We performed a statistical analysis to find characteristic elements or moments which may make old people feel life worth living in rural areas in Japan, using the results of a questionnaire survey we reported in 1996 wiht the title “Aging of the Rural Population and Effective Measures to Respond to the Trend.”
In the analytical procedure, we used a multiple regression analysis with a logistic model. The dependent variable was the question “Is your present life worth your while to live?” As the independent variables, 168 questions were used covering various aspects of everyday life-farm work, activity in the community, environment, health, medication, aging, death, etc.
The number of subjects responded to the survey totaled 1, 373 men and women at age 55 and over living in 7 prefectures in Japan. The purpose of the analysis was to obtain items of questions with statistically significant coefficients in the logistic regression equation for the dependent variable. A total of 28 items of questions of statistic significance were obtained and most of the answers to these questions had a positively directed nature in order. Some of the items are as follows:
“Principles in life, ”“High hopes on agriculture, ”“Family with plural generations, ”“Satisfaction with domestic conditions, ”“Positive (healthy) ADL-markers, ”“Liking for harmony, ”“Participation in neighborhood activity, ”“Medication up to the terminal stage, ”“Willingness to leave one's body to medicine or donate for organ transplantation, ” etc.
Further, we discussed the comparison of items of unique characteristics between prefectures, healthy and unhealthy groups, sexes, age groups, and farmers and non-farmers.

The urinary levels of both dimethyl phosphate and dimethyl thiophosphate, which are the metabolites of organophosphorus pesticides, were investigated. The samples were obtained from four healthy subjects, every 5 or 7 daysover a period of 8 months. They are rural inhabitants and do not spray agricultural chemicals themselves. Both of the metabolites were always detected from all samples of these subjects, and their levels were elevated sporadically regardless of whether the samples were obtained during the farming season or not.
These results suggest that people who live in rural areas are always at risk of being exposed to pesticides in and out of season and that thepesticides or their metabolites remaine in bodies over a long period.

Data concerning clinical cases of pesticide poisoning/disorders were collected from members of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine during 2001-2003, and were analyzed statistically.A total of 194 cases of poisoning/disorders by pesticide exposure were reported from 36 hospitals and other medical institutions. Suicide cases accounted for 74% of the total number of cases, which was followed by the cases caused by exposure during spraying (17%) and drinking/eating by mistake (7%).In 144 suicide cases, those of males accounted for 52%, the middle-aged and older people constituted the majority. By types of clinical manifestations, almost all of the cases were acute or subacute pesticide poisoning (98%). Organophosphate insecticides were the most frequent inducers of the cases (39%), which was followed by bipyridylium herbicides (23%). When it comes to the outcome, more than 80% of suicide cases with paraquat products resulted in death.There were 39 cases of pesticide poisoning/disorders resulting from exposure during spraying, preparation or settling, and working in sprayed area. In these cases, males accounted for 70% the middle-aged and older people made up the majority. By types of clinical manifestations, the cases of acute or subacute pesticide poisoning accounted for 39%, which was followed by acute dermatitis (33%), chemical burn (14%), and ocular disorders (11%). The pesticides that induced clinical cases varied greatly. Main factors contributing to the onset of pesticide poisoning/disorders were insufficient protective clothing (44%), self conceit (19%), insufficient information (14%), and carelessness (12%).
Pesticides ; Clinical ; Poisoning aspects ; Acute ; Cases