Japanese Online Research Articles

Underactive bladder as defined by the International Continence Society in the 2023 Japan Community Health Survey.

To investigate the characteristics of underactive bladder (UAB) in participants of the 2023 Japan Community Health Survey (JaCS 2023). The JaCS 2023 was conducted among individuals aged 20-99 years old who had anonymously registered with a Japanese online research company. We divided the 6210 participants of JACS 2023 into UAB and non-UAB groups as defined by the International Continence Society Working Group (ICS-WG) and evaluated the prevalence of UAB as well as concomitant lower urinary tract symptoms. In addition, an association between UAB and vulnerability-related factors, namely participants' characteristics including frailty and comorbidities, was explored by univariable and multivariable analyses. The prevalence of UAB in Japanese community-dwelling men and women aged 20 years or older was 9.3% and 4.0% overall (p < 0.0001), respectively, and when excluding benign prostatic hyperplasia or pelvic organ prolapse, 7.0% and 3.7%, respectively, (p < 0.0001). A significant increase in the prevalence of UAB with age was observed (p < 0.0001). In addition, storage symptoms including overactive bladder were more frequent in the UAB group than the non-UAB group (p < 0.0001). Frailty and several comorbidities were independently associated with UAB. According to the definition proposed by the ICS-WG, the JaCS 2023 demonstrated that UAB was more prevalent in men than in women and increased in prevalence with age. Storage symptoms including overactive bladder sometimes coexisted with UAB. Vulnerability-related factors were associated with UAB.

A Comparison of Children’s Social Behaviors in Single Mother and Two Parent Families in Japan

The present study examined the differences between young children from single-mother families and those from two-parent families based on their prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. Mothers’ affectionate parenting was also compared. We collected data using a Japanese online survey company. A total of 335 women who had a 3 to 5-year-old child participated; 51.2% of which were single mothers. The mothers rated their child’s behavior problems and prosocial behavior and answered a questionnaire on affectionate parenting. The results indicated a significant interaction effect of family structure and child’s gender on children’s behavior problems. The scores of girls were significantly higher than those of the boys in single-mother families, whereas no such gender difference was found in two-parent families. Concerning the scores of children’s prosocial behaviors and the mothers’ affectionate physical contact, however, there was no difference between single-mother and two-parent households. Limitations of using internet surveys were discussed.

Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D: A multi-attribute utility instrument based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D, a multi-attribute utility measure derived from the cancer-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaire, the EORTC QLQ-C30. The QLU-C10D contains ten HRQL dimensions: physical, role, social and emotional functioning, pain, fatigue, sleep, appetite, nausea, and bowel problems.MethodsQuota sampling of a Japanese online panel was used to achieve representativeness of the Japanese general population by sex and age (≥ 18 years). The valuation method was an online discrete choice experiment. Each participant considered 16 choice pairs, randomly assigned from 960 choice pairs. Each pair included two QLU-C10D health states and life expectancy. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression, parameterized to fit the quality-adjusted life-year framework. Preference weights were calculated as the ratio of each dimension-level coefficient to the coefficient for life expectancy.ResultsA total of 2809 eligible panel members consented, 2662/2809 (95%) completed at least one choice pair, and 2435/2662 (91%) completed all choice pairs. Within dimensions, preference weights were generally monotonic. Physical functioning, role functioning, and pain were associated with the largest utility weights. Intermediate utility weights were associated with social functioning and nausea; the remaining symptoms and emotional functioning were associated with smaller utility decrements. The value of the worst health state was − 0.221, lower than that seen in most other existing QLU-C10D country-specific value sets.ConclusionsThe Japan-specific QLU-C10D value set is suitable for evaluating the cost and utility of oncology treatments for Japanese health technology assessment and decision-making.

Prevalence and impact on daily life of lower urinary tract symptoms in Japan: Results of the 2023 Japan Community Health Survey (JaCS 2023).

A large-scale nationwide epidemiological survey of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was conducted via the Internet in 2023 to clarify the current prevalence of LUTS and evaluate its impact on daily life in Japan. The survey was conducted among individuals aged 20-99 years old who had anonymously registered with a Japanese online research company. The survey consisted of 48 questions related to LUTS and daily life. A total of 6210 participants (3088 females and 3122 males), who were selected by probability sampling based on the composition of the Japanese population (age range: 20-99), were recruited. The overall prevalence of LUTS was 77.9% among the subjects aged ≥20 and 82.5% among those aged ≥40. The prevalence of LUTS differed between the sexes and trends toward significant increases in prevalence with age were seen for almost all LUTS. Furthermore, the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) was 11.9% among the subjects aged ≥20 and 13.8% among those aged ≥40. This study also showed that LUTS negatively affected daily life. However, the percentage of subjects who visited a physician to receive treatment for LUTS was low, including for participants with a history of treatment for LUTS, although this increased with age. The prevalence of LUTS, including OAB, increased with age and negatively affected daily life. However, since the percentage of patients who visit a physician to receive treatment for LUTS remains low, further educational activities regarding LUTS are necessary.

