Most homeless individuals considered economic problems to be the cause of their homelessness; however, difficulties with human relationships were also important factors and were more difficult for participants to acknowledge. Furthermore, these difficulties were exacerbated among those individuals with mental problems.

This study examines the effectiveness of a community center in Japan at promoting social participation and sustaining its regular users' functional capacity. The surveys were distributed to 108 physically and cognitively

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is essential in the management and rehabilitation of low back pain (LBP). However, it is not clear that PA interventions in the workplace can improve LBP. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of workplace counseling on PA and LBP among workers. METHODS: We recruited 37 people with 12 weeks of LBP who worked in a manufacturing company in Aichi, Japan. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n= 20) or control group (n= 17). All participants of both groups were affixed with waist-worn accelerometers to monitor PA. The intervention group also received a program of face-to-face counseling with a physical therapist or nurse once a week for 12 weeks to reassure and encourage participants to maintain a high level of PA. PA and LBP severity were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: PA was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group at 3 and 6 months. In the intervention group, PA significantly increased at 3 and 6 months from baseline, and LBP severity at 6 months improved significantly from baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that workplace PA intervention can increase PA and improve LBP among workers.

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