A study was conducted to evaluate dietary intake, food intake pattern and blood composition in athletes over a 4-year period from 1988 to 1991. We measured the mean daily intakes (energy and nutrient intakes, PFC rates, minerals and vitamins) from 3-day dietary records for 110 highly trained male athletes (swimming, track & field, canoeing, soccer, cycling and weight-lifting) and 87 female athletes (swimming, track & field, canoeing, basketball and volleyball) living in Nagasaki Prefecture. We compared these measurements with the recom-mended dietary allowances (RDA) for normal Japanese. Energy, fat, calcium and iron intakes were below the RDA, especially for most female athletes and male weight-lifters.
The following mean values were obtained
[MALE] SOCCER (Senior High School boys) : Energy intake 3241 kcal ; Protein 106.2 g ; Fat 88.6g ; PFC rates P (13.2%), F ( 25.0%), C (61.8%) . CANOEING (Senior High School boys) : Energy 2830 kcal ; Protein 99.2g ; Fat 83.9g ; PFC rates P (14.1%), F (26.3%), C (59.6%) . TRACK & FIELD (Adults) : Energy 2870 kcal ; Protein 105.4 g ; Fat 89.3 g ; PFC rates P (13.2%), F (25.0%), C (61.8%) .
[FEMALE] BASKETBALL (Adults) : Energy 1866 kcal ; Protein 70.0 g ; Fat 51.9 g ; PFC rates P (15.0%), F (25.1%), C (59.9%) . BASKETBALL (Senior High School girls) : Energy 2421 kcal ; Protein 88.9 g ; Fat 90.9 g ; PFC rates P (14.8%), F (34.0%), C (51.1%) . VOLLEYBALL (Senior High School girls) : Energy 2290 kcal ; Protein 71.6g ; Fat 72.1 g ; PFC rates P (12.6%), F (28.4%), C (59.0%) .

Introduction  Tuberculosis (TB) has been reported among young foreign-born students enrolled in Japanese-language schools, who developed the disease after arriving in Japan. However, their experiences with TB from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify the experiences of young foreign-born students from China and Vietnam regarding healthcare support for TB diagnoses in Japan. Methods  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with interpreters and Chinese and Vietnamese students in their 20s who were primarily enrolled in Japanese-language schools. Verbatim transcripts were prepared by a translation company, and data were analysed qualitatively to describe their experiences from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis of TB.Results  The study included 10 Japanese-language students aged 20-27 years (five each from China and Vietnam). At the onset of TB, participants faced language and cultural barriers and financial strain related to tuition and living expenses. They became aware of physical symptoms shortly after arriving in Japan. Despite recognising the seriousness of their symptoms, which did not improve with self-medication, they hesitated to seek immediate medical care because of uncertainty about navigating the Japanese healthcare system. This ‘uncertainty about navigating the Japanese healthcare system’ was the turning point for the three processes: the decision to consult a physician due to the exacerbation of symptoms, the decision to consult a physician in one’s home country, and the decision to consult a specialist because the patient had not been cured by a local physician.Conclusions  This study highlights significant challenges, including language and cultural barriers, financial issues, and prioritising economic activities over health, impacting the access to health care for TB diagnosis among foreign-born students. These findings indicate the need for support to reduce the risk of TB and delays in medical examination and diagnosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the state of eating -related distress and struggle in the daily lives of cancer outpatients in cancer center hospital. Methods: Cancer outpatients who consented to participate in the study filled out self-administered questionnaires regarding eating distress and the means of coping with them. The data were qualitatively analyzed via content analysis method. Results: Data from 176 patients who responded that they experienced eating difficulties were analyzed. A total of 222 codes were extracted for eating-related distress, and these were classified into five categories, which included eating-related symptoms accompanying the disease and its treatment, difficulties related to food preparation, and concerns about eating outside food. A total of 224 codes were extracted for eating-related struggle made by the patients, and these were classified into eight categories, which included adjusting eating methods to make food easier to eat, controlling one’s feelings when unable to eat certain foods, and adjustments related to food preparation. Conclusions: The study results suggested that cancer outpatients require care not only at early stages after treatment for eating-related symptoms but also related to food preparation and concerns when eating outside food.

At Saitama Medical University, experience training for first-year medical students was conducted for the purpose of communicating with people who live in an institution and have severe motor and intellectual disabilities. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, training at this institution has been suspended completely, which has led us to conduct the training remotely. In the remote training sessions, people with disabilities who only had nonverbal communication tools joined a Zoom meeting where they were able to communicate with students from inside the institution. In the past, there have been other times when training was suspended due to infectious disease outbreaks. Despite this, remote training has made it possible to carry out training without being affected by the environment. Compared to conventional training, remote training did not allow students to experience the atmosphere of the institution or interaction with the people on-site. However, it did have other advantages in that it enabled students to understand the disabilities at a deep level, making them realize the importance of nonverbal communication, and increasing their motivation to learn.

Students in all years, including those in lower years, were prohibited from coming to campus because of COVID-19, which began to spread in January 2020. However, we believed that a hospital tour and observership would be important practical training for first and second year medical students as part of the early exposure program, which aims to increase student motivation. Thus, we decided to conduct a virtual hospital tour and a virtual observation of medical doctors’ work. We used Zoom to conduct a virtual hospital tour for first-year students in June, and a virtual observation of physicians’ work for second-year students in December. Although this offered less of an opportunity to experience the reality of the clinic, there have been benefits in terms of increased learning content, fairness of learning opportunities delivered, and the promotion of independent learning. With regard to a “Hospital Tour” and the “Observation of Medical Doctors’ Work” , we believe that hybrid forms, which are able to skillfully combine the strengths of the two methods, would be effective.