Papers

A research group led by Takayuki Ueno, a researcher at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Gerontology, and Professor Naoki Kondo of our lab had previously identified five patterns of physical function decline during the last three years of life: “maintained independence until death,” “rapid decline,” “gradual decline,” “moderate maintenance,” and “severe maintenance.” In this study, the … Continue reading “Press Release: Older Adults Engaged in Social Participation Are More Likely to Maintain Independence Until the End of Life (Co-researcher: Takayuki Ueno)”

Health disparities have become a major social issue in Japan. To reduce health disparities, it is necessary to shift from individual-level to societal-level interventions. Since 2021, health management support programs for public assistance recipients have been mandated in welfare offices. Assistant Professor Keiko Ueno and her colleagues focused on older public assistance recipients, particularly those in … Continue reading “Paper publication: Discovering daily life needs of older public assistance recipient subgroups (Assistant Professor Ueno)”

Medical student Kanta Kiyohara, Associate Professor Kosuke Inoue, Professor Taku Iwami, and Professor Naoki Kondo published a study using data from a large-scale randomized controlled trial to reveal that the effectiveness of intensive glycemic and blood pressure control among patients with diabetes varies by living arrangement status (living alone or not). This research, published in … Continue reading “Press Release: Living Arrangement Status and Treatment Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Prevention – (Medical Student Kanta Kiyohara)”

Ph.D. student Ishimura and her team published a study examining the association between income and the development of impaired kidney function in JAMA Health Forum. The study showed the lowest income group had 1.7 times higher risks of rapid kidney function decline and initiation of kidney replacement therapy (dialysis or kidney transplantation) than the highest … Continue reading “Press Release: Income and impaired kidney function –the disparities of rapid kidney function decline and hemodialysis were 1.7 times– (Doctoral Student Ishimura)”

A research group led by Yoko Matsuoka (Chiba University, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences) and Professor Naoki Kondo analyzed the effect of post-disaster relocation on mental health and the factors explaining this effect among the affected older adults of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Post-disaster relocation is a risk factor for worsening mental health, but the … Continue reading “Press release: 3.8 times the risk of depression when moving to temporary housing; however, those who changed their participation in group activities upon moving had a 40% reduction in the risk (Visiting Researcher Matsuoka)”

Marisa Nishio, PhD student, announces the publication of a research paper concerning the validity of the concept of Healthy Ageing proposed by the United Nations. The United Nations has designated the period from 2021 to 2030 as the “Decade of Healthy Ageing,” encouraging countries worldwide to monitor the progress of Healthy Ageing using Functional Ability … Continue reading “Paper Publication: Development and validation of Healthy Ageing indicator proposed by the United Nations (PhD student, Marisa Nishio)”

Prolonged activity time of paramedics at the scene is a major global problem in the emergency medical system (EMS). Assistant Professor Keiko Ueno conducted collaborative research with Hiroshima University, utilizing data from the ambulance transportation and request call records databases of the Higashihiroshima Fire Department over a period of seven years. They revealed that paramedics required more than 30 … Continue reading “Paper publication: Paramedics require more than 30 minutes of activity at the scene in older patients, female patients, fire accidents, natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, self-injuries, number of hospital inquiries ≥ 4, and the COVID-19 pandemic among ambulance users with minor diseases or injuries (Assistant Professor Ueno)”

We have published a comprehensive review article on screening and assessment tools for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is a collaborative effort with researchers from the Department of Cardiology at St. Luke’s International Hospital and the Department of Academic Informatics at St. Luke’s International University. The article … Continue reading “Press Release: Review of Screening and Assessment Tools for Social Determinants of Health in the Field of Cardiovascular Disease”

A research group led by Mariko Kanamori (Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human and Society) and Professor Naoki Kondo reported the impact of perceived community gender norms, such as “You are a man/woman, you shouldn’t/shouldn’t do XXX”, on the mental health of older people. Men who perceived the gender norms of the community … Continue reading “Press release: Depressive symptoms, suicide ideation and attempts are about twice as common among those who perceive community gender norms as restrictive (Collaborator Kanamori)”

A research group led by Senior Lecturer Shiho Kino and Professor Jun Aida of the Department of Health Promotion Dentistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, in collaboration with Kyoto University and Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, has found that older public assistance recipients have lower rates of dental … Continue reading “Press Release: Dental visit rates among older public assistance recipients are more than 20% lower than among those who do not receive public assistance – Barriers other than economic factors to dental visits (Senior Lecturer Kino, Tokyo Medical and Dental University)”

A paper authored by Associate Professor Midori Matsushima of the University of Tsukuba and a research group led by Professor Naoki Kondo has been accepted for publication in BMC Public Health. The paper elucidates the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of pregnancy in Japan, and well-being of women who opted to delay … Continue reading “Press Release: 20% of Married Women who had Intended to Conceive Delay Childbearing under the COVID-19 and its Strong Association with Decline in Well-being (Associate Professor Matsushima, University of Tsukuba)”

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been noted that there were significant disparities in access to medical care. The situation varied greatly from country to country. Therefore, primary health care and public health researchers from eight countries gathered to examine each country’s response situation. In particular, they clarified the current state of cooperation … Continue reading “Paper Publication: Eight Countries’ Responses to Health Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Did Primary Health Care and Public Health Work Together? (Professor Kondo and Researcher Nishioka)”

