An epidemiological study reported that low serum cholesterol is one of the causes of cerebral hemorrhage. Furthermore, differences in the Apoprotein E (ApoE) genotype influence the amount of low density lipoprotein in serum. The value of standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for cerebral hemorrhage or infarction in residents of Kikai island (KI) is higher or lower than 100, respectively. The aim of this educational activity is to assess whether our lectures on “prevention of stroke” ─(1) relationship between cholesterol and stroke, (2) test items involved in cholesterol of serum and role of lipoprotein, (3) relationship between gene and disease, and (4) prevention of disease by diet─were effective for junior high-school students (JHS) in KI. To be improve their understanding of lecture (3), we performed genetic analysis (for ApoE polymorphism) using DNA extracted from their hair roots. Although we also conducted lectures after the results of the analysis, the pretest (40.7%) and posttest (50.0%) indicated that lecture (3) had been difficult for JHS. The total scores for the posttests for second- and third-year JHS (72.5% and 80.3%, respectively) were significantly higher than those for the pretests for second- and third-year JHS (49.6% and 55.9%, respectively). However, for first-year JHS, the total scores for posttests (63.0%) and pretests (61.7%) were not significantly different. Based on these results, we concluded that our lectures facilitated a substantial understanding about the “prevention of stroke” among JHS and were educationally beneficial for second- and third-year JHS, in particular.

This study aimed to assess the impact of a lecture on knowledge about dementia prevention conducted by pharmacy students for visitors at dementia café. A pre- and post-intervention design was used to evaluate comprehension, effectiveness, and retention of knowledge. The lecture focused on the diet and sleep regime recommended for dementia prevention. First, before the lecture, the visitors were asked to complete a written test that contained three multiple choice and four open-ended questions. The pre-test also asked questions related to a poster on the subject, to which the visitors were exposed in the café. After the lecture, a post-test was conducted with the same content as the pre-test. The analysis revealed that the post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. Furthermore, participants took a remade test with three multiple choice and three open-ended questions. This additional test related to the questions on which the participants received low scores in the pre-test. The evaluation of the remade test was conducted over a period of four months. During all four months of the evaluation, the scores for the remade test were found to be above 75. The validity of the lecture and of knowledge retention were proved through these tests. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the lectures contributed to an increase in the knowledge of dementia prevention among the visitors at the café.

Excessive drinking causes of social problems and economic loss, and has adverse physical and mental effects. If the gene polymorphism of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), an important enzyme in the degradation of alcohol, is known, it is possible to avoid drinking alcohol to a level that exceeds its decomposition ability and prevent adverse physical and social effects. In the future, pharmacy students will contribute to improving the health of local residents as pharmacists; therefore, it is necessary for them to understand alcohol metabolism and related problems. In this study, we investigated the degree of understanding of alcohol degradation pathways, related enzymes, and polymorphisms among second- and third-year pharmacy students in their twenties before and after watching a test-linked video lecture on the subject. Third-year students (61.3 points) scored higher than second-year students (45.7 points) on average due to the learning effect. However, both the second- and third-year students did not show a high level of comprehension before the lecture. After the video lecture related to the test was shown to students, the same test was performed again. Comparing the test scores before and after the video lecture, both the second- and third-year students demonstrated a higher average score (86.1 and 93.3 points, respectively), a significant increase. From these data, it was proved that the test-linked video lecture we created could be used as an effective tool by pharmacy students to understand alcohol metabolism in a short time.

In this study, we conducted test-linked lectures (using a pre-test and a poster related to the pre-test) to understand the contents of “genetic testing-related knowledge” for university festival visitors. We also assessed their level of understanding and the effectiveness of the lectures pre- and post-test, by dividing the visitors into groups according to gender, medication, and age. First, pharmacy students performed a pre-test (9 questions, each with 4 answer choices) on “flow of genetic information, protein structure and function, relation between gene and protein/living body, basic knowledge of genetic testing and sampling method” for the visitors. Second, lectures were conducted using posters that included the contents of the pre-test. Finally, a post-test was performed with the same content as that of the pre-test. The results revealed a high correct-response rate (more than 65%) for the post-test in most groups (except for some groups with visitors in their 70s). In addition, compared to the overall pre-test scores, those of the post-test showed a significant increase. Thus, we elucidated that test-linked lectures contribute to the comprehension degree improvement in visitors aged from their teens to their 60s ; the validity of lectures using pre-test and poster was also proved.

