Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Analysis Of Japan And United States School Lunch Programs, Julie Phillips

Honors Theses

Question: Are school lunch policies and programs in Japan beneficial and applicable to the United States?

Main points: Japan has a certification program that allows dietitians to teach nutrition. Japan also includes agricultural experiences as part of its academic curriculum to promote holistic development in students.

Conclusion: The School Lunch program in the United States would benefit from providing an avenue through which dietitians are able to teach students nutrition and from increasing the number of schools involved in Farm to School so that more students have experiences with nature.

A Realistic Path Towards A More Affordable Healthcare System For The United States, James Loome

Honors Theses

This study was performed in order to try to discover ways in which the American healthcare system can improve and become more affordable for its citizens. The main focus was to see how implementing a universal healthcare system could benefit the United States. I analyzed aspects of many different universal healthcare system structures and chose aspects that I think should or should not be included in a revised version of the US healthcare system. There was a strong focus on the aspects of Japan and Costa Rica’s healthcare systems. I also pointed out weaknesses in the US healthcare system that …

Preventive Behaviors And Information Sources During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study In Japan, Manae Uchibori, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Michio Murakami, Akifumi Eguchi, Hiroyuki Kunishima, Satoshi Kaneko, Keiko Maruyama-Sakurai, Hiroaki Miyata, Shuhei Nomura

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: individual preventive behaviors are one of the key measures needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study sought to identify the factors associated with the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures, focusing specifically on information sources.

METHODS: we conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 30,053 Japanese adults in February 2021. The survey asked about socioeconomic, health-related, and psychological characteristics, attitudes toward immunization, and the use of information sources regarding COVID-19. We have constructed multivariable logistic regression to estimate the factors associated with the adoption of three preventive measures: 3Cs avoidance, hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene.

RESULTS: socioeconomic variables, …

Influence Of Years Of Experience On Clinical Competence Of Novice Physical And Occupational Therapists In Japan, Hiroaki Sakurai, Soichiro Koyama, Shigeo Tanabe, Kazuya Takeda, Yoshikiyo Kanada

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To increase the clinical competence of novice physical and occupational therapists, an accurate assessment of their clinical competence is necessary. However, no previous study has objectively analyzed the changes in novice therapists’ clinical competence in Japan. Hence, this study investigated and evaluated the changes in the clinical competence of such therapists using an objective analysis. Method: The study included 34 novice therapists with 1–3 years of experience in clinical practice. Participants were divided into groups according to their years of experience. The clinical competence of the novice therapists was evaluated twice using a clinical competency evaluation scale. For comparison …

Effect Of The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games On Covid-19 Incidence In Japan: A Synthetic Control Approach, Daisuke Yoneoka, Akifumi Eguchi, Kentato Fukumoto, Takayuki Kawashima, Yuta Tanoue, Takahiro Tabuchi, Hiroaki Miyata, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Kenji Shibuya, Shuhei Nomura

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games (23 July-8 August 2021) were held in the middle of Japan's fifth wave of COVID-19, when the number of cases was on the rise, and coincided with the fourth state of emergency implemented by the host city, Tokyo.

AIM: This study aimed to assess whether the hosting of the Games was associated with a change in the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan using a synthetic control method.

METHODS: A weighted average of control countries with a variety of predictors was used to estimate the counterfactual trajectory of daily COVID-19 cases per 1 …

Changes In Health Care Access During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Estimates Of National Japanese Data, June 2020-October 2021, Yuta Tanoue, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Takayuki Kawashima, Akifumi Eguchi, Daisuke Yoneoka, Shuhei Nomura

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health care access around the world, both for inpatients and outpatients. We applied a quasi-Poisson regression to national, monthly data on the number of outpatients, number of inpatients, length of average hospital stay, and the number of new hospitalizations from March 2015 to October 2021 to assess how these outcomes changed between June 2020 to October 2021. The number of outpatient visits were lower-than-predicted during the early phases of the pandemic but normalized by the fall of 2021. The number of inpatients and new hospitalizations were lower-than-predicted throughout the pandemic, and deficits in reporting continued …

