Papers - Nomura, Shuhei

Characterizing Healthy Dietary Practices in Japan: Insights from a 2024 Nationwide Survey and Cluster Analysis

Shuhei Nomura, Akifumi Eguchi, Keiko Maruyama-Sakurai, Ruka Higashino, Daisuke Yoneoka, Takayuki Kawashima, Yuta Tanoue, Yumi Kawamura, Rauniyar Santosh Kumar, Takanori Fujita, Hiroaki Miyata

Nutrients (MDPI AG)  16 ( 10 ) 1412 - 1412 2024.05

Accepted

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The increasing burden of lifestyle-related diseases highlights the need to address unhealthy dietary habits. This study aims to explore the latest dietary patterns in Japan following the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on trends in health-promoting food choices. A web-based survey was conducted among 27,154 Japanese adults, selected via quota sampling to mirror national demographics. The study evaluated dietary diversity, measured through the Dietary Variety Score (Outcome 1), and the prioritization of nutritional and health considerations in food selection, assessed via a Likert scale (Outcome 2). Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and Ordering Points To Identify the Clustering Structure (OPTICS) algorithms were used to delineate patterns in health-centric food selections. OPTICS clustering revealed four distinct clusters for each outcome. Cluster 3, with a diverse diet, comprised older, predominantly female individuals with higher well-being and lower social isolation compared to Cluster 4, which lacked distinct dietary patterns. Cluster 3 also engaged more in snacking, treat foods, home cooking, and frozen meals. Similarly, a divide emerged between those prioritizing dietary considerations (Cluster C) and those indifferent to such aspects (Cluster D). The findings underscore the need for holistic post-COVID-19 public health initiatives addressing socioeconomic and cultural barriers to healthier dietary practices.

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Excess suicides in Japan: a three-year post-pandemic assessment of gender and age disparities

Haruka Sakamoto, Masahide Koda, Akifumi Eguchi, Kaori Endo, Takahiro Arai, Nahoko Harada, Takashi Nishio, Shuhei Nomura

Psychiatry Research (Elsevier BV)  334   115806 - 115806 2024.04

Accepted,  ISSN  01651781

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This study offers an in-depth analysis of Japan's suicide trends three years after the COVID-19 outbreak. Using data from the National Police Agency (January 2010-May 2023), we examined suicide rates across genders and age groups. Employing the quasi-Poisson regression, we predicted monthly death counts. Findings indicate a steady rise in female suicides from April 2020 to January 2023. Notably, male cohorts aged 50–59 and over 80 in 2022 displayed heightened death rates. While these trends may reflect the impacts of the pandemic, it is essential to consider other factors, including socio-economic changes, to fully understand the context of Japan's suicide patterns.

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Prioritizing Strategies for Building the Resilience of Public Health Systems to Disasters Across Multiple Communities and Countries

Benjamin J. Ryan, Mayumi Kako, Shelby Garner, Rok Fink, Ismail Tayfur, Jonathan Abrahams, Sanjaya Bhatia, Adriana Campelo, Matthew Fendt, Alicia Fontenot, Nahuel Arenas Garcia, Tim Hatch, Ryoma Kayano, LaShonda Malrey-Horne, Makiko MacDermot, Md Moshiur Rahman, Chaverle Noel, Shuhei Nomura, Jeremy P. Novak, Maria Opazo, Kendell Oliver, Luciana Peters, Sohel Rahman, Perihan Şimşek, Andrew Stricklin, Raymond Swienton, Bryan W. Brooks

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science (Springer Science and Business Media LLC)  15 ( 1 ) 1 - 17 2024.02

Accepted,  ISSN  20950055

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to strengthen public health systems. In response, the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (Scorecard) was applied in workshops across multiple countries. The aim of our research was to explore the workshop findings to develop priority strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. We conducted a workshop from 14 to 16 March 2023, at the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea. A sequential modified Delphi method was utilized to develop a set of prioritized resilience strategies. These were drawn from 70 strategies identified from 13 distinct workshops in eight countries. After two surveys, 23 strategies were finalized. Ten received ratings of “High” or “Very High” from 89% of participants. These related to the inclusion of public health risks in emergency plans, integrating multidisciplinary teams into public health, enabling local transport mechanisms, and improving the ability to manage an influx of patients. The Scorecard provides an adaptable framework to identify and prioritize strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. By leveraging this methodology, our study demonstrated how resilience strategies could inform disaster risk reduction funding, policies, and actions.

