The aim of this study was to investigate the pre-impressions of the third Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among Japanese medical staff using quantitative analysis. Among 413 medical staff, 260 (60 men and 200 women) aged 40.4 ± 12.3 years were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Pre-impressions of the third COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed using the text-mining analysis software, KH coder. Among 260 subjects, 242 (93.1%) agreed to the third vaccination, with the rate being lower among subjects in their 30s (87.3%) than those in the other age groups. The word “side effects” was characteristic of subjects in their 20s and nurses, and “pregnancy” of those in their 30s and administrative staff. Pre-impressions of the third COVID-19 vaccination varied among age groups and different professions. The results obtained provide useful information for promoting the third COVID-19 vaccination to Japanese adults.

The aim of this study was to compare impressions of COVID-19 vaccination and influenza vaccination in Japan by analyzing social media (Twitter^®) using a text-mining method. We obtained 10,000 tweets using the keywords “corona vaccine” and “influenza vaccine” on 15 December 2022 and 19 February 2023. We then counted the number of times the words were used and listed frequency of these words by a text-mining method called KH Coder. We also investigated concepts in the data using groups of words that often appeared together or groups of documents that contained the same words using multi-dimensional scaling (MDS). “Death” in relation to corona vaccine and “severe disease” for influenza vaccine were frequently used on 15 December 2022. The number of times the word “death” was used decreased, “after effect” was newly recognized for corona vaccine, and “severe disease” was not used in relation to influenza vaccine. Through this comprehensive analysis of social media data, we observed distinct variations in public perceptions of corona vaccination and influenza vaccination in Japan. These findings provide valuable insights for public health authorities and policymakers to better understand public sentiment and tailor their communication strategies accordingly.

Background: In recent years, a notable increase in syphilis cases has been observed in Japan, aligning with global trends. We aimed to elucidate the trends in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) incidence (specifically syphilis) in Japan and examine its relationship with the number of sex industry-related businesses in prefectures. Methods: Data on STIs and the number of sex industry-related businesses from 2000 to 2022 were obtained from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) and the official website of the Japan National Crime Prevention Association, respectively. Joinpoint analysis and regression analysis were used to identify inflection points in the trend of syphilis and describe the association between STI incidence and the overall number (and the number of different categories) of sex industry-related businesses (i.e., store-based soaplands, store-based fashion health, nude studio, love hotels, adult shops, and meeting cafes, and non-store-based including dispatch-type fashion health and adult video mail orders). The population data was obtained from the 2022 population estimates provided by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Results: In this study, a significant increase in the number of syphilis cases has been observed in Japan in recent years, with joinpoint analysis identifying a significant inflection point in 2020 (annual percent change: 43.8). Multiple regression analysis adjusted for the prefectural population revealed a strong association between the incidence of STIs and number of sex industry-related businesses. Specifically, a strong association was observed between the number of Category I non-store-based sex-related business syphilis cases among men (standardized β=0.908, p<0.001, R2=0.938) and women (standardized β=1.017, p<0.001, R2=0.921), as well as AIDS cases for men (standardized β=0.991, p<0.001, R2=0.910). Conclusions: The significant increase in syphilis cases in Japan among men and women may be related to an increase in non-store-based, dispatch-type fashion health sex-related businesses. These findings indicate that public health policies should consider these specific social and behavioral factors in future interventions.

The present study investigated the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and its relationship with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 421 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who completely met the inclusion criteria, aged 67.3 ± 12.8 years, among 622 outpatients were recruited in this cross-sectional study. We examined the use of CAM, such as supplements, Kampo, acupuncture, and yoga. HRQOL was assessed by EuroQOL. A total of 161 patients (38.2%) with type 2 diabetes mellitus used some type of CAM. The use of supplements and/or health foods was the highest among CAM users (112 subjects, 26.6%). HRQOL was significantly lower in patients who used some CAM (0.829 ± 0.221) than in those without any CAM use (0.881 ± 0.189), even after adjustments for confounding factors [F(1, 414) = 2.530, p = 0.014]. Proper information on CAM is needed for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The present study investigated the pre-impressions of medical staff toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in a designated medical institution for class II infectious diseases in Sakaide, Japan using a text mining analysis. A total of 387 medical staff were surveyed on their pre-vaccination impressions toward the COVID-19 vaccine using an open-ended questionnaire from March 1st to 7th (the first survey) and from March 22nd to 28th (the second survey) at Sakaide City Hospital, Sakaide, Japan. A total of 296 people answered the question for the first time and 234 people answered for the second time among the 387 people. The vaccination rate was slightly lower for the younger generation than for the older generation. Before the first vaccination, the younger generation expressed concerns about side effects as well as a negative impact on pregnancy. However, before the second vaccination, there were fewer concerns regarding side effects and words of reassurance were also noted. Nurses expressed more opinions about side effects in both the first and second vaccinations than other medical staff. Concerns regarding side effects among medical staff decreased with the progression of COVID-19 vaccination. These data may provide useful information about the promotion of COVID-19 vaccination to the public, particularly in the young generation and women.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the number of deaths due to renal failure and air temperature parameters in Hokkaido (the northernmost region) and Okinawa (the southernmost region) prefectures, Japan. Methods: Monthly data on the number of deaths due to renal failure between January 2008 and December 2016 and annual population data were collected from the Hokkaido and Okinawa official prefecture websites. Air temperature parameters were obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The relationship between the number of deaths due to renal failure and air temperature parameters was evaluated by an ecological study. Results: The number of deaths due to renal failure (per 100,000 people/month) in Hokkaido and Okinawa were 2.28 ± 0.30 and 1.17 ± 0.31. In Hokkaido, the number of deaths due to renal failure negatively correlated with air temperature parameters in both sexes. The number of deaths due to renal failure was significantly higher in January than from June to September in all subjects. However, in Okinawa, no significant difference was observed among months. Conclusions: The present results suggest that the relationship between the number of deaths due to renal failure and air temperature parameters differs between Hokkaido and Okinawa.