The Effect Of Humanitude Care Methodology On Improving Empathy: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study Of Medical Students In Japan., Yusuke Fukuyasu, Hitomi U Kataoka, Miwako Honda, Toshihide Iwase, Hiroko Ogawa, Masaru Sato, Mayu Watanabe, Chikako Fujii, Jun Wada, Jennifer Desantis, Mohammadreza Hojat Professor, Joseph S. Gonnella

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Empathy, which involves understanding another person's experiences and concerns, is an important component for developing physicians' overall competence. This longitudinal study was designed to test the hypothesis that medical students' empathy can be enhanced and sustained by Humanitude Care Methodology, which focuses on perception, emotion and speech.

METHODS: This six-year longitudinal observational study examined 115 students who entered Okayama University Medical School in 2013. The study participants were exposed to two empathy-enhancing programs: (1) a communication skills training program (involving medical interviews) and (2) a Humanitude training program aimed at enhancing their empathy. They completed the Jefferson Scale of …

Reiki For Recovery: Incorporating Japanese Health Practices To Increase Contemporary Resiliency In American Health, Leif Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Japanese health practice of Reiki attempts to maximize the latent ability of the human system to heal itself. The Reiki system, established over a century ago, combines multiple Asian health traditions, experimenting with practices that maximize the natural processes of the body to perform its own repairs. Reiki encourages healthy behaviors that balance the mind and body, return the human system to a lowered stress level, and allow for an optimal recovery state for the patient. This paper illustrates how this Japanese health-affirming method can be integrated and utilized within existing health and medical practices. An area that is …

Pandemic And Õen Consumption In Japan: Deliberate Buying To Aid The Seller, Kosuke Mizukoshi, Yuichiro Hidaka

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This dialogue contribution discusses whether it is possible to create favorable new social assistance under the market principles, based on the Ouen or Õen (aid) consumption in Japan. The meaning of consumption has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, aid consumption is increasing. This means helping local restaurants and producers by willfully and proactively buying and consuming their services and products. This is a favorable form of new social assistance and the result of strong marketing and market functions. The penetration of market forces may surpass pure altruistic behavior such as donations and gifts, by creating new market-linked …

Differences In Obstetric Care Between Japan And The Us: A Qualitative Analysis Of Blogs, Rei Yamada, Maki Kano-Lueckerath, Walter K. Kraft

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Aim

To investigate patient-reported differences in obstetric care between Japan and the US by characterizing the information Japanese immigrants and expatriates share online.

Detection Of Bacillus Cereus And Gram-Negative Bacteria Communities In Commercial Sesame In Japan, Kazuko Kato, Noriko Komagome, Machiko Mineki, Sumalee Boonmar, Yukio Morita

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Sesame seeds are used in many traditional Japanese foods for their flavor and taste but commercial sesame can be highly contaminated with bacteria. We therefore examined the bacterial populations, including Bacillus spp., Enterobacteriaceae bacteria and standard plate count bacteria in sesame samples purchased from markets in Japan. A total of 8 sesame samples were tested, of which 4 (50.0%) harbored 4.3–5.6 log cfu/g standard plate count and 2.7–4.3 log cfu/g Enterobacteriaceae bacilli. Pantoea dispersa, P. septica and P. agglomerans were identified by a MALDI-TOF MSbased test. One (12.5%) sample harbored 3.6 log cfu/g Bacillus cereus, but this strain lacked the …

The Long-Term Effects Of Japan’S Traumatic Experience In The Second World War And Its Implications For Peace In Northeast Asia, Eugen Koh, Tadashi Takeshima