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Factors associated with barriers to healthcare access among ever-married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh: Analysis from the 2017–2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

Hitomi Hinata, Kaung Suu Lwin, Akifumi Eguchi, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Masahiro Hashizume, Shuhei Nomura

PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science (PLoS))  19 ( 1 January ) e0289324 - e0289324 2024.01

Accepted,  ISSN  1932-6203

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Background

Globally, women experience healthcare inequalities, which may contribute to excessive mortality rates at various stages of their lives. Though Bangladesh has achieved excellent progress in providing healthcare, the country still has some critical challenges that need immediate attention. The objective of this study is to examine the association between social determinants and barriers to accessing healthcare among ever-married women aged 15–49 in Bangladesh.

Methods

The study was conducted among 20,127 women aged 15–49, using data from the 2017–2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Four barriers to healthcare were considered: whether women face problems with permission, obtaining money, distance, and companionship. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was used, with a broad array of independent variables (such as age, and educational level) to identify the determinants of barriers to healthcare access. The associations were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

More than two-thirds (66.3%) of women reported having at least one perceived barrier to accessing healthcare. Women with a higher level of education (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.41–0.57), owning a mobile telephone (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.73–0.84), and those in the richest wealth quintile (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.38–0.52) had lower odds of having barriers to accessing healthcare. In addition, widowed (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.26–1.84), divorced (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI:1.47–2.48), or separated (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.46–2.69) women had higher odds of having a money barrier to accessing healthcare, than married women.

Conclusions

This study shows that individual-, household-, and community-level factors are associated with barriers to healthcare accessibility. To improve the state of women’s health in Bangladesh, it is vital to consider these socio-economic factors and implement fundamental measures, such as supporting the national health policy, empowering women’s socio-economic situation, and spreading the flexible way of healthcare access.

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer death locations in Japan: an analysis of excess mortality through February 2023

S Nomura, M Nishio, SK Abe, A Eguchi, M Inoue, M Suzuki, M Hashizume

Journal of Epidemiology 34 (7), 349-355 (Japan Epidemiological Association)  34 ( 7 ) 349 - 355 2024

Accepted,  ISSN  09175040

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Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted end-of-life decisions for cancer patients in Japan, with disparities existing between preferred and actual care settings. Our study investigates the potential shifts in cancer death locations during the pandemic and if there were excess cancer deaths. Methods: Utilizing national mortality data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare from January 2012 to February 2023, we identified cancer deaths using International Classification of Disease, 10th revision codes. We assessed death locations, including medical institutions, nursing facilities, and homes. The Farrington algorithm was employed to estimate expected death counts, and the differences between observed and expected counts were denoted as excess deaths. Results: From January 2018 to February 2023, there was consistently increase in the weekly observed cancer deaths. The presence of a definitive excess during the pandemic period remains uncertain. The percentage of deaths in medical institutions declined from 83.3% to 70.1%, while home deaths increased from 12.1% to 22.9%. Between April 2020 and February 2023, deaths in medical institutions frequently fell below the 95% prediction lower limit. Home deaths consistently exceeded the 95% prediction upper limit, with significant excess deaths reported annually. Conclusion: Our study found a shift in cancer death locations from medical institutions to homes in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study did not confirm an overall increase in cancer deaths during this period. As with global trends, the profound shift from hospitals to homes in Japan calls for a comprehensive exploration to grasp the pandemic’s multifaceted impact on end-of-life cancer care decisions.

