Research works
How do urban-rural social inequalities affect the mental health of residents?
Various countries have reported that the suicide rate is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. I have conducted joint research with Stockholm University, Sweden, to elucidate the mechanism in detail. In addition, as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), I have investigated how the prevalence of depressive symptoms differs between urban and rural areas among older adults.
- Rural life and suicide: Does the effect of the community context vary by country of birth? A Swedish registry-based multilevel cohort study
- Does increased migration affect the rural–urban divide in suicide? A register-based repeated cohort study in Sweden from 1991 to 2015
- Differences in depressive symptoms by rurality in Japan: A cross-sectional multilevel study using different aggregation units of municipalities and neighborhoods (JAGES)
How do some industrial structures of agriculture affect health?
Structural changes have taken place in the agricultural sector, including intensifying international competition, a decrease in the number of farms and an increase in farm size, and climate change. We have investigated how these industrial structures of agriculture affect the health of farmers and people living in areas where agriculture is thriving.
- Neighborhood farm density, types of agriculture, and depressive symptoms among older farmers: a cross-sectional study
- Suicide and Types of Agriculture: A Time-Series Analysis in Japan
- Infant mortality rates for farming and unemployed households in the Japanese prefectures: An ecological time trend analysis, 1999-2017
Mental health of migrants in rural areas
The number of international migrants and refugees is increasing worldwide, and some countries have implemented policies to promote migrants and refugees to settle in rural areas in order to prevent the concentration of population in urban areas. In light of these social circumstances, our research focuses on migrants residing in rural areas.
The impact of gender norms on mental health
Gender norms are social norms that define desirable behaviors based on gender, such as “You shouldn’t…do that…because you are a man” or “You should…do that…because you are a woman. We have investigated the impact of gender norms on mental health. (in preparation)
