1.Studies on comparison of physical measurements and blood properties of middle-aged and old farmers in Saga prefecture with reference to topographical features.
Kohichi Yukawa ; Fumio Hirata ; Takashi Ikeda ; Kazue Morimoto ; Makiko Katayose ; Yasuaki Tahara ; Masashi Sugahara ; Akira Nakanishi ; Isao Fukui
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1984;33(4):759-769
A survey of physical mesurements, blood pressure, blood mesurements and frequency of food consumption was conducted on 152 males and 229 females, aged 40 to 65 years, from three rural districts in Saga prefecture. The districts were Ariake (flatland area), Kohhoku (intermediate area) and Yamanouchi (mountainous area). While, on the aged -above 70 years, a questionnaire on daily living and health condioion was investigated.
The results were summarized as follows:
1) The values of skinfold thickness differed little among the districts. The rate of obesity by skinfold thickness both in male and female was lower than the result of National Dietary Survey in 1981. However, the average skinfold thickness in females were higher a little compared with the values of our suruey in same region in 1971.
2) The prevalence rate of anemia in females was remarkably high (below 12g/dl of hemoglobin, 34%). It presumed that agricultural work load might heavy, and nutrients intake correspond to the work load was insufficient.
3) From the results of frequency of food consumption, inhabitants in Ariake compared with Kohhoku more frequently intaked modern food e. g. meat, milk. On the other hand, Kohhoku was higher in blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio, and lower in triglyceride, total choresterol than Ariake. We guessed that the food consumption pattern mainly affect on the results of blood pressure and serum lipids.
4) In relation to the correlation matrix which calculated on all districts, the higher the obesity, the higher the blood pressure, triglyceride, total cholesterol and cholinesterase activity, whereas the obesity decreased HDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio.
5) Among 90 persons aged above 70 years, the rate of ones who can not work from physically disability, and who have any desease was 18%, 51% respectively.
2.Physical Load of Labors upon the Farmers Engaged in Raising Silk Worms
Masashi Nakamura ; Koichi Yukawa ; Humio Hirata ; Takashi Ikeda ; Yumi Ishihara ; Masashi Sugawara ; Haruaki Chirifu ; Kazue Morimoto ; Nobuko Noda ; Mutsuyoshi Tsuchimoto ; Kazuo Sugawara
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1981;30(4):763-772
Investigation on the working time, energy expenditure and fatigue were carried out for members of three families engaged principally in raising silk worms.
Group examinations of physical conditions and blood constituents and survey of nutritional intake were performed on the residents, including the above families, in a community in Fukueisland, Nagasaki-prefecture.
The results were as follows;
1) The average values of energy expenditure on a most busy day in a raising period of silk worm calculated to be 3150 kcal (max. 3500 kcal) for males, 2340 kcal (max. 2890 kcal) for females of the above three families. Their working times on this day were about 14 hours.
2) The physical fatigue of the subjects was estimated by means of Fliker frequency, near point and threshold of patellar reflex. Remarkable changes of these values were found, suggesting the heavy physical load of the raising works, and the changes were more remarkable in olders and females than in youngers and males.
3) Donaggio's reaction and Na/K in the first urine of morning were investigated at an interval of five days during one period of silk worm raising.
The Donaggio's reaction values were increased about two times higher in the latter term, on the other hand Na/K dropped in the former term of the period.
4) The group examinations of the inhabitants in the community showed that the body fat of silk raising farmers were fewer than that of the farmers engaged in other kinds of farming reported by the present authors.
Blood values (Ht, Hb and TP) of them in 1975 were lower than in 1974, because one more raising period was added and so the physical load of them might be greater in '75 than in '74.
5) The nutritional intakes of silk raising farmers were almost as same as these of the farmers in other districts.