This study was carried out to clarify how health checkup results relate to stages of behavior change and lifestyle in workers in their 30s and 40s. By comparing the findings between the two age group, we considered how health guidance should be given in the workplace. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess stages of behavior change and lifestyle. Of the health checkup items, BMI, abdominal circumference, blood pressure, blood test values of triglycerides and blood glucose were examined. Among workers in their 30s, men had higher values than women in almost all of these items, suggesting the need to consider gender differences when health guidance is proviede. A look at health checkup results and stages of change showed a link between exercise stages of change and abdominal circumference for workers in their 30s, and between exercise stages of change and BMI and abdominal circumference for workers in their 40s, suggesting that behavior modification may be possible through this “stages of change” approach. A stufy of health checkup results and lifestyle showed a link between health checkup results and such habits as skipping breakfast, snacking, reducing sugar intake, smoking and drinking alcohol among workers in their 30s. These results suggest that health checkup results vary depending on lifestyle habits in workers in their 30s that make up the younger segment, and that health checkup results are reflected in health-related behavior. Assessing health conditions of workers while they are in their 30s and providing early intervention may help prevent future lifestyle-related diseases.

　　Objective: This presentation is designed to clarify the sense of satisfaction entertained by home visiting nurses and nosocomial nurses and relations among the “sense of efficiency,” “work stress,” “sense of satisfaction with duty work,&rdquo and “posture toward terminal care.”　　Methods: The subjects of this study include 106 home visiting nurses and 120 nosocomial nurses and were asked about the factors cited in the Objective. 　　Results: In the group of home visiting nurses, the age and the sense of self-efficacy were high, the number of years in service was great and they had many children. In both groups, significant correlations were observed between the “sense of satisfaction with the delivery of full terminal nursing care to the last moment” and the “yardstick of attitude toward terminal care.” In the home visiting group, significant correlations were noted between the “sense of satisfaction with the delivery of full terminal care to the last moment” and the “sense of self-efficacy.” In the group of nosocomial nurses, significant correlations were witnessed in the “sense of satisfaction with the delivery of full nursing care to the last moment” and the “sense of satisfaction with hospital work.”　　Discussion and conclusion: Home visiting nurses appeared to have a high sense of self-efficacy as their ages were high and they had many years of experience in nursing care and family life.　　The sense of satisfaction with the delivery of full nursing care to the last moment was considered high among nosocomial mursesandhome visiting nurses, as they have grappled with the delivery of terminal care in a forward-looking posture.　　The sense of satisfaction with the delivery of full terminal care was presumably looked upon as having an effect on the sense of satisfaction with nursing care as a line of duty.

　　The purpose of this study is to clarify the depression symptoms of persons, aged 75 and over, and discuss physical and cognitive aspects and impacts on QOL. On the basis of this clarification, furthermore, the authors aim at examining social support to the elderly.　　The subjects include 122 persons, aged 75 and over, consisting of 24 males (85.7 years old with SD at 5.81) and 98 females (85.34 years old with SD at 5.15) who receive day services at welfare facilities for the elderly in Saga Prefecture. The items checked in interviews consisted of basic properties, geriatric depression scale (GDS), Barthel index, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and health-related QOL (SF8). As an analytical method, the subjects’ GDS scorewas assumed to be cutoff 5/4. As they were divided into two groups, they were compared item by item in a t test. Ethical considerations: The authors briefed the intervieweeson the purposes of the study and had their consent, both orally and in writing. We also told them that the participation was utterly at their own discretion.　　The subjects consisted of 48 patients in need of care (39.3%), 38 patients in need of support (31.1%) and 27 “specified” elderly patients (22.1%), among others. It was revealed that 61 patients (50.0%) had mild depression symptoms with the GDS score at 5 to 10 points, eight patients (6.6%) had severe depression symptoms with the GDS score at 11 points, and 53 patients (43.4%) had no depression symptoms with the GDS score at less than 4 points.　　Depression symptoms were observed in 69 out of 122 subjects, or in excess of half of them, and a significant difference was observed between the two groups in growth hormone (subjective healthy feeling), indicating that the results were similar to those of an earlier study by Nagata et al.

To clarify the recovery patterns of spontaneous activity and liver damage after different stressors, female Fischer 344 rats were treated with Propionibacterium aches (P, aches) or water immersion stress before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. They were then examined for wheel running activity, serum corticosterone concentration, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, histological appearance of liver and plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) concentration.
The recovery in physical activity of P. aches-treated rats was faster than that of water immersion rats. One day after the stressors, serum corticosterone cancentration and ALT activity of P. acnes-treated rats were higher than that of water immersion rats. In addition, increases in serum ALT activity and plasma TNF- a, as well as massive necrosis of the liver in P. acnes-treated rats were observed seven days after stress treatment. The P. acnes-LPS rats also showed a reduction in survival rate after 24 hours. These results suggest that P. acnes stress causes serious inflammation when stimulated by LPS. Although rapid recovery in physical activity was not inhibited by P. acnes stress, it differed from the response of water immersion stress.

