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Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse the risk factors for unplanned readmissions within 1 month after hospital discharge to develop a seamless support system from discharge to home care. Background: With shorter hospital stay lengths, understanding the characteristics of patients with multiple risk factors is important to prevent rehospitalization. Design: This is a single‐centre retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Logistic regression and decision tree analyses were performed using eight items from the records of 3117 patients discharged from a university hospital between April–September 2017 as risk factors. Results: Unplanned readmission risk was significantly associated with emergency hospitalization (odds ratio [OR]: 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.04–4.77), malignancy (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.44–3.24), non‐surgical admission (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.07–2.88), hospital stay of ≥ 15 days (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.14–2.43) and decline in activities of daily living owing to hospitalization (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.06–2.64). The highest risk combinations for rehospitalization were as follows: emergency hospitalization and malignancy; emergency admission, non‐malignancy and a hospital stay of ≥15 days; and scheduled hospitalization, no surgery and a hospital stay of ≥15 days. Conclusions: Patients with multiple risks for unplanned readmission should be accurately screened and provided with optimal home care. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Although the characteristics of patients at high risk of rehospitalization include malignancy, heart failure, conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases prone to recurrence, old age, reduced activities of daily living and emergency hospitalization, few studies have reported on cases with multiple risks. What this paper adds? The most frequent risk types for unplanned readmissions within a month were emergency admissions for malignant tumours, emergency admissions for non‐malignant tumours with a hospital stay of 2 weeks or more and scheduled admissions for non‐surgical purposes with a length of stay of 2 weeks or more. The implications of this paper: The risk of unplanned readmission within 1 month of discharge increased due to a combination of multiple risks.This study helps us identify patients who are at high risk for readmission early in the hospitalization process and in providing nursing support for transition to their homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study aims to elucidate the gender gaps in the strategies for maintaining the social participation and interaction of older adults with people in a local community. Methods. The subjects were 130 older adults aged 65 years or older and independently living in their homes in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The authors conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey on paper and performed multiple regression analysis for men and women separately using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) as the dependent variable. Results. Among the independent variables used for the analysis, those that significantly influenced LSNS-6 in men were social activities related to the daily life satisfaction of the elderly (SARDS). The independent variables that significantly influenced LSNS-6 in women were SARDS, sense of coherence-13 (SOC-13), and the number of family members living with the subjects. Discussion. Health promotion is not associated with interaction with people in men compared with women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for household transmission of the omicron variant of SARS‐CoV‐2. Background: The household infection rate has been reported to be higher for the omicron variant than for non‐omicron variants of SARS‐CoV‐2. Determination of the risk factors for household transmission of the omicron variant is therefore important. Design: A Retrospective Cohort Study was conducted. Methods: When family members of health care workers (HCWs) were found to be infected with SARS‐CoV‐2, the HCWs had to receive two nucleic acid amplification tests for SARS‐CoV‐2: immediately after and 5 to 10 days after the onset of COVID‐19 in the family members. Risk factors of household transmission were analysed by comparing cases (HCWs infected with SARS‐CoV‐2) and controls (HCWs not infected with SARS‐CoV‐2) using multivariable analysis. Results: Unvaccinated status (OR: 3.97), age of index cases (≤6 years) (OR: 1.94) and staying at home with index cases (OR: 10.18) were risk factors for household transmission. Conclusion: If there is a strong desire to avoid household infection, family members infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 should live separately during the period of viral shedding. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? During the COVID‐19 pandemic, nurses have been exposed to SARS‐CoV‐2 not only from COVID‐19 patients but also from family members infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 but prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to nurses is important to maintain health services function.The household infection rate was reported to be higher for the omicron variant (42.7%) than for non‐omicron variants (36.4% for Alpha, 29.7% for Delta and 22.5% for Beta). Determination of the risk factors for household transmission of the omicron variant is therefore important. What this paper adds? Unvaccinated HCWs had higher transmission rates (OR: 3.97, 95% CI: 1.22–12.88) than those of HCWs who received more than two doses of BNT162b2 or mRNA‐1273 mRNA COVID‐19 vaccines.Index cases aged 6 years or younger had higher transmission rates (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.13–3.35) than those of index cases aged 7 years or older.The odds of