Showing papers by "Shosuke Suzuki published in 1995"

Instantaneous change in sleep stage with noise of a passing truck.

Abstract: The transient effects of passing truck noise on sleep polygraphs of 8 men were studied. The percentage of the sleep Stage 2 which changed from Stage 2 to Stage 1, waking or movement time, was calculated. The shallowing of REM sleep was identified when it had changed to other stages, and the shallow epoch percentage was calculated for the REM sleep. The percentage of shallow epochs for Stage 2 significantly increased against that of the control condition after exposure to noise but was not statistically significant for Stage REM. In conclusion, the shallowing or changes in the sleep Stage 2 or REM sleep with the passing truck noise might be observed at noise levels of less than 45 dBA or greater than 60 dBA, respectively.

Automotive Air Pollution in Jakarta with Special Emphasis on Lead, Particulate, and Nitrogen Dioxide

Abstract: Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia, is inhabited by 8.25 million people according to its 1990 census. In an area of 661 km2, this results in a population density of 10, 750 per km2. The annual population growth rate of Jakarta during the early 1980s was 2.41%, though a the total population growth rate of Indonesia was 1.97%. The annual growth rate of Jakarta accelerated to between 2.8-2.9% during the 1985 to 1990 period. Urban development has been expanding rapidly from Jakarta into the surrounding areas of Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang. Rapid urbanization and motorization have progressed in the past 15 years in Jakarta. Construction activities in the areas of high-rise buildings for housing and business, roadways and rail systems have increased. The total number of motor vehicles registered in Jakarta increased from 1.1 million in 1982 to 1.9 million in 1992 (Jakarta 1993), thus indicating an annual rate of increase of 5.6%. Road length grew at 4% annually. The high total suspended particulates (TSP) in Jakarta results from the burning of solid wastes in homes and industry, exhaust from automobiles, buses, tricycles and from construction activities. Emissioninspection programs for commercial automobiles and buses were instituted by the government in 1990. Lead pollution by automobiles has been heavy because the gasoline available in Indonesia includes tetraethyl-lead (TEL) as an additive. Significant biochemical levels of lead have been found in tricycle taxi drivers by some of the authors (Tri-Tugaswati A et al., 1987) . The Government of Indonesia ordered a decrease in the addition of TEL by 40-50% in 1990. The actual effectiveness of this reduction is not yet known. The State Minister of Population and Environment gave directives to the regional authorities specifying the level of pollutants in the air, ground water and sea water. The decree from governor of DKI Jakarta (Decree Number 1222/1990) specifies two levels for the dominant pollutants emitted by motor vehicles in DKI Jakarta, i.e. the target level and permitted level. The major pollutants addressed in this decree are CO, 03, N0, HC and the emissions from diesel engines and two stroke engines. The decree stated that all types of motor vehicles operated in Jakarta, including private passenger cars, motorcycles and commercial trucks, are subject to emission inspections which are to be conducted under the supervison ofDLLAJR DKI Jakarta. Motor vehicles passing the inspection receive a certificate valid for six months. One year is the transition period. The governor decree is applicable only for the vehicles which are subject to safety test only. After this first three year period, all motor vehicles in Jakarta are required to have emission inspections. The objective of this research concerning Jakarta is to show: (1) the present status and characteristics of automotive air pollution in Jakarta, with special emphasis on particulate, lead, and nitrogen dioxide; (2) the metallic content in TSP in Jakarta compared to that of other cities and the effect of lead reduction program; (3) differences of areal and daily change of NO2 in Jakarta, particularly the decrease on Sunday and the Idul Fitri day; and (4) the relationship between pollution and traffic volume in 1985 and 1992/93. Finally we will make some recommendations to improve air quality.