Contrasting the semantic space of ‘shame’ and ‘guilt’ in English and Japanese

Abstract This article sheds light on the significant yet nuanced roles of shame and guilt in influencing moral behaviour, a phenomenon that became particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic with the community’s heightened desire to be seen as moral. These emotions are central to human interactions, and the question of how they are conveyed linguistically is a vast and important one. Our study contributes to this area by analysing the discourses around shame and guilt in English and Japanese online forums, focusing on the terms shame, guilt, haji (‘shame’) and zaiakukan (‘guilt’). We utilise a mix of corpus-based methods and natural language processing tools, including word embeddings, to examine the contexts of these emotion terms and identify semantically similar expressions. Our findings indicate both overlaps and distinct differences in the semantic landscapes of shame and guilt within and across the two languages, highlighting nuanced ways in which these emotions are expressed and distinguished. This investigation provides insights into the complex dynamics between emotion words and the internal states they denote, suggesting avenues for further research in this linguistically rich area.

Associations between Difficulty in Accessing Maternal and Child Health Services and Stress Responses among Mothers Raising Young Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

In Japan, maternal and child health (MCH) services were canceled or limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially damaging the mental health of mothers raising young children. This study aimed to examine associations between difficulty in accessing MCH services and various stress responses among such mothers in Japan. An Internet-based questionnaire survey was conducted in November 2022 targeting mothers raising young children who had registered with a Japanese online research company (n = 1032). The questionnaires included items from the Public Health Research Foundation Stress Checklist (Short Form) (PHRF-SCL(SF)), sociodemographic variables, and questions about difficulty accessing MCH services due to COVID-19. Chi-squared tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. In total, 45.7% of mothers experienced difficulty in accessing MCH services due to COVID-19. Mean PHRF-SCL(SF) scores were 4.9 for anxiety, 7.3 for tiredness, 2.8 for autonomic symptoms, and 5.2 for depression. These scores indicated worse stress responses than the general population and mothers raising young children before the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers who experienced difficulty in accessing MCH services due to COVID-19 were 1.47-1.53 times more likely to be associated with high stress responses (PHRF-SCL(SF) scores). Given the difficulty mothers faced accessing MCH services due to COVID-19 and the negative impact this had, careful follow-up and support are necessary for mothers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Curricular Framework for Online Language Courses

Constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to a spike in courses originally designed for in-class instruction being delivered online. As the pandemic wanes many courses will return to in-class instruction while other programs will look to develop post-pandemic long-term online courses, indicating a clear need for an effective curriculum for online foreign language classes. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a newly developed curricular framework for online language courses at university level. Primarily, this framework is designed to foster oral proficiency. The technology used to implement the framework was also developed specifically to facilitate speaking practice. We have used the framework at Purdue University to develop a curriculum for Japanese online courses Levels 1–4 (i.e., semesters 1–4). Japanese Level 1 is used in this article to illustrate the features and effectiveness of the framework. The framework has three major components: asynchronous self-learning modules, weekly small-group synchronous sessions, and performance-based assessments. Each component involves a pedagogical innovation, a technological innovation, or both. This study’s main research question was, “Do students in an online course designed using the new framework develop a degree of oral proficiency comparable to that of students in a classroom?” An oral test administered at the end of the course showed that the online students performed comparably to their classroom counterparts on question and answer and picture description tasks and outperformed them on an elicited imitation task. The results of a questionnaire also indicated participants’ positive perceptions of the technology used and the online course itself. These findings serve as further evidence for the effectiveness of the proposed curricular framework.