A survey of pharmacy students’ and liberal arts students’ attitudes toward identifying diseases that can be effectively prevented using genetic analysis was performed using a multiple-choice questionnaire. We defined the diseases that can be prevented using genetic analysis and found that, for these diseases, the rate of selecting “do nothing” by people with disease-related genes was significantly lower than that of people for whom the genetic influence was unknown. We found that the nine conditions that we investigated (i.e., obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypocholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, arteriosclerosis, cancer, and liver disease) are diseases that can be effectively prevented using genetic analysis for all students. We also observed that the most common answer for disease prevention was related to dietary changes (including drinking restrictions). In conclusion, through our unique questionnaire, we identified various diseases that can be effectively prevented using genetic analysis. However, it was found that the act of answering a multiple-choice questionnaire does not improve knowledge of disease prevention measures. Therefore, we propose that, after the questionnaire, it is important to distribute written material that explains the cause of life-style-related diseases and their prevention in order to foster knowledge about disease prevention.

To acquire “practical abilities in community health and medical care”, it is necessary to understand the work tasks in the context of welfare and working care facilities and smoothly promote inter-professional work. It is considered that the time when pharmacy students fully understand the outline of “group home”, which is one of the working care facilities, is during the class or practical training period. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire survey in the context of 4-6th grade students. In addition, to improve the knowledge of students with insufficient comprehension, video lectures were created; comprehension was evaluated in both pre-post-tests. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the video lecture was evaluated based on the analysis of the students’ understanding. The most common cognitive methods and periods for both 4th and 6th graders were “friends/family” and “before entering university”, respectively. As a result of the pre-test, the correct answer rate of each item and the total average score （50.0% and less than 50.0 points, respectively） suggested a low level of understanding regardless of the grade. On the other hand, the correct answer rate of each item and the total average score （70.0% and 70.0 points or more, respectively） in the post-test showed a high degree of understanding; further, they were significantly increased compared to those with respect to the pre-test, indicating the effectiveness of the video lecture. From the above results, we devised a test-linked video lecture that can be used as an effective tool for the understanding of the outline of “group home”.

In order to perform community health activities during the university festival, pharmacy students gathered data and conducted lectures in the form of small group discussions (SGD). They measured participants’ bone densitometry, and then provided them with information about how to effectively prevent bone disease. The aim of this study is to assess whether students’ lectures on the “prevention of calcium-related disease” led participants in the University Festival to understand the following: (1) the benefits of absorption of calcium, (2) the risks of absorption of calcium, (3) which vegetables are calcium-rich, and (4) the risks of calcium overdose. First, participants responded to pretests comprising questions on the 4 above-mentioned topics. Next, they were subjected to bone density measurement, and pharmacy students explained the importance of “prevention of calcium-related disease.” Finally, participants carried out posttests (with the same contents as the pretests), and received advice based on the results of their posttests and bone densitometry measurements. Total scores on the posttests (98.4 points) were significantly higher than those on the pretests (53.3 points). Based on this, researchers concluded that the pharmacy students’ lectures substantially improved participants’ understandings about “prevention of calcium-related disease.”

In order to utilize the results of genetic tests for mental and behavioral changes aimed at disease prevention, it is important to acquire the right knowledge about genetic information. Learning the basics of genetic testing and information at school may help in taking adequate precautions against illness. In this study, to improve the knowledge on central dogma (flow of genetic information) and mutation, which are the basics of genetic testing, among children in the upper grades of elementary school, we devised an illustrative video and conducted educational activities through a test-linked illustrative video lecture (TLIV lecture). In addition, the degree of comprehension and the effectiveness of the TLIV lecture were evaluated using tests conducted before and after the lecture. Both fifth and sixth graders showed a low level of comprehension (50 points or less) before the lecture. On performing the same test after the TLIV lecture, both groups showed a high degree of understanding (65 points or more), a significant increase. From the above results, it was shown that the TLIV lecture that we devised could be used as an effective tool for improving knowledge on the above-mentioned content for fifth graders and above.