| 1. |
- Abe, Takafumi, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing the impact of a hilly environment on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in japan : A cross-sectional study
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although some neighborhood environmental factors have been found to affect depressive symptoms, few studies have focused on the impact of living in a hilly environment, i.e., land slope, on depressive symptoms among rural older adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether a land slope is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural areas. Data were collected from 935 participants, aged 65 years and older, who lived in Shimane prefecture, Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and defined on the basis of an SDS score ≥ 40. Land slopes within a 400 m network buffer were assessed using geographic information systems. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms were estimated using logistic regression. A total of 215 (23.0%) participants reported depressive symptoms. The land slope was positively associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) after adjusting for all confounders. In a rural setting, living in a hillier environment was associated with depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.
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| 2. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Car driving status and living arrangement associated with sarcopenia among rural japanese older adults : A cross-sectional study
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ensuring mobility after driving cessation is an important public health issue to prevent functional limitations, but this issue is still not fully understood in rural settings. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that being a non-driver and living alone is associated with a greater risk of sarcopenia among the community-dwelling elderly in rural Japanese areas. This study was conducted in 2018 and data from 738 participants were used. Sarcopenia was assessed by measuring walking speed, handgrip strength, and skeletal muscle mass. Car driving status and living arrangement were collected using self-reported questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Four groups were set to determine combined conditions of car driving status and living arrangement. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval of sarcopenia after adjustment for confounding factors. Compared with the reference group (driver and living with others), the OR of sarcopenia was significantly higher in the non-driver and living alone group (OR = 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–4.80). Our findings suggest that the consideration of both driving status and living arrangement are important in the formulation of public health strategies to prevent sarcopenia in rural Japanese areas.
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| 3. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Geographic elevation, car driving, and depression among elderly residents in rural areas : The Shimane CoHRE study
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 13:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given that public transportation networks are often worse in rural areas than in urban areas, it is difficult for elderly non-drivers to access health-promoting goods, services, and resources related to mental health. Moreover, geographical location, assessed by elevation, could modify this association in a rural area. The aim of this study was to test whether the association between car driving (being a driver or not) and depression, as measured by the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), varied by elevation. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study conducted in the town of Ohnan located in a rural area of Japan. After excluding participants with missing data (n = 26), 876 participants were analysed in this study. After adjustment for potential confounders, being a non-driver had a significantly higher odds ratio of SDS (40+) among elderly people living at a low elevation (odds ratio = 2.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.28-3.71). However, similar findings were not observed among elderly people living at a high elevation. These results suggest that car driving importantly predicts depression in elderly people living at relatively low elevations in rural areas.
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| 4. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Is accessibility to dental care facilities in rural areas associated with number of teeth in elderly residents?
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 14:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given that public transportation networks are less developed in rural than in urban areas, a lack of accessibility to dental care facilities could be a barrier to routine dental checkups. Thus, we hypothesized that the distance to the dental care facilities is a risk factor for tooth loss. The aim of this study was to test whether there is an association between the distance to dental care facilities, estimated by geographic information systems, and number of teeth, assessed by an oral examination, among elderly residents of a rural area in Japan. Data were collected in 2016 from a cross-sectional study conducted in Shimane prefecture, Japan. After excluding participants with missing data (n = 21), we analyzed data from 710 participants. Of them, 40.6% were male and the mean (standard deviation) age was 67.4 (7.4) years. Further, 68.0% (n = 483) had at least 20 teeth. We found that the distance to dental care facilities was significantly associated with the number of teeth (less than 20) (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–1.12) after adjustment for potential confounders. This result suggested that individuals without easy access to dental care facilities may be important targets for dental care.
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| 5. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Is the effect of body mass index on hypertension modified by the elevation? A cross-sectional study of rural areas in Japan
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 14:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Obesity is an established independent risk factor for developing hypertension. A recent study showed that the effect of obesity on hypertension varies by the elevation of the residence area. Thus, we hypothesized that the interaction effect of body mass index (BMI) and elevation has a significant association with hypertension. The first aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether BMI was associated with hypertension, after adjustment for covariates. The second aim was to examine whether the interaction term between BMI and elevation was associated with hypertension, after adjustment for covariates. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study conducted in a rural area of Japan in 2016. After excluding participants with missing data (n = 2), data from 729 participants were analyzed. We found that BMI was significantly associated with hypertension. In addition, the interaction term between BMI and elevation had a significant association with hypertension. The findings of the present study support the recent evidence that high BMI is an independent risk factor for hypertension, but its effect varies by elevation. Thus, context-specific interventions could be an effective approach to prevent hypertension in this area.
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| 6. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Accessible Transportation, Geographic Elevation, and Masticatory Ability Among Elderly Residents of a Rural Area.