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article is an introductory report on the work of a Japanese study group whose primary aim is peacemaking, which it seeks by promoting a greater understanding of the long-term effects of their country’s traumatic experience of the Second World War. The group does not adopt a position of victimhood but seeks to understand the full picture of Japan’s role in the war, including its role as perpetrator. We came together with the shared assumption that the country’s inability to take responsibility for its role of the war is inextricably tied to its own traumatization. If this assumption is true, …

Prevalence Of Bacterial Contamination In Uncooked Sticky Rice Samples From Markets In Japan, Kazuko Kato, Noriko Komagome, Machiko Mineki, Sumalee Boonmar, Yukio Morita

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

We investigated the prevalence of bacterial contamination in uncooked sticky rice samples obtained from markets in Japan. Between June and August, 2019, a total of 25 sticky rice samples were purchased from shops in the Tokyo area. Twenty-two (88.0%) and 10 (40.0%) of 25 sticky rice samples harbored 3.06±0.54 log spc/g of standard plates counts and 2.17±0.23 log cfu/g of enterobacteriaceae bacteria counts, respectively. Three species of Enterobacteriaceae, Pantoea dispersa, P. ananati, and Kosakonia cowanii, were identified by MALDI-TOFMS-based test. Three (12.0%) of 25 sticky rice samples harbored 2.00 log cfu/g of Bacillusspecies. Bacillusspp. was not isolated after heat treatment …

Existing But Not Living: A Discussion And Proposal For The Acute Social Withdrawal Syndrome Hikikomori In Japan, Andrea Michelle Otey

Senior Projects Spring 2020

This senior project is a comprehensive discussion of hikikomori syndrome. It intends to offer a deeper knowledge of the complicated acute social withdrawal phenomenon that is impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide, with a specific focus on its relevance within the country of Japan. This project sets out to look deeper into hikikomori’s meaning and prevalence, its receival in the world of psychiatry, and its placement within modern Japanese society. This project also offers a proposal for a potential method of treatment for hikikomori syndrome, wherein the structure of modern Japanese households is explored and the possibility of …

Regulating E-Cigarettes: Why Policies Diverge, Eric A. Feldman

All Faculty Scholarship

This paper, part of a festschrift in honor of Professor Malcolm Feeley, explores the landscape of e-cigarette policy globally by looking at three jurisdictions that have taken starkly different approaches to regulating e-cigarettes—the US, Japan, and China. Each of those countries has a robust tobacco industry, government agencies entrusted with protecting public health, an active and sophisticated scientific and medical community, and a regulatory structure for managing new pharmaceutical, tobacco, and consumer products. All three are signatories of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, all are signatories of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, …

Nonlinear Associations Between Working Hours And Overwork-Related Cerebrovascular And Cardiovascular Diseases (Ccvd), Ro-Ting Lin, Lung-Chang Chien, Ichiro Kawachi

Public Health Faculty Publications

Long working hours are recognized as a risk factor for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CCVD). We investigated the relationship between working hours and different CCVD severity outcomes—death, disability, and illness—across industries in Taiwan from 2006 to 2016. We applied a generalized additive mixed model to estimate the association between working hours and the rate of each severity outcome, adjusted for salary, unemployment rate, time, and a random intercept. Industry-average working hours were significantly associated with each outcome level of overwork-related CCVD, especially when monthly working hours increased from 169 (relative risk [RR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.002–2.12) to …

The Epidemiology Of Clostridium Difficile Infection In Japan: A Systematic Review, Thomas V. Riley, Tomomi Kimura

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To increase understanding of the epidemiology, risks, consequences and resource utilization of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Japan, a systematic literature review was undertaken of relevant publications from January 2006 to November 2017. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and methods, 55 articles met the criteria for full review. The majority (58%) of studies were from a single site, with the most recent data from 2015. The incidence, reported prevalence and recurrence rate of CDI in Japan were 0.8–4.71/10,000 patient-days, 0.3–5.5/1000 patients and 3.3–27.3%, respectively, and varied according to setting, population, CDI definition and …

Legacy Of Research In Japanese Gerontology, Elijah Beaudoin

International ResearchScape Journal

No abstract provided.