To clarify the recovery patterns of spontaneous activity and liver damage after different stressors, female Fischer 344 rats were treated with Propionibacterium aches (P, aches) or water immersion stress before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. They were then examined for wheel running activity, serum corticosterone concentration, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, histological appearance of liver and plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) concentration.
The recovery in physical activity of P. aches-treated rats was faster than that of water immersion rats. One day after the stressors, serum corticosterone cancentration and ALT activity of P. acnes-treated rats were higher than that of water immersion rats. In addition, increases in serum ALT activity and plasma TNF- a, as well as massive necrosis of the liver in P. acnes-treated rats were observed seven days after stress treatment. The P. acnes-LPS rats also showed a reduction in survival rate after 24 hours. These results suggest that P. acnes stress causes serious inflammation when stimulated by LPS. Although rapid recovery in physical activity was not inhibited by P. acnes stress, it differed from the response of water immersion stress.

Object: To clarify the emotional and instrumental support influencing male caregivers for people with dementia living at home.

Patients/Materials and Methods: The subjects were 298 male caregivers. Nursing care burden was assessed using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. Ability to cope with care problems was assessed using the Nursing Care Problems Coping Scale for Male Caregivers for People with Dementia Living at Home (NCSM). Emotional support was assessed using the Emotional Support Network Scale. Instrumental support was assessed using the question “Do you have someone to help when you have a problem with nursing care?”.

Results: There was a significant correlation (P < 0.04) between the point (index) of NCSM and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. A positive significant correlation was found in three coping styles. A negative significant correlation was found in one coping style, and no significant correlation in one coping style. The ‘Solve the problem’ coping style was linked to support from both within and beyond the family. Both ‘Emotional avoidance’ and ‘Cognitive transformation’ coping styles were linked to support from within the family, and “Request assistance” style only to external support. There were no correlations between the source of support and the “Careful supervision and waiting” coping style.

Conclusion: Emotional and instrumental support for male caregivers was more than three times more likely to be obtained from within the family than outside it. With families becoming smaller, it is becoming more important for communities and society in general to provide emotional and instrumental support for male caregivers. Male caregivers need support from someone with whom they feel comfortable. It is particularly necessary to consider how to support male caregivers who use the “Emotional avoidance” coping style.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify burnout and the characteristics of mental health of caregivers of elderly dementia patients, which have been little studied.Methods: The subjects of this study were 107 caregivers who were engaged in the care of dementia patients at 12 facilities in northern Kyushu. We examined age, sex, status of nursing-care related qualifications, kinds of nursing care-related qualifications, years of working experience, physical health (Present state of health and Presence of perceived ill health), status at work (Problems at work and Job stress) and satisfaction with life using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and WHO Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SUBI). The period of survey was five months, between June 1 and October 31, 2006.Results: The most severe level of burnout was found in 27.1% of the subjects. When subjects were classified into the burnout and nonburnout groups, the burnout group represented 53.3% of the subjects. In a comparison of the scores of the SUBI subscales between the burnout and nonburnout group, significant differences were observed in almost all subscales without "Deficiency in Social Contacts."Conclusion: This study clarified that self-care of physical and mental health, family support and social support were very important in maintaining mental health and preventing burnout in caregivers of dementia patients. Improvement of working conditions was considered particularly important for social support.

With multiple-choice questions presenting one, two, or three of five choices (types A, K or X), the expected probability of a correct answer (P) can be obtained with a five-dimensional equation for the knowledge level (q), which is the probability of discriminating correct and incorrect items. From equations for each question type, we inversely estimated the q value (the estimated knowledge level), replacing P with the raw score rate in the actual examinations for promotion. The distribution and mean value of the raw score rate of type X differed from those for types A and K. However, distributions of estimated q values for the three question types were similar. This method can be used to estimate the actual knowledge level of students without the question type affecting the raw score but cannot be used to estimate incorrect knowledge.

We report five cases of painful swelling caused by hymenoptera stings and centipede bites treated with ourengedokuto and inchingoreisan soon after the time of injury. The first case was a 70-year-old male. He was stung by a hornet on the left hand 30 minutes prior. The second case was a 45-year-old male. He was stung by a hornet on the left face 20 minutes prior. The third case was a 55-year-old male. He was stung by a hornet on the left lower thigh 10 minutes prior. The fourth case was a 39-year-old male. He was stung by a hornet on the right thigh 60 minutes prior. The fifth case was a 35-year-old male. He was bitten by a centipede on the right first toe 20 minutes prior. All cases received Kampo therapies immediately and continued them every few hours. In all cases, their pain, redness and swelling at the site of injury were relieved by the next day. We consider Kampo therapies can contribute to the healing of hymenoptera stings and centipede bites at an early stage.