Kansai Area Research Articles

Affective Exercise Experience in Childhood and Psychological Determinants of Exercise Among Japanese Older Adults

ABSTRACT Japan faces significant challenges associated with its super-aged society. Exercise and physical activity are recommended strategies to promote healthy aging and quality of life in older age. However, what determines exercise behavior among Japanese older adults is relatively unknown. The principle aim of this study was to explore exercise determinants and their relation to exercise behavior among Japanese older adults. Completed self-report questionnaires were received from 1,000 Japanese older adults aged between 65 and 74 years who resided in the Kansai area. A cross-sectional maximum likelihood path analysis was used to test the relationships between variables, where it was hypothesized that affective experiences in childhood had an indirect association with the exercise behavior of Japanese older adults through the seven psychological determinants of exercise. Demographic factors were also included in the model as potential influences of all factors. Knowledge held the largest significant direct association with exercise behavior (β = .539, p = <.001), particularly more intense forms of exercise such as resistance exercise (β = .725, p = <.001) and moderate to strenuous exercise (β = .420, p = <.001), whilst affective exercise experience in childhood (B = 3.749, p = <.001) and gender (B = 5.183, p = .003) held significant indirect associations. This paper emphasizes the importance of exercise-related knowledge among Japanese older adults and future research is warranted to further explore the role of positive affective exercise experiences in childhood and their influence on exercise behavior, especially amongst girls.

Unravelling route choices of large trucks using trajectory clustering and conditional Logit models

The mobility of sizable trucks is often limited by their large size. They thus may have additional requirements on road types, road widths, and the turning radius at the intersection when travelling. Therefore, this study explores the unique needs and preferences of large truck drivers’ route choice with a focus on trip and road network characteristics. GPS trajectory data from the central Kansai area of Japan with numerous ports and freight terminals are used. Trajectories are considered having the same origin (destination) if their starting (ending) coordinates are in the same 500 m × 500 m mesh. For the trajectories of the same pair of origin–destination (OD) meshes, several route clusters are obtained based on geographical configuration using a QuickBundles algorithm. Sampling techniques are employed to equalize the number of input points for each vehicle trajectory and the optimal number of clusters is determined automatically by our algorithm based on the Silhouette Coefficient. By taking the clusters as route choice options for an OD pair, a Conditional Logit Model is used to identify the factors that influence the route choice considering both vehicle- and trip-specific attributes. The results quantify the preference of trucks for wider roads and toll routes, as well as aversion to long distances and turns. Heterogeneity in route choice based on vehicle type, trip time (date), and trip purpose is also evident. The findings of this study can provide insights for freight road network design and optimization.

Perception and production of French oral vowels by Japanese-speaking learners: does dialectal variation play a role?

This paper presents a series of studies on the impact of regional variation in L1 (source language) on L2 (target language) pronunciation, focusing on the high back vowel /u/ in French perceived or produced by native speakers of Japanese from the Kanto area (around Tokyo) and the Kansai area (around Osaka). 1) To serve as a base line, the 5 Japanese vowels were pronounced by 11 speakers (5 women and 6 men) from Kansai with no learning experience of French and their first 4 formants were measured to examine their acoustic properties. 2) 25 naïve listeners from Kansai took part in an AXB auditory discrimination task for French vowels including pairs /u/-/y/, /y/-/ø/ and /u/-/ø/; the results were compared with those of Kanto speakers in previous studies. 3) Some Japanese-speaking learners of French (JSL) from Kansai produced the French /u/ with a lower F2 (around 1,000 Hz for men) than typical values observed for learners from the Tokyo area. These results show limited differences for some of the speakers from Kansai compared to the tendency commonly observed with Kanto speakers

The Emergence and Widespread Circulation of Enteric Viruses Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Wastewater-Based Evidence.

