After reviewing studies on weight cycling, we concluded that methodology left much to be desired and that the following matlers should be taken into reconsideration :1. There is as yet no established definition of the term “weight cycling”. Consequently, different definitions of weight cycling are used in different studies.2. The definition of weight cycling lacks any standard. Consequently, different criteria of weight change are used in different studies.3. Weight cycling is assessed by cycles of loss and regain of body weight. For the purpose of elucidating the correlation between weight cycling and health body weight is preferable to BMI as a weight change variable.4. Providing a relevant measure for weight cycling encompasses many components. The body weight collected by direct measurement is most reliable. However, an interval of measurement of body weight differs in different studies.5. In light of the standards of population-based epidemiological research, the studies are generally of small-to-modest size.6. Few studies have been able to differentiate between intentional and unintentional weight changes.
Weight ; Body Weight ; Measurement ; Population ; methodology <2>

This article released online on December 6, 2014 as advance publication has been retracted by the Editorial Board of Journal of Rural Medicine due to the Printer’s error.

This article released online on December 6, 2014 as advance publication has been retracted by the Editorial Board of Journal of Rural Medicine due to the Printer’s error.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a coaching program on saliva cortisol sensitivity in normal healthy mothers with young children.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with objective and subjective outcome measurements of the stress indicator. A postal survey to assess emotional intelligence (EI) was administered by random sampling to mothers of young children aged 3 months to 6 years in Japan. A total of 74 mothers with median EI scores or lower were enrolled in a RCT involving the coaching program. The intervention group received a 3-month coaching program. The control group was given the coaching program at follow-up. Stress state outcomes (saliva cortisol level, EI score, and Profile of Mood States (POMS)) were measured at baseline and immediate follow-up, with salivary cortisol measured again at a one-month follow-up.
Results: Significant differences were found for saliva cortisol level and the EI score within and between the intervention and control groups. Some POMS subscale scores were significantly different within the intervention and control groups.
Conclusions: The participants in the coaching program had significantly reduced saliva cortisol levels and better secondary outcomes than those in the control group.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a coaching program on saliva cortisol sensitivity in normal healthy mothers with young children.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with objective and subjective outcome measurements of the stress indicator. A postal survey to assess emotional intelligence (EI) was administered by random sampling to mothers of young children aged 3 months to 6 years in Japan. A total of 74 mothers with median EI scores or lower were enrolled in a RCT involving the coaching program. The intervention group received a 3-month coaching program. The control group was given the coaching program at follow-up. Stress state outcomes (saliva cortisol level, EI score, and Profile of Mood States (POMS)) were measured at baseline and immediate follow-up, with salivary cortisol measured again at a one-month follow-up.
Results: Significant differences were found for saliva cortisol level and the EI score within and between the intervention and control groups. Some POMS subscale scores were significantly different within the intervention and control groups.
Conclusion: The participants in the coaching program had significantly reduced saliva cortisol levels and better secondary outcomes than those in the control group.

Having established a facility for elderly people in a familiar neighborhood shopping center where they can mingle with many people, we are offering information and advice to them about health. A system has been created to support independent living of elderly people and encourage them to outdoor activities instead of stay-at-home. A shop was rented in F shopping center, which has many elderly shoppers and a long history. We opened the “SUKOYAKA salon” there in September 2005. In thisPaper, we examined the health promotion functions and roles of the system and described the progress of this project in the first seven months from the opening of the facility to March 2006, and the people who had visited the salon.
Elderly ; livin ; g <3> ; Examination ; month

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the "Health Care Town in Kyoto" project designed to promote health and safety for health conscious people in a small community. We conducted a survey involving the users of the salon and local residents to examine the effects of the activities in the salon.Methods: We recorded the activities of salon and conducted semi-structured interviews with ten local residents to ask their opinions about the salon. The data from the interviews were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Approach. We distributed a questionnaire and collected 215 valid responses (valid response rate: 67.8%).Results: 1) Purpose of using the salon was categorized into health consultation, conversation with others, rest and other purpose. 2) The significance of the salon for users was categorized into usability, acquisition of useful information, changes in daily habits and their maintenance, diversion, interaction with other people and acceptance by the shopping center. 3) The results of the questionnaire survey showed marked relations between Well-Being Index (WHO-5), age, employment and family budget, self-rated health and ability to perform daily activities (TMIG), whereas use of the salon was not associated with Well-Being Index (WHO-5). On the other hand, there were marked relations between loneliness (LSO), educational background and use of the salon, demonstrating that the facility helped its users reduce loneliness (LSO).Conclusion: In this town, the salon has served as a place providing effective preventive support for the health of individual users.

