Vaccinations may be one of the solutions to end the COVID-19 pandemic. One’s psychological state may be strongly related to one’s willingness to be vaccinated. This study investigated the relationship between the psychological state of Japanese university students and their willingness to be vaccinated. A self-report questionnaire on COVID-19, its vaccines (vaccination status, and perceived efficacy and safety), and psychological state (anxiety and depressive mood) was administered online, and 560 valid responses were obtained. The unvaccinated group reported significantly lower perceived vaccine effectiveness and importance than the vaccinated group. However, there were no differences in anxiety and depressive mood symptoms between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the unvaccinated participants to identify the factors associated with their unwillingness to be vaccinated; there was a significant association between anxiety and unwillingness to receive the vaccine (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant association between depressive mood and unwillingness to receive the vaccine. The results suggest that timely psychological support for Japanese university students experiencing high levels of anxiety is important in accelerating vaccination programs.

Stroke causes balance dysfunction, leading to decreased physical activity and increased falls. Thus, effective balance exercises are needed to improve balance dysfunction. This single-blind, single-center randomized controlled trial evaluated the long-term and continuous effects of balance exercise using a real-time postural feedback system to improve balancing ability safely. Thirty participants were randomized into intervention (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups; 11 in each group completed the final evaluation. The effect of the intervention was evaluated by muscle strength of knee extension, physical performance (short physical performance battery, the center of pressure trajectory length per second, and Timed Up and Go test [TUG]), and self-reported questionnaires (modified Gait Efficacy Scale [mGES] and the Fall Efficacy Scale) at pre (0 week), post (6-week), and at follow-up (10-week) visits. The TUG and mGES showed a significant interactive (group * time) effect (p = 0.007 and p = 0.038, respectively). The intervention group showed significant decreasing time to perform TUG from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.015) and pre-intervention to follow-up (p = 0.016); mGES showed a significant change from pre-intervention to follow-up (p = 0.036). Thus, balance exercise using a real-time postural feedback system can confer a positive effect on the walking ability in patients with chronic stroke and increase their self-confidence in gait performance.

Sedentary behavior, particularly prevalent during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has been shown to lead to depression. In medical students, this could negatively affect the provision of healthcare. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between sedentary behavior and depression in Japanese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 30 to August 30, 2021, using anonymous questionnaire system to assess respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, sedentary behavior among 1000 Japanese university students. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). The data of 484 respondents (48.4%) were included in a stepwise analysis, where we set the difference between medical and non-medical students as Model 1 and that between medical students with and without depression as Model 2. For group comparisons of both models, the chi-square test was used for sociodemographic characteristics, and the Mann–Whitney U-test was used for physical activity and sedentary behavior. In Model 2, factors associated with depression among medical students were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. In Model 1, medical students were less physically active (p < 0.001), had longer sedentary time (p < 0.001), and had higher PHQ-2 scores (p = 0.048) than non-medical students. In Model 2, medical students with depression had longer sedentary time (p = 0.004) and longer leisure screen time than those without depression (p = 0.007). Moreover, logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders showed that sedentary time (OR = 1.001, p = 0.048) and leisure screen time (OR = 1.003, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with depression among medical students. Based on these results, it is evident that reducing Japanese medical students’ sedentary time and leisure screen time can help combat depression during the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, these results can guide the development of appropriate interventions to prevent and treat depression.

The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a physical fall-risk screening tool and predictor of adverse health effects for the older. Its limited use in Japan is due to the relative ease for high-functioning older adults to achieve perfect scores. Japanese researchers thus created a community-based SPPB (SPPB-com). This study investigated whether the SPPB-com score can distinguish between older patients classified as “fallers” and “non-fallers.” Participants comprised 185 older outpatients aged 65 and above who self-reported their history of accidental falls and relevant physical activity. Fall risk was assessed using SPPB and SPPB-com. Handgrip strength, maximum isometric knee extensor strength, and maximum walking speed were measured as physical functions. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic analyses determined criteria indicating faller status. Fallers were older and had lower physical function, physical activity, SPPB, and SPPB-com scores than non-fallers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed SPPB (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59–0.99, p = 0.045) and SPPB-com (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.45–0.87, p = 0.005) scores were both independently associated with prior falls. The SPPB-com score may function as a fall-risk assessment tool for older outpatients, and its combined use with SPPB can increase the accuracy and precision of distinction between fallers and non-fallers.

The coronavirus disease pandemic has led to college students spending more time at home. “Stay-at-home exercise” videos to mitigate inactivity are currently available on various digital platforms; however, it is unclear whether these videos lead to behavioral changes among college students. This study aimed to investigate the improvement in physical activity (PA) resulting from “stay-at-home exercise” among college students. Overall, 150 college students were recruited, and 125 students (control group: 65; intervention group: 60) who completed baseline surveys were analyzed. The preliminary outcomes were PA, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), subjective well-being (SWB), and psychological stress (K6). Mixed model repeated-measure analysis of variance compared the outcomes before and after the intervention. After 8 weeks of “stay-at-home exercise”, there was no significant interaction in PA (F = 0.02, p = 0.89); however, a significant interaction for the general health subscale of HRQoL (F = 9.52), SWB (F = 6.70), and K6 (F = 7.83) was detected (p < 0.05). On comparing the pre- and post-intervention results, we found that only distributing an 8-week streaming video of “stay-at-home exercise” did not increase the amount of physical activity among participants, but it did have a positive effect on their mental health during the pandemic.

Background and Objectives: The effectiveness of multiple ultrasound evaluations of the peroneus muscles morphology, including muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and connective tissue, after lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is unknown. This study aimed to measure the peroneus muscles after LAS at three points, adding distal 75% to the conventional measurement points, in order to obtain a detailed understanding of the post-injury morphology and to propose a new evaluation index of the peroneus muscles for multiple LAS. Materials and Methods: Participants with and without LAS (LAS and control groups, 16 each) were recruited. The muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle echogenicity were measured using a B-mode ultrasound system at 25%, 50%, and 75% proximal to the line connecting the fibular head to the lateral malleolus. The ankle evertor strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer. Simultaneously, the peroneus longus (PL) and peroneus brevis (PB) muscle activities were measured using surface electromyography. Measurements for the LAS side, non-LAS side, and control leg were performed separately. Results: The CSA was significantly higher at 75% on the LAS side than on the non-LAS side and in the control leg. Muscle echogenicity of the LAS side at 75% was significantly lower than that of the non-LAS side and the control leg. Muscle activity of the PL was significantly lower and the PB was higher on the LAS side than on the non-LAS side and in the control leg. Conclusions: The PL was less active than the PB, while the PB was found to be overactive, suggesting that PB hypertrophy occurs due to an increase in the percentage of muscle fibers and a decrease in the connective tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the condition of the PL and PB separately after LAS.