Health is the cornerstone of life. Protecting the health of individuals receiving welfare support, including public assistance recipients, is especially important. Since 2021, welfare offices in Japan have been obliged to implement health management support programs for public assistance recipients. To provide health and life support efficiently and effectively, we have developed a new tailor-made … Continue reading “Press Release: Development of a new method for tailor-made health support for public assistance recipients (Assistant Professor Ueno)”

A study by Assistant Professor KYAN Akira (belonged to Kobe University at the time of research) and his colleagues found for the first time that socioeconomic inequality in achieving recommended physical activity levels among Japanese youth increased while difference in breakfast intake decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to levels before the pandemic. Specifically, despite … Continue reading “Press Release: Socioeconomic Inequality of Health Behaviors Among Japanese Adolescents increased by 2.5 times after COVID-19 Pandemic (Assistant Professor Kyan)”

Assistant Professor Sato has published a study examining the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and early childhood development in JAMA Pediatrics. His team showed that cohorts exposed to the pandemic were 4.39 months behind in development at age 5 compared to a cohort that was not during the follow-up. Variations in development were greater during … Continue reading “Press Release: Children exposed to the pandemic were 4.39 months behind in development at age 5 (Assistant Professor Sato)”

Many countries have been increasing their state pension age. Nonetheless, there is little consensus on whether retirement affects the risk of cardiovascular disease. Using a causal inference approach, Mr. Sato and colleagues found a 2.2%-point decrease in the risk of heart disease and a 3.0%-point decrease in physical inactivity among retirees, compared with workers. Policymakers … Continue reading “Press Release: Retirement is associated with reduced heart diseases and physical inactivity – a longitudinal study of over 100,000 people in 35 countries (Assistant Professor Sato)”

The research group led by Associate Professor Inoue, Professor Susan Athey of Stanford University, and Associate Professor Yusuke Tsugawa of the University of California, Los Angeles, has proposed the potential usefulness of the “high-benefit approach,” a next-generation personalized medicine strategy for hypertension treatment, by applying advanced machine learning models to the treatment of hypertension. This … Continue reading “Press Release: Proposal of a personalized medicine strategy “High Benefit Approach” in hypertension treatment (Associate Professor: Inoue)”

The research group led by Associate Professor Inoue and Associate Professor Yusuke Tsugawa of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), using U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, has found that achieving 8,000 steps per day, even just one or two days a week has a positive impact on health. Using accelerometer-measured step … Continue reading “Press release: Finding an association between weekly walking patterns and mortality risk – Can walking well twice a week keep you healthy? (Associate professor Inoue)”

A research group including Assistant Professor Inoue, Assistant Professor Tatsuhiko Naito of Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (at the time of the research/now a postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai School of Medicine), Professor Yukinori Okada (Team leader, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Laboratory for Systems Genetics / Professor of Department of Genome Informatics, … Continue reading “Press release: Identified genes involved in the pathogenesis of primary aldosteronism(Assistant Professor Inoue)”

A paper in joint research with Associate Professor Midori Matsushima at the University of Tsukuba has been published online in the Journal of Biosocial Science. A research group led by Associate Professor Midori Matsushima, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, and Professor Naoki Kondo examined the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and pregnancy postponement. … Continue reading “Press release: Pregnancy postponement during the COVID-19 pandemic -Income decline, job insecurity and anxiety about future household finances were related-“

Assistant Professor Maho Haseda’s paper has been published in the Health & Place. Haseda M, Takagi D, Stickley A, Kondo K, & Kondo N. (2022). Effectiveness of a community organizing intervention on mortality and its equity among older residents in Japan: A JAGES quasi-experimental study. Health & place, 74, 102764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102764 Abstract Interventions that involve … Continue reading “New Paper: Supporting municipalities by community organizing intervention reduced the three-year mortality risk for older male residents by 0.92 times.(Assitant Professor Maho Haseda)”

Assistant Professor Koryu Sato’s paper has been published in the Health & Place. Sato, K., Kondo, N., Kondo, K. Pre-pandemic individual- and community-level social capital and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: A longitudinal study of Japanese older adults in 2019-21. Health & Place, 74; 102772 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102772 Abstract During a pandemic, it is important to know … Continue reading “New Paper: Community reciprocity was associated with 10% less risk of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic(Assistant Professor Koryu Sato)”

Assistant Professor Koryu Sato wrote a part of the book “The Health Economics and Innovation from a Variety of Perspective”, which was published by Chikura Shobo on February 10, 2022. Sato was in charge of Chapter 3, “Health Care Economics from the U.S. Perspective” and discusses the implications for Japan from the recent U.S. health … Continue reading “Publication:The Health Economics and Innovation from a Variety of Perspective(Assistant professor Sato)”

Our new paper has been published in the Health Place. Haseda M, Takagi D, Stickley A, Kondo K, Kondo N. Effectiveness of a community organizing intervention on mortality and its equity among older residents in Japan: A JAGES quasi-experimental study. Health Place. 2022 Feb 9;74:102764. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102764. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35151182. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35151182/

Our new paper has been published in the Lancet Reg Health West Pac. Okuzono SS, Shiba K, Kim ES, Shirai K, Kondo N, Fujiwara T, Kondo K, Lomas T, Trudel-Fitzgerald C, Kawachi I, VanderWeele TJ. Ikigai and subsequent health and wellbeing among Japanese older adults: Longitudinal outcome-wide analysis. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2022 Feb … Continue reading “New paper: Ikigai and subsequent health and wellbeing among Japanese older adults: Longitudinal outcome-wide analysis. (Okuzono SS)”

Our new paper has been published in the Soc Sci Med. Gero K, Yazawa A, Kondo N, Hanazato M, Kondo K, Kawachi I. Comparison of three indices of relative income deprivation in predicting health status. Soc Sci Med. 2022 Feb;294:114722. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114722. Epub 2022 Jan 13. PMID: 35065345.

