Top news

A new paper authored by PhD student Hiroko Sakurai and Professor Naoki Kondo, along with a multidisciplinary team, has been published in the JMA Journal (Japan Medical Association Journal).

The review evaluates the extent to which the Japanese medical reimbursement system incorporates assessments and actions related to Social Determinants of Health (SDH), such as economic status and social support, with a special focus on primary care settings. The researchers reviewed eight specific reimbursement requirements. They found that while recent updates, such as the “Hospitalization and Discharge Support Fee” and “Guidance in Cooperation with Mental Health Care Fee,” explicitly recognize SDH factors like economic deprivation and isolation, significant challenges remain. The study highlights the need for clearer definitions of SDH factors within the payment system, creation opportunities to assess SDH outside of hospital settings, and stronger incentives for collaboration with community support sectors.

This study offers critical insights for future revisions of the reimbursement system to better address health disparities in Japan.

Click here to access the paper.

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

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)

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 they lived in as restrictive were 1.9 times more likely to have depressive symptoms, 2.0 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and 2.2 times more likely to have attempted suicide. Similarly, women were 1.8 times more likely to have depressive symptoms, 2.1 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and 2.6 times more likely to have attempted suicide.

The results of this study suggest that those who perceive the atmosphere in their community as being rigid about gender roles and think that it does not allow for diversity are less likely to seek help in times of need, which in turn has a negative impact on their mental health.

The paper was published in International Psychogeriatrics, a leading journal in the field of gerontology and psychology, in the First View online edition on November 6, 2023.

Mariko Kanamori, Andrew Stickley, Kosuke Takemura, Yumiko Kobayashi, Mayumi Oka, Toshiyuki Ojima, Katsunori Kondo, Naoki Kondo. Community gender norms, mental health and suicide ideation and attempts among older Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study. International Psychogeriatrics, 1-11.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S104161022300087X

The press release is available on Mariko Kanamori’s website.

http://mariko-kanamori.moo.jp/en/2023/12/01/depressive-symptoms-suicide-ideation-and-attempts-are-about-twice-as-common-among-those-who-perceive-community-gender-norms-as-restrictive/