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Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the urocortins (UCN1, UCN2, and UCN3) belong to the CRF family of peptides and are the major regulators of the adaptive response to internal and external stresses. The actions of CRF and UCNs are mediated through two receptor subtypes: CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) and CRFR2. Their physiological roles, among other functions, include the regulation of food intake and anxiety-like behavior. In this review, we describe the progress that has been made towards understanding how anxiety- and depression-like behavior and food intake are regulated by CRF, UCN1, UCN2, and UCN3.

This study aims to examine the reliability and validity of Home-visit Nursing Quality Indicators for Children (HNQIC) with medical complexity in Japan that will enable measuring the quality of services provided by home-visit nursing agencies (HNA) for children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. This study employed a model that measures medical quality as proposed by Donabedian in a conceptual framework. The HNQIC is comprised of a total of 42 items with responses in 5-point Likert scale: 8 items in "Structure", 24 items in "Process", and 10 items in "Outcome". A self-rating questionnaire survey was administered and responses from 57 home-visit nursing agencies were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine the validity of the construct, and a covariance structure analysis was performed to examine the structural validity of the model that measures medical quality. The "Structure" and "Process" sections included 28 items in 5 factors, and the "Outcome" section included 7 items in 3 factors. The Cronbach's α coefficient for all of the items of "Structure" and "Process" was 0.93, and that of "Outcome" was 0.76. As a result of a covariance structure analysis, we obtained following goodness-of-fit indices: χ2 / df = 1.41, GFI =.897, AGFI =.794, CFI =.926, and for the coefficient of determination.14 ≤ R2 ≤.68. As the statistical validity of the HNQIC was confirmed, we determined the goodness-of-fit indices of the model to be acceptable. The findings suggested that the HNQIC can be used as a quality indicator to access care effects objectively to provide better support. • Home-visit nursing plays important roles to support increasing number of CMC. • Home-visit nursing quality indicator guidelines exclusive to CMC are needed. • Developed Home-visit Nursing Quality Indicators for Children with medical complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the structural contributions of socioeconomic status (SES), comorbidity, and activity limitation to the healthy life expectancy (HALE) of Japanese suburban elderly. A questionnaire survey was distributed to all residents aged 65 years and older in Tama City, Tokyo, in 2001; a follow-up study was conducted in 2004; and individual vital status data from the municipal residents’ registry were tracked until 2007. In all, 7,905 respondents were included for analysis. Data analysis was performed by structural equation modeling (SEM). The data were well fit by the models, and HALE was found to be well explained by SES, comorbidity, and activity limitation (R2 = .59 for men and R2 = .71 for women). In conclusion, elderly people with higher SES were more likely to live longer with good self-rated health, via living with less chronic diseases and better performance in daily living activities, especially for elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: The aim of this chronological study was to elucidate the effects of socio-economic status (SES) and physical health on the long-term care (LTC) needs of a Japanese elderly population and to explore their causal relationships. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all residents aged 65 years and older of Tama City, Tokyo, in September 2001. A total of 13,195 completed questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 80.2 %. A follow-up study was done using the same questionnaire in 2004. Ultimately, 7,905 respondents were included in our analysis. Data analysis was performed using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). For SEM, we used one observed variable (LTC needs in 2004) and three latent variables (SES in 2001 and physical health in both 2001 and 2004). Results: The data were well fit by the models, with a NFI of 0.980, CFI of 0.982, and RMSEA of 0.032. LTC needs were well explained by the three latent variables ( R = 0.70 and 0.66 for elderly men and women, respectively). Among all variables, physical health in 2004 was the strongest determinant of LTC needs, followed by physical health in 2001, and SES in 2001. Gender differences in the structural relationships were minor. Conclusions: Our results indicate that good physical health directly contributes to reducing LTC needs among Japanese elderly. In addition, efforts to increase income and educational levels may help to decrease LTC needs by indirectly improving physical health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the structural contribution of health, socioeconomic (SE) factors, and lifestyle to the survival of elderly, urban Japanese. Design: Cross-sectional study. Material and Methods: A self reported questionnaire was conducted among urban dwelling elderly people aged 65 years or more. A total of 8,285 (3,875 men, 4,410 women) who completed all the questionnaires were included in this study. As a result of an exploratory factor analysis, four factors, "SE factor", "health and disease", "social health", and "lifestyle" were defined as latent variables, respectively. Structural equation modeling was conducted to clarify the causal relationships between "lifestyle", "total health", "SE factor", and survival during 1,064 days follow-up period. Results: Survival days are confirmed by the "total health". In contrast, "lifestyle" had little direct effect on survival. It should be noted that "SE factor" influenced survival through "total health" as an indirect pathway. These findings indicate that basic factors which affect survival could be "SE factor" through "total health". Conclusion: The present study indicates that "SE factor" may be one of the important factors to determine survival which was regulated by an indirect pathway. In our model, SE conditions affected life expectancy upstream of "total health". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify relationships between prevalence of risk behaviors and sleep duration among Japanese high school students., Methods: Data from a national survey, the Japan Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011 (the subjects were 9,778 students: 5,027 males, 4,751 females, in the first grade to the third grade of 102 schools randomly selected among high schools throughout Japan) was used for this analysis. We focused on nine items of risk behavior in JYRBS: "lack of vigorous physical activity," "skipping breakfast," "current cigarette use," "current alcohol use," "lifetime thinner use," "ever had sexual intercourse," "rarely or never wore seatbelts," "in a physical fight," and "seriously considered attempting suicide.", Results: Students with less than six hours of sleep duration accounted for approximately 40% of males and females. The odds ratios of prevalence of each of the nine risk behaviors were calculated on the basis of the group "six hours or more and less than eight hours" of sleep, whose prevalence of risk behaviors was the lowest. In the group with "four hours or more and less than six hours," the odds ratios of "lack of vigorous physical activity" and "skipping breakfast" for both males and females were significantly high. Furthermore, in the group with shorter sleep duration of "less than four hours," the odds ratios of all nine risk behaviors for males (odds ratios: 1.47-3.28) and eight risk behaviors (except for "rarely or never wore seatbelts") for females (1.54-4.68) were significantly high. On the other hand, in the group with long sleep duration of "10 hours or more," the odds ratios of "current cigarette use" and "lifetime thinner use" for both males and females were significantly high., Conclusion: It was shown that short sleep duration of less than six hours and long sleep duration of 10 hours or more related to the prevalence of youth risk behaviors among Japanese high school students. It was suggested that sleep duration should be considered as an important category of youth risk behaviors.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the causal relationship between students' well-being and their parents' knowledge and support in raising them in a prefecture by using covariance structural analysis., Methods: In November 2007, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 11,363 elementary school students (4th grade),junior high school students (1st grade) and high school students (1st grade) as well as their parents. The total number of responses analyzed were 9,651 pairs of matched data for parents and their children., Results: A concept model was proposed to use four latent variables determined by factor analysis. "Students' well-being" (" " means latent variable) classified as a latent variable, was not prescribed directly by "parents' knowledge and support", but rather developed indirectly through "physical activities" and "communication between the students and parents". The decision coefficients for the students' well-being determined with this model ranged from 27% to 40%. Depending on the participant's age and gender, they were divided into six groups., Conclusion: This study indicated that positive support for children's health and well-being by the parents was important for students to have a happy and healthy lifestyle. It became structurally clear that it was necessary for both students and their parents to engage in physical activities and have good communication with each other in order to stimulate and develop children's health practice and well-being.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to make a chronological evaluation over 6 years of physical, psychological and social health of urban elderly dwellers., Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with all urban elderly dwellers of 65 years old or more in A City in September, 2001. Answers were obtained from 13,195 people (response rate of 80.2%) in the first survey. Then 3 year and 6 year follow-up surveys of 2,375 members were performed in September 2004 and 2007. Causal relationships were analyzed using a Structural Equation Model based on the Cross-Lagged Effects Variation Model., Results: According to this research, a chronological six year trend in ADL (Activities of Daily Living) was found for "physical factor" (" " means latent variable) as an observed variable, with a shifted from 91.0% to 82.9%. A trend for self-rated health with healthy as an observed variable of "psychological factor" was similarly apparent, shifting from 85.4% to 77.0%. "Social factor" conducted on the follow-up survey in 2007 was significantly affected by the "psychological factor" investigated in 2001 and "physical factor" in the follow-up survey in 2004, indirectly based on the Cross-Lagged Effects Variation Model. "Social factor" totals of 25% for men and 19% for women were explained by this model with high validity levels (NFI = 0.935, IFI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.036)., Conclusion: It was suggested that social health was affected by psychological health directly and physical health indirectly during six years follow-up of urban elderly dwellers. Future research is needed to encompass other generations and also to improve the external validity of the results.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify and compare components of life satisfaction between full-time working women and housewives in an urban city using covariance structural analysis., Methods: A total of 165 community women were identified from the 2003 survey of life conditions in Kawasaki city. By using covariance structural analysis, the relationships between life satisfaction and three latent variables, [[gender role consciousness]] ([[ ]] indicates latent variable), [[self-efficacy]] and [[support from family or friends]] were analyzed within the context of working style., Results: The correlation between [life satisfaction] ([ ] indicates observed variable) and the three latent variables was shown to be valid with CFI = 0.878, RMSEA = 0.029. Thirty percent of [life satisfaction] for full-time working women and 62% for housewives was explained by the three latent variables; [[self-efficacy]], [[support from family or friends]] and [[gender role consciousness]]. This new analysis, including an indirect effect model, revealed that low [[gender role consciousness]] and high [[self-efficacy[[ directly led to high [life satisfaction] in full-time working women, and low [life satisfaction] in housewives with significance. On the other hand, it was shown that high [[support from family or friends]] indirectly led to high [life satisfaction] in full-time working women without significance., Conclusion: We found that factors contributing to life satisfaction differ between full-time working women and housewives in an urban city based on working style. Our study suggests that the different support systems are important components of working style.