Objectives
To develop a stressor scale for Japanese overseas residents that takes their general and specific circumstances into consideration.
Methods
In Study 1, an original version of the Stressor Scale for Japanese Overseas Residents - United Kingdom version (SSJR-UK) consisting of 47 items was drafted based on the Daily Hassles Scale and 13 items extracted using the KJ Method. Next, we administered it to Japanese residents in the UK (n = 369) to assess its reliability and construct validity. In Study 2, a subset of the UK group (n = 100) was compared to three other groups: Nordic countries (n = 65), Southeast Asia (n = 61), and Japan (n = 148) to identify stressors specific to life in the UK.
Results
Factor analysis was conducted using promax rotation and the following six factors were identified: daily life circumstances, psychological pressure, sense of fulfilment, health and future of the family, interpersonal relationships, and oral communication. Overall Cronbach’s alpha was .90, which provides evidence of the scale’s high internal consistency. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients between each SSJR-UK factor scores and the CES-D were .28-.58 (p < .01) and between SSJR-UK factor scores and the SRS18 were .38-.67 (p <.01), which are indicative of the construct validity of the scale. The discriminability of the scale indicated that only the overall score and scores for the factors specific to conditions in the UK were significantly higher than in the other countries: F (4,370) = 9.19 (p < .001) and F (4,370) = 16.48 (p < .001), respectively.
Conclusion
The SSJR-UK has sufficient reliability and validity to measure the stressors of Japanese residents in the UK.

The number of female physicians is increasing. In Japan, marriage and child–bearing have been considered barriers preventing female physicians from working continuously. This study investigated the effects of marriage and child–bearing on career satisfaction among female physicians.
1)We surveyed the alumni of two private medical schools (University A: n=646; University B: n=316). The response rate was 38% for University A and 71% for University B.
2)When the subjects were asked if they were satisfied that they had chosen a career as a physician, 85%(n=400) answered that they were satisfied.
3)In total, 348 female physicians (74%) were married, and of them, 280 (80%) had experienced childbirth, and 259 (77%) were married to physicians.
4)Factors that significantly and positively affected career satisfaction were marriage for all female physicians and child–bearing for married female physicians.
5)The results of this study suggest that marriage and child–bearing, rather than being obstacles to career development, have positive effects on the career satisfaction of female physicians.

An objective assessment of stress is needed to manage stress and prevent the development of stress-related diseases such as depression and coronary heart disease. In this paper, we discussed the possibility of applying saliva to an assessment of stress. We illustrated the procedures for collecting and analyzing saliva, and reviewed the relationships of acute, chronic, psychological, or physical stress to seven salivary substances: Cortisol, Dehydroepiandrosterone, Testosterone, Chromogranin A, 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyglycol, α-Amylase, and Secretory Immunoglobulin A. Considering unique characteristics of each salivary substance and purposes of the study or the non-invasive assessment, salivary substances should be selected for the assessment of stress.

In 1952, the Japanese Society for Hygiene had once passed a resolution at its 22nd symposium on population control, recommending the suppression of population growth based on the idea of cultivating a healthier population in the area of eugenics. Over half a century has now passed since this recommendation; Japan is witnessing an aging of the population (it is estimated that over 65-year-olds made up 27.7% of the population in 2017) and a decline in the birth rate (total fertility rate 1.43 births per woman in 2017) at a rate that is unparalleled in the world; Japan is faced with a "super-aging" society with low birth rate. In 2017, the Society passed a resolution to encourage all scientists to engage in academic researches to address the issue of the declining birth rate that Japan is currently facing. In this commentary, the Society hereby declares that the entire text of the 1952 proposal is revoked and the ideas relating to eugenics is rejected. Since the Society has set up a working group on the issue in 2016, there have been three symposiums, and working group committee members began publishing a series of articles in the Society's Japanese language journal. This commentary primarily provides an overview of the findings from the published articles, which will form the scientific basis for the Society's declaration. The areas we covered here included the following: (1) improving the social and work environment to balance between the personal and professional life; (2) proactive education on reproductive health; (3) children's health begins with nutritional management in women of reproductive age; (4) workplace environment and occupational health; (5) workplace measures to counter the declining birth rate; (6) research into the effect of environmental chemicals on sexual maturity, reproductive function, and the children of next generation; and (7) comprehensive research into the relationship among contemporary society, parental stress, and healthy child-rearing. Based on the seven topics, we will set out a declaration to address Japan's aging society with low birth rate.
Aging ; Birth Rate ; trends ; Child ; Child Health ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; prevention & control ; Female ; Health Planning Guidelines ; Humans ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Male ; Occupational Health ; Reproductive Health ; education ; Research Design ; standards ; Societies, Scientific ; organization & administration ; Stress, Psychological ; prevention & control ; Women's Health