Effects of Cadmium and Lead Exposure on urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, β2-microglobulin and metallothionein of workers

Abstract: Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), beta 2-microglobulin (BMG), metallothionein (MT) and creatinine (cre) in urine were measured in 36 male workers. Urinary Cd and Pb ranged from 0.2 to 9.7 and 0.1 to 4.8 micrograms/g cre with geometric means of 1.17 and 1.27 micrograms/g cre, respectively. Partial correlation coefficients between the logarithm of urinary Cd and that of NAG, BMG or MT controlling for pH and age were 0.460 (p < 0.01), 0.095 and 0.677 (p < 0.01), respectively. Partial correlation coefficients between the logarithm of Pb and that of NAG, BMG or MT controlling for pH and age were 0.040, 0.403 (p < 0.05) and -0.183, respectively. Multiple regression analysis was conducted on urinary NAG, BMG and MT using age, pH, log U-Cd and U-Pb. Log U-Cd was the only significant predictor variable of NAG (beta = 0.572; p < 0.01). Log U-Pb was the only predictor variable of BMG (beta = 0.386, p < 0.01). pH (beta = 0.286, p < 0.05) and Log U-Cd (beta = 0.839, p < 0.05) were significant predictor variables of MT.

Factors Associated with Perceived Health

Abstract: Perceived health or self-rating subjective health was studied to identify its associated factors. A health questionnaire including the Todai Health Questionnaire (THI) was applied to 12, 630 inhabitants aged from 40 to 69 years. Respondent rate was 80.9%. Items other than THI are sex, age, medical history of chronic disease, treatment, spouse, job, academic carrier, and friends. A question "How is your health?" with five ordered response was used to assess the perceived health. The mean values of THI scale score of lie and aggression of poor (poor and very poor) perceived health were significantly lower than those of good (very good, good and moderate) perceived health. The mean values of other THI scale scores of poor perceived health were significantly higher than those of good perceived health. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between perceived health score and THI scale scores were all statistically significant, but all the values were under 0.4. Discriminant analysis was conducted to predict good and poor perceived health using listed variables. Items of the largest absolute value of standardized discriminant coefficient were medical history of chronic disease, vague complaints and depression of THI. Correct identification rate by nineteen items was 82.9% in man and 80.5 in woman.

The relationship between being satisfied with one's health, good health practices and personal symptoms of ill health.

Abstract: The focus of this study was satisfaction with health and its relationship to good health practices, symptoms and current use of medication. A self-administered questionnaire was circulated to employees of a railroad company. 3,639 males aged 18 to 54 (41.4 +/- 7.61) were selected. Seven good health practices each scored 1 were not smoking including quitting, not drinking or drinking less than six days a week, exercise more than two days per week, body mass index (BMI) being 20 to 28, total nightly sleeping time between six and nine hours, having breakfast everyday, and not eating between meals. Each score was summed up as health practice index (HPI). We also asked about health satisfaction for the past year, subjective symptoms over the last two to three months, and present medication history. HPI increased significantly in the group aged 45 to 54, this group being satisfied with their health. A decrease in the percentage of eating between meals in the under 35 group, inappropriate BMI in the 45 to 54 group, and regular exercise in the group aged 50 or older was recognized. Health satisfaction was predicted using symptoms, present medication, age and health practice. Standardized discriminant coefficients of symptoms and present medication were 0.672 and 0.610, and they were more associated to health satisfaction than health practice.

A Study of the Risk Factor of Death, Based on Health Check Data

Abstract: Risk factors of death were assessed from the personal data of the dead and the survivors, total 2, 934 subjects, who had undergone a public mass adult health examination ten years ago in the three villages in Kanto area in Japan. Age of the subjects at the time of the health examination was 40 years or more and averaged early fifties. Number of cases observed are 1, 299 males and 1, 705 females. One hundred and seven males (8.7%) and 73 females (4.3%) died during the ten years of observation period. Cox's proportional hazard model was applied to the data, which revealed the three factors: age at the health examination, systolic blood pressure, and smoking habit, were significantly related to the mortality risk of males. The hazard ratio increased to 1.7 at 110 mmHg of systolic blood pressure or more against 1 .0 at average blood pressure level. The BMI showed no significant relation to the mortality risk, though the lower BMI showed rather the higher mortality risk. When the cancer death in male was picked up, the hazard ratio was related significantly to the age at the health examination, drinking, and smoking habits. Hazard ratio of the smoker was 11.3 or over compared to the non-smoker, whereas that of the drinker was 3.3 or over compared to the non-drinker. The mortality risk of all causes of death in females was significantly related to the age at health examination, diastolic blood pressure and the BMI. The hazard ratio increased to 2.4 or more at 110 mmHg of systolic blood pressure or more against 1.0 at average blood pressure level. The lower the BMI, the higher was the mortality risk of females. The highest risk factor was the age at the health examination, in the three analysis: total cause of deaths in male and female, cancer deaths in male. Estimation of the death probability for the 10 years from the same data using multiple logistic model revealed similar results to those by Cox's proportional hazard model. The range of the estimated risk of death of the three death groups was classified into ten classes and calculated the number of the expected deaths, which were closely related to the observed number of deaths. The highest risk class of all causes of death in male produced 24% of death rate, and that of male cancer deaths and female all causes of death produced both 13% of death rate.

Construct Validity of the Japanese Version of Borne and Östberg's Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire in Women College Students

Abstract: The Japanese version of Home & Ostberg's Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was examined of the construct validity, administered to 143 women aged 18 to 23, averaged 19.0 years old, who were college students of nursing and medical technology. 1) The subjects, 143 women, were divided into five types of Morningness-Eveningness by the criteria of Home & Ostberg (1976). One woman was definitely morning type, 14 moderately morning type, 101 neither type, 24 moderately evening type, and 3 definitely evening type women. 2) By the G-P analysis of 35 women of the highest scores (G-group) and 35 women of the lowest scores (P-group), it was found that the MEQ's two items of number 12 and 16 failed to identify G-group from P-group. 3) Spearman's correlation coefficients (rs) obtained between total scores and scores of each item revealed that the three items in the MEQ, number 10, 12 and 16 were not significant. 4) Seven factors were extracted by principal factor analysis, having eigen value of more than 1.00. Only the first factor was accountable for morningnesseveningness with a major contribution rate of 24.5%. The MEQ's item number of 10, 12 and 16 had the lowest factor loading in the first factor. 5) Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.78 calculated with the MEQ now in use consisted of 19 items, and increased to 0.81 with the MEQ consisted of 16 items eliminated of the three items, number 10, 12 and 16. 6) These results suggest that the MEQ eliminated of the three items, number 10, 12 and 16, is more valid in the concept to identify morningness-eveningness, at least in our subjects, women college students.

Subjective Symptoms and Personality by the Job

Abstract: Subjective symptoms and personality of 3, 447 male workers in a dairy product company were assessed by a health questionnaire, the Todai Health Index (THI). Thirty-three branches of the company were distributed from Hokkaido to Kyusyu, Japan. The age of the subjects ranged from 18 to 59 years. "MP counselor" was applied, which is a registered trademark of THI. Their job was classified into three: production process work (group A), clerical or technical work (group B), and sales work (group C). Technical workers of Group B were mainly the heads of group A. Over the half of group C workers were engaged in transportation work and the rest of them are sales workers. According to the job analysis, group A workers are blue-collars, group B workers are white-collars, and group C workers are blue- and white-collars. Mean value of aggressive scale in group C was significantly higher than that of group A and (or) B in every age class. Except the subjects under thirty years old, mean value of scale score of irregularity of life of group C was significantly higher than that of group A and (or) B. Except in their thirties, mean value of discriminant function value of psychosomatic disease of group C was significantly higher than that of group A and (or) B. Other mean values of scale scores, which were significantly higher in group C than those in group A and (or) B, were mouth and anus under thirty years old, subjective symptoms, respiration, and eye in their forties and fifties, skin and digestion in their fifties. All of these scales are related to physical complaints. These results indicate that sales workers should be marked as a group which needs daily life management and health care on their specified physical and mental complaints.