We published a new paper from SSM Population Health. Marisa Nishio, Michael Green, Naoki Kondo.Roles of participation in social activities in the association between adverse childhood experiences and health among older Japanese adults.SSM Popul Health . 2021 Dec 14;17:101000. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.101000. eCollection 2022 Mar. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827321002755

We published a new paper from Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Shiho Kino,Daisuke Nishioka, Keiko Ueno, Naoki Kondo.Role of psychosocial factors in starting and leaving public assistance programs by older Japanese population: Longitudinal Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2021 Dec 26;99:104615. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2021.104615. Online ahead of print. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167494321002788

We published a new paper from Social Science & Medicine. Shiho Kino,Daisuke Nishioka, Keiko Ueno, Masashige Saito, Naoki Kondo. Changes in social relationships by the initiation and termination of public assistance in the older Japanese population: A JAGES study. Soc Sci Med.2021 Dec 17;293:114661.doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114661. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795362100993X?via%3Dihub#!

We published a new paper from Population, Space and Place. Mariko Kanamori,Naoki Kondo,Sol P. Juárez,Agneta Cederström,Andrew Stickley,Mikael Rostila. Does increased migration affect the rural–urban divide in suicide? A register-based repeated cohort study in Sweden from 1991 to 2015. Population, Space and Place. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2503 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/psp.2503

We published a new paper from International Journal for equity in Health. Daisuke Nishioka, Keiko Ueno, Shiho Kino, Jun Aida, Naoki Kondo. Sociodemographic inequities in dental care utilisation among governmental welfare recipients in Japan: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Equity Health . 2021 Jun 16;20(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01473-8. https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-021-01473-8

We published a new paper from International Journal of behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Koryu Sato, Naoki Kondo, Masamichi Hanazato, Taishi Tsuji, Katsunori Kondo. Potential causal effect of physical activity on reducing the risk of dementia: a 6-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act . 2021 Oct 29;18(1):140. … Continue reading “New paper: Potential causal effect of physical activity on reducing the risk of dementia: a 6-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study”

We published a new paper from Geriatrics Gerontology International. Shigekazu Ukawa, Akiko Tamakoshi, Yukako Tani, Yuri Sasaki, Junko Saito, Maho Haseda, Kokoro Shirai, Naoki Kondo, Katsunori Kondo, Ichiro Kawachi. Leisure activities and instrumental activities of daily living: A 3-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.Geriatr Gerontol Int . 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14334. … Continue reading “New paper:Leisure activities and instrumental activities of daily living: A 3-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study”

We have published a paper from The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific. Kataoka A, Fukui K, Sato T, Kikuchi H, Inoue S, Kondo N, Nakaya T, Ito Y. Geographical socioeconomic inequalities in healthy life expectancy in Japan, 2010-2014: An ecological study. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2021 Jul 15;14:100204. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100204. PMID: 34527999; PMCID: PMC8355904. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(21)00113-9/fulltext

A new paper from Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. Ueno K, Nishioka D, Kondo N. Expectations and problems of the healthcare management support program for public assistance recipients. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2021 Oct 29. Japanese. doi: 10.11236/jph.21-070. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34719539. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jph/advpub/0/advpub_21-070/_article/-char/ja/

A new paper has been published from Journal of International Health. Morita Naomi, Kanamori Mariko, Nochi Masahiro, and Kondo Naoki. A mixed methods study on specifying the inhibitory factors to access medical services and effective support for foreign residents living in Japan. Kokusai Hoken Iryo (Journal of International Health) 36(3), 107-121, 2021 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaih/36/3/36_107/_article/-char/ja/

A new paper has been published by International Journal of Health Geographic. Mariko Kanamori, Masamichi Hanazato, Daisuke Takagi,Katsunori Kondo,Toshiyuki Ojima, Airi Amemiya, and Naoki Kondo.(2021).Differences in depressive symptoms by rurality in Japan: a cross-sectional multilevel study using different aggregation units of municipalities and neighborhoods (JAGES).International Journal of Health Geographic.20(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12942-021-00296-8.

Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University issued the following press release on the collaboration in which Professor.Kondo is participating. Aoi Kataoka and Yuri Ito, Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Statistics, Research Support Center, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, in collaboration with Professor Tomoki Nakatani of Tohoku University, Professor Naoki Kondo of Kyoto University, Professor … Continue reading “News: First in Japan to reveal the existence of disparities in healthy life expectancy by region of residence”

A report on the relationship between Internet use and health among the elderly has been released by JAGES, of which Naoki Kondo is a board member and Kyoto University. Understanding the role of Internet access on health and health equity toward healthy ageing in the Western Pacific Region Kondo Naoki, Koga Chie, Nagamine Yuiko Press … Continue reading “Release of the report: The Relationship between Internet Use and Health in the Elderly”

A new paper has been published by the International Journal of Epidemiology. Ojima, T., Hosokawa, R., Myojin, T., Aida, J., Kondo, K., & Kondo, N. (2021). Descriptive study of healthy life expectancy in all secondary medical areas in Japan. International Journal of Epidemiology, 50(Supplement_1), dyab168-507. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab168.507 Abstract Background Healthy life expectancy (HLE) is an index combined … Continue reading “Descriptive study of healthy life expectancy in all secondary medical areas in Japan.”