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 12:7, s. 7199-7207
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given that public transportation networks are often worse in rural areas than in urban areas, rural residents who do not drive can find it difficult to access health-promoting goods, services, and resources related to masticatory ability. Moreover, geographical location, assessed by elevation, could modify this association. The aim of this study was to test whether the association between access to transportation and masticatory ability varied by elevation. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study conducted in Mizuho and Iwami counties, Japan. Objective masticatory ability was evaluated using a test gummy jelly and elevation was estimated by the geographic information systems according to the participant's address. After excluding subjects with missing data, 672 subjects (Mizuho = 401 and Iwami = 271) were analyzed. After adjustment for potential confounders, being a driver was not significantly associated with masticatory ability among elderly people living at low elevation (≤313 m) in Mizuho county. However, after the same adjustment, being a driver remained significantly associated with increased masticatory ability among elderly at high elevations. Similar findings were observed in Iwami county. Accessible transportation was significantly associated with increased mastication ability in elderly people living at high elevations, but not in those living at low elevations.
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| 7. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Association of overweight and elevation with chronic knee and low back pain: a cross-sectional study.
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 11:4, s. 4417-4426
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is known that overweight is associated with chronic knee pain (CKP) and chronic low back pain (CLBP). Several risk factors for these conditions have been postulated, including age, sex, overweight, occupation, and socioeconomic factors. In addition, physical environment has been studied as a potential risk factor in recent years. However, the associations of overweight and physical environment with CKP and CLBP remains unclear. The aim of this study conducted in a rural mountainous region was to examine whether overweight individuals living at higher elevations have an increased probability of experiencing CKP and CLBP. In 2009, we conducted a mail survey with a random sample aged between 40 to 79 years. Questionnaires were sent to 6,000 individuals and a total of 4,559 individuals responded to this survey. After excluding the respondents with missing data, we conducted a logistic regression analysis of the data for 3,109 individuals. There was statistically significantly higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of CKP for those who were overweight living at low elevation (aOR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.21-2.98), moderate elevation (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.05-2.87), and high elevation (aOR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.31-3.46) than those who were not overweight living at low elevation. However, similar patterns were not observed for CLBP. Our results show that specific overweight-elevation associations were observed for CKP in a rural mountainous region.
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| 8. |
- Hamano, Tsuyoshi, et al.
(författare)
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Geographic Elevation and Cognitive Function among Elderly Residents in Rural Mountainous Areas: Shimane CoHRE Study.
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 12:10, s. 13365-13371
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to test whether there is an association between elevation and cognitive function among elderly residents in rural mountainous areas. Data were collected in 2012 from a cross-sectional study conducted in Ohnan Town, which is located in a rural mountainous area in the southern part of Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Cognitive function was evaluated using CADi (Cognitive Assessment for Dementia, iPad version) and elevation was estimated by using Geographic Information Systems according to the participant's address. After excluding subjects with missing data, 866 participants were analyzed. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, higher elevation was significantly associated with decreased cognitive function. This finding suggests that it is important to consider the physical environment, i.e., elevation, that would affect accessibility to health-promoting goods, services, and resources when seeking to maintain cognitive function in elderly people living in rural mountainous areas.
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| 9. |
- Li, Xinjun, et al.
(författare)
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Neighborhood Deprivation and Risks of Autoimmune Disorders : A National Cohort Study in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 16:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: No study to date, as far as we know, has analyzed the potential effect of neighborhood-level deprivation on autoimmune disorders (ADs), when adjusted for individual-level characteristics. Methods: A total of 5.4 million individuals from 8363 neighborhoods, comprising the whole Swedish population (ages 25-74 years), were followed for the period 1 January 2000, until admission due to diagnosis of ADs during the period of the study, or the conclusion of the study (31 December 2010). We used a neighborhood deprivation index, constructed from variables such as low education, low income, unemployment, and social welfare assistance, to assess the level of neighborhood deprivation. Multilevel logistic regression was used in the analysis with individual level characteristics at the first level and level of neighborhood deprivation at the second level. Results: A significant association between level of neighborhood deprivation and ADs was found. The crude odds were 1.32 (95% confidence interval 1.27-1.36) for those residing in the high-deprived neighborhoods compared to those living in low-deprivation neighborhoods. In the full model, where individual level characteristics were taken into account, the odds of ADs were 1.18 (1.14-1.22) in the most deprived neighborhoods. Certain Ads-angiitis hypersensitive (5.14), ankylosing spondylitis (1.66), celiac disease (1.65), Crohn's disease (1.21), diabetes mellitus type 1 (1.45), Graves's disease (1.13), Hashimoto thyroiditis (1.51), psoriasis (1.15), rheumatoid arthritis (1.15), sarcoidosis (1.20), and systemic sclerosis (1.27)-remained significantly associated with high level of neighborhood deprivation after adjustment for the individual-level variables. Conclusion: This study is the largest to date analyzing the potential influence of neighborhood deprivation on ADs. Our results indicate that neighborhood deprivation may affect risk of ADs, independent of individual level sociodemographic characteristics. For health care policies, both individual and neighborhood level approaches seem to be of importance.
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