.
Life expectancy at birth in Japan increased by 4·2 years from 79·0 years (95% uncertainty interval UI 79·0 to 79·0) to 83·2 years (83·1 to 83·2) between 1990 and 2015. However, the gaps between prefectures with the lowest and highest life expectancies and HALE have widened, from 2·5 to 3·1 years and from 2·3 to 2·7 years, respectively, from 1990 to 2015. Although overall age-standardised death rates decreased by 29·0% (28·7 to 29·3) from 1990 to 2015, the rates of mortality decline in this period substantially varied across the prefectures, ranging from −32·4% (−34·8 to −30·0) to −22·0% (−20·4 to −20·1). During the same time period, the rate of age-standardised DALYs was reduced overall by 19·8% (17·9 to 22·0). The reduction in rates of age-standardised YLDs was very small by 3·5% (2·6 to 4·3). The pace of reduction in mortality and DALYs in many leading causes has largely levelled off since 2005. Known risk factors accounted for 34·5% (32·4 to 36·9) of DALYs; the two leading behavioural risk factors were unhealthy diets and tobacco smoking in 2015. The common health system inputs were not associated with age-standardised death and DALY rates in 2015.
Japan has been successful overall in reducing mortality and disability from most major diseases. However, progress has slowed down and health variations between prefectures is growing. In view of the limited association between the prefecture-level health system inputs and health outcomes, the potential sources of regional variations, including subnational health system performance, urgently need assessment.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Japan Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, AXA CR Fixed Income Fund and AXA Research Fund.
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A search for dark matter using an underground single-phase liquid xenon detector was conducted at the Kamioka Observatory in Japan, particularly for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). We ...have used 705.9 live days of data in a fiducial volume containing 97kg of liquid xenon at the center of the detector. The event rate in the fiducial volume after the data reduction was (4.2±0.2)×10−3day−1kg−1keVee−1 at 5keVee, with a signal efficiency of 20%. All the remaining events are consistent with our background evaluation, mostly of the “mis-reconstructed events” originated from 210Pb in the copper plates lining the detector's inner surface. The obtained upper limit on a spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section was 2.2×10−44cm2 for a WIMP mass of 60GeV/c2 at the 90% confidence level, which was the most stringent limit among results from single-phase liquid xenon detectors.
Previously, the author proposed a ‘fungal index’ that quantifies the capacity for fungal growth in a test environment where a device (fungal detector) encapsulating spores of a xerophilic sensor ...fungus Eurotium herbariorum was placed. It was also found that an extremely xerophilic fungus, Aspergillus penicillioides, was suitable as a sensor fungus at sites with lower relative humidity (RH). In this report, the hydrophilic fungus Alternaria alternata was added to sensor fungi for the determination of the index in extremely humid environments. Measurements of the index and observations of the formation of spores by the sensor fungi were made in stable climates in moisture chambers, under natural conditions in homes, and in bathrooms prepared in an artificial climate chamber. Higher index values and earlier sporulation were obtained at higher RH in stable climates. The hydrophilic Alt. alternata showed the greatest response at 100% and 97.3% RH, the moderately xerophilic Eur. herbariorum, at 94%, 84%, and 75% RH, and the extremely xerophilic Asp. penicillioides, at 71% RH. In homes, the hydrophilic fungus was most active in water‐usage areas, and the xerophilic fungi were most active in non‐water‐usage areas. Sporulation was observed on sensor fungi in fungal detectors placed in rooms where the index exceeded 18 ru/week after one‐month exposure. Sites where the index exceeded 18 ru/week were referred to as damp, where fungal contamination seems to be unavoidable. Evaluations of ventilation systems in bathrooms with extremely humid climates showed typical examples of a countermeasure to fungal contamination.
Practical Implications
The purpose of this study is to establish a fungal index applicable in home environments with extremely high to relatively low relative humidity climates. The sensor fungus that showed the greatest response in a fungal detector (a device encapsulating spores of sensor fungi) served as not only a quantitative but also a qualitative indicator of the environment tested, indicating the type of fungi that would contaminate the site. A fungal index would be a good tool for detecting dampness that induces fungal contamination, which has adverse effects on human health. Evaluations of indoor climates would provide information useful to building owners, builders, designers, advisers, medical practitioners, and so on. Selection of the most suitable insulation systems in various buildings under different climates or evaluations of the drying process in water‐damaged buildings could also be possible using fungal detectors and measurements of fungal indices.
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