A new paper has been published by the International Journal of Epidemiology. Ito, Y., Fukui, K., Kondo, N., Katanoda, K., Nakaya, T., & Sobue, T. (2021). Trends in area-level socioeconomic inequalities of lung cancer mortality by age group in Japan: 1995-2014. International Journal of Epidemiology, 50(Supplement_1), dyab168-314. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab168.314 Abstract Background During the long-term economic recession, health … Continue reading “Trends in area-level socioeconomic inequalities of lung cancer mortality by age group in Japan: 1995-2014.”

We published a new paper from PLoS One. Shimoda A, Li Y, Hayashi H, Kondo N. Dementia risks identified by vocal features via telephone conversations: A novel machine learning prediction model. PLoS One. 2021 Jul 14;16(7):e0253988. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253988. PMID: 34260593. Abstract Due to difficulty in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) related to cost and … Continue reading “New paper: Dementia risks identified by vocal features via telephone conversations: A novel machine learning prediction model”

We published a study from BMJ Open. Kato D, Kawachi I, Saito J, Kondo N. Complex multimorbidity and mortality in Japan: a prospective propensity-matched cohort study. BMJ Open. 2021 Aug 2;11(8):e046749. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046749 PMID: 34341044. Abstract Objectives: There are limitations to defining multimorbidity (MM) based on a simple count of diseases. To address these limitations, the concept … Continue reading “Complex multimorbidity and mortality in Japan: a prospective propensity-matched cohort study.”

A new paper was published from Sci Sports Exerc. Kamada M, Hayashi H, Shiba K, Taguri M, Kondo N, Lee IM, Kawachi I. Large-Scale Fandom-based Gamification Intervention to Increase Physical Activity: A Quasi-experimental Study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021 Aug. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002770 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34366420. Abstract Purpose: Gamification, the use of game design elements … Continue reading “Large-Scale Fandom-based Gamification Intervention to Increase Physical Activity: A Quasi-experimental Study.”

A new paper was published from Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. Saito M, Tsuji T, Fujita K, Kondo N, Aida J, Ojima T, Kondo K. [Accumulated long-term care benefits by risk assessment scales for incident functional disability: A six-year follow-up study of long-term care receipt data]. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2021 Aug 6. Japanese. DOI: 10.11236/jph.21-056 Epub … Continue reading “Accumulated long-term care benefits by risk assessment scales for incident functional disability: A six-year follow-up study of long-term care receipt data”

Research Fellow Daisuke Nishioka’s paper has been published in “Psychiatry”. Daisuke Nishioka, Naoki Kondo. Possibility of “social prescription” in psychiatry. Psychiatry 39(1) 64 – 70 Available at: https://www.molcom.jp/products/detail/145870/

Naoki Kondo and Daisuke Nishioka (visiting researcher) have published an article in the latest issue of the Quarterly Journal of Public Assistance Research. Click here for the table of contents of the Quarterly Journal of Public Assistance Research No. 261 (in Japanese). Click here to purchase. Daisuke Nishioka will continue to write a series of … Continue reading “Article: Income Inequality Becomes Health Inequality (Public Assistance Research Quarterly)”

Airi Amamiya, a visiting researcher, published a paper in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health A press release was issued on a paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The Possibility of Regional Disparities in the “Improvement” of Care Needs(PDF) ～Social capital in the community may not be … Continue reading “Press Release: Possible Regional Disparities in the “Improvement” of Care Needs”

Airi Amamiya, a visiting researcher, has published a press release on a paper published in BMC Public Health. Possible socioeconomic disparities in the “improvement” of care needs – Longer education is twice as likely to improve as shorter education – (PDF, in Japanese) It is known that there is a possibility of improvement in the … Continue reading “Press Release: Socioeconomic disparities may exist in “improvement” of care needs”

We published a paper from Scientific Reports. Oh J, Lee HY, Khuong QL, Markuns JF, Bullen C, Barrios OEA, Hwang SS, Suh YS, McCool J, Kachur SP, Chan CC, Kwon S, Kondo N, Hoang VM, Moon JR, Rostila M, Norheim OF, You M, Withers M, Li M, Lee EJ, Benski C, Park S, Nam EW, … Continue reading “New Paper: Mobility restrictions were associated with reductions in COVID-19 incidence early in the pandemic: evidence from a real-time evaluation in 34 countries”

We published a paper from J Affect Disord. Stickley A, Kondo N, Roberts B, Kizilova K, Waldman K, Oh H, Inoue Y, Shin JI, Shakespeare T, McKee M. Disability and psychological distress in nine countries of the former Soviet Union. J Affect Disord. 2021 Jun 2;292:782-787. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.061. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34175591. Abstract … Continue reading “New Paper: Disability and psychological distress in nine countries of the former Soviet Union”