transmitting to HCWs was higher (OR: 10.18, 95% CI: 2.98–34.72) for HCWs who stayed at home with the index cases than for HCWs who spent time in a different building from the index cases. The implications of this paper: If there is a strong desire to avoid household infection, family members infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 should live separately during the period of viral shedding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this paper and prospective study, we examine the number of healthy behaviors and the incidence of disability in community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older. Methods: Participants (N = 4483) were residents of Obu, Japan who were asked about regular exercise, smoking status, and sleep duration. Demographic variables, history of disease, physical function, and cognitive function were measured as confounders. Information about disability was obtained from the Obu City Office. Results: At 24 months after baseline assessment, 165 participants (3.7%) were certified as having disability. Participants with 2 healthy behaviors had a 1.61-fold increased risk of disability (95% CI: 1.08 -2.42) compared with those with 3 healthy behaviors; those with one or no healthy behaviors had a 2.01-fold risk (95% CI: 1.26-3.19) even though adjusting for confounders. Conclusions: The number of healthy behaviors was associated with the incidence of disability, with the hazard ratios increasing progressively as the number of healthy behaviors decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary What is known about the subject? Loneliness among people diagnosed with schizophrenia is a serious problem. Recent studies have focused on the loneliness; however, no study has examined the relationships between loneliness and both individual and environmental factors comprehensively., What this paper adds to existing knowledge? The main results indicated that the community-dwelling people diagnosed with schizophrenia in Japan as well as in other countries experienced higher levels of loneliness. Both individual and environmental factors were related to loneliness. Increasing the self-efficacy for community life and self-esteem of individual factors, and not being socially isolated and increasing community integration of environmental factors would improve their loneliness., What are the implications for practice? Health practitioners, in particular, public health nurses in mental health care, should work to develop a partnership with people diagnosed with schizophrenia, their family members, friends and other community-dwelling people in order to decrease and prevent loneliness. For individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, interventions by cooperating with community resources and using the technique of nurses to assist them with continuous community activity could be useful. For environmental interventions, population approach such as developing daily programmes which family members can participate in, and cooperating with educational institutions and community events could have a positive effects., Abstract Introduction Loneliness among people diagnosed with schizophrenia living in communities can decrease quality of life and may contribute to suicide. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the levels of loneliness among Japanese people diagnosed with schizophrenia and to identify individual and environmental factors related to their loneliness. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 264 people diagnosed with schizophrenia who use local activity support centres in urban areas. The self-administered questionnaires included questions on loneliness, demographic characteristics, individual factors including self-efficacy for community life and self-esteem, and environmental factors including social isolation, community integration and service use. Results The study results indicated that people diagnosed with schizophrenia in Japan experience higher levels of loneliness, corroborating results from other countries. Multiple regression analysis showed that a lower level of self-efficacy for community life, self-esteem, community integration and social isolation predicted a higher level of loneliness, accounting for 55.3% of variance. Implications for Practice Public health nurses in mental health care in Japan can work with individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and communities using the technique to assist them with continuous activity and cooperating with community resources and educational institutions in order to decrease and prevent loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of the present study is to examine job role quality relating to intention to leave current facility and to leave profession among direct care workers in residential facilities for elderly in Japan. Direct care workers completed a paper questionnaire on October 2009. From 746 facilities in three prefectures (Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Yamagata) 6428 direct care workers with complete data were included in the analyses. The Job Role Quality (JRQ) scale was translated into Japanese language to assess job role quality. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that intention to leave current facility was primarily associated with job role quality: poor skill discretion, high job demand, and poor relationship with supervisor. Intention to leave profession was primarily associated with poor skill discretion. The results of the present study imply the strategies to direct care worker retention for each facility and policy efforts. Each facility can implement specific strategies such as enhanced variety of work and opportunity for use of skills, adequate job allocation, and improvement of supervisor–employee relationship in work place. Policy efforts should enhance broader career opportunities in care working such as advanced specialization and authorized medical practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]