上村 浩一

ABSTRACT Aim Menopausal symptoms affect work performance and the occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism. However, how well these women cope with menopausal symptoms and whether they receive appropriate treatment remains unclear. In this study, we examined Japanese working women with respect to menopausal symptoms, whether they used medical facilities and which departments they visited, and their satisfaction with the treatment they received. Methods An online survey was conducted in Japan. A total of 1031 working women with menopausal symptoms, aged between 40 and 59 years, were recruited. We used an original questionnaire that included items on the participants' demographic characteristics, coping behaviors for menopausal symptoms, the clinical department they visited, and their satisfaction. Menopausal symptoms were assessed using the Menopausal Rating Scale. Results The proportion of women with moderate‐to‐severe menopausal symptoms was 58.4%; 46.8% had somatic symptoms, 61.0% had psychological symptoms, and 28.4% had urogenital symptoms. The proportion of women with moderate‐to‐severe hot flashes was 16.5%. Among the study population, 45.5% could not cope with their menopausal symptoms. Among women who were coping well with menopausal symptoms, 44.1% visited medical facilities, and 63.6% visited a gynecologist. The respondents' satisfaction rate with their gynecologist was 68.8%. Conclusions Among working women with menopausal symptoms, more than 50% had moderate or severe symptoms, and ~50% were coping well with menopausal symptoms. Many working women were likely to visit gynecologists. These results highlight the importance of supporting middle‐aged women.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Coffee may contribute to the prevention of metabolic abnormalities in both obese and normal weight Japanese adults. Although evidence suggests a relationship between coffee and serum adiponectin, stratified analyses according to the obesity status have not yet been reported. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between coffee intake and serum high molecular weight (HMW)-adiponectin, which is the most active form of adiponectin, according to the obesity status. METHODS AND RESULTS: The baseline data of 606 participants (aged 35-69 years) living in Tokushima prefecture in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study were analyzed. Coffee intake was assessed using a questionnaire. Participants were stratified by the presence or absence of obesity (normal weight: BMI<25 kg/m2; obesity: BMI≥25 kg/m2). Multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders were performed to examine the association between coffee intake and HMW-adiponectin or other diabetic factors. Coffee intake was associated with serum HMW-adiponectin in normal weight subjects (Coffee intake ≥3 cups/day, β for model 2 1.02, 95 % CI 0.30, 1.74), but not in obese subjects. Moreover, filtered/instant coffee intake was associated with serum HMW-adiponectin in normal weight subjects (Coffee intake ≥3 cups/day, β for model 2 0.93, 95 % CI 0.21, 1.65), but not in obese subjects. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that coffee intake, particularly filtered/instant coffee, is associated with serum HMW-adiponectin in normal weight Japanese adults.