We published a paper from Disabil Health J. Stickley A, Kondo N, Richardson E, Leinsalu M, Waldman K, Oh H, Inoue Y, Shakespeare T, McKee M. Disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union. Disabil Health J. 2021 May 28:101123. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101123. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34147415. Abstract Background: People with disabilities … Continue reading “New paper: Disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union”

We published a paper from Int J Equity Health. Nishioka D, Ueno K, Kino S, Aida J, Kondo N. Sociodemographic inequities in dental care utilisation among governmental welfare recipients in Japan: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Equity Health. 2021 Jun 16;20(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01473-8. PMID: 34134717. Abstract Background: Maintaining oral health is one of the global … Continue reading “New paper: Sociodemographic inequities in dental care utilisation among governmental welfare recipients in Japan: a retrospective cohort study”

We published a paper from Disability and Health Journal. Stickley, A., Kondo, N., Richardson, E., Leinsalu, M., Waldman, K., Oh, H., … & McKee, M. (2021). Disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union. Disability and Health Journal, 101123. Abstract Background People with disabilities (PWD) often face structural and other barriers to community … Continue reading “New paper: Disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union”

We publshed a paper from J Diabetes Investig. Nishioka D, Saito J, Ueno K, Kondo N. Non-financial social determinants of diabetes among public assistance recipients in Japan: A cohort study. J Diabetes Investig. 2021 Jun;12(6):1104-1111. doi: 10.1111/jdi.13435. Epub 2020 Nov 18. PMID: 33047513. Abstract Aims/introduction: Poverty is an important social determinant of diabetes. Poverty is a … Continue reading “New paper: Non-financial social determinants of diabetes among public assistance recipients in Japan: A cohort study.”

We published a paper from Int J Environ Res Public Health. Hirai H, Saito M, Kondo N, Kondo K, Ojima T. Physical Activity and Cumulative Long-Term Care Cost among Older Japanese Adults: A Prospective Study in JAGES. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 9;18(9):5004. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18095004. PMID: 34065052. Abstract This study aimed to … Continue reading “New paper: Physical Activity and Cumulative Long-Term Care Cost among Older Japanese Adults: A Prospective Study in JAGES.”

We published a paper from Int J Environ Res Public Health. Saito M, Kondo N, Aida J, Saito J, Anezaki H, Ojima T, Kondo K. Differences in Cumulative Long-Term Care Costs by Community Activities and Employment: A Prospective Follow-Up Study of Older Japanese Adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 19;18(10):5414. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105414. … Continue reading “New paper: Differences in Cumulative Long-Term Care Costs by Community Activities and Employment: A Prospective Follow-Up Study of Older Japanese Adults.”

We published a paper from Appetite. Sato K, Kobayashi S, Yamaguchi M, Sakata R, Sasaki Y, Murayama C, Kondo N. Working from home and dietary changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study of health app (CALO mama) users. Appetite. 2021 May 15:105323. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105323. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34004241. Abstract It is plausible … Continue reading “New paper: Working from home and dietary changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study of health app (CALO mama) users.”

We published a paper from Preventive Medicine. M. Nishio, D. Takagi, T. Shinozaki, et al., Community social networks, individual social participation and dietary behavior among older Japanese adults: Examining mediation using nonlinear structural equation models for three-wave longitudinal data, Preventive Medicine (2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106613 Abstract Community social networks positively affect older adults’ dietary behavior, but the … Continue reading “New paper: Community social networks, individual social participation and dietary behavior among older Japanese adults: Examining mediation using nonlinear structural equation models for three-wave longitudinal data”

We published a paper from BMC Pediatrics. Nishioka D, Saito J, Ueno K, Kondo N. Single-parenthood and health conditions among children receiving public assistance in Japan: a cohort study. BMC Pediatr. 2021 May 3;21(1):214. doi: 10.1186/s12887-021-02682-4. PMID: 33941113. Abstract Background: Children’s healthy development is important. While governmental public assistance benefits financially troubled families, it cannot compensate … Continue reading “New paper: Single-parenthood and health conditions among children receiving public assistance in Japan: a cohort study”

We published a paper from Addiction. Stickley A, Baburin A, Jasilionis D, Krumins J, Martikainen P, Kondo N, Leinsalu M. Economic cycles and inequalities in alcohol-related mortality in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-2015: a register-based study. Addiction. 2021 Apr 28. doi: 10.1111/add.15526. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33908662. Abstract Aim: To estimate whether large … Continue reading “New paper: Economic cycles and inequalities in alcohol-related mortality in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-2015: a register-based study.”

We published a paper from Journal of Occupational Health. Kanamori S, Kondo N, Takamiya T, Kikuchi H, Inoue S, Tsuji T, Kai Y, Muto G, Kondo K. Social participation and mortality according to company size of the longest-held job among older men in Japan: A 6-year follow-up study from the JAGES. J Occup Health. 2021 … Continue reading “New paper: Social participation and mortality according to company size of the longest-held job among older men in Japan: A 6-year follow-up study from the JAGES.”

We published a paper from Journal of Epidemiology. Nishioka D, Tamaki C, Furuita N, Nakagawa H, Sasaki E, Uematsu R, Ozaki T, Wakata S, Kondo N. Changes in health-related quality of life among impoverished persons in the Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program in Japan: Evidence from a prospective cohort study. J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 27. doi: … Continue reading “New paper: Changes in health-related quality of life among impoverished persons in the Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program in Japan: Evidence from a prospective cohort study.”

