RESUMO
The consultation rate for uterine cervical cancer screening in Japan is markedly low in comparison with other developed countries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the trends in uterine cervical cancer screening during regular company checkups and to identify potential problems. Questionnaires were sent to occupational health physicians through Sansuiken (Alumni Association of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan). Overall, 127 valid responses showed that Papanicolaou (Pap) tests are conducted in 100 companies (79%). The detailed information from 50 of the 100 responses was analyzed. Mandatory cervical cancer screenings are performed at just 6 companies (12%). Pap test are started at 30 years of age at 9 of 49 companies, and only 18 of 49 companies (37%) start Pap tests for employees at 20 years old. Of the 86,695 women, 31,294 (36%) received cervical cancer screening. Abnormal Pap test results were detected in 3.0%. Although cervical cancer screening rates have slightly increased compared to our previous studies (17% in 2004, 23% in 2008), it remains at a low level. Complete examinations with colposcopy and punch biopsy were carried out in 70% (61 of 87 women) of those with an abnormal Pap test. Twelve of 26 companies had no information about detailed examination results. It is important to note that cervical cancer incidence and mortality are increasing among young women in Japan. Occupational physicians and health nurses should manage female health education and care at the workplace, by including uterine cervical cancer screening in the growing female working population.
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Saúde Ocupacional , Exame Físico/tendências , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/diagnóstico , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/prevenção & controle , Feminino , Humanos , Japão , Médicos do Trabalho , Teste de Papanicolaou/estatística & dados numéricos , Teste de Papanicolaou/tendências , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Many female nurses leave their jobs because of major life events. However, the mental health status and related factors among nurses who assume the roles of wives and/or mothers have been insufficiently examined. Therefore we examined the mental health levels and related factors among such nurse. We conducted a questionnaire survey on 763 female nurses working at general hospitals with over 200 beds in Fukuoka Prefecture. Of 402 responses, 108 were divided into two groups: nurses who had left because of marriage, childbirth, or childrearing (leaving group), and those who had not (non-leaving group). The following were assessed: work satisfaction level, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 28, and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale. Results showed that nurses who had assumed the roles of wives and/or mothers had lower mental health status than general women, and nurses who retained their jobs had higher mental health status and sense of comprehensibility on the SOC scale than those who left. Multiple regression analyses using the total GHQ score as an objective variable showed that only the sense of comprehensibility on the SOC scale correlated with mental health status in the non-leaving group. For the leaving group, having support, high work and life satisfaction levels, and several work stressors were correlated. These findings strongly suggest that to maintain and improve the mental health of nurses who assume the role of wives and/or mothers, greater support, higher satisfaction, reduced stressors, and maintenance and improvement of the sense of comprehensibility are required.
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Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros , Senso de Coerência , Estresse Psicológico , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Satisfação no Emprego , Casamento , Saúde Mental , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mães , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros/psicologia , Cônjuges , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A number of companies publish corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in booklets and other publicly available formats. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the nine-year (2004-2012) trend of occupational safety and health (OSH) activities as described in CSR reporting (by industry sector and company size). METHODS: We investigated CSR reporting on the website in all Japanese companies listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The data were extracted from CSR reporting of each company every year from 2004 to 2012. We counted the pages dedicated to information on OSH activities by industry sector and company size and calculated the rate of OSH divided by total CSR-related activities. RESULTS: The number of companies publishing CSR reports increased in all industry sectors, although the rate of inclusion of OSH activity within CSR reports increased only among sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce. Among all company size, CSR reporting increased constantly throughout all observed years. The proportion of companies that had described OSH in CSR reporting increased from 2004 to 2012, and 76.5% companies had described OSH activities in 2012. The average number of pages of CSR-related report was 34.2 in 2004, increasing to 43.1 in 2012. The proportion of described pages of OSH activities in total CSR reporting increased gradually, and 2.7% in 2012. The focus of CSR reporting gradually shifted from 'environment' to 'social activity including OSH'. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of companies are putting more emphasis on OSH in CSR reporting in Japan.
