Journal of Occupational Health最新文献

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effects of overseas assignments on the metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease including body mass index, blood pressure, plasma glucose, lipid profiles, liver enzyme, and uric acid in Japanese individuals.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using annual health examination data from employees of the Panasonic Corporation in Japan. We evaluated the differences in the changes in metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease during the observation periods between the overseas and non-overseas assignment groups. Propensity score matching was performed to match the characteristics of the two groups. In subgroup analysis, the impact of family accompaniment and the destination on metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease were also evaluated.

Results: The median ages of the overseas (n = 899) and non-overseas assignment groups (n = 899) were 46 (41-50) and 46 (41-50) years. The average overseas assignment duration was 4.1 ± 1.7 years. Overall, 65.4% of individuals were assigned overseas alone in the overseas assignment group. No significant differences were observed in the changes in metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease between the overseas and non-overseas assignment groups. In subgroup analyses, the family accompaniment and the destination did not affect changes in any of metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease during the overseas assignment.

Conclusions: In conclusion, no significant difference was observed in metabolic factors associated with lifestyle disease between the overseas and non-overseas assignment groups in Japanese employees.

Objectives: Physical inactivity and sedentary time can worsen mental health; however, their relationship remains elusive, and related evidence among workers with overseas assignments is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in physical activity and sedentary time and explored the subsequent risk of psychological distress among Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled male Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel dispatched to the Republic of Djibouti from May 2018 to June 2019. Psychological distress data were collected before and after overseas deployment. Physical activity and sedentary time data were obtained using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire 30. Mixed-effects modeling was performed to test associations between psychological distress and changes in sedentary time and physical activity.

Results: The cohort comprised 334 male Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel. The prevalence of psychological distress after deployment was 12.6%. The interaction of sedentary time and physical activity time was significantly associated with a greater psychological distress risk. Psychological distress was greater when sedentary time showed a large increase than when sedentary time showed less change during deployment. A greater increase in work-related physical activity from before to during deployment was associated with decreased psychological distress.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that a greater increase in sedentary time from before deployment to during deployment is associated with increased psychological distress after deployment. Healthcare professionals should recommend reducing sedentary time to improve mental health, especially after overseas deployments.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association of physical activity with social jetlag, depressive symptoms, and presenteeism.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 8,247 working-age adults (females, 44.6%; age, 20-64 years). Social jetlag was defined as the absolute difference between the midpoint of bedtime and wake time on workdays and free days. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and presenteeism was evaluated using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale. Exercise habits were classified into four groups based on the World Health Organization guidelines: non-active (NA; n=4,223), insufficiently active (IA; n=3,009: exercise below guideline levels), weekend warriors (WW; n=220: exercise 1-2 times per week meeting guideline levels), and regularly active (RA; n=793: exercise at least 3 days per week meeting guideline levels). Using multiple and Poisson regression analyses, we examined the association between exercise habits and each outcome.

Results: Social jetlag, depression, and presenteeism were more favorable with shorter sedentary times and longer durations of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise. Compared with the RA group, the NA group had a significantly higher prevalence of social jetlag (prevalence ratio [PR]=1.30), depression (PR=1.31), and presenteeism (PR=1.35). The IA group had a significantly higher prevalence of depression (PR=1.33) and presenteeism (PR=1.38).

Conclusions: Exercising with a certain frequency and intensity may help prevent symptoms of depression and social jetlag, and consequently prevent presenteeism.

Background: Occupational fall injuries have recently increased markedly in Japan, together with an increase in later-middle-aged females in the labor market. However, the association between anemia, which is prevalent among Japanese females, and falls is unclear. Here, we investigated the association between anemia and occupational fall injuries.

Methods: Participants were 6,780 part-time female employees aged 35-64 working in Japanese supermarket stores of a retail company who had at least one health checkup each year between 2017 and 2022. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin (Hb) <12.0 g/dL (Mild: 11.0-11.9 g/dL, Moderate-severe: Hb<11.0g/dL). Fall injuries were defined as slips, trips and falls on the same level, requiring medical attention based on the occupational injury data by the company. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for falls were estimated using multilevel Poisson regression, adjusting age and body mass index (BMI).

Results: The annual rate of occupational fall injuