Biomedical subjects

Akihiko Seo

Publications and source records attributed to Akihiko Seo.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain among staffs in schools for physically and mentally handicapped children.

The objective of this study is to clarify the prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain (LBP) in schools for physically and mentally handicapped children. This study design is a cross-sectional study. The subjects included were 1,869 staff members from 19 prefectural schools for children in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, which included schools for the blind, deaf-mutes, physically handicapped, and mentally retarded children. A total of 975 subjects completed two postal questionnaires which included morbidity, demographic factors, nursing activity, and psychosocial factors. The answer rate was 52%. The one-month prevalence of LBP was 45%. According to the classification of nursing activity, assistance in movement 1.67 (95% CI 1.27-2.14), excretory function 1.45 (1.11-1.88), and feeding 1.44 (1.10-1.90) showed significant increases in the odds ratio. The adjusted odds ratio significantly increased by 2.35 (1.78-3.11) in the group with depression symptoms as well as in the group with job stressors such as quantitative, qualitative, and physical work loads, job control, utilization of technique, interpersonal conflicts, and degree of satisfaction with their work/home life.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Physical work load affects the maximum oxygen uptake.

PURPOSE: Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) is known to be influenced by life-style factors, such as exercise and smoking. We aimed to further test the hypothesis that, besides these, work form also contributes to increase VO2max among workers. METHOD: Three thousand six hundred and forty eight male workers with age 38.3 +/- 12.1 and 1,575 female workers with age 35.6 +/- 11.1, ranging from 20-year old to 69-year old, who participated in Total Health Promotion Plan at workplaces in Fukui Prefecture in 1998 were selected. Data on VO2max were analyzed for age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI), work form (sedentary, standing or ambulatory), exercise, and smoking. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis showed that work form ("standing", "ambulatory"), and exercise habits might increase VO2max while BMI, age, and SBP might decrease VO2max in male participants. Exercise habits were suggested to increase VO2max while BMI, SBP, and age might decrease VO2max in females. In females smoking, was suggested to increase VO2max. CONCLUSION: After adjusting for age, BMI, SBP, exercise, and smoking, it was suggested that the physical work load, represented by the work form, may contribute to increases in VO2max in males. Implications of smoking among females with respect to VO2max is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Estimation of trunk muscle parameters for a biomechanical model by age, height and weight.

To establish more accurate equations for estimating the moment arm length and cross-sectional area of the erector spinae and rectus abdominis muscles, the effects of height, weight and age on those muscles were analyzed by using a high-order polynomial equation. Data on the moment arm length and cross-sectional area at L3/4 were obtained from MRI images of 152 males and 98 females. The statistical model used in this study has any combination of up to third-order independent variables for age, height and weight. The effective independent variables were selected by the forward step method of multiple regression analyses. The results of multiple regression analyses showed that the polynomial equations for the moment arm length of erector spinae in both genders, and that for the rectus abdominis in males, contained all three variables of age, height and weight. That for the moment arm length of female rectus abdominis contained the variables of weight and age. The multiple correlation coefficients of the erector spinae and rectus abdominis were 0.355 and 0.650 for males, 0.364 and 0.411 for females, respectively. The equations for the cross-sectional area of the erector spinae in both genders, as well as that for male rectus abdominis contained only one variable (weight). The multiple correlation coefficients of the cross-sectional area of the erector spinae were 0.576 for males and 0.469 for females. The cross-sectional area of the female rectus abdominis had no effective variables.

Abdominal Muscles↗