Association Between Moral Distress And Job Satisfaction Of Japanese Psychiatric Nurses, Michiyo Ando, Masashi Kawano

Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal

Moral distress of psychiatric nurses may affect their job satisfaction or quality of nursing care, thus examination of their moral distress is a significant issue for practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of moral distress and job satisfaction, and association between moral distress and job satisfaction. One hundred and thirty nurses who worked in psychiatric wards in a hospital in Japan completed the Moral Distress Scale for psychiatric nurses (MDS-P) and the Job Satisfaction scale (JS). The MDS-P consisted of subdomains such as “unethical conduct by caregivers,” “low staffing,” and “acquiescence to violations of patients’ …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine And Japanese Chronic Disease Patients’ Quality Of Life And Perceived Stress, Hideaki Tanaka

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the association between the frequency of five lifestyle-related complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices and perceived quality of life (QOL) and stress among patients in Japan diagnosed with chronic disease, and also examined why patients decided to receive Okada purifying therapy [(OPT) biofield therapy]. Data from 1,190 patients were analyzed using bivariate and multiple regression analysis, followed by analysis of one-on-one in-depth interviews conducted among 25 patients on reasons why patients decided to practice OPT. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze transcribed interview data.

Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that engaging in arts …

Unnecessary Dieting Intention And Behavior Among Female Students In Naha City, Japan, Khin Zay Yar Myint, Daisuke Nonaka, Masamine Jimba, Keiko Nanishi, Krishna C. Poudel, Junko Yasuoka, Masaya Miyagi, Masaki Shinjo, Jun Kobayashi

Krishna C. Poudel

Weight concerns and dieting are prevalent among female adolescents both in Western and Asian countries. They can result in negative psychological and physiological consequences. This study aimed to examine the relative importance of social and personal facts on the decision to diet of female adolescent students in Japan, applying the Theory of Planned Behavior. Data were collected from 5 junior high schools and 3 high schools in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, in 2010, through self-administered questionnaires. The data of 756 female students were assessed. The independent variables included social factor variables (norms) and personal factor variables (attitude to dieting, perceived …

Continuing To Confront Copd International Surveys: Comparison Of Patient And Physician Perceptions About Copd Risk And Management, Ana M. Menezes, Sarah H. Landis, Meilan K. Han, Hana Muellerova, Zaurbek Aisanov, Thys Van Der Molen, Yeon-Mok Oh, Masakazu Ichinose, David M. Mannino, Kourtney J. Davis

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: Using data from the Continuing to Confront COPD International Physician and Patient Surveys, this paper describes physicians' attitudes and beliefs regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prognosis, and compares physician and patient perceptions with respect to COPD.

METHODS: In 12 countries worldwide, 4,343 patients with COPD were identified through systematic screening of population samples, and 1,307 physicians who regularly saw patients with COPD were sampled from in-country professional databases. Both patients and physicians completed surveys about their COPD knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions; physicians answered further questions about diagnostic methods and treatment choices for COPD.

RESULTS: Most physicians (79%) responded …

Continuing To Confront Copd International Physician Survey: Physician Knowledge And Application Of Copd Management Guidelines In 12 Countries, Kourtney J. Davis, Sarah H. Landis, Yeon-Mok Oh, David M. Mannino, Meilan K. Han, Thys Van Der Molen, Zaurbek Aisanov, Ana M. Menezes, Masakazu Ichinose, Hana Muellerova

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

AIM: Utilizing data from the Continuing to Confront COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) International Physician Survey, this study aimed to describe physicians' knowledge and application of the GOLD (Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD diagnosis and treatment recommendations and compare performance between primary care physicians (PCPs) and respiratory specialists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Physicians from 12 countries were sampled from in-country professional databases; 1,307 physicians (PCP to respiratory specialist ratio three to one) who regularly consult with COPD, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis patients were interviewed online, by telephone or face …

