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The per capita daily intake of dietary fiber (DF) in Japan between 1917 and 1991 was assessed using statistical reports regarding nutrition, food consumption, production, and trade balance. The reported contents of DF for each food category were used ; these values were based on the modified Southgate method and modified Prosky AOAC method. Average per capita daily consumptions of total DF calculated by the modified Southgate method were 30.3 g in 1917-1924 and 15. 6 g in 1991. Those calculated by modified Prosky AOAC method were 28.6 g in 1917-1924 and 14. 5 g in 1991. Both calculation methods yielded values indicating that the DF intake had been almost constant in the last 20 years. Differences in the calculated values of DF obtained by the two methods are attributed mainly to the difference in the measured values for rice. J Epidemiol, 1995; 5 : 205-210.

Even though it is important in improving the quality of life to evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients with ulcerative colitis in comparison with the general population, it is unknown in detail. One hundred and seventeen cases followed-up for 10 years or more were evaluated to define the long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis by the person-years method. The estimated number of death (E) was 14.5, and the observed number of death (0) was 20. The O/E ratio was 1.38 and confidence interval was 0.84-2.13, showing no significant difference between E and O. Evaluation of change in th O/E ratio at 5-year intervals revealed a decrease in both the males and females, with a significant difference observed between the ratios in 1960 and 1965 (each p