OBJECTIVETo assess intake of folate/folic acid and food sources in Japanese female dietitians.

SUBJECTS AND METHODSWe evaluated folate consumption based on four season 7 consecutive day weighed diet records (WDRs) provided by 80 Japanese female dietitians and compared the results with data from a national survey. We then selected informative foods for folate intake on the basis of 2,240 WDRs according to contribution and multiple regression analyses.

RESULTSDaily folate consumption (mean±SD) among Japanese dietitians was 413±158 μg from raw foods and 343±128 μg from cooked foods. Average residual rate after cooking was 84±8%. Folate intake in summer was lower than that in other seasons by analysis of variance. According to contribution and multiple regression analyses, the major contributors were vegetables, fruit and green tea.

CONCLUSIONSDaily folate intake among Japanese female dietitians was far greater than the 200 μg recommended daily allowance for the Japanese. Irrespective of selection methods and raw/cooked foods, major folate sources were found to be green tea along with vegetables and fruit.

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the physical strength, cerebral function, and mental health conditions in elderly persons, and to examine the correlation between these functions.

METHODSThe subjects were 151 independent-living elderly Japanese women, mean age 70 +/-5 years (+/-SD; range, 60 to 80 years), with normal abilities in daily life. The health check-up was conducted from April to May 1997. Physical strength was estimated by measuring seven activities. Cerebral functions were assessed by six sub-tests of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). Their mental health status was measured by four sub-scales of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28.

RESULTSThe physical strenght and almost all of the cerebral functions decreased with age. Social dysfunction and severe depression on the GHQ sub-scales also worsened with age. Physical strength was strongly correlated with cerebral functions after adjusting for the confounding effect of aging. There were also interrelations between physical strength and mental health.

CONCLUSIONSThis study provided important information on the correlation between physical and mental status in elderly women. Future longitudinal studies with the intervention of physical training are required to determine whether a causal relationship exists between these factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study mainly aimed to investigate the association of ovarian cancer mortality with reproductive factors and body mass index among Japanese women aged 40-79 years. METHODS: The source of the data was the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) study which covered the period of 1988 to 2009. A representative sample of 64,185 women was used. Cox model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The total number of ovarian cancer deaths was 98, with a mortality rate of 9.30 per 100,000 person-years. Women with single marital status revealed significantly higher age-adjusted RR (RR, 4.11; 95% CI, 1.66 to 10.23; p=0.005) as compared to married women. The effect of single marital status was stronger among older women aged 50+ years (RR, 4.58; 95% CI, 1.65 to 12.72; p=0.003) than younger women. An elevated risk was found for both nulliparous and nullipregnant women. Similarly, an increased risk of ovarian cancer mortality was estimated among overweight among aged 50 years or less. CONCLUSION: Out of many factors only single marital status indicated a higher risk for ovarian cancer mortality. All other factors provided inconclusive results, which imply further epidemiological investigations.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; Marital Status ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Overweight ; Reproductive History