Occupational stress is associated with job performance among pregnant women in Japan: comparison with similar age group of women.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy results in physical and psychological changes in women; however, pregnant women hesitate to take a break from work even when they feel the need. Since working while physically ill leads to decreased job performance, it is important to determine the factors that lead to this phenomenon. AIM: To study the occupational stress associated with job performance and absenteeism of pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women. METHODS: In 2019, non-pregnant and pregnant employed women in their 20-40 s in Japan completed an online survey examining job performance (Work Limitation Questionnaire - Short Form), absenteeism, occupational stress (Brief Job Stress Questionnaire), and working situations. RESULTS: Of 918 respondents who met the inclusion criteria, 904 were included in the final analysis (454 non-pregnant and 450 pregnant women). Logistic regression analyses showed that absenteeism was significantly higher for pregnant women. However, for women who were absent, there was no significant difference between non-pregnant and pregnant women. After adjusting for attributes and working conditions, pregnant women had significantly higher (p < .001) work productivity losses than non-pregnant women, but only in the physical tasks domain; their physical stress response was also higher compared to non-pregnant women (p = .048). However, pregnant women reported significantly less interpersonal conflict stress (p < .001) and psychological stress (p = .026), as well as better workplace support as a buffering factor for stress (p = .021), than non-pregnant women. CONCLUSION: Clarifying the physical burden associated with pregnancy and assisting women in coordinating their work duties while considering the physical demands of pregnancy may minimize work productivity losses among pregnant women.

[Evaluation index for a healthy workplace culture in health and productivity management].

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish a healthy workplace culture, rather than simply enhancing the content of intervention programs, aimed toward reducing health risks and maintaining and increasing productivity. Previous studies have found that the higher the awareness of employees' subjective evaluation of support for their health, the smaller is the health risk and problem of presenteeism. In health and productivity management, it is necessary to make evaluations from the employees' perspective. This study created an index of healthy workplace culture from the employees' perspective and examined its usefulness as an evaluation index for health and productivity management. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted using 20 indicators derived from a literature review of the workplace culture of health. The survey was conducted among 50 organizations that were certified as excellent healthcare corporations in 2019. A questionnaire was distributed to 886 employees in 25 cooperating organizations, and responses were received from 435 employees. RESULTS: The analysis was performed among employees at 43 large and 263 small and medium-sized organizations, and 123 organizations with unknown certification status. Comparison by size showed that the following were significantly better in large organizations: policy on maintaining and promoting health, procedures for handling health issues, program and support for returning to work after a long absence, program and support for improving mental health, and places to consult with employees about health and safety issues. However, the following were significantly better in small and medium-sized organizations: feedback on health issues from supervisors to employees and provision of useful information about health promotion. Organizations with unknown certification status showed significantly worse results for all items. It was evident with all indicators that a strong workplace culture of health resulted in reduced health risks and diminished presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: The validity of the index developed in this study demands future verification. However, the index allows the degree of the workplace culture of health to be assessed and may be beneficial in health and productivity management for evaluation from the employees' perspective.

Factors Associated With the Work Productivity of Japanese Working Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Working pregnant women experience physical and psychosocial changes, which are associated with two aspects of work productivity: presenteeism and absenteeism. We examined the factors that affect these two aspects. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April to May 2019 through an online survey. Participants were 450 working women who were pregnant for the first time. RESULTS: Occupational stress (job overload sß: 0.14, suitable jobs sß: 0.16); physical conditions, such as pregnancy complications (sß: 0.32) and gestational period (sß: 0.18); and adjustment status in the workplace due to pregnancy, such as pregnancy disclosure (sß: 0.11) and pregnancy discrimination (sß: 0.18), were related to presenteeism. Meanwhile, pregnancy complications were the only factor associated with absenteeism (sß: 0.32; all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to physical condition support, support for psychosocial conditions in the workplace is required.

Mental health of patients with human immunodeficiency virus in Japan: a comparative analysis of employed and unemployed patients.

In developed countries, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a chronic disease. The aims of this study were to clarify the physical, social, and psychological factors affecting Japanese HIV patients in a stable condition and to identify factors related to mental health of employed and unemployed HIV patients. The target subjects were people with HIV infection who were treated as outpatients at core hospitals for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment in Japan. A questionnaire including items from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was sent to each medical facility with a request for participation from the HIV-infected outpatients. Responses from 1199 patients were analyzed. Mental health was reportedly better in the employed patients than in the unemployed patients. The unemployed patients were more likely to have resigned from their jobs because of poor health, to have resigned voluntarily, or to have been unfairly dismissed. Once the patients stopped working because of HIV, returning to work became difficult. In the employed patients, a good workplace environment was strongly related to lower scores on HADS. Higher HADS scores were recorded for employed patients infected with HIV for six years or more. For the unemployed patients, a relationship was observed between strong feelings of stigmatization and HADS scores. Quitting a job because of an experience related to HIV status may be related to feelings of stigmatization.

Relationships among sense of coherence, resources, and mental health in urban and rural residents in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The salutogenic model states that coping resources are defined within sociocultural and historical contexts and that various social and historical factors influence the availability of such resources. Though previous studies have suggested the need for an interregional comparison of psychological and social resources, few studies have undertaken such an investigation. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations among coping resources, sense of coherence (SOC), and health status in a comparison of urban and rural residents. METHODS: General residents (aged 30-69 years) in two areas were targeted for the current study. Through a random sampling selection, 1,000 residents from each area were picked, and an anonymous questionnaire was mailed to each resident. Ultimately, 269 and 363 valid responses from the urban and rural areas, respectively, were analyzed. SOC, both social and psychological resources, and mental health were assessed. To examine relationships between SOC and resources associated with mental health, mental health was defined as a dependent variable. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted with variables entered from sociodemographic characteristics, social and psychological resources, and SOC. RESULTS: Regarding regional characteristics, social capital and participation in community activities were significantly greater in the rural area than in the urban area. Urban residents reported significantly higher self-esteem and optimism than rural residents. SOC showed the most significant association with mental health in both areas. Mental health was significantly associated with physical activity limitations and life stressors in both areas. However, the associations were weakened when social and psychological resources and SOC were added, which demonstrated their buffering effect on the negative influence of life stressors on health. When SOC was added, the association of self-esteem with mental health disappeared in both areas, but optimism in the urban area and humor in the rural area were directly and independently associated with mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that resources available to urban and rural residents are characteristic of the area where they live, and that social and psychological resources as well as SOC are associated with better mental health. Possible directions for health support strategies, reflecting regional characteristics, are suggested.