Promoting sustainable practices: Exploring secondhand clothing consumption patterns and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in Japan

The rise of online flea markets in Japan has expanded access to secondhand products. Despite this expansion and the increasing recognition of the need for sustainable consumption, there remains a notable constraint on consumer acceptance of pre-owned items. Thus, this study emphasizes the utility of secondhand product usage in a context where consumer acceptance of pre-owned items is limited despite the recognized sustainability necessity. Additionally, it aims to investigate secondhand clothing-utilization patterns among users, estimate the environmental potential reduction, and assess their contribution to sustainable consumption. Conducted on users of the Japanese online flea market platform, Mercari (sellers: n = 13,325, buyers: n = 9985), the study quantified the potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reusing secondhand clothing. Utilizing a survey, the key findings revealed distinct reuse characteristics for different items, confirming extended product lifespan even for those in poor condition. Moreover, secondhand products were used more frequently than new ones, and buyers exhibited less concern about potential damage. The displacement rate of secondhand for new clothing did not significantly decrease with worsening product condition. The study estimated a potential 9.6 thousand tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (ton-CO2eq) reduction under the assumption of 10 million secondhand clothing items replacing new ones. This study proposes the feasibility of utilizing secondhand items and their potential contribution to environmental conservation in consumption. Further, it establishes the theoretical foundation necessary to articulate the environmental significance of secondhand products. Simultaneously, it provides valuable insights into the broader implications of sustainable consumption practices.

User Behavior Analysis and Optimization of Japanese Language Online Education Platforms

Abstract Japanese language instruction at universities has gained new life thanks to the quick growth of online learning via the Internet, microclasses, flipped classrooms, and other innovative teaching methods. This is the direction of future educational reform in colleges and universities. After gathering and pre-processing behavioral data of Japanese learners, this study builds a data analysis model of Japanese online learning user behavior based on the Japanese online education platform. In this model, user behavioral features are extracted and classified using the RFG-SVM model, which is based on SVM. Users with similar user behaviors are then clustered together using the FCM algorithm, and the association rule algorithm is utilized to explore the intricate relationship between user online learning behaviors and learning effects. Lastly, the FSQCA approach is used to investigate the optimization path of Japanese online education platforms after combining with example analysis. The most significant aspect of Japanese online learning is its online learning rate (0.7499). Users can be categorized into three groups: close cooperation (52.3%), active participation (6.1%), and weak participation (41.6%). Japanese online learners also exhibit better user behavior. The consistency indexes for Grouping H1: SI*LA*CC*HA, Grouping H2: ~SQ*CQ*SI*~LA*CC, and Grouping H3: SQ*CQ*SI*~LA*HA were 0.929, 0.959, and 0.965, respectively, with both social influence (SI) and habit (HA) serving as important requisites. This study helps to form a mature mechanism that prompts Japanese online education users to develop a continuous willingness to use the program, which contributes to the development of inclusive education to a certain extent.

Gender differences in responses to an altruistic message regarding rubella vaccination.

The supplementary immunization activity (SIA) for the rubella vaccination of adult men born between 1962 and 1978 began in 2019 in Japan because of a vaccine gap in the cohort, as vaccination was not mandatory for those born in that period. However, SIA coverage remains low, despite an active campaign and financial support. We conducted a randomized controlled study based on a 2 (scenario: self-vaccination, child vaccination) × 2 (message: self-interest, group-interest) factorial design, using a Japanese online panel. Participants with children were assigned to the child vaccination scenario in Intervention 1, whereas others were assigned to the self-vaccination scenario. After Intervention 1, all participants were given the same information about rubella. In Intervention 2, participants assigned to self-interest messages received a message emphasizing the risk of rubella, and those assigned to group-interest messages received a message emphasizing herd immunity. After Intervention 2, we evaluated the effects using a questionnaire. Among the 2,206 participants, information regarding rubella was evaluated as more reliable in the group-than in the self-interest message condition, especially among women. Women evaluated the necessity of rubella vaccination for adult men and women to be higher in the child-vaccination scenario and group-interest messages. However, no differences were found among men. By contrast, men exposed to the self-interest message positively evaluated the reliability of the rubella explanation. The findings indicate that emphasizing self-interest messages is more effective for men in promoting herd immunity against rubella.

Does Probation Lead to Higher Starting Wage? Evidence from Japanese Online Job Ads

Does Probation Lead to Higher Starting Wage? Evidence from Japanese Online Job Ads

Why Do Product Prices Affect Review Ratings? Evidence from a Japanese Online Travel Agency

Why Do Product Prices Affect Review Ratings? Evidence from a Japanese Online Travel Agency

Intervention of industry education integration on students’ burnout in Japanese learning