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Health Information Seeking on the Internet Among Patients With and Without Cancer in a Region Affected by the 2011 Fukushima Triple Disaster: Cross-Sectional Study

Yudai Kaneda, Akihiko Ozaki, Michio Murakami, Toyoaki Sawano, Shuhei Nomura, Divya Bhandari, Hiroaki Saito, Masaharu Tsubokura, Kazue Yamaoka, Yoshinori Nakata, Manabu Tsukada, Hiromichi Ohira

JMIR Cancer 10   e49897 2024

Accepted

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Background: Health information seeking via the internet among patients with cancer in disaster-affected areas is underresearched. Objective: This study aims not only to assess the extent and means of web-based health information seeking among patients with cancer living in the disaster-affected area of the 2011 Fukushima triple disaster but also to compare these patterns with those without cancer, identifying distinct and shared factors influencing their web-based health information behaviors. Methods: We surveyed 404 patients (263 with and 141 without cancer) from the surgery department outpatient office at Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, from October 2016 to January 2017. The survey included self-administered questions on internet and digital device use. Descriptive analyses were performed to examine the use patterns of digital devices and the internet and their impact on health information seeking across different age groups of patients with and without cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with web-based health information seeking, stratifying by cancer diagnosis. Results: The proportion of participants who sought health information on the internet was comparable between patients with cancer and patients without cancer (19% vs 17.4%; P=.71). Digital device use varied significantly with age, with peak smartphone use occurring among the youngest cohorts for both groups. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that patients with cancer using smartphones or tablets daily were significantly more likely to gather web-based health information (odds ratio [OR] for smartphones 3.73, 95% CI 1.58-8.80; OR for tablets 5.08, 95% CI 1.27-20.35). Trust in institutional websites also significantly influenced web-based health information gathering among patients with cancer (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.13-7.25). Conversely, among patients without cancer, unemployment was associated with a lower likelihood of seeking web-based health information (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.08-0.85), whereas trust in both institutional and personal websites significantly increased this likelihood (OR for institutional websites 6.76, 95% CI 2.19-20.88; OR for personal websites 6.97, 95% CI 1.49-32.58). Conclusions: This study reveals that a small proportion of both patients with cancer and patients without cancer engage in health information seeking via the internet, influenced by age, digital device use, and trust in institutional websites. Given the growing prevalence of digital literacy, strategies to enhance accessible and reliable web-based health information should be developed, particularly for patients with cancer in postdisaster settings. Future efforts should focus on tailored health communication strategies that address the unique needs of these populations.

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Changes in Place of Death Among Patients With Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Time-series Analysis

Nahoko Harada, Masahide Koda, Akifumi Eguchi, Masahiro Hashizume, Motoi Suzuki, Shuhei Nomura

Journal of Epidemiology 34 ( 10 ) 493 - 497 2024

ISSN  09175040

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Background: A key measure of the effectiveness of end-of-life care is the place of death. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected end-of-life care and the circumstances of patients with dementia. Methods: This observational, retrospective cohort study used Japanese national data to examine the numbers and locations of reported deaths among patients with dementia older than 65 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Locations were grouped as medical institutions, nursing facilities, homes, or all settings. The quasi-Poisson regression model known as the Farrington algorithm was employed. Results: Between December 30, 2019, and January 29, 2023, 279,703 patients who died of causes related to dementia were reported in Japan. A decline was seen in early 2020, followed by increased numbers of deaths in homes, medical facilities, and nursing homes beginning in October 2020, December 2020, and March 2021, respectively. In 2021, the percentage of excess deaths at home peaked at 35.2%, while in 2022, those in medical facilities and nursing homes peaked at 18.8% and 16.6%, respectively. In 2022, the percentage of excess deaths in nursing homes exceeded that of other locations. Conclusion: The results suggest a change in the preferred place of death, along with pandemic-related visitation restrictions among healthcare facilities. Excess deaths also suggest strained medical resources and limited access to care. Methodological limitations include data from a limited period (2017 onwards) and post-2020 data used to estimate data after 2021, albeit with weighting. Considering these findings, physicians should reconfirm preferred places of death among older patients with dementia.

