In order to promote the proper use of medicines, it is important to conduct effective pharmaceutical education and establish a basic knowledge of medicines. We investigated to clarify the current situation and issues of pharmaceutical education. In June 2017, we administered surveys to 1,152 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers who taught pharmacy in junior high schools. A total of 1,079 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers answered the survey. We found that 6.5% of the students were taking health foods and supplements, and 17.9% always carried medicines. Further, 30.7% of the students regularly checked the effects and side effects of the medicines they took. Moreover, while only 9.0% of the students knew the word “self-medication,” 66.6% had a prescription notebook. Meanwhile, 39.1% of health and physical education teachers were conducting pharmaceutical education classes. Some of them developed their own textbook. All teachers answered that they would like to promote pharmaceutical education. As it was found that junior high school third graders take medicines daily, it is important to develop an educational system that enables them to further improve pharmaceutical education in junior high schools and to acquire correct knowledge. Therefore, it is important that school pharmacists actively participate in pharmaceutical education and promote close cooperation with physical education teachers.

In order to promote the proper use of medicines, it is important to conduct effective pharmaceutical education and establish a basic knowledge of medicines. We investigated to clarify the current situation and issues of pharmaceutical education. In June 2017, we administered surveys to 1,152 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers who taught pharmacy in junior high schools. A total of 1,079 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers answered the survey. We found that 6.5% of the students were taking health foods and supplements, and 17.9% always carried medicines. Further, 30.7% of the students regularly checked the effects and side effects of the medicines they took. Moreover, while only 9.0% of the students knew the word “self-medication,” 66.6% had a prescription notebook. Meanwhile, 39.1% of health and physical education teachers were conducting pharmaceutical education classes. Some of them developed their own textbook. All teachers answered that they would like to promote pharmaceutical education. As it was found that junior high school third graders take medicines daily, it is important to develop an educational system that enables them to further improve pharmaceutical education in junior high schools and to acquire correct knowledge. Therefore, it is important that school pharmacists actively participate in pharmaceutical education and promote close cooperation with physical education teachers.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have reported that internet addiction (IA) is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) consistently. However, in terms of gender, there are controversial findings. We aimed to investigate the relation between IA and self-acknowledged ADHD traits among female college students in Japan. METHODS: The study questionnaire consisted of questions about demographics, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-V1.1 Part A (ADHD screener) and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). When four or more items are more frequent than the cut-off on ADHD screener, the subject was categorized into students with a positive ADHD screen. We defined students with total IAT score of 70 and higher as IA. RESULTS: A total number of respondents was 369 (mean age: 19.0±0.7 years). Seventy-seven subjects were screened positive on ADHD screener (20.9%). Students with a positive ADHD screen scored significantly higher on the IAT (54.2±14.2 vs. 42.5±11.3). The rates of IA in students with and without a positive ADHD screen were 18.2% and 1.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of this study demonstrated the relation between IA and self-evaluated ADHD traits among female college students in Japan. Appropriate education for students on how to use the internet properly will be necessary to prevent IA.
Adult ; Demography ; Education ; Female* ; Humans ; Internet* ; Japan* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study aimed to clarify the effects of watching forest videos on prefrontal cortex activity. We examined oxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and measured the changes in relaxation level using the rating scale of emotion as defined in terms of relaxation (RE scale), and the free description data after watching the videos. We recruited 21 healthy female university students for this study. All subjects watched a forest video and an urban video in a random order; no significant differences were found in comparisons between the two conditions during and after watching the videos. Comparisons of oxy-Hb levels in the prefrontal cortex during and after watching the two videos showed a significant increase after watching the forest video. Significantly decreased scores of three RE scale items, i.e., “anxiety-relief,” “restrictive-free,” and “discomfort-comfort,” were observed with the urban video. The forest video significantly improved scores of the following items: “feeling high-stable,” “tense-relaxing,” “anxiety-relief,” “restrictive-free,” and “discomfort-comfort.” These results suggest that the forest video activates the left prefrontal cortex and subjectively enhances a relaxed feeling, after watching.

OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the candidate indicators secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and sense of coherence (SOC) as predictors of threatened premature birth.

METHODSThis was a panel study conducted on women in their first and latter half of pregnancy during survey period. The survey period was from December 2005 to June 2006 and from December 2007 to June 2008. The women enrolled in the study were asked to complete the survey questionnaire and provide blood samples for the determinations of physiological indicators. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to the stress perception scale (SPS), SOC score as an indicator of modifiers of stress, demographic data, complications in a previous pregnancy, and the course of the current pregnancy. We used s-IgA and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a physiological stress indicator and a marker of infection, respectively. Seventy-two eligible subjects were included in the analysis.

RESULTSTwenty-eight (38.9%) subjects had undergone treatment for threatened premature birth, and 44 (61.1%) subjects had not. In the logistic analysis, we set the course of pregnancy as a dependent variable, and age, birth history, smoking habits, a history of miscarriage, premature birth or threatened premature birth, SPS, SOC, and s-IgA in the first half of pregnancy as independent variables. We found that low serum s-IgA levels and low SOC scores in the first half of pregnancy were associated with threatened premature birth.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that low serum s-IgA level and SOC score at an early gestational stage are significant indicators for a threatened premature birth.

OBJECTIVEIn this study, we evaluated postpartum stress using a postpartum depression scale and by measuring the level of a stress-related substance, to clarify the relationship between the stresscoping capabilities of women in the final stage of pregnancy and their postpartum stress reactions.

METHODSBetween April 2004 and October 2004, 54 women participated in a question naire survey and the measurement of their secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) level as a stress-related substance two times in the final stage of their pregnancy (prepartum) and in their early puerperium (postpartum) was carried out. The questionnaire used in the prepartum stage included the following parameters: "basic features", "Sense of Coherence (SOC)" and "Japanese version of the self-assessment depression scale" of Zung. The questionnaire employed in the postpartum stage included the following parameters: "course of delivery", "Self-evaluation of delivery experience", and "Postpartum depression scale".

RESULTSThe depression score was higher and the s-IgA level was lower in the low-SOC score group than in the high-SOC score group, indicating that stress reactions were more intense in the low-SOC score group.

CONCLUSIONIt was revealed that stress reactions were more intense for women with a low SOC score. Moreover, the finding of a relationship between the low SOC score in the prepartum stage and depressive tendency suggests that women who are likely to develop depressive tendency can be predicted in the prepartum stage, and the significance of measuring SOC in the prepartum stage is thus suggested.