Background Learning burnout refers to the behavioural states of boredom, frustration and depression that occur when students are not interested in learning behaviours but are unable to avoid them. It is influenced by learning attitudes, motivation and methods, and personality traits. Differences in language learning habits and the difficulty of learning Japanese vocabulary make students show more negative emotions when learning Japanese online and offline. Therefore, the study proposes a new way of teaching based on the perspective of industry-teaching integration to help improve the situation of learning burnout.Subjects and MethodsThis study takes Japanese language students with burnout as the research object. The subjects were divided into a teaching improvement group (regular classroom + industry-teaching integration mode) and a teaching routine group (regular teaching mode). The improvement group is a combination of Japanese language learning and social field practice projects. Data were collected on students’ burnout and emotions in the two teaching modes with the help of the Scale for the Evaluation of Mental Health (SCL-90) and the Learning Burnout Scale for University Students (LBUS).ResultsAfter the experimental intervention, there was a statistically significant difference in the burnout scale scores of the two groups of students (P&lt;0.05), and the improved teaching model (regular classroom + industry-teaching integration mode) effectively alleviated the students’ burnout in Japanese language learning.ConclusionsThe teaching mode under the perspective of industry-teaching integration can effectively combine classroom teaching with professional practice, improve students’ learning burnout, and realize the regulation of their mental health.

Development of digital modules to optimize Basic Japanese online learning

Development of digital modules to optimize Basic Japanese online learning

Folk conceptualisation of small talk: A view from a Japanese online discussion forum

AbstractThe study explores the perceptions of small talk shared by the users of a Japanese online community, seeking information on their expected speech and behaviour in small talk and factors contributing to positive/negative evaluations of small talk. The study investigates a discussion thread consisting of 73 responses to a contributor's request for advice on improving small talk capabilities from the perspectives of interaction ritual (Goffman 1967), balancing obligations (Ohashi 2008, 2013, 2021) and typology of speech acts (Edmondson &amp; House 1981; House &amp; Kádár 2022b).

Impact of diagnosis and treatment of uterine fibroids on quality of life and labor productivity: The Japanese online survey for uterine fibroids and quality of life (JOYFUL survey).

To investigate the impact of uterine fibroid diagnosis/treatment status on quality of life (QOL) and work productivity in women living in Japan. Women aged 20-49 years who registered on Macromill were recruited via the opt-in method. They completed an online survey on demographic and uterine fibroid diagnosis/treatment status, 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (UFS-QOL), and World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. There were 4120 respondents: 1362 untreated, 249 with ongoing treatment, 449 with past treatment, 1030 with no uterine fibroids, and 1030 with unknown uterine fibroid status. A high proportion of women with ongoing treatment had moderate to severe uterine fibroid-like symptoms (symptom severity score of UFS-QOL ≥40 points), accompanied by reduced QOL. QOL was improved in women with past treatment. Uterine fibroids had a significant impact on physical and psychosocial aspects in the ongoing treatment group versus other groups. Using classification and regression tree analysis, anemia was identified as a plausible predictor of reduced QOL in the ongoing treatment group. Approximately 20% of women-even in groups other than the ongoing treatment group-experienced moderate to severe uterine fibroid-like symptoms. However, the diagnosis and treatment status of uterine fibroids had no clear impact on work productivity. Uterine fibroids, especially in association with anemia, were related to reduced QOL. Given that uterine fibroid-related reduced QOL is likely improved by appropriate treatment, women with uterine fibroid-like symptoms, such as menorrhagia, should be examined and treated.

Japanese Language Learning Media in Indonesia at the High School/SMK/equivalent Level Curriculum K13 and Merdeka

The Japanese colonization of Indonesia, which lasted for three and a half years, had a profound impact on Indonesian history. With a time span not much longer than the Dutch colonization, the Japanese colonization had a major effect on Indonesia. It affected all aspects, including language. The interest in the Japanese language, and its inclusion in the Indonesian curriculum, cannot be separated from the history between Indonesia and Japan and the good bilateral relations between the two. The Japanese language as education is seen as a whole system that includes curriculum, materials, facilities, teacher-learners, teaching methodology, teaching media, and evaluation. This study aims to find out the Japanese language learning media in Indonesia at the Senior High School level and the equivalent to see how learning media can be done in learning a foreign language, namely Japanese. Data is collected using literature study techniques with descriptive-qualitative methods that describe data systematically and in detail to explore social phenomena or the real situation of Japanese language learning K13 Curriculum and Merdeka Curriculum at the SMA / SMK / equivalent level in the use of learning media. The results of the study state that mobile applications and device-based Japanese online dictionaries can be used for Japanese language learning at the SMA / SMK / equivalent level as basic or beginner level learners.

Quality of Japanese Online Information on Causes of Neck Pain: A Biopsychosocial Analysis.