Growing evidence shed light on the importance of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) during the pandemic, when the patients rarely visited the clinics despite the fact that the infections were still prevalent in the community as before. The abundance of infections in the community poses a constant threat of the emergence of new epidemic strains. Herein, we investigated enteric viruses in raw sewage water (SW) from Japan's Tohoku region and compared them to those from the Kansai region to better understand the circulating strains and their distribution across communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Raw SW was collected between 2019 and 2022, concentrated by polyethylene-glycol-precipitation method, and investigated for major AGE viruses by RT-PCR. Sequence-based analyses were used to assess genotypes and evolutionary relationships. The most commonly detected enteric virus was rotavirus A (RVA) at 63.8%, followed by astrovirus (AstV) at 61.1%, norovirus (NoV) GII and adenovirus (AdV) at 33.3%, sapovirus (SV) at 25.0%, enterovirus (EV) at 19.4%, and NoV GI at 13.9%. The highest prevalence (46.0%) was found in the spring. Importantly, enteric viruses did not decline during the pandemic. Rather, several strains like NoV GII.2, DS-1-like human G3 (equine) RVA, MLB1 AstV, and different F41 HAdV emerged throughout the pandemic and spread widely over the Tohoku and Kansai regions. Tohoku's detection rate remained lower than that of the Kansai area (36 vs 58%). This study provides evidence for the emergence and spread of enteric viruses during the pandemic.

Attitudes toward possible food radiation contamination following the Fukushima nuclear accident: a nine-year, ten-wave panel survey

After the Fukushima nuclear accident, we examined changes in risk perception regarding the radiation contamination of food and information-seeking behavior among residents of three regions progressively more distant from the disaster area, the Tokyo Metropolitan area to the Kansai area. We conducted a ten-wave panel survey and obtained data from 1,752 citizens six months to nine years after the accident. The results indicate that anxiety related to radioactive contamination, active information-seeking behavior, and avoidance of foods from affected areas decreased with time. Active information-seeking behavior and radiation-related knowledge were higher in the disaster-affected prefectures than in other areas. Conversely, avoidance of foods from affected areas was lower in affected prefectures than in the Kansai area. The credibility of government information increased from a considerably low level but did not reach the midpoint level. Multiple regression analysis, cross-lagged analysis, and structural equation modeling indicated that avoidance of foods from affected areas was promoted by anxiety related to radioactive contamination (experiential thinking/System 1) and inhibited by critical thinking attitudes (analytical thinking/System 2). Finally, we discussed the significance of risk literacy, which integrates risk-related knowledge, scientific literacy, media literacy, and critical thinking.

Perceived Difficulties and Learning Needs Among Acute Care Ward Nurses Providing End-of-Life Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison by Years of Clinical Experience.

In the daily routine of acute care wards, where priority is given to patients with severe illnesses and those who require urgent care, working with and supporting the decision making of terminally ill patients can be challenging. This study aimed to clarify the perceived difficulties of and learning needs among acute care ward nurses providing end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to perform analyses by years of clinical experience, we conducted semi-structured interviews with both novice and experienced nurses. Participants were nurses working in the acute care ward of hospitals in the Kansai area. We interviewed 31 nurses who agreed to cooperate, including 18 novice/advanced beginner nurses and 13 proficient/expert nurses. Perceived difficulties were categorized into four main groups for novice/advanced beginner nurses: <explanation>, <coronavirus>, <family>, and <doctor>. Perceived difficulties were categorized into four main groups for proficient/expert nurses: <nurses>, <care>, <think>, and <family>. Perceived learning needs were categorized into three main groups for novice/advanced beginner nurses: <patient>, <family>, and <experience>. Perceived learning needs were categorized into three main groups for proficient/expert nurses: <hospital>, <angel>, and <pain>. Novice/advanced beginner nurses felt anxiety and confusion, and were overwhelmed with how to care for terminal patients. Proficient/expert nurses were able to think about how to make patients and their families feel better, and were able to think specifically about post-mortem care. Many proficient/expert nurses were thinking not only about patient care but also about patients' room environment and how to spend time with their families. They sought learning opportunities regarding angel care, including methods of teaching it and basic techniques for performing it, and realized that information sharing within wards, chain of command within the hospital, information exchange with other hospitals, and inter-hospital collaboration were all important during COVID-19 pandemic.

