In this study, we aimed to clarify the socio-cultural factors affecting the mental and physical health of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan. The study participants were 18 pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in two prefectures with large Brazilian populations. A Japanese investigator and a Portuguese interpreter comprised the team, and conducted semi-structured interviews at the participants’ homes. The study period was between 2013 and 2014. The interviews were carried out using the Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking theory. Analytical ethnography was used for data coding and theme extraction.

  The results revealed that “worry” and “shoulder and back pain” were the most common mental and physical symptoms, followed by “headache,” “irritability and anger,” “insomnia and sleeplessness,” and “anxiety.” The reasons given for these included: “pregnancy and child rearing;” “anxiety about work and income;” “complications of being a foreigner;” and “the absence of someone to depend upon.” Moreover, the following five core categories of socio-cultural factors influencing these causes were extracted: “equal and deeply connected family;” “strength to continue working;” “choosing the right conditions to settle down in;” “low satisfaction with the healthcare system;” and “the blessings of God.”

  Pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan have various mental and physical distress symptoms, and our findings revealed that differences between Brazilian and Japanese patterns of family life and religion were the major influencers on these. These findings must be understood to provide intervention in order to lead pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women to appropriate health behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC) affects children across Japan and throughout the world. Thus, it is important to identify dietary and dental care habits that either promote oral health or cause ECC. The objective of this study was to identify protective and risk factors associated with ECC in Japan. METHODS: In a typical rural Japanese community, we selected children born between 2004 and 2008 who had received checkups at their community health center including oral examinations conducted by dentists. We obtained data from children's records and from a questionnaire filled out by parents. We enrolled only children who at their checkup for 18-month-olds had no caries, and we obtained data about them at their checkup for 3-year-olds. We classified children as either having caries (treated or untreated) or being caries-free. We conducted bivariate analyses using data on child/family demographic characteristics, child's dietary habits, and child/parental oral health habits. We also conducted logistic regression analysis to control for variables and identify predictors of the presence/absence of caries. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty six children (278 boys, 288 girls) were enrolled and followed. After 2 years, 173 children (30.6%) presented with caries. Logistic regression analysis predicting caries at follow-up identified the interaction term "bottlefed overnight and brushed irregularly" at 18 months of age as a highly significant predictor of developing caries-adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 14.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-199.71. Two variables measured at follow-up were also significant predictors: having low levels of dental plaque (AOR 2.41, 95% CI 1.34-4.35) and having a mother who had untreated caries (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.09-3.12). CONCLUSION Public health efforts should encourage parents to eliminate bottle feeding overnight and promote brushing twice daily as children's teeth begin to erupt. Greater efforts should be made to teach parents and daytime caregivers how to brush effectively to remove all plaque. Health professionals should pay close attention to mothers' oral health status. Mothers with caries should receive prompt treatment and be assisted in developing better dietary and oral health habits that will benefit themselves and their children. Policies and programs should focus more on family oral health rather than just child oral health.
Dental Caries ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Home Care Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Male ; Oral Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Prevalence ; Protective Factors ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome. However, it is unclear whether exercise or daily physical activity is more beneficial for residents of semi-mountainous areas. This study aimed to identify whether daily physical activity is more beneficial than exercise for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older residents in semi-mountainous areas. METHODS: We analyzed secondary data of 636 people who underwent a specific health checkup in a semi-mountainous area of Japan. Physical activity was classified into four types: inactivity (I-type; without exercise and without daily physical activity), only exercise (E-type; with exercise and without daily physical activity), only daily physical activity (D-type; without exercise and with daily physical activity), and full physical activity type (F-type; with exercise and with daily physical activity). We compared the means of risk factors for metabolic syndrome by these four types, followed by logistic regression analysis, to identify whether and to what extent the D-type was less likely to have metabolic syndrome than the E-type. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 28.5% (men 45.7%, women 15.8%). The proportions of men with exercise and daily physical activity were 38.7% and 52.8%, respectively. For women, the proportions were 33.0% and 47.1%, respectively. In women, the D-type had the significantly lowest BMI, smallest waist circumference, highest HDL-C, and lowest prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the four types; the same was not observed in men. Additionally, D-type activity was more strongly associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than E-type activity in women (adjusted odds ratio 0.24; 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.85, P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS Compared to middle-aged and older women residents with exercise in a semi-mountainous area of Japan, those with daily physical activity may effectively prevent metabolic syndrome.
Adult ; Aged ; Altitude ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome/prevention & control* ; Middle Aged ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data*