Background Health effects of multiple role occupancy and their mechanism are not fully addressed. We examined (1) the association between the number of social roles and self-rated health (SRH) and (2) the mediation effects of ikigai (the sense of life worth living) and the size of close social networks to the association. Methods We analysed the cross-sectional baseline questionnaire data of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) of 22 180 men and 26 616 women in age 40–59 years. The independent variable was the number of social roles, counting five social roles as a spouse, parent, child, worker and a role in a community. The dependent variable was poor SRH. Logistic regression was used to estimate the ORs for poor SRH by the number of social roles and to test linear trends. Mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the proportion mediated by ikigai and the size of close social networks. Results Compared with people with 0–1 social role, those who had two or more roles had a lower OR of poor SRH in both men and women. There was a linear inverse trend in the association; people having the largest (5) versus lowest (0–1) number of social roles had the lowest ORs: 0.55 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.66) in men and 0.72 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.86) in women. The estimated proportion mediated by ikigai was over 50%, whereas the size of close social networks mediated the association by approximately 20%. Conclusion An inverse association between the number of social roles and poor SRH and mediation effects of ikigai and the size of close social networks were identified. Having even one more social role might benefit subjective health via increased ikigai and the size of close social networks.
The purpose of this study was to find out factors by which mothers of handicapped children chose whether to be with their children while receiving dental treatment or not. The questionnaires from mothers of 42 handicapped children were examined. Factors on the part of the mothers such as their views on the dental environment, their egogram, and the reasons of the mothers' behavior were surveyed. The results of this study were summarised as follows: 1. Both the group of the mothers with their children in the operating room and the group of the mothers not with their children had views of slightly good for a dentist, her child, and a dental operating room. These views were examined by the Semantic Differential Method. 2. Both types of mothers had views of slightly bad for dental treatment. 3. The group of mothers not with their children tended to have a good view of her child and a dental operating room, when compared with the group of mothers with their children. 4. From the analyses of the egogram of the Tokyo university' test, an AC (Adapted Child) was drawed as the factor, in relation to mothers' behavior. 5. The reasons why the mothers chose to be with their children were as follows: the children would have no anxiety, the mothers were apprehensive for their children, the children were not able to speak, and so forth. 6. The reasons why the mothers chose to stay in waiting room were as follows: there will be no reliance on the mothers and child will not be become spoiled, and they should do everything by themselves, children can manage to be treated alone, and so forth.
Gender differences have been documented in the prevalence of psychological symptoms. Tic disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more common in male clinical samples, while selective mutism and trichotillomania are more common in female clinical samples. In a review of 84 published case studies of Japanese children, this study explored gender differences in the prevalence of four categories of symptoms and expressions made in therapy for tics, selective mutism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and trichotillomania. Case studies were evaluated using both qualitative coding and statistical analysis. The findings were mostly consistent with epidemiological surveys and empirical research on adults. The gender differences in symptom prevalence and their expression could be summarized as differences in more direct aggression for boys versus indirect aggression for girls. The objective and progress in the therapy were to control impulsive energy for boys and to express energy for girls.