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A comprehensive assessment of deworming coverage among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–30

Miho Sassa, Daisuke Yoneoka, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Alton Quan Cao, Ganan Devanathan, Masahiro Hashizume, Shuhei Nomura

Journal of Global Health (International Society of Global Health)  14   04002 2024

Accepted,  ISSN  20472978

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Background Intestinal parasitic infections pose a significant global public health issue, particularly among pregnant women, who are generally more susceptible due to their elevated need for iron and nutrients. Deworming stands as a secure and efficacious public health intervention. The World Health Organization (WHO) set a target for the national deworming coverage rate among pregnant women at 75% by 2030. Nonetheless, the existing body of evidence on deworming among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited. Methods Based on Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data from 56 LMICs (n = 924 277) between 2000 and 2022, we used Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate trends of deworming coverage up to 2030 and to analyse determinant factors of deworming. Results We found that, despite progress in deworming coverage estimates for most countries, only 11 (<20%) are on track to achieve the WHO target coverage at the national level. Inequality gaps were projected to increase in most LMICs. A multilevel model showed that increased numbers of antenatal care, access to safe water, and a higher wealth index were associated with higher odds of deworming. Conclusions The progress on deworming coverage and inequality in many countries remains insufficient for achieving the WHO target by 2030. Additional investments in the health sector towards the expansion of deworming programmes, along with integration with existing health services, are urgently required, as is the introduction of effective policies and strengthening programmes within the context of the ‘Leave No One Behind’ agenda.

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Robust estimation of the incubation period and the time of exposure using <i>γ</i> -divergence

Daisuke Yoneoka, Takayuki Kawashima, Yuta Tanoue, Shuhei Nomura, Akifumi Eguchi

Journal of Applied Statistics    1 - 19 2024

Accepted,  ISSN  02664763

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Estimating the exposure time to single infectious pathogens and the associated incubation period, based on symptom onset data, is crucial for identifying infection sources and implementing public health interventions. However, data from rapid surveillance systems designed for early outbreak warning often come with outliers originated from individuals who were not directly exposed to the initial source of infection (i.e. tertiary and subsequent infection cases), making the estimation of exposure time challenging. To address this issue, this study uses a three-parameter lognormal distribution and proposes a new γ-divergence-based robust approach for estimating the parameter corresponding to exposure time with a tailored optimization procedure using the majorization-minimization algorithm, which ensures the monotonic decreasing property of the objective function. Comprehensive numerical experiments and real data analyses suggest that our method is superior to conventional methods in terms of bias, mean squared error, and coverage probability of 95% confidence intervals.

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Complex Landscape of Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan: A Public Health Challenge

S Nomura, M Ueta, A Cao, H Tomoi

 2024

Factors associated with barriers to healthcare access among ever-married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh: Analysis from the 2017–2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health …

H Hinata, KS Lwin, A Eguchi, C Ghaznavi, M Hashizume, S Nomura

Plos one 19 (1), e0289324  2024

The importance of methodological vigilance: Reevaluating suicide trends in Japan post-2022

M Koda, N Harada, S Nomura

Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports 3 (2), e214  2024

Substrate, liquid crystal antenna and high-frequency device

S Nomura, K Ono

US Patent App. 18/771,189  2024

Progress and scenario-based projections of health service availability and coverage towards UHC in the post-conflict and post-pandemic Iraq: a Bayesian hierarchical regression …

H Taniguchi, MM Rahman, A Hussain, S Nomura, G Devanathan, ...

BMJ open 14 (9), e080492  2024

Mapping the Research Landscape of Disaster-Related Deaths and Health Effects in Japan: A Scoping Review

N Harada, M Koda, S Nomura, K Fujimoto, A TOMOTAKI

OSF  2024

Laminated member

S Ogawa, S Nomura, N Nakazawa

US Patent 11,958,269  2024

Laminated member

S Ogawa, N Nakazawa, S Nomura

US Patent 11,964,450  2024

Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in …

AJ Ferrari, DF Santomauro, A Aali, YH Abate, C Abbafati, H Abbastabar, ...

The Lancet 403 (10440), 2133-2161  2024

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the …

M Naghavi, KL Ong, A Aali, HS Ababneh, YH Abate, C Abbafati, ...

The Lancet 403 (10440), 2100-2132  2024

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease …

M Brauer, GA Roth, AY Aravkin, P Zheng, KH Abate, YH Abate, C Abbafati, ...

The Lancet 403 (10440), 2162-2203  2024