Reizo Mita

Perception of self-physique and eating behavior of high school students in Japan.

Abstract The authors investigated the condition of self‐physique perception and eating behavior, and the relationship between self‐physique perception and eating behavior of high school students in Japan. Regarding self‐physique perception, subjects were shown six pictures of physiques and asked to choose one physique each for their actual physique and their ideal physique. With respect to eating behavior, the Japanese version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)‐26 was used. Groups of underweight girls, normal girls, and normal boys tended to regard their actual physiques as rather broad, demonstrating that many girls are excessively preoccupied with thinness. The rate of eating problems was 11.2% for the girls and 2.4% for the boys. For both boys and girls, those who idealized the thinner physique scored higher in terms of the EAT score and factor I score. Education regarding body perception and diet must be undertaken as soon as possible in Japan.

Ventriculography with methylglucamine iocarmate (Dimer-X): Experimental and clinical study

SummaryIn an attempt to study the use and value in ventriculography of meglumine iocarmate (Dimer-X), previously accepted as a water soluble contrast medium safe for myelography, we have conducted animal experiments to compare Dimer-X with meglumine iothalamate (Conray 60) and meglumine diatrizoate (Angiografin). We also made clinical studies of Dimer-X.In the animal experiments, 1.5 ml and 2.0 ml of Dimer-X were injected into the ventricles of 7 dogs. We noted the apparent superiority of Dimer-X over Conray 60 and Angiografin as far as side effects were concerned, but there were no particular differences in the intensities of the ventriculograms obtained. Morphological studies of the ventricles and histological examinations of the ventricular walls 1 month after intraventricular injections of Dimer-X showed no abnormalities.In the clinical studies, ventriculography with 1–5 ml Dimer-X, performed on 17 cases, aged 8 months to 62 years, with diseases of the central nervous system, produced ventriculograms of good diagnostic value with no side effects, such as convulsions, apart from mild headache or vomiting in 4 instances.

Initial drop of blood pressure during head-up tilt in patients with cerebrovascular accidents

ObjectiveTo investigate cardiovascular responses to orthostatic stress in patients with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA).MethodsTwelve male patients with CVA, 11 healthy elderly and 12 healthy young males participated in the present study. The CVA patients had suffered stroke with hemiplegia at least 11 months prior to the study, their medical conditions were stable, and no subjects were taking medications affecting the cardiovascular system. Heart rate (HR) was determined using RR intervals from the ECG. Stroke volume (SV) was estimated by an impedance method, and cardiac output (CO) was calculated by multiplying SV by HR. Blood pressure (BP) was determined by the auscultatory method. SV, HR, CO and BP were measured every 2 min before and during 7 min of 60-degree head-up tilt (HUT).ResultsSV decreased and HR increased immediately after starting HUT in all groups. CO in healthy elderly and young subjects immediately decreased during HUT also, and the decrease was sustained throughout the head-up period. However, CO in CVA patients remained constant throughout the experiment. HUT immediately decreased SBP in all groups and the magnitude of initial SBP reduction in CVA patients was greater than that in the other groups.ConclusionsWe identified an initial reduction of BP during HUT in CVA patients and the recovery of BP by 3 min of head-up tilt. We emphasize that adjustment to orthostatic stress in CVA patients should be practiced by HUT, as our findings showed that CVA patients maintained physiological orthostatic tolerance except for the initial fall in BP.

Active life expectancy for people over 65 years old in a local city in the northern part of Tohoku district

Life expectancy does not necessarily match quality of life (QOL). A cohort study involving a population of 10,107 in a certain city of Japan was conducted to evaluate active life expectancy (ALE), which has a direct relationship with QOL. The ALE that took functional recovery rates into account was 17.20 and 19.08 years for males and females respectively, at the age of 65. These values increased by 2.98 and 3.87 years for men and women, respectively, compared with when functional recovery rates were not considered. ALE may serve as an indicator for the objective evaluation of various public health services provided by local governments.

Estimation of body composition by bioelectrical impedance and anthropometric technique in Japanese children

Both skinfold anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) are indirect, simple, and non-invasive compared with other techniques to estimate body composition. It is not clear, however, whether the results of both techniques are comparable. In this study, percentage of body fat (%Fat) was determined in 437 school children (229 boys and 208 girls) by skinfold anthropometry and BIA and after 1 year similarly determined in the same subjects. Median %Fat was 18.6 % and 20.7 % in boys and girls by skinfold anthropometry and also 17.6 % and 18.5 % by BIA and after one year 17.9 % and 19.9 %, 16.0 % and 17.0 % respectively. There were significant correlations (p<0.001) for boys and girls between %Fat and the difference of Fat mass between the first and the second year with these techniques. However, there were significant differences between the two methods for boys and girls (p<0.001). Currently available equations for converting impedance-based estimates of total body water to fat mass are not fully developed for use in children, but BIA method is useful in community surveys.