Field Survey of Indoor Microplastic in Four Regions of Japan

In recent years, the plastics pollution of 5mm or less size (microplastics) in marine ecosystems has been a global issue. The presence of microplastics (microfibers) is also a major concern in indoor environments of the residetial house. Many sources of microplastics in the marine environment also exist in the indoor environment. In the modern age where we spend most of our time indoors, the indoor environment is related to the health of residents, so it is important to investigate the presence and contamination status of microplastics in the indoor environment. There is limited the number of studies on microplastics in the indoor environment. In our previous studies have confirmed the presence of microplastics in indoor environments Kanto area including Tokyo of Japanese residential houses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the concentration of indoor microplastics in four regions; Kanto area including Tokyo, Chubu area, Tohoku area, and Kansai area. We focused on the indoor microplastics in settled dust on the floor of residential houses, and the survey was conducted on the 16 residential houses. Micro-Fourier transform infrared (µ-FT-IR) spectrophotometry was used for the qualitative analysis of microplastics. The detected components in the settled dust were cellulose, polyamide (PA), polyacrylamide (PAM), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene (PEs), polyester (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl acetate (PVAL).

The Development of the Psychological Determinants of Exercise Questionnaire for Japanese Older Adults: A Questionnaire Based Upon the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Japan has become a super-aged society. To overcome the negative implications of this, practitioners are increasingly using exercise-based interventions to reduce the requirement for long-term care among Japanese older adults. However, no comprehensive means of assessing the wide range of exercise behavioral determinants exists for this population. Thus, the principle aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire based upon the theoretical domains framework-a framework that has synthesized a wide range of behavior change theories. Completed responses were received from 1,000 Japanese older adults who resided in the Kansai area of Japan. Findings were suggestive of good reliability and validity for seven unique psychological determinants of exercise. This study was the first to provide a measurement tool related to a distinct range of psychological determinants of exercise among Japanese older adults.

Gagaku in Medieval Japanese Religion

Contrary to the widespread assumption in the study of Japanese religions that Kagura is historically the main genre of performing arts at Shintō festivals, something dating back to the beginning of Japanese history, in this article I focus instead on Gagaku (and its Bugaku dance repertory) as a central component of rituals, ceremonies, and festivals not only at the imperial court but also and especially at many temples and shrines across the country. While Gagaku and Bugaku were deeply rooted in the Kansai area, with guilds of hereditary professional musicians affiliated with, respectively, the imperial court in Kyoto, Kasuga-Kōfukuji in Nara, and Shitennōji in Osaka, and with the most lavish performances being held at temples and shrines in the region, those art forms had already spread to the provinces by the end of the Heian period. This article investigates some of the connections between religious ideas, rituals, and musical performances in relation to Kuroda Toshio’s concept of the exo-esoteric system (kenmitsu taisei) and the creative use of Buddhist canonical sources that such connections originated.

The home environment and current dermatitis in Japanese junior high school children in Kansai area

There is little information on indoor risk factors for dermatitis in Japan. We studied associations between dermatitis in Japanese junior high school students in Hyogo prefecture and the home environment. A standardised questionnaire was sent to students in four schools (12–15 years old), 1048 (99%) participated. Data on the home environment was collected by the questionnaire. Associations were analysed by multilevel logistic regression in mutually adjusted models, calculating odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. A total of 15.2% reported current dermatitis, 8.8% cat allergy, 6.1% dog allergy, 6.0% mould allergy, 25.7% pollen allergy and 32.3% any allergy (a history of atopy). Female gender (OR 1.65), a history of atopy (OR 2.14), new building materials (indoor paint or floor materials) (OR 1.59), dampness or indoor mould (OR 1.51) and windowpane condensation in winter (OR 1.45) were associated with current dermatitis. The association between window pane condensation and dermatitis was stronger in students without a history of atopy (interaction p=0.02). In conclusion, dampness, indoor mould and window pane condensation in wintertime can be household risk factors for dermatitis in adolescents. Chemical emissions from new building materials, especially paint and floor materials, can be another risk factor.

Relationship between Seasonal Changes in Food Intake and Energy Metabolism, Physical Activity, and Body Composition in Young Japanese Women.

We investigated seasonal changes in food intake, energy metabolism, and physical activity (PA) and explored their associations with body composition. In total, 28 women aged 20–23 years in the Kansai area of Japan participated in this year-long study spanning the winter, spring, and summer seasons. A dietary investigation was performed using the weight recording method, and the amount of histidine in the diet, which may be related to the regulation of energy intake, was calculated. Resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition, and PA were measured using indirect calorimetry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and uniaxial accelerometry, respectively. The results showed that energy intake was highest in winter, decreased significantly with increasing temperature, and decreased by 25% in summer. As the intake of histidine in the diet did not increase in summer, it did not seem to be involved in the suppression of energy intake. RMR was highest in winter and decreased significantly in summer by 20%. The amount of PA was low in winter, increased significantly in the spring, and decreased again in summer. Body weight increased in winter, with an accumulation of fat in the trunk and arms, and decreased in summer, with a reduction in the amount of fat. Greater energy intake and less PA in winter induced an increment in body weight despite the increase in RMR. There were no significant changes in lean body mass between the seasons; however, the muscle weight of the lower limbs increased significantly in spring and in summer compared with that in winter (p < 0.001). Thus, seasonal changes in food intake, energy metabolism, and PA occur, with resultant changes in the body composition under comfortable air-conditioned environments.

Do Citizens of a City that Owns a Local Public Airport Have Attachment to the Airport and Use it?

This research investigates whether passengers living in a city with a local public airport have an attachment to that airport and tend to use it. Focusing on the greater Kansai area with its three airports and Kobe, which owns one of them, Kobe Airport, as an example, an empirical analysis was conducted using a nested logit model and micro data. The result of the basic model shows that passengers living in Kobe prefer the Kobe Airport when compared to passengers living in other cities. An additional analysis based on a questionnaire survey revealed that a certain percentage of respondents choose Kobe Airport because they love it, meaning that the non-economic factor of attachment influences passengers’ decisions. The results of this research suggest that enhancing attachment to an airport might be a possible idea for policy makers of airport cities to increase their passengers.

Activities of Kansai area branch with the new normal under COVID-19 pandemic

Activities of Kansai area branch with the new normal under COVID-19 pandemic

Mission Statements of Japanese Civil Society Organizations Supporting International Students in the Kansai Area

This study is applying critical discourse analysis (CDA) to mission statements of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Kansai area of Japan to examine how those texts may be reflecting their views on migration and impacting their practices related to international students. The analysis shows similarities across CSO types in choosing organizational names, using vague and bureaucratic vocabulary for formulating their mission statements, as well as confusing and contradictory style of some statements and event announcements that may be misleading or discouraging for potential members. At the same time, diversity of vocabulary referring to their target audience demonstrates shifting perspectives of CSOs on international students and more generally, on foreigners living in Japan.

Evaluations of Wind Field Estimations for Typhoon Jebi (T1821) by Using Fire Insurance Experience in Kansai Area

Evaluations of Wind Field Estimations for Typhoon Jebi (T1821) by Using Fire Insurance Experience in Kansai Area

Analysis of Changes in Physical Strength over Time in Recent School-Age Students: Proposal for Multi-year Span Evaluation Chart with the O Model

For school-age children to lead healthy lives, they need suitable physical abilities for those lives. Together with this, measurements of physical strength and motor ability to assess those abilities could be considered essential. The physical strength of children has declined in recent years, and City O in the Kansai area of Japan has implemented an action plan to address the problem. This action plan was developed from a survey continued over seven years of the physique, physical strength, and motor abilities of fifth grade elementary school students and second year junior high school (seventh grade) students. To assess the efficacy of City O’s action plan, this study analyzed trends in strength and motor ability over seven years to examine whether trends were rising or falling. The method adopted for this plan was to measure the same items as those in the strength and motor ability survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The wavelet interpolation model was applied to the multi-year trends in the results obtained over seven years to examine whether they were improving or declining. An improving trend was seen with time in the physical strength and motor ability of second-year junior high school girls. One may infer that behind the improving trend over time were the effects from City O’s action plan. The background for the improving trend seen over the years seen in second year junior high school girls but not boys may include that girls were originally less active than boys and but were encouraged to be active by the action plan. Because the second year of junior high school is the period of late puberty for girls, and is a time when they are approaching their developmental peak in physical strength, it may be inferred that the increase in physical strength was affected by factors in the action plan. In this study, a new evaluation chart that considers trends over years was established using the wavelet interpolation model, and the efficacy of the multi-year span evaluation chart for physical strength is presented as the O model.

