Table 3.
Descriptive Information on the Studies Using the Proportion of the Population Receiving PA as an Environmental Predictor in Ecological Studies Included in the Scoping Review.
| Authors | Year | Design | Settings/data | N | Outcome | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aihara H, et al. (57) | 2002 | Ecological study | Yearly Annual Report of Hygiene in Osaka | 5 areas in Osaka City | The Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) of suicide (standardization to the 1980 Japanese population) in each area in Osaka | Among young (<40 years old) and middle-aged (40-64 years old) men, the number of persons per household and the availability of PA were associated with a higher SMR of suicide Among middle-aged (40-64 years old) women, the suicide rate was associated with the number of PA recipients per 1,000 persons for the period between 1980 and 1999 A real difference in association between the number of persons per household, the PA, and SMR in suicide was observed in Osaka prefecture |
| Aihara H, et al. (58) | 2003 | Ecological study | Yearly vital statistics for Japan | 47 prefectures | The SMR of suicide (standardization to the 1980 Japanese population) in each prefecture | Multivariate regression analyses revealed that the male SMR of suicide was negatively associated with the number of persons per household and PA |
| Mishina H, et al. (59) | 2012 | Ecological study | Data from home visits in the area covered by Fushimi Health Center to 2,933 mothers who had given birth between December 1, 2008 and October 31, 2010 | 5 localities in Fushimi-ward in Kyoto City | The detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms in mothers | The proportion of households receiving PA in the localities had a positive correlation with the detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms (r = 0.90, P = 0.04) |
| Honjo K, et al. (60) | 2014 | A retrospective cohort study | Data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC Study), followed up from 1990 to 2006 in 45 municipalities | 35 municipalities | All-cause death, cardiovascular death, cancer death, and death from injury, toxicosis, or external causes | Among men, the risk of death from cancer was significantly higher in the prefecture with a higher proportion of households receiving PA (coefficient 0.150 with SE 0.063 per unit increase) |
| Minagawa Y, et al. (61) | 2017 | Ecological study | Prefectural data from a Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions (Kokumin Seikatsu Kiso Chosa) in 2010 | 47 prefectures | Prefecture-specific disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) at 65 years of age in 2010 | The percentage of older people receiving PA in prefecture was negatively associated with DFLE at 65 for women only (men: −0.01, not significant; women: −0.30, p < 0.001 per 1% point increase) |
| Okui T, et al. (62) | 2021 | Ecological study | Prefectural data was aggregated from individual data in the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) data in the period of 2015-2018 | 47 prefectures | Standardized claim ratio (SCR) of the number of multidrug prescriptions (number of simultaneous prescriptions of seven or more internal medicines) by prefectures | The number of PA recipients per 1,000 persons was positively and significantly associated with the SCR (standardized partial regression coefficient = 0.244, p = 0.038) |
| Yoshikawa Y, et al. (63) | 2021 | Ecological study | The data on the cumulative number of cases with positive COVID-19 test results and deaths at the prefectural and national levels was provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan | 47 prefectures | Rate ratios of COVID-19 incidence and mortality across prefectures | In prefectures with the most socioeconomic disadvantages, indicated by a greater proportion of the population receiving PA, there were higher incidence (RRs 2.45, 95% CI: 2.43-2.48) and mortality (RRs 2.02, 95% CI: 1.88-2.18) |
| Okui T, et al. (64) | 2022 | Ecological study | Prefectural data aggregated from individual data in the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) data in the period of 2015-2018 | 47 prefectures | SCR of the amount of diazepam, equivalent dose prescriptions by prefectures | The number of PA recipients per capita was positively and significantly associated with the SCR (0.296, 95% CI: 0.0072-0.522) in hypnotics and (0.284, 95% CI: 0.096-0.476) in anxiolytics by a unit increase |
PA, public assistance