Background While a considerable amount of information on neck pain is available online, the quality and comprehensiveness of this information can vary greatly. Particularly, the representation of the biopsychosocial model - which recognizes neck pain as an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors - in online information remains unclear. Given the prevalence and accessibility of online health information, it is important to understand its quality and how it may shape individuals' understanding and management of neck pain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the quality of online Japanese information on the causes of neck pain from a biopsychosocial perspective. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The search term "neck pain" was utilized on Google's search engine in June 2023, and the websites from the first two pages of the search results were included in the study. Ten advertisement websites were excluded, resulting in 19 websites being analyzed. Each website was evaluated based on the presence of the Health-on-the-Net (HON) code. Biomedical and psychosocial factors present in each website were identified using the biopsychosocial analysis tool. Websites were then categorized as biomedical, limited biopsychosocial, or biopsychosocial based on the number of psychosocial factors they mentioned. Results Among the 19 evaluated websites, only one possessed the HON certification, indicating a potential lack of credibility for the remaining sites. Of these websites, a large majority (63.2%) were classified as biomedical, while the remaining (36.8%) were classified as limited biopsychosocial. All the websites included some form of biomedical information on the causes of neck pain, while only seven websites mentioned psychological factors and one website mentioned social factors. The most common biomedical causes of neck pain discussed were cervical muscle strain and radicular pain due to cervical disc prolapse. On the other hand, the limited biopsychosocial websites highlighted perceived stress, depressed mood, and job-related mental stress as psychosocial factors contributing to neck pain. Conclusions This analysis revealed that freely accessible Japanese online information on the causes of neck pain, as found through Google, predominantly focuses on the biomedical causes, often neglecting or insufficiently addressing the psychosocial aspects. This finding underscores a gap between the available online resources and the comprehensive understanding promoted by the biopsychosocial model of health. Healthcare professionals need to be proactive in guiding their patients toward reliable, well-rounded resources that acknowledge the crucial role of psychosocial factors in neck pain. Furthermore, developers of online health information must aim to improve the depth and breadth of psychosocial factors discussed, promoting a more holistic understanding of neck pain for the Japanese public.

Formulaicity of fictional quotativega ittetaand its functions in Japanese social media posts

AbstractRelatively longer formulaic sequences are often subject to syntactic, lexical, and semantic variability, and this variability presumably connects to the development of constructional schemata and to language creativity. The present paper focuses on the formulaicity, variation, and communicative effects of the quotative phraseX ga itteta‘X was saying’ in Japanese social media posts, whose situation would become fictional or less factual depending on the nature of the subjectX. Twitter data suggest thatX ga ittetawith certain subjects (e.g., high school girls, cats, moms; see below) is more conventionalized compared to the counterpartY-tte itteta‘was saying that Y’, where Y is a quoted statement, with the same subject. Additionally, the construction accepts variation of surrounding elements to raise its fictional level. In Japanese online platforms, the schemaX ga ittetaand its formulaic instances possibly distance the quoter from the quoted statement and avoid arguments and criticisms.

Investigating Situational Interest As Motivation To Learn Online

Students studying Japanese at the main campus of the largest public university who have accommodated to face-to-face learning had to adapt to online learning sessions after the COVID-19 phenomenon emerged in early 2020. They had to learn independently and were expected to have digital technology skills in addition to having devices required for synchronous and asynchronous learning sessions. Would this change affect their motivation to learn Japanese? The researchers were motivated to undertake this study because investigating the motivational variables of language learning in online classes has profound impacts on instructors and students, as well as teaching and learning approaches. This quantitative study was conducted to explore the motivation of students to learn Japanese online. The study used a Google Form survey and all items were measured on a 5 Likert scale. The data were organized in four sections. Section A, the demographic profile, had 5 items, Section B had 12 items on Triggered Situational Interests, Section C had 14 items on Maintained Situational Interests and Section D had 12 items of Emerging Individual Interest. The categories in the instrument were inspired from Hidi and Renniger's (2006) situational interest and then incorporated into Fowler's (2018) online motivation. 161 students from three clusters of Science and Technology, Arts and Humanities and Business and Administration taking Japanese as an elective, participated in this study. Data were analysed using SPSS frequency statistics. The findings showed that there was a significant positive correlation between respondents triggered situational interest, maintained situational interest, and emerging individual interest in learning Japanese online. Students, on average, had an internal and external motivation to learn Japanese through online platforms and personal interest influences their motivation. Some pedagogical implications such as student’s performing tasks in class, the grading system, course content and the role of the instructor can be concluded. Future research about situational interest as motivation for online learning across genders, qualitative interview methods or open-ended questions and comparison of traditional online versus hybrid learning in relation to student motivation are proposed.