Distribution records of apple snails (Pomacea spp.) in Japan collected during 2017–2019 through a citizen science project for introduced species conducted by the Osaka Museum of Natural History

AbstractApple snails Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea maculata are herbivorous freshwater gastropods native to South America and are introduced species widespread in western and southern Japan. Although they affect rice culture and are invasive to native ecosystems, high‐resolution distribution data are not available for these species. I mapped the distribution of Pomacea species using the citizen science approach, by asking volunteers to report the geographical location along with the presence or absence of apple snail egg capsules or snail shells during 2017–2019. In total, 1,304 present and 508 absent records were collected, which revealed the distribution outlines of apple snails, especially in the Kansai area. Here, I provide a dataset of observation dates, location coordinates, volunteer names, and supplemental information.The complete data set for this abstract published in the Data Paper section of the journal is available in electronic format in MetaCat in JaLTER at http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/JaLTER/metacat/metacat/ERDP-2020-19.1/jalter-en.

The effect of teaching framework on implementation number of units in natural environmental education at elementary schools in Kansai area

The effect of teaching framework on implementation number of units in natural environmental education at elementary schools in Kansai area

The Characteristics of Perceived Difficulties in Everyday Technology Use among Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury Compared to That among Controls

Objectives: People with acquired brain injury (ABI) have various difficulties when using everyday technology (ET) in their daily life. The aim of this study was to reveal the characteristics of perceived difficulties of people with ABI when using ET through a comparison with the control group. Method: We recruited participants in the Kansai area and Okayama prefecture between 2010 and 2015. A total of 24 participants (18 males and 6 females; aged 20 to 62 years; mean age: 42.6 ± 13.3 years) with ABI and 26 healthy controls were interviewed about their perceived difficulties using ET via the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire revised Japanese version (ETUQ-Japan). Results: Compared to the controls, the mean number of ETs used by people with ABI was significantly lower. When various difficulties arose, they were unable to independently manage ET, requiring the assistance of caregivers. Conclusion: It is necessary for the medical staff, involved in the home life of patients with ABI to consider the patient’s perceived difficulties when using ET.

Creation and validation of a semi-quantitative instrument to assess the confidence of pharmacists in medication consultation for patients with depression: The Pharmacists' Confidence scale about Medication Consultation for Depressive patients (PCMCD)

Objectives:To develop a semi-quantitative instrument to assess pharmacists’ confidence in medication counseling for patients with depression, The Pharmacists’ Confidence scale about Medication Consultation for Depressive patients (PCMCD), and investigated its validity.Methods:Following discussions with practicing pharmacists, we developed a 12-item questionnaire to assess pharmacists’ confidence in medication counseling for patients with depression. We launched web-based cross-sectional survey during November and December 2018 to 77 pharmacists employed at drug chain stores in Kansai area. Factor analysis was performed to evaluate the configuration concept validity. The least-squares method was used for factor extraction, and the resulting factors were subjected to direct oblimin rotation, with a factor loading cut-off of 0.4. To assess internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha values were calculated for each of the extracted factors (subscales). A multiple regression analysis was performed using simultaneous forced entry, with the scores obtained for each subscale as dependent variables and responder attributes as independent variables in order to investigate the factors associated with each subscale.Results:During the factor analysis procedure, four questions were excluded by the cut-off rule. Eventually, a model with three subscales was identified, with a cumulative sum of squared loadings being 61.9%. The subscales were termed “relationship building,” “comprehension of condition,” and “information provision” based on the nature of the questions relevant for each of them. The Cronbach’s alpha values for these subscales were 0.92, 0.73, and 0.72, respectively. The average inter-item correlation was 0.378. In addition, multiple regression analysis revealed that there were significant correlations between pharmacist career and both relationship building and information provision.Conclusions:The PCMCD model demonstrated a satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency. This model will provide an excellent tool for assessing pharmacists’ confidence in depression care.