Externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems occurs at a high rate among children. However, this has rarely been examined among Japanese children using a person-oriented method. Hence, this study aims to explore its subtypes and clarify their association with family-based group activities. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a typical community-based suburban area for all families with primary school children in Japan. We investigated children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors based on the Japanese version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and different types of activities that family members frequently engaged in. Data from 206 families were collected and used for the analysis. The subtypes were explored using latent class analysis (LCA). The relationship between family activities and latent class membership was analyzed using a logistic regression model. Moreover, three latent class models and their probabilities were identified, namely, risk group (31.3%), moderate group (44.9%), and normal group (23.8%). Frequent family activities including play sports, traveling or hiking, watching TV and communicating, cooking or making a dessert, and doing housework, which were significantly related to the normal group. These results would add evidence to potential types of children’s behavioral problems and preventive childcare practices needed in the primary gate of families.

Introduction: Smoking remains a significant public health issue globally, despite efforts to reduce tobacco use. In Japan, smoking persists, particularly among certain groups. Methods: This study investigates smoking attitudes, self-reported practices, and COPD knowledge among Japanese...

Background: Work characteristics play a crucial role in the mental well-being of physicians. However, limited research in Bangladesh has explored the association between these characteristics and specific mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety and stress among physicians, particularly in relation to gender differences. Aims: This study aimed to explore the link between various work characteristics and mental health outcomes among male and female physicians in Bangladesh. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study among physicians working in various healthcare settings in Bangladesh. The data were collected online between November 2023 and January 2024 using a convenience sampling technique. Work characteristics, including job characteristics, social characteristics and organisational characteristics, were assessed using previously validated scales. Mental health, on the other hand, was measured using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). We performed logistic regression analyses adjusted for the covariates, and further stratified by gender, to explore potential differences in work characteristics and mental health outcomes between male and female physicians. Results: In our study, social characteristics were significantly inversely associated with depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.37 (0.20–0.71)), anxiety (adjusted odds ratio 0.53 (0.30–0.92)) and stress (adjusted odds ratio 0.45 (0.26–0.81)). Organisational characteristics showed a significant inverse association only with stress (adjusted odds ratio 0.42 (0.24–0.74)). Among male physicians, organisational characteristics were significantly inversely associated with depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.42 (0.19–0.90)), anxiety (adjusted odds ratio 0.44 (0.21–0.91)) and stress (adjusted odds ratio 0.42 (0.20–0.89)), while social characteristics were significantly inversely linked only to stress (adjusted odds ratio 0.43 (0.19–0.97)). By contrast, among female physicians, only social characteristics demonstrated a significant inverse association with depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.30 (0.12–0.78)). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of social characteristics as a protective factor for psychological well-being in the healthcare context. Therefore, fostering a work culture that prioritises peer support and strong interpersonal relationships can be crucial in alleviating mental health challenges among physicians.

Background/Objective: Early fine motor skills are consistently associated with later language development, but it remains unclear as to whether this relationship is maintained among children showing early development during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigated whether the longitudinal association between early fine motor skills and subsequent vocabulary development differed between children demonstrating early development before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The participants were 1150 children (pre-pandemic cohort: n = 703; pandemic cohort: n = 447) attending licensed childcare centers in Japan. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine whether fine motor skills at Time 1 (T1) predicted vocabulary at Time 2 (T2) after adjusting for baseline vocabulary, demographic characteristics, and home-rearing environment. Results: Fine motor skills at T1 significantly predicted vocabulary at T2 in both cohorts. A significant interaction between cohort and fine motor skills was observed (B = −0.09, p = 0.041), indicating that the strength of this association differed between the pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts. Children in the latter demonstrated lower vocabulary outcomes across most levels of fine motor proficiency, with cohort differences becoming more pronounced with higher levels of baseline fine motor skills. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the fundamental association between fine motor skills and vocabulary development remained evident despite pandemic-related restrictions; however, changes in children’s social and communicative environments may have reduced opportunities to translate motor competencies into linguistic gains. These results highlight the importance of supportive social interactions and communicative experiences in facilitating early developmental processes.

Background/Objective: This study investigated the longitudinal association between early fine motor skills and subsequent expressive vocabulary development within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. We examined how an abrupt shift in the macrosystem and chronosystem, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated social restrictions, affected children’s developmental processes within the microsystem of the home and childcare settings. Method: The participants included 1,199 children (pre-pandemic: n = 731; pandemic: n = 468) who attended licensed childcare centers in Japan. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses adjusted for baseline demographic characteristics and home-rearing environment (HRE), we examined whether fine motor skills at Time 1 (T1) predicted expressive vocabulary outcomes at a two-year follow-up Time 2 (T2), and whether this association differed by cohort. Result: The primary analysis revealed a significant interaction between cohort and fine motor skills at T1 was observed (b = −0.09, p < .001), indicating that the association between early motor skills and later expressive vocabulary differed between the pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts. These findings suggest that environmental constraints during the pandemic may have disrupted the typical developmental pathways linking motor and linguistic skills. Conclusion: Reduced social interaction and communication opportunities may limit children’s ability to translate motor exploration into language development. This study highlights the sensitivity of developmental processes to broader ecological disruptions.

Home-rearing environments are integral to early childhood development. However, it remains unclear whether their developmental significance has changed over time. This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in home-rearing environments and their longitudinal associations with child developmental atypicality in Japan, using baseline assessments from 1999 to 2023 and follow-up assessments through 2024. Data were obtained from the Japanese Childcare Cohort Study, a nationwide childcare-based developmental surveillance project. The analysis included 40,627 1-year observation pairs of 18,210 children enrolled in childcare centers. Home-rearing environments were assessed using the Index of Child Care Environment, and developmental atypicality was evaluated using the Child Development Scale across six domains. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between baseline home-rearing environments and developmental atypicality 1 year later, adjusting for baseline developmental status, sex, and age. Generalized additive models and rolling-window analyses were used to assess temporal trends and time-varying associations. Overall, the Index of Child Care Environment scores increased gradually throughout the study period, although social stimulation declined after the mid-2010s. Higher-quality home-rearing environments were generally associated with a lower risk of subsequent developmental atypicality. Protective associations strengthened over time, particularly in the social, communication, vocabulary, and intellectual domains. Home-rearing environments and their developmental implications changed over the 25-year observation period. These findings highlight the continued importance of promoting direct caregiver–child interactions, including shared activities and social engagement. Early childhood surveillance should be periodically re-evaluated to remain relevant to evolving caregiving practices and family contexts.