We published a paper from American Journal of Epidemiology. Shiba K, Kawahara T, Aida J, Kondo K, Kondo N, James P, Arcaya M, Kawachi I. Causal Inference in Studying the Long-term Health Effects of Disasters: Challenges and Potential Solutions. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 17:kwab064. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab064. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33728430. Abstract Two … Continue reading “New paper: Causal Inference in Studying the Long-term Health Effects of Disasters: Challenges and Potential Solutions.”

We published a new paper from BMC Public Health. Kanamori M, Hanazato M, Kondo K, Stickley A, Kondo N. Neighborhood farm density, types of agriculture, and depressive symptoms among older farmers: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2021 Mar 4;21(1):440. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10469-6. PMID: 33663434. Abstract Background: Farmers may have an increased risk for poor mental health. … Continue reading “New paper: Neighborhood farm density, types of agriculture, and depressive symptoms among older farmers: a cross-sectional study.”

We published a paper from Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Sato K, Sakata R, Murayama C, Yamaguchi M, Matsuoka Y, Kondo N. Changes in work and life patterns associated with depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study of health app (CALO mama) users. Occup Environ Med. 2021 Feb 22:oemed-2020-106945. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2020-106945. Epub ahead of … Continue reading “New paper: Changes in work and life patterns associated with depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study of health app (CALO mama) users”

We published a new paper from Geriatrics & Gerontology International. Ishikawa T, Haseda M, Kondo N, Kondo K, Fukui S. Predictors of home being the preferred place of death among Japanese older people: JAGES cross-sectional study. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2021 Feb 16. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14135. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33594743. Abstract Aim: There is a large … Continue reading “New paper: Predictors of home being the preferred place of death among Japanese older people: JAGES cross-sectional study”

We published a paper from Journal of Epidemiology. Sato K, Kondo N, Murata C, Shobugawa Y, Saito K, Kondo K. Association of pneumococcal and influenza vaccination with patient-physician communication in older adults: A nationwide cross-sectional study from the JAGES 2016. J Epidemiol. 2021 Feb 6. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20200505. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33551389. Abstract Background: Increasing … Continue reading “New paper: Association of pneumococcal and influenza vaccination with patient-physician communication in older adults: A nationwide cross-sectional study from the JAGES 2016”

We published a paper from Asian Pacific Journal of Health Economics and Policy. Masaki Okuda, Yukinobu Ichida, Keita Yamane, Rika Ohtsuka, Miwa Yamaguchi, Rei Goto, Atsuhiro Yamada, Atsushi Sannabe, Naoki Kondo, Takashi Oshio. Preferences for the forms of co-payment and advance payment in healthcare services; a discrete choice experiment. Asian Pacific Journal of Health Economics … Continue reading “New paper: Preferences for the forms of co-payment and advance payment in healthcare services; a discrete choice experiment”

We published a paper from Aging & Mental Health. Inoue Y, Stickley A, Yazawa A, Aida J, Koyanagi A, Kondo N. Childhood adversities, late-life stressors and the onset of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. Aging Ment Health. 2021 Feb 1:1-6. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2021.1875190. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33522286. Abstract Objective: Depression is common in older … Continue reading “New paper: Childhood adversities, late-life stressors and the onset of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults”

We published a paper from Scientific Reports. Stickley A, Baburin A, Jasilionis D, Krumins J, Martikainen P, Kondo N, Leinsalu M. Macroeconomic changes and educational inequalities in traffic fatalities in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-2015: a register-based study. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 27;11(1):2397. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81135-5. PMID: 33504848. Abstract This study examined trends and … Continue reading “New paper: Macroeconomic changes and educational inequalities in traffic fatalities in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-2015: a register-based study.”

We published a paper from Quality of Life Research. Hirosaki M, Ohira T, Shirai K, Kondo N, Aida J, Yamamoto T, Takeuchi K, Kondo K. Association between frequency of laughter and oral health among community-dwelling older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study in Japan. Qual Life Res. 2021 Jan 11. doi: 10.1007/s11136-020-02752-7. Epub ahead of print. … Continue reading “New paper: Association between frequency of laughter and oral health among community-dwelling older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study in Japan”

We published a paper from American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Moriki Y, Haseda M, Kondo N, Ojima T, Kondo K, Fukui S. Factors Associated With Discussions Regarding Place of Death Preferences Among Older Japanese: A JAGES Cross-Sectional Study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2021 Jan;38(1):54-61. doi: 10.1177/1049909120954813. Epub 2020 Sep 14. PMID: 32924525. … Continue reading “New paper: Factors Associated With Discussions Regarding Place of Death Preferences Among Older Japanese: A JAGES Cross-Sectional Study.”

