Press Release: Income and impaired kidney function –the disparities of rapid kidney function decline and hemodialysis were 1.7 times– (Doctoral Student Ishimura)

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 income group, based on the analysis of 5.6 million insured individuals from the Japan Health Insurance Association.

Article: Ishimura N, Inoue K, Maruyama S, Nakamura S, Kondo N. Income Level and Impaired Kidney Function Among Working Adults in Japan. JAMA Health Forum. 2024;5(3):e235445.
DOI link:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.5445

News: Professors Inoue and Sato’s Research Featured in Top 5 Highest Impact Factor Journals 2021-2023 (School of Public Health, Kyoto University)

Congratulations to Associate Professor Kosuke Inoue and Assistant Professor Koryu Sato for their outstanding achievement!

Their dedication and pioneering research have significantly contributed to the understanding of Social Epidemiology, leaving an indelible mark on the academic community. Their work has been recognized with publications among the Top 5 highest Impact Factor Journals between 2021-2023 in the School of Public Health at Kyoto University (KUSPH), as evidenced by Web of Science.

For more detailed information, please click here.

News: Joint Statement on Building a Green Healthcare System released by the Japan Health and Global Policy Institute’s Planetary Health Project (Professor Kondo)

The Planetary Health Project of Japan Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) released a Joint Statement titled “A Significant Step Towards the Building a Green Healthcare System” on February 16, 2024, with Professor Kondo serving as an Advisory Board Member.

This statement highlights the increasing significance of addressing planetary health challenges, particularly climate changes, as evidenced by the Japanese government delegation’s participation in the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) at the 154th World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board in Geneva on January 27, 2024.

For further details, please refer to the information available by clicking here. [English version]

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)

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 mechanism has not been elucidated. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of relocation on mental health by housing type and what factors explain this effect. We included 828 older adults aged 65 years or older who participated in the 2013 survey before the earthquake and seven months later in the 2016 survey in Mifune Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, which was affected by the April 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Focusing on participation in group activities, the risk of depression due to relocation to temporary housing was 3.8 times higher for those who had no change before and after the earthquake, but this risk was reduced by 40% for those who had a change in group participation. After the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, temporary housing facilities were relocated based on lessons learned from past earthquakes and tsunami disasters, including group relocation policies, the establishment of meeting places in proximity, and visitation activities by support centers. There, residents were able to change their involvement in group activities and optimize their connections, which may have led to a reduction in relocation stress.

The paper was published in BMC Public Health in the online edition on October 11, 2023.

The press release is available here.

[Article Information]

Yoko Matsuoka, Maho Haseda, Mariko Kanamori, Koryu Sato, Airi Amemiya, Toshiyuki Ojima, Daisuke Takagi, Masamichi Hanazato & Naoki Kondo. Does disaster-related relocation impact mental health via changes in group participation among older adults? Causal mediation analysis of a pre-post disaster study of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. BMC Public Health 23, 1982 (2023).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16877-0

News: Media coverage “The decision to postpone pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic is strongly associated with lower well-being”

The content of a paper published by the RISTEX project “How Did The Pandemic Affect Women’s Decisions On Pregnancy?,” sponsored by our laboratory, was recently featured on the website of Theravive, a Canadian organization of clinical psychologists.

“Pregnancy decisions are influenced by societal factors. Those choosing delay often experience isolation and loneliness. This article aims to connect them with support and connection.”

For detailed information, access the published article here. For Paper details, click here.

News: Professor Kondo Appointed to WHO Advisory Group on Social Connection (Professor Kondo)

We are pleased to announce that Professor Kondo has been appointed to the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection (TAG-SC) for a two-year term. The TAG-SC, comprising up to 20 experts, will provide counsel to the WHO Secretariat on the profound interplay between social connection and health. This appointment underscores Professor Kondo’s expertise in this complex and vital field.

Congratulations, Professor Kondo!

Related information can be found here.

Paper Publication: Development and validation of Healthy Ageing indicator proposed by the United Nations (PhD student, Marisa Nishio)

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 as an indicator (Functional Ability refers to the combination of an individual’s physical and mental abilities and the supportive environment enabling them to utilize these abilities). However, the measurement for Functional Ability and its conceptual validity have not been extensively studied, making the implementation of monitoring efforts challenging.

This research utilized data from approximately 35,000 older individuals residing in Japan to develop a measurement for Functional Ability and assess its validities. 

Her study confirmed the empirical validity of Functional Ability. To promote the global dissemination and monitoring of Healthy Ageing, further research validating the concept of Functional Ability using data from other countries is essential.

This study was published in “Age and Ageing,” a journal by Oxford University Press. 

Press release is here

【Article information】

Nishio M, Haseda M, Inoue K, Saito M, Kondo N. Measuring functional ability in Healthy Ageing: testing its validity using Japanese nationwide longitudinal data. Age Ageing. 2024 Jan 2;53(1):afad224. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afad224. PMID: 38275093; PMCID: PMC10811647.

URL: Measuring functional ability in Healthy Ageing: testing its validity using Japanese nationwide longitudinal data | Age and Ageing | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

Symposium Video Release: Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Takemi Program in International Health (Professor Kondo)

Professor Kondo participated in the 40th Anniversary Symposium “Digital Health: Opportunities and Challenges for Community Health,” organized by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Takemi Program in International Health. As a featured speaker, Professor Kondo delivered a presentation on “Social Common Capital and Digital Health” at the event held on November 11, 2023, in the auditorium of the Japan Medical Association in Tokyo, Japan.
The video recording of this presentation has been released and will remain accessible until July 2024.
To watch the video in English, click here. For Japanese, click here.

News: Professor Kondo contributes to the [Relay-essay] titled “I tried a ‘life meeting’ on New Year’s Day, and even an elementary school student enjoyed it” on the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine website (Professor Kondo)

Professor Kondo shares an enjoyable experience in the first installment of the [Relay-essay], a new section at the Graduate School of Medicine. He explores values and desires through a unique and engaging game, shedding light on the importance of empathetic discussions within the context of Public Health.
Click here for more details.

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)

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 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. We need to reconsider how to intervene with potentially modifiable factors, such as EMS personnel performance, the impact of the presence of allied services, hospital patient acceptance systems, and cooperation between general emergency and psychiatric hospitals to improve community EMS.
Article: Ueno, K., Teramoto, C., Nishioka, D. et al. Factors associated with prolonged on-scene time in ambulance transportation among patients with minor diseases or injuries in Japan: a population-based observational study. BMC Emerg Med 24, 10 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-023-00927-2