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Indústrias/estatística & dados numéricos , Saúde Ocupacional/estatística & dados numéricos , Responsabilidade Social , Humanos , JapãoRESUMO
PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the association of suicidal ideation with job demands and job resources among Japanese workers. METHODS: Valid data from questionnaires that were pre-collected from 42,499 workers (34,882 males and 7617 females) were used for multilevel logistic regression analyses. Job demands and job resources were selected as potential predictors of suicidal ideation. Lifestyle variables, support from family and friends, and suffering from depressive or eating disorders were used as covariates. RESULTS: In the employee-level, most job demands and job resources had significant associations with the risk of suicidal ideation in both sexes. High coworker support had a significant negative association with the risk of suicidal ideation in the organization-level, irrespective of their gender. High physical demands and poor physical environment in the organization-level had significant positive associations with increased risk of suicidal ideation only among females. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of suicidal ideation among Japanese workers is associated with job demands and job resources in the employee-level, and coworker support in the organization-level may be important as well.
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Emprego/psicologia , Ideação Suicida , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease. Job resources have been identified as determinants of employees' vigor and physical activity habits. PURPOSE: Our first purpose was to comprehensively analyze the series of relationships of job resources, through vigor and exercise habit (i.e., one aspect of physical activity), to serum lipid levels in a sample of Japanese employees in a manufacturing company. Our second purpose was to investigate sex differences in these relationships using a multiple-group path analysis. METHODS: Data were collected from 4543 employees (men = 4018, women = 525) during a medical checkup conducted in February and March 2012. Job resources (job control, skill utilization, suitable jobs, and meaningfulness of work), vigor, exercise habit, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured cross-sectionally. RESULTS: Job resources and vigor were positively associated with exercise habit in both sexes. Exercise habit was inversely associated with triglyceride (-0.03 in men and -0.01 in women, ps < 0.05) and LDL-C (-0.07 in both sexes, ps < 0.05). HDL-C was positively associated with exercise habit (0.03 in both sexes, ps < 0.05). There was no significant difference by sex in path coefficients, except for the covariance between suitable jobs and meaningfulness of work. CONCLUSION: Higher levels of job resources were associated with greater vigor, leading to exercise habit, which in turn, improved serum lipid levels. Longitudinal studies are required to demonstrate causality.
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Doença das Coronárias/sangue , Exercício Físico , Lipídeos/sangue , Adulto , HDL-Colesterol/sangue , LDL-Colesterol/sangue , Feminino , Hábitos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores de Risco , Triglicerídeos/sangueRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Neck pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition among workers in the United States. This study explores a set of workplace psychosocial and organization-related factors for neck pain. METHODS: Data used for this study come from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey which provides a representative sample of the US population. To account for the complex sampling design, the Taylor linearized variance estimation method was used. Logistic regression models were constructed to measure the associations. RESULTS: This study demonstrated significant associations between neck pain and a set of workplace risk factors, including work-family imbalance, exposure to a hostile work environment and job insecurity, non-standard work arrangements, multiple jobs, and long work hours. CONCLUSION: Workers with neck pain may benefit from intervention programs that address issues related to these workplace risk factors. Future studies exploring both psychosocial risk factors and physical risk factors with a longitudinal design will be important. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:549-560, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Cervicalgia/psicologia , Doenças Profissionais/psicologia , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Adulto , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Cervicalgia/etiologia , Doenças Profissionais/etiologia , Saúde Ocupacional , Ocupações , Fatores de Risco , Estados Unidos , Equilíbrio Trabalho-Vida , Carga de Trabalho , Local de Trabalho/organização & administração , Adulto JovemRESUMO
PURPOSE: Evidence on the association between psychological well-being and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels is limited. We carried out a prospective study to investigate the association between work engagement and hs-CRP levels in a group of Japanese workers. METHODS: Our cohort included 1,857 men and 657 women aged 65 and under, and free from major illness, working at two manufacturing worksites in Japan. Baseline examinations were conducted from April to June 2011 to determine the demographic and lifestyle characteristics and levels of work engagement. Blood samples were obtained from participants at baseline and after 1 year. Participants were classified into tertiles of low, moderate, and high work engagement at baseline. Hs-CRP levels were split into low (≤3.0 mg/L) and high (>3.0 mg/L). We used multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between work engagement at baseline and hs-CRP levels at follow-up, adjusting for hs-CRP at baseline and potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Participants reporting moderate and high levels of work engagement at baseline had significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) of having high hs-CRP levels at follow-up than those with low levels of work engagement at baseline [OR of moderate level 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.81; OR of high level 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.99; p for trend <0.05]. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that work engagement has beneficial effects on workers' cardiovascular health.