We published a new paper from Journal of Epidemiology. Hatakeyama N, Kamada M, Kondo N. Parental working hours and children’s sedentary time: a cross-sectional analysis of the J-SHINE. J Epidemiol. 2020 Oct 3. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20200170. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33012775. Abstract Background: Sedentary behaviors are prevalent among children and can have a detrimental effect … Continue reading “New papter: Parental working hours and children’s sedentary time: a cross-sectional analysis of the J-SHINE”

The activities of Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study was introduced in the report of UNFPA: Regional COVID-19 monitoring report June 2020_B-1

We published a new paper from American journal of epidemiology. Abstract Levels of social capital can change after a natural disaster; thus far, no study has examined how changes in social capital affect the mental health of disaster victims. This study examined how pre-disaster social capital and its changes after a disaster were associated with … Continue reading “New paper: Post-disaster Changes in Social Capital and Mental Health: A Natural Experiment from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake”

We published a new paper from JAMA Network Open. Abstract Importance  Childhood maltreatment can have significant consequences on health through the life course, but its association with health care costs in later life is not widely known. Objective  To assess whether a history of childhood maltreatment is associated with additional medical costs among older adults in Japan. … Continue reading “New paper: Assessment of Additional Medical Costs Among Older Adults in Japan With a History of Childhood Maltreatment”

We published a new paper from Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Highlights ・In Japan, the carbon footprint of health care accounted for 4.6% of total national emissions in 2011. ・By 2015, the annual carbon footprint had increased to 72.0 MtCO2e owing to the growth of medical expenditures. ・The carbon footprint per patient with or without hospitalization … Continue reading “New paper: Carbon footprint of Japanese health care services from 2011 to 2015”

We published a new paper from International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Abstract Background: In light of recent theories in behavioural economics, an intervention program with monetary incentives could be effective for helping patrons order healthy food, even if the incentive is small and less than one’s perceived marginal value. Methods: In this … Continue reading “New paper: Effectiveness of a low-value financialincentive program for increasing vegetablerich restaurant meal selection and reducing socioeconomic inequality: a cluster crossover trial”

We published a new paper from PLOS ONE. Abstract The prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has rapidly increased among young people, while conventional cigarette use has decreased in this age group. However, some evidence suggests that e-cigarette use is likely to induce conventional cigarette smoking. The present study explored the social influence of the … Continue reading “New paper: Social influence of e-cigarette smoking prevalence on smoking behaviours among high-school teenagers: Microsimulation experiments.”

We published a new paper from Bulletin of the World Health Organization.  Problem The measures for long-term care prevention that the Japanese government had introduced in 2006 were unsuccessful because of the failures to identify high-risk individuals and to enrol enough participants in the community prevention programme. Approach The Japanese government shifted its primary strategy … Continue reading “New paper: Community-based care for healthy ageing: lessons from Japan”

We published a new paper from PLoS ONE. Abstract Backgrounds Recent evidence has suggested that in Japan, professionals and managers have a higher risk of poor health than other workers (e.g., clerks and manual laborers), and this effect may be stronger among women than men. Low organizational justice, which is known to be a potential … Continue reading “New paper: Organizational justice, psychological distress, and stress-related behaviors by occupational class in female Japanese employees”

We published a new paper from Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Early View. Abstract Objective In recent years, rural areas have reported higher suicide rates than urban areas worldwide. Although agricultural activity is a key characteristic of many rural areas, rurality may also have heterogeneous qualities based on the type of agriculture pursued. However, to date, … Continue reading “New paper: Suicide and Types of Agriculture: A Time-Series Analysis in Japan.”

We published a new paper from International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Abstract Evidence suggests that socioeconomically disadvantaged children may experience a greater increase in overweight risk during macroeconomic downturns. We examined whether inequalities in the risk of overweight between Japanese children from single- and two-parent households increased after the 2008 global financial … Continue reading “New paper: The Global Financial Crisis and Overweight among Children of Single Parents: A Nationwide 10-Year Birth Cohort Study in Japan”

We published a new paper from International Journal of Environmental Health Research. ABSTRACT One possible predictive factor that affects both pro-environmental behavior and health behavior is health consciousness (a psychological state where an individual is aware of and involved in his/her health condition). We examined the relationship between health consciousness and two pro-environmental behaviors (recycling and … Continue reading “New paper: Our health, our planet: a cross-sectional analysis on the association between health consciousness and pro-environmental behavior among health professionals”

We published a new paper from Appetite. Abstract Functional foods are promoted as products that provide specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition. While a number of studies show that the motivation behind the purchase of such products is oriented towards health concerns, we argue that consumers’ choice of functional food can also be driven by … Continue reading “New paper: Eating healthy to impress: How conspicuous consumption, perceived self-control motivation, and descriptive normative influence determine functional food choices”

We published a new paper from Journal of Youth Studies. ABSTRACT Despite policy efforts to increase adolescent happiness, their impact has been unsatisfactory. Their limited impact may be rooted from a discrepancy between values that adolescents pursued and those that the policies were based on. To provide policy implications, our study aims to identify prevailing values … Continue reading “New paper: Values and happiness among Asian adolescents: a cross-national study”

We published a new paper from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Abstract Background Income inequalities have risen from the 1990s to 2000s, following the economic recession in 1994, but little research has investigated socioeconomic inequalities in suicide mortality for working-age men and women (aged between 30 and 64 years) over the time using longitudinal … Continue reading “New paper: Increasing income-based inequality in suicide mortality among working-age women and men, Sweden, 1990–2007: is there a point of trend change?”