【Objectives】A study was carried out to examine the relationships between community consciousness and the health of the middle-aged in a rural area, and to explore how to support their effort to promote health through behavioral modification.【Methods】A questionnaire survey was conducted on 2,336 people, aged 30-64, in town A. We received effective responses from 763 people (32.7% valid response rate). The investigative tool Self-administered questionnaires were sent out by asking them about their identity, community consciousness (attitude toward community, relationships with neighbors, social participation), physical health (health conditions, health behaviors, attitude toward health actions), and mental health (life satisfaction, depression). An analysis was made to find the relationship between the subjects’ attitude toward community and physical or mental health. In addition, we performed a multivariate analysis with physical health and mental health as the objective variables and the items, in which a significant difference was mainly observed in a univariate analysis, as the explanatory variables.【Results】Respondents with a higher score on the attitude toward community scale also had higher scores for health condition, health behaviors, and attitude toward health actions. Those people with higher scores on the attitude toward community scale had higher life satisfaction scores and lower depression scores.【Conclusion】These results revealed a close association between community consciousness and the health of the middle-aged in the rural area. It is necessary to interpret the assessment in consideration of the fact that in rural areas community consciousness is generally high and contributes to healthy support of the middle-aged.

To elucidate the correlation between personal behavior patterns (PBPs) and depression, we made a survey of middle-ages and elderly residents in a certain town for mental health promotion and prevention of depression. We performed not only a univariate analysis but also a multivariate analysis to compare the strength of correlation between PBPs and depression by controlling the confounding factors of age and gender.
1) Univariate analysis
Univariate analysis revealed that the PBPs that were positively related to depression (i. e., in which odds ratio was significantly greater than 1) were sleeping insufficient hours (≤6 hours), taking poorly balanced diet, and skipping breakfast.
In males, the PBPs positively related to depression were having poorly balanced diet and sleeping insufficient hours, while in females they were insufficient sleeping hours, poorly balanced diet, and no breakfast.
2) Multivariate analysis
Multivariate analysis, used to control confounding factors, revealed that the PBPs positively related to depression (for which relative risk was singnificantly greater than 1) were insufficient sleeping hours and poorly balanced diet.
In males, poorly balanced diet was positively related to depression, while in females both insuffisient sleeping hours and poorly balanced diet were related to depression.

We studied the correlations between lifestyle (a set of health-related practices sleeping hours, working hours, breakfast, eating between meals, salt, smoking, drinking, exercise, balance in diet) and the sense of well-being using by Neugarten's Life Satisfaction Index (LSI). For this purpose, a survey was made of middle aged and elderly residents in a town.
Multivariate analysis to control the confounding factors of sex and gender revealed that the practices significantly related to the sense of well-being were diet, exercise and salt in take and that the health practices promoting LSI were balanced diet, regular exercise, restriction of salt and excessive drinking, but having poorly unbalanced diet and skipping breakfast deteriorated LSI.
In males the practices promoting LSI were regular exercise, balanced diet, working long, restriction of salt, intake and working long. Lack of sleep and skipping breakfast deteriorated LSI.
In females the practices promoting LSI were balanced diet, regular execise, restriction of salt, intake and drinking. But nutritionaly imbalanced diet and not eating between meals deteriorated LSI.
Better lifestyle was correlated with high LSI irrespective of sex and gender. These results reveal that healthy lifestyle promotes subjective well-being and suggest that the health practiced deter the age-associated decline in health and the deterioration of bodily functions that typically accompany aging.