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Proteína C-Reativa/análise , Indústria Manufatureira , Trabalho/psicologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Pressão Sanguínea , Doenças Cardiovasculares/sangue , Doenças Cardiovasculares/etiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Inflamação/sangue , Japão , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Doenças Profissionais/sangue , Doenças Profissionais/etiologia , Razão de Chances , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Despite known beneficial effects of social support on cardiovascular health, the pathway through which sources of support (supervisor, coworkers, family/friends) influence inflammatory markers is not completely understood. PURPOSE: We investigated the independent and moderating associations between social support and inflammatory markers. METHODS: A total of 137 male white-collar employees underwent a blood draw for measurement of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte and leukocyte counts, and completed a questionnaire on social support. RESULTS: Multivariable linear regression analyses controlling for covariates revealed that supervisor support was inversely associated with IL-6 (ß = -0.24, p < 0.01) while coworker support was marginally associated with TNF-α (ß = -0.16, p < 0.10). Support from family/friends was not associated with inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION: Social support from the immediate supervisor may be a potential mechanism through which social support exerts beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in working men.
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Proteína C-Reativa/análise , Mediadores da Inflamação/sangue , Interleucina-6/sangue , Apoio Social , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/sangue , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Adulto , Idoso , Biomarcadores/sangue , Humanos , Contagem de Leucócitos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between psychosocial factors and injury absence in the workplace. PURPOSE: This study aims to assess the association of comprehensive workplace psychosocial factors with work-related injury absence among Korean workers. METHODS: The data (n = 7,856) were derived from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006 with a representative sample (n = 10,043) of the Korean working population. The survey instrument contained questions about hours of work, physical risk factors, work organization, and the effect of work on health/injury. Work-related injury absence was indicated by a dichotomous variable with at least 1 day absence during the preceding 12 months. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratio and confidence interval (CI). Incremental adjustments for sociodemographic, health behavior, and occupational confounding variables were employed in the models. RESULTS: The overall 1-year prevalence of work-related injury absence in this study was 1.37 % (95 % CI, 1.11-1.63 %). Those who experienced violence at work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 7.05 (95 % CI, 2.69-18.5)), threat of violence at work (aOR, 4.25 (95 % CI, 1.32-13.64)), low job autonomy (aOR, 1.79 (95 % CI, 1.17-2.74)), and high job strain (aOR, 2.38 (95 % CI, 1.29-4.42) had an increased risk of injury absence, compared with their respective counterparts (p < 0.05). Among all job types, skilled workers in Korea were at a near fourfold risk of work absence due to occupational injuries, compared with managers in low-risk jobs. CONCLUSION: Workplace violence and increased job strain were two key workplace psychosocial factors associated with work-related injury absence.
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Absenteísmo , Acidentes de Trabalho/psicologia , Violência/psicologia , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Ferimentos e Lesões/psicologia , Acidentes de Trabalho/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Intervalos de Confiança , Feminino , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ocupações , Razão de Chances , Prevalência , República da Coreia/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco , Distribuição por Sexo , Inquéritos e Questionários , Violência/estatística & dados numéricos , Local de Trabalho/estatística & dados numéricos , Ferimentos e Lesões/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Drivers of heavy and tractor-trailer trucks accounted for 56% of all production and nonsupervisory employees in the truck transportation industry in 2011. There are limited data for illness and injury in long-haul truck drivers, which prompted a targeted national survey. METHODS: Interviewers collected data during 2010 from 1,670 long-haul truck drivers at 32 truck stops across the 48 contiguous United States that were used to compute prevalence estimates for self-reported health conditions and risk factors. RESULTS: Obesity (69% vs. 31%, P < 0.01) and current smoking (51% vs. 19%, P < 0.01) were twice as prevalent in long-haul truck drivers as in the 2010 U.S. adult working population. Sixty-one percent reported having two or more of the risk factors: hypertension, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, no physical activity, 6 or fewer hours of sleep per 24-hr period. CONCLUSION: Survey findings suggest a need for targeted interventions and continued surveillance for long-haul truck drivers.