We published a new paper from Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health. Abstract We investigated cross-sectional associations between social support and access to health care among older Japanese people. From larger cohort datasets of community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older, 23 079 respondents were extracted. We summarized patterns of social support by gender and … Continue reading “New paper: Social Support and Access to Health Care Among Older People in Japan: Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)”

We published a new paper from European Journal of Public Health. Abstract Background Universal school lunch programmes are expected to cover all children equally, compared with selective programmes that may stigmatize socially vulnerable children. However, the effectiveness of universal programmes in closing dietary disparity has not been empirically proven. We evaluated whether Japan’s universal school … Continue reading “New paper: Universal school lunch programme closes a socioeconomic gap in fruit and vegetable intakes among school children in Japan”

We published a new paper from Journal of Epidemiology. Abstract Background: We explored the distinct trajectories of functional decline among older adults in Japan, and evaluated whether the frequency of outings, an important indicator of social activity, predicts the identified trajectories. Methods: We analyzed data on 2,364 adults aged 65 years or older from the … Continue reading “New paper: Exploring 2.5-Year Trajectories of Functional Decline in Older Adults by Applying a Growth Mixture Model and Frequency of Outings as a Predictor: A 2010–2013 JAGES Longitudinal Study”

Our new paper identified the increased overweight risks among elementary school children who have been living in emergency temporary housing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. After the 2011 disaster, there are many children who are still residing in temporary housing. Obesity in elementary school children after the Great East Japan Earthquake Authors Hidenori … Continue reading “New paper: increased overweight risks among children living in post-earthquake temporary housing”

Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies published Japan health system review. This is the latest Health in Transition (HiT) report of Japan. The review can be downloaded for free here. Japan health system review was written by: Haruka Sakamoto, The University of Tokyo Mizanur Rahman, The University of Tokyo Shuhei Nomura, The University … Continue reading “New publication: Japan health system review”

A paper from our JAGES research group was on Wall Street Journal: Social Ties Are Key for Survivors of a Disaster In the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami, studies show that how people are relocated can affect their recovery    

Krisztina Gero, Katsunori Kondo, Naoki Kondo, Kokoro Shirai, Ichiro Kawachi Associations of relative deprivation and income rank with depressive symptoms among older adults in Japan Social Science and Medicine https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.07.028

Educational attainment, time preference, and health-related behaviors: A mediation analysis from the J-SHINE survey　Original Research Article Social Science & Medicine, Volume 153, March 2016, Pages 116-122 Daisuke Takagi, Naoki Kondo, Misato Takada, Hideki Hashimoto Highlights We measured time preference using choice-based measurements of time discount rate. We demonstrated the relations of education to smoking, drinking … Continue reading “Paper published: time preference did not explain the association between education and health behavior much”

Our paper was published. Correlates of Regular Participation in Sports Groups among Japanese Older Adults: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study Mitsuya Yamakita ,Satoru Kanamori,Naoki Kondo,Katsunori Kondo URL: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0141638 Background Participation in a sports group is key for the prevention of incident functional disability. Little is known about the correlates of older adults’ participation in sports groups, although … Continue reading “New paper: Correlates of Regular Participation in Sports Groups among Japanese Older Adults: JAGES Cross–Sectional Study”

The global economic crisis, household income and pre-adolescent overweight and underweight: a nationwide birth cohort study in Japan Ueda P, Kondo N, Fujiwara T. Background We hypothesized that children from lower income households and in households experiencing a negative income change in connection to the global economic crisis in 2008 would be at increased risk … Continue reading “New paper(open access): economic crisis made the poor children obese”

Combined effects of eating alone and living alone on unhealthy dietary behaviors, obesity and underweight in older Japanese adults: Results of the JAGES Highlights Eating alone was associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors in older men and women. Eating alone was associated with obesity in older men and women. Eating alone was associated with underweight in … Continue reading “New paper: (Open Access) Combined effects of eating alone and living alone on unhealthy dietary behaviors, obesity and underweight in older Japanese adults: Results of the JAGES”

Influence of socioeconomic status on the association between bodymass index and cause-specific mortality among older Japanese adults: The AGES Cohort Study Miyo Nakade, Daisuke Takagi, Kayo Suzuki, Jun Aida, Toshiyuki Ojima, Katsunori Kondo, Hiroshi Hirai, Naoki Kondo Preventive Medicine 77 (2015) 112-118 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.015 Objective.Many studies have suggested a U-shaped curve for the association between body … Continue reading “New paper: stronger associations between oberweight, underweight, and mortality among poor Japanese men”

Our paper was published from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Heath: Naoki Kondo, Masashige Saito, Hiroyuki Hikichi, Jun Aida, Toshiyuki Ojima, Katsunori Kondo Ichiro Kawachi Relative deprivation in income and mortality by leading causes among older Japanese men and women: AGES cohort study Open Access http://jech.bmj.com/content/69/7/680.full

Many older adults still homebound after 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/oup-moa101414.php Full paper download: http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/10/13/ageing.afu146.full

Our new paper was published from the journal: Age and Ageing! The paper was free for download! Abstract Background: after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, inactivity and the homebound status of older victims in affected areas have been a serious public health concern owing to the victims’ prolonged existence as evacuees in mountainous … Continue reading “New article: Distance to retail stores and risk of being homebound among older adults in a city severely affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake”

Our new paper was published from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The paper is Open Access: http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2014/08/20/jech-2013-203619.full In the past two decades, health inequality has persisted or increased in states with comprehensive welfare. We conducted a national registry-based repeated cohort study with a 3-year follow-up between 1990 and 2007 in Sweden. Information on … Continue reading “New paper: Rising inequality in mortality among working-age Swedes”