A Study of Atopic Dermatitis in Elementary School Children in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residential environments and atopic dermatitis (AD). Subjects were 1378 elementary school children from 4 elementary schools in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture located in die northeastern of Japan. Physical examinations, which adhered to the diagnostic criteria set by die Japanese Dermatological Association, were given by dermatological specialists in October 1994 (first series) and April 1995 (second series). Half of die children with AD showed symptoms in only one of two seasons, either the autumn or spring, so the drifting of symptoms of AD occurred largely by seasons. The data on residential environments was gathered by questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that more children who were diagnosed positive as AD twice (AD(+,+)), lived in damp and moldy homes than did children who were diagnosed negative as AD twice (AD(-,-)). Moreover AD(+,+) were more likely to live in homes built between 1984 and 1989 than did AD(-,-). In addition, most AD(+,+) children frequently lived in homes in which the bedrooms were vacuumed 3-5 times or more in a week. Then damp and moldy houses or houses built between 1984 and 1989 may be risk factors for the outbreak of AD.

Eating patterns, weight status and egogram characteristics among Japanese pupils

The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual conditions of eating patterns and the relationships among eating patterns, degree of overweightness and egogram characteristics among pupils. The subjects were 871 boys and girls whose grades ranged from 4th to 6th. They were selected from five elementary schools in Hirosaki and its suburbs, Japan. They were classified into the following 5 groups by the degree of overweightness: lean group, standard group, slightly obese group, moderately obese group, and extremely obese group. Eating patterns were measured by questionnaries, and AN-egogram was used for the measurement of egogram characteristics.The results were as follows:1.The ego state of pupils who eat their favorite dish even with a full stomach showed significantly lower A (adult) qualities and higher FC (free child) qualities than those who would not eat in this situation. The egogram pattern of the former pupils exhibited the NP (nurturing parent)-low type.2.The egogram pattern of pupils who engage in substitutive food intake exhibited the NP-low type.3.Significant differences existed among the ego states CP (critical parent), NP, A, and FC as to reasons given for eating between meals.4.The egogram pattern of the person who eats between meals at the time of “an empty stomach” showed a flat type of ego state with relatively low NP. The person who eats “just at meal time” showed an A-dominant type. The person who eats “when food is present” showed an NP - low type with relatively low CP.5.The ego state A was significandy less common in the extremely obese group than in the lean group.6.The egogram pattern of the lean, standard, and slightly obese groups showed an A - dominant type of ego state, and that of moderately and extremely obese groups showed an AC-dominant type with CP slightly high.

A longitudinal study of the relationship between osteo sono-assessment index and lifestyle in elderly female in nursing homes

The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal effect of mobility and daily activity, in the form of exercise and everyday activities, on the bones of 102 elderly female nursing home residents who had physical disabilities as well as marked postmenopausal bone loss, using calcaneal ultrasound apparatus for bone evaluation.Of the 102 subjects initially measured, 74 (mean age, 83.5±6.55 years; range, 64–99 years) could be measured again approximately one year later. The osteo sono-assessment index (OSI) in this study was determined using an ultrasound bone evaluation device. This device measures the speed of sound (SOS) and transmission index (TI) as ultrasound passes through the calcaneus. The OSI is calculated by computer analysis (OSI=TI×SOS2). For mobility, the OSI decreased significantly by an average of 1.8% after 11.8 months in all of the residents who were using a wheelchair (n=41, p<0.01). In contrast, the OSI rose significantly by a mean of 1.9% in the ambulatory group (n=33, p<0.01).The OSI increased significantly in residents who exercised every day, were out of bed for at least seven hours per day, and walked on a regular basis, suggesting that exercise, mainly in the form of walking, may increase the calcaneal OSI.

A study on the daily physical activity of junior high school students in Japan

The purpose of this study was to estimate daily energy expenditure (EE) and daily activity factor (DAF: EE/basal metabolism - 1) of junior high school students in Japan using heart rate (HR) monitoring method. Daily activity recording and 24 hour HR monitoring were measured in all the subjects. The relational formulas between HR and oxygen consumption were obtained from bicycle ergometer test. Subjects were 112 junior high school students (68 male and 44 female) from the 1st to the 3rd year. The averages of EE (kcal/kg) of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students were 54.3, 46.7, and 44.5 (kcal/kg) for males and 50.1, 44.4, and 40.5 (kcal/kg) for females respectively. In the same way DAF were 0.80, 0.61, and 0.59 for males and 0.77, 0.65, and 0.51 for females. It was shown that EE (kcal/kg) and DAF have a tendency to decrease as school year increases in both male and female students.

One-year increment of fat mass and lean body mass of Japanese school children using bioelectrical impedance

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skinfold thickness (SF) (triceps and subscapular) methods were applied to 436 Japanese school children (228 boys and 208 girls) aged from 9 to 11 years with a one-year follow-up to determine changes in body composition. By BIA oneyear increment (Δ) of lean body mass (LBM) for boys increased significantly (p<0.01) and Δ LBM was almost equivalent to that for Δ weight (Wt). Δ Wt and Δ fat mass (FM) between the age 10 (from ages 10 to 11) and age 11 (from ages 11 to 12) groups in girls achieved statistical significance (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively) and Δ Wt was almost completely comprised of the Δ FM in these age groups. Δ FM in die age 11 group for girls was statistically higher than that in the age 10 group, and this obvious increase of FM in the age 11 group was presumed to be die effect of menses in consideration of die maximum oneyear increment of Ht (Δ Ht) in die age 10 group.These results of the assessment of body composition by BIA supported those of previous reports, and therefore BIA can be considered as a useful mediod to estimate changes in body composition of school children because it is simple and non-invasive and can be performed rapidly.