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Hipercolesterolemia/epidemiologia , Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Obesidade/epidemiologia , Saúde Ocupacional , Comportamento Sedentário , Privação do Sono/epidemiologia , Fumar/epidemiologia , Meios de Transporte , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
To investigate the association between various sleep problems and self-rated health (SRH), a total of 43,092 (34,164 men and 8,928 women) employees were surveyed by means of a self-administered questionnaire. The risk of suboptimal (poor, very poor) SRH associated with sleep problems was estimated using multivariable logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) as measures of associations. Because the prevalence of suboptimal SRH differed by sex (men 29.4% and women 34.1%, P < 0.001), the analyses were done separately for men and women. Employees sleeping less than 6 hrs/day (OR = 1.39 for men, 1.40 for women), with difficulty initiating sleep (OR=4.44 for men, 3.85 for women), with difficulty maintaining sleep (OR=5.72 for men, 4.85 for women), with early morning awakening (OR=3.87 for men, 4.25 for women), with difficulty waking up in the morning (OR=3.30 for men, 3.40 for women), feeling tired when waking up in the morning (OR=4.97 for men, 4.82 for women), and excessive daytime sleepiness at work (OR=2.34 for men, 2.11 for women) had a significantly higher odds of suboptimal SRH compared to those without sleep problems. The association between sleep problems and suboptimal SRH did not differ between men and women. In conclusion, the data point to an independent relationship between sleep problems and suboptimal SRH among Japanese employees.
Assuntos
Autoavaliação Diagnóstica , Nível de Saúde , Saúde Ocupacional , Transtornos do Sono-Vigília/psicologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Estilo de Vida , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Suicide is the leading cause of death among the working-age population in Japan. Unlike task-level occupational factors, the relation between suicidal ideation and psychosocial safety climate (PSC), a crucial organization-level factor to protect workers' psychological health, is understudied, especially among teleworkers. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was used to select 1988 participants. A series of multivariable logistic regression analyses with the interaction term of PSC and teleworking arrangements was performed. RESULTS: Poor PSC was associated with a higher risk of having suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio = 1.57, P = 0.008), and its relation was pronounced among teleworkers (adjusted odds ratio for the interaction term = 1.96, P = 0.035), even after adjusting for task-level occupational factors. CONCLUSIONS: This empirical study highlights the heightened risk of suicidal ideation by poor PSC, especially among teleworkers.
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Ideação Suicida , Teletrabalho , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Japão/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Fatores de Risco , Saúde Ocupacional , Cultura Organizacional , Modelos Logísticos , Adulto Jovem , Local de Trabalho/psicologiaRESUMO
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the association of organizational factors with work-related sleep problems (WRSP) among Korean workers. METHODS: The data were derived from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006 with a representative sample of the Korean working population (n = 10,039). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of WRSP was 5.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.7-5.5). Those who experienced sexual harassment at work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.47: 95% CI 1.77-6.81), discrimination due to sex (aOR 2.44: 95% CI 1.36-4.36) or age (aOR 2.22: 95% CI 1.52-3.23), violence at work (aOR 1.98: 95% CI 1.06-3.68), threat of violence (aOR 1.96: 95% CI 1.05-3.66), poor work-life balance (aOR 1.78: 95% CI 1.44-2.20), low job satisfaction (aOR 1.69: 95% CI 1.37-2.09), high cognitive (OR 1.64: 95% CI 1.32-2.03) and emotional (aOR 1.53: 95% CI 1.22-1.91) demands, job insecurity (aOR 1.32: 95% CI 1.07-1.63), and high work intensity (aOR 1.55: 95% CI: 95% CI 1.25-1.92) had an increased risk of WRSP compared to their respective counterparts (p < 0.01). Low social support was not significantly associated with WRSP (aOR 0.88: 95% CI 0.67-1.15). CONCLUSION: The results revealed that poor psychosocial working conditions may be related to a high prevalence of WRSP among representative Korean workers.
