Health Administration and Promotion

Individual Homepage address
https://www.med.tottori-u.ac.jp/healthad/

Telephone
+81-859-38-6113
Fax
+81-859-38-6110
Email
kouei@med.tottori-u.ac.jp

Staff

Junior Associate Professor: Hiroki Amano
Assistant professor: Toshio Masumoto
Research collaborator: Shinji Otani (Associate professor, International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University)
Research collaborator: Mohammad Shahriar Khan (International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University)
Ph.D. student: Hiroe Nagatsuma
Ph.D. student: Satomi Funaki
Ph.D. student: Alam Mohammad Intekhab
Ph.D. student: Kazuma Minaki

Features of the Division

The department of health administration and promotion focuses on occupational health and medicine, climate change and health, child health and environment, cancer epidemiology, and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and dementia. We are conducting these researches in collaboration with IPDRE (International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University) and the Ministry of the Environment. Regarding education, as lectures / practices (tutorial education), "Health Prevention Medicine", "Social Medicine Tutorials / Practices", "Social Environmental Medicine", and "Bioethics" are conducted in collaboration with various fields of the division of social medicine in school of medicine. We also make a lecture of "Social Environmental Medicine" in school of life science. In the liberal arts subjects of the faculty of medicine, "early experience and volunteer", "Japanese culture and mind", "environmental science", etc. are carried out as coordinators. Furthermore, we are also focusing on training industrial physicians.
In order to promote such diverse research and education, not only doctors but also faculty members with diverse backgrounds such as medical and educational personnel are enrolled as members in this department.

Research areas

I Occupational Health and Medicine

Do you want to become an occupational physician?

Vibration syndrome
 In cooperation with Sanin Rosai Hospital, we are conducting diagnosis and follow-up surveys of people suffering from vibration syndrome caused by forestry and other industries. We have succeeded in reducing the number of new cases of vibration-related disorders caused by vibration tools through the results of our research over the years in Japan.

Cervical, shoulder and arm syndrome
 In cooperation with Tottori Prefecture, we are implementing a project to prevent cervical, shoulder and arm syndrome among sign language interpreters. Health checkups and health education are held for sign language interpreters. Cervical, shoulder and arm syndrome among sign language interpreters is a relatively new occupation-related disease that is attracting attention from society, and preventive measures are becoming increasingly important.

Creating a workplace where employees can work in good health until retirement
 In this field, qualified occupational physicians and health administrators provide support for health surveys, health management, health administrators, and staff education for companies in Tottori Prefecture. In cooperation with the Tottori Occupational Health Support Center, we provide consultation and research on corporate health management, and support for measures against overwork and the stress check system. We also back up the acquisition of qualifications for industrial physicians and health administrators.

II Climate Change and Health

Countermeasures against heat stroke
 Changes in the global environment are currently causing unprecedented disasters in Japan every year. One of them is the heat wave caused by global warming, and as a result, the number of heat stroke patients is increasing every year. The mortality rate of heat stroke is particularly high among the elderly, and countermeasures are urgently needed. Our division, in cooperation with Tottori Prefecture, is conducting research on risk assessment and prevention methods for heat stroke.

Health effects of dust storm, drought, cold disaster, and flood
 Global warming is causing a variety of extreme weather events around the world. We are conducting field research on climate change and health in Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and Africa in cooperation with Arid Land Research Center and International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University.

III Children's Health and the Environment

Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)
 Tottori University was selected and certified as the only unit center in the Chugoku region for the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), which was launched by the Ministry of the Environment in 2010. The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) is a birth cohort survey that periodically checks the health of children from the time they are in their mothers' bellies until they reach the age of 13. At Tottori University, the Center will be headed by the Dean of the School of Medicine, with the cooperation of our Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Department of Reproductive and Functional Medicine, Department of Perinatal and Pediatric Medicine, Department of Maternal and Pediatric Family Nursing, Department of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, and Department of Community Education, Faculty of Community Studies.

In this laboratory, we are conducting research on the following themes.
・Identification of important factors involved in the formation of the mother-child relationship and clarification of their effects on the mental development of children in order to prevent abuse.
・The effects of exposure to heavy metal elements on children's mental development
・To identify important factors related to the formation of the mother-child relationship and to clarify the effects of heavy metal exposure on children's mental development.
・Elucidation of the effects of drug use during pregnancy on children's development

IV Lifestyle-related Diseases and Dementia

Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases
 The JACC Study (Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk), a large-scale cohort study on the evaluation of risk factors for cancer, is being conducted to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and cancer among modern Japanese. Our department is participating in this study for residents in Tottori Prefecture, and is investigating the relationship between health, lifestyle, and death.

Epidemiological Studies on Risk Factors and Prevention of Dementia
 With the aging of the population in Japan, the increase in the number of dementia patients has become an important health issue. Nowadays, dementia is considered to be one of the lifestyle-related diseases, and research on the prevention of dementia is being actively conducted. We are conducting epidemiological studies on community-dwelling elderly people in Tottori Prefecture. In addition to clarifying the risk factors that contribute to dementia, we are investigating factors that are important for early detection of dementia and related factors that are effective in its prevention.