健康の理解のための新しい社会疫学--沖縄を中心に
スポンサーリンク
概要
- 論文の詳細を見る
This article is based on my lecture at Osaka Prefecture University in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences March 17 last year. The aim is to give an overview of the development of the research about social factors related to health and illness on the basis of my personal experiences since the 1960s. A statistical overview of longevity and some relevant facts about Okinawa prefecture compared with some other prefecture is presented. The scientific subfield of epidemiology which explores social determinants to health, disease and longevity can nowadays be called a "New Social Epidemiology" because the modernization and globalization in a runaway world has challenged researchers to try to identify social factors in a different way than before. The scholarly interest has changed from an individual approach to a population or environment oriented outlook. The features of a new culture of living are important. Although Japan and its 47^<th> prefecture Okinawa do not any more have the longest longevity for males and females in the world measured by life expectancy at birth, they are yet long-lived regions in a worldwide perspective. According to the latest statistics from 2000 life expectancy is 86.01 years for females and 77.64 for males in Okinawa. The increase in life expectancy for males and females was slower in the 1990s than in the 1980s. Special attention has to be paid to the slow increase in life expectancy for men. Infant mortality has decreased rapidly in the post-war period. However, some other specific demographic features can be identified: high fertility rate, high live birth rate, high birth rate of babies weighting under 2500g, high total perinatal mortality (foetal deaths at 22 weeks and over gestation and deaths under one week), and high death rate of children under four years. On the other hand, the occurrence of typical diseases that cause death in adulthood such as malignant neoplasms, heart and cerebrovascular diseases and traffic accidents is low. The burden of diseases does not show uniformity. Lung cancer and suicide rates are high especially among men. Social indicators like low income, high divorce rates, and social assistance ecipients characterize Okinawa. This is the enigma of health and longevity in Okinawa. There is a need for extended and vigorous interdisciplinary research. Life and living cannot always be described statistically. In order to understand health and longevity in Okinawa we have to focus more on history, culture, traditions, and consumption habits. Social arrangements and participation in different activities for creating of social capital seem to be important in the understanding of health and longevity. Okinawa, especially Naha, the capital area has gone through an evolutionary process from a peaceful to a dynamic society where a new culture of living has obviously taken root.