Dr. Seishu Hanaoka (1760-1835): Surgeon, Pharmacist, And Anesthesiologist., Drew L. Kotler, B.A., Hitoshi Hirose, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

The notion of decreasing pain in surgery stretches back thousands of years with alcohol noted as one of the first anesthetics. Natural elements including coca and opium have been used by various civilizations in an attempt to mute the searing pain of surgery. By the 16th century, physicians around the world began to experiment with nitrous oxide and ether, providing the groundwork for the future of modern anesthesia. The successful application of general anesthesia in surgery was first documented in 1804 by Dr. Seishu Hanaoka (Fig. 1) in Wakayama, Japan, during a breast lumpectomy. During the case, Dr. Hanaoka served …

The Impact Of Vaccination Schedules On Infants' And Children's Physio-Psychological Health: A Qualitative Investigation, Dina A. Alsalih

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many people may have become increasingly concerned about the risks associated with vaccines. At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative research on the impact of various vaccinations schedules on individuals' physio-psychological health. In addition, "mandatory" versus "nonmandatory, but recommended" vaccines are still under debate in some Western countries. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the beliefs, experiences, and perceptions of adolescents, parents, and health care providers regarding different vaccination schedules. The health belief model was used as the theoretical framework. The sample consisted of adolescents and parents from different vaccination …

The Abcc Collection In The Texas Medical Center Library As A Nuclear Age Memory, Philip Montgomery

Library Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Smoking Cessation Increases Short-Term Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Irrespective Of Weight Gain: The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study, Shino Oba, Mitsuhiko Noda, Kayo Waki, Akiko Nanri, Masayuki Kato, Yoshihiko Takahashi, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Yumi Matsushita, Manami Inoue, Tetsuya Mizoue, Shoichiro Tsugane

Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar

Smoking Cessation Increases Short-Term Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Irrespective Of Weight Gain: The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study, Shino Oba, Mitsuhiko Noda, Kayo Waki, Akiko Nanri, Masayuki Kato, Yoshihiko Takahashi, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Yumi Matsushita, Manami Inoue, Tetsuya Mizoue, Shoichiro Tsugane

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Objective: The effect of smoking cessation on the risk of diabetes has been reported previously. However, it is unknown whether the association is influenced by weight gain and other potential risk factors. Methods: The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study established in 1990 for Cohort I and in 1993 for Cohort II provided data, and 25,875 men and 33,959 women were analyzed. The response rate to the baseline questionnaire was 80.9%, and 68.4% of the respondents participated both the 5- and 10-year follow-up surveys. Smoking cessation was noted during the initial five years and the development of diabetes was reported …

Measurement And Correlates Of Empathy Among Female Japanese Physicians., Hitomi U Kataoka, Norio Koide, Mohammadreza Hojat, Joseph S Gonnella

CRMEHC Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The measurement of empathy is important in the assessment of physician competence and patient outcomes. The prevailing view is that female physicians have higher empathy scores compared with male physicians. In Japan, the number of female physicians has increased rapidly in the past ten years. In this study, we focused on female Japanese physicians and addressed factors that were associated with their empathic engagement in patient care.

METHODS: The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was translated into Japanese by using the back-translation procedure, and was administered to 285 female Japanese physicians. We designed this study to examine the psychometrics …

The Law Of Medical Misadventure In Japan, Robert B. Leflar

Robert B Leflar

This paper offers a comprehensive overview of Japanese law and practice relating to iatrogenic (medically-caused) injury, with comparisons to other nations’ medical law systems. The paper addresses criminal sanctions for Japanese physicians’ negligent and illegal acts; civil law principles of substantive law and related issues of procedure, practice, and liability insurance; and administrative measures including health ministry programs aimed at expanding and improving the quality of peer review within Japanese medicine, and a recently implemented no-fault compensation system for birth-related injuries. Among the paper’s findings are these. Criminal and civil actions increased rapidly after highly publicized medical error events at …