Leveraging Japanese Sado Island Farmers’ GIAHS Inclusivity by Understanding Their Perceived Involvement

Sado Island in the Niigata prefecture is among the first Globally Important Agriculture Heritage Systems (GIAHSs) in Japan and among developed countries worldwide. Recent studies have pointed out the need to incorporate culture and farmer opinions to further strengthen GIAHS inclusivity in rural farming. In connection to this, this study explored whether farmer visibility, which is highlighted by GIAHS designation, actually translates to farmers’ actual perceptions of GIAHS involvement. A survey was conducted among Sado Island farmers to determine their knowledge and perception of their GIAHS involvement, in connection to their perspectives on youth involvement, Sado Island branding, and tourism management. Results showed that 56.3% of Sado Island farmers feel uninvolved or unsure towards the GIAHS, which is in stark contrast with the prevalent farming method in the area, special farming (which complies with GIAHS regulations) (77.3%). Further analyses revealed that farmers who feel that the GIAHS does not promote youth involvement, Sado Island branding, and tourism management have a higher predisposition to perceive themselves as uninvolved towards the GIAHS. This study highlights the need for careful reevaluation and integration of farmer insights and needs into the current GIAHS implementation in Sado Island and in other GIAHSs as well.

Development of Disaster Management Education Program to Enhance Disaster Response Capabilities of Schoolchildren During Heavy Rainfall – Implementation at Elementary School in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, a Disaster-Stricken Area

In this study, an education program for heavy rainfall risk management was developed using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model of instructional design (ID) to enhance the disaster response capabilities of schoolchildren to encourage them to think and act responsibly to protect themselves during a disaster following heavy rainfall. The program’s effectiveness was evaluated by its implementation at Nagaoka Municipal Senju Elementary School in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, which was devastated by the heavy rainfall caused by 2019 Typhoon No.19. The learning effect was confirmed throughout the program. Furthermore, the program has improved because of its implementation and evaluation.

Leveraging Japanese Sado Island Farmers’ GIAHS Inclusivity by Understanding Their Perceived Involvement

Sado island in Niigata prefecture is among the first GIAHS designated sites in Japan and among developed countries worldwide. Recent studies have pointed out the need to incorporate culture and farmer opinions to further strengthen GIAHS inclusivity in rural farming. In connection to this, the study explored whether farmer visibility, which is highlighted by GIAHS designation, actually translates to farmers’ actual perception of GIAHS involvement. A survey was conducted among Sado island farmers to determine their knowledge and perception of their GIAHS involvement, in connection to their perspectives on youth involvement, Sado island branding, and tourism management. Results showed that 56.3% of Sado island farmers feel uninvolved or unsure towards GIAHS, which is in stark contrast with the prevalent farming method in the area which is special farming (complies with GIAHS regulations). Further analyses revealed that farmers who feel that GIAHS does not promote youth involvement, Sado island branding, and tourism management have higher predisposition to perceive themselves as uninvolved towards GIAHS. This study highlights the need for careful reevaluation and integration of farmer insights and needs to the current GIAHS implementation in Sado island and in other GIAHS as well.

Research on Dietary Supplement Use by Japanese High School Students

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the availability of information on dietary supplements as well as their use among high school students in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It also aimed to clarify the relationship between dietary awareness and the use of dietary supplements. Methods The survey was conducted online using Google Forms and asked about sex, age, height, weight, experience with supplements (current use, past use, or never used any use), types of supplements used, sources of information about supplements, and eating habits. The survey was conducted in high schools in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in September 2020. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Niigata University of Health and Welfare. Statistical analysis was conducted using R version 4.0.2 (2020–06-22), and comparisons between the two groups were made using the t test or χ² test with a significance level of 5%. Results A total of 317 subjects were analyzed, including 151 (47.6%) boys and 166 (52.4%) girls. Thirty-seven boys and 21 girls currently used supplements, while 32 boys and 29 girls used supplements in the past. The percentage of boys using supplements (currently or in the past) was 45.6%, which was significantly higher than that of girls (30.1%) (P = 0.004). The most commonly used supplements for boys were protein (57), vitamin C (22), and amino acids (19) and for girls were vitamin C (29), iron (15), and protein (13). The most common reason among boys for using supplements was “for muscle building” (n = 41, 59.4%) and among girls was “for diet and beauty” (n = 26, 52.0%). The most common source of information about supplements was the family, followed by the internet and social media. Girls who used supplements were clearly highly conscious about eating (P = 0.048). Conclusions Among Japanese high school students, boys had more experience using dietary supplements than girls. Female students who used supplements were more conscious, rather than neglectful, of their diet. Funding Sources Individual research expenses at Niigata University of Health and Welfare.

Re-Evaluation of the Prevalence of Permanent Congenital Hypothyroidism in Niigata, Japan: A Retrospective Study

Although newborn screening (NBS) for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in Japan started more than 40 years ago, the prevalence of CH remains unclear. Prevalence estimations among NBS-positive CH individuals include those with transient hypothyroidism and transient hyperthyrotropinemia, and re-evaluation with increasing age is necessary to clarify the actual incidence. Thus, we re-evaluated the incidence of permanent CH. Of the 106,114 patients who underwent NBS in the Niigata Prefecture, Japan, between April 2002 and March 2006, 116 were examined further due to high thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (>8 mIU/L) and were included in the study. We retrospectively evaluated their levothyroxine sodium (LT4) replacement therapy status from the first visit to 15 years of age. Of the 116 NBS-positive patients, 105 (91%) were initially examined in our department. Of these, 72 (69%) started LT4 replacement therapy on the first visit. Subsequently, 27 patients continued LT4 replacement until 15 years of age after multiple re-evaluations. The prevalence of permanent CH in the Niigata Prefecture during this period was 1 in 2500–3500 children. Ultimately, 62.5% of patients on LT4 replacement discontinued treatment by 15 years of age. This is the first study to clarify the true prevalence of permanent CH in Japan.