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Transtornos do Sono-Vigília/epidemiologia , Transtornos do Sono-Vigília/psicologia , Local de Trabalho/organização & administração , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Intervalos de Confiança , Feminino , Humanos , Satisfação no Emprego , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , República da Coreia , Fatores Sexuais , Transtornos do Sono-Vigília/etiologia , Discriminação Social/psicologia , Apoio Social , Estresse Psicológico/epidemiologia , Violência/psicologia , Tolerância ao Trabalho Programado/psicologia , Carga de Trabalho/psicologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the co-effect of Demand-control-support (DCS) model and Effort-reward Imbalance (ERI) model on the risk estimation of depression in humans in comparison with the effects when they are used respectively. METHODS: A total of 3 632 males and 1 706 females from 13 factories and companies in Henan province were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Perceived job stress was evaluated with the Job Content Questionnaire and Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (Chinese version). Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). RESULTS: DC (demands/job control ratio) and ERI were shown to be independently associated with depressive symptoms. The outcome of low social support and overcommitment were similar. High DC and low social support (SS), high ERI and high overcommitment, and high DC and high ERI posed greater risks of depressive symptoms than each of them did alone. ERI model and SS model seem to be effective in estimating the risk of depressive symptoms if they are used respectively. CONCLUSION: The DC had better performance when it was used in combination with low SS. The effect on physical demands was better than on psychological demands. The combination of DCS and ERI models could improve the risk estimate of depressive symptoms in humans.
Assuntos
Depressão/epidemiologia , Adulto , China/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fatores de Risco , Estresse PsicológicoRESUMO
Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted working life quality. This study investigated whether changes in work/sleep patterns due to the pandemic are related to poor psychological status among Japanese workers during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020). We hypothesized that workers who experienced drastic changes in working hours and sleep duration would be at an increased risk of psychological distress. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered Internet survey was conducted that included questions regarding socio-demographics, lifestyle, health, and occupational background and conditions. Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between psychological distress and a combination of changes in working hours and sleep duration. Results: Among 25,762 workers, decreased work hours and decreased sleep duration presented 2.59 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.05-3.28) compared to those who had no changes in work hours combined with unchanged sleep duration (reference group). Increased work hours and decreased sleep duration were associated with 1.98 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% CI = 1.64-2.39). Conclusion: Our observations confirmed that decreased sleep duration could be a key factor for psychological distress, irrespective of working hours. Interestingly, workers with a combination of decreased work hours and sleep duration posed the highest risk of psychological distress. Decreased work hours accompanied by financial difficulties in the early stage of the pandemic may have caused decreased sleep duration, resulting in a high prevalence of psychological distress. Our study underlined the importance of sleep management in maintaining workers' mental health, moreover, the need to consider situations and conditions of other daily tasks, such as work hours, for better sleep management.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking became the new workplace norm, creating a new challenge for workplace communication. This study investigated the association between source-specific workplace social support and psychological distress among Japanese teleworkers and nonteleworkers. METHODS: A total of 15,045 workers were extracted from a cross-sectional web-based survey that assessed psychological distress, workplace social support from supervisors and coworkers. After grouping participants into four groups based on their positions (managers, staff members) and teleworking arrangements (teleworking, nonteleworking), multiple logistic regression analyses were performed separately. RESULTS: Teleworkers with less supervisor support demonstrated the highest risk of psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 2.55, P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient supervisor support for teleworking staff members may be a key occupational risk factor for psychological distress in the postpandemic future.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Angústia Psicológica , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Teletrabalho , Pandemias , Estudos Transversais , População do Leste Asiático , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Japão/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether workers who practiced unhealthy lifestyles but worked under organizations with insufficient control against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would pose a synergistic risk of poor self-rated health (SRH). METHODS: A total of 22,637 workers (men, 48.5%) were extracted from an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan (December 2020). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate adjusted odds ratio (AOR) against poor (poor, fair) SRH. RESULTS: Accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (AOR, 1.49 to 4.40; P < 0.05) and insufficient infection control (AOR, 1.80; P < 0.05) were independently related to poor SRH; however, when these factors were combined, SRH was additively worsened (AOR, 2.14 to 7.72; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that not only unhealthy lifestyle practices but also poor organizational management against infection would worsen workers' SRH during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 , Masculino , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Pandemias , Local de Trabalho , Inquéritos e Questionários , Estilo de Vida , Controle de Infecções , Nível de SaúdeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nurse practitioners (NPs) are known as effective healthcare providers worldwide. In Japan, nurse practitioner adoption is considered to be in a shaky period. Although nurse practitioners were introduced approximately 10 years ago at the initiative of educational institutions in Japan, the full extent of this trend is not known. Therefore, we have clarified the whole picture of nurse practitioners from two directions: the perception of nurse practitioners in Japan and the perception of physicians who work with nurse practitioners. This will inform discussions regarding the recruitment of nurse practitioners at the national level in Japan. METHODS: From 18 June to 24 July 2021, we administered a nationwide cross-sectional survey of NPs and physicians working in the same clinical settings as NPs in Japan. The domains of the survey included "scope and content of work", "perceptions of NPs' clinical practice", and "individual clinical practice characteristics". The survey was distributed and collected digitally. RESULTS: The total number of respondents to the survey was 281, including 169 NPs and 112 physicians; the percentage of NPs who responded was 50.5%. The number of valid responses was 164 NPs and 111 physicians, for a total of 275 respondents. Approximately 60% of NPs are concentrated in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, and the three prefectures adjacent to Tokyo. They also worked fewer hours per week, cared for fewer patients per day, and earned less money than physicians. More physicians than NPs indicated that "more NPs would improve the quality of care". A total of 90.1% of physicians and 82.3% of NPs agreed that "Nurse practitioners should practice to the full extent of their education and training," and 73.9% of physicians and 81.7% of NPs agreed that "Nurse practitioners' scope of practice should be uniformly defined at a national level". CONCLUSIONS: This study clarified the present working conditions of NPs from NPs' and physicians' perspectives in Japanese contexts. Japanese NPs may be able to work effectively in collaboration with physicians. Therefore, the implementation of NPs in Japanese medical conditions should be discussed further for better healthcare.
RESUMO
Previously, we reported that the participatory workplace intervention was effective in reducing stress-related inflammatory markers among 31 Japanese female nurses. During the analysis, we recognized that our intervention might have increased prosocial behaviors like giving social support to others in some participants. Based on this assumption, we ran a secondary analysis, which examined the effect of giving social support on inflammatory markers, autonomic nervous activity (ANA), and perceived job stress (PJS) before and after the intervention. A group of participants who had increased scores on giving social support (n=13) showed significant decreases in interferon-γ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-12/23p40 after the intervention. Another group of those who had decreased/unchanged in the scores (n=17) did not show changes in these markers. Regarding ANA and PJS, no significant changes were observed in both groups. This study presented insight that giving social support at work may provide health benefits towards employees themselves, via decreasing inflammation.
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Estresse Ocupacional , Local de Trabalho , Feminino , Hospitais , Humanos , Inflamação/prevenção & controle , Japão , Estresse Ocupacional/prevenção & controle , Apoio SocialRESUMO
The study aim was to examine whether flexible working time was associated with burnout and poor perceived health in relation to the work-related psychological/behavioral factors of self-endangering work behavior (SEWB), workaholism, work engagement, and job stressors. We analyzed data obtained from an Internet survey of 600 full-time Japanese employees. We also proposed a causal model using path analysis to investigate the overall relationships of burnout and perceived health to psychological/behavioral factors. The results indicated that flexible working time was associated with adverse work-related consequences and factors such as increased burnout, working hours, SEWB, workaholism, and job demands, and with positive factors such as improvement of work engagement. The path analysis suggested that burnout was caused by workaholism both directly and via SEWB, and by low job decision latitude, and was reduced by work engagement. Similarly, it was observed that poor health was caused by workaholism via SEWB, and reduced by work engagement. Thus, SEWB is driven by workaholism and plays a key role in the adverse health consequences of flexible working time. For workers to benefit from flexible working time, it is important to improve workaholism, SEWB, and low job decision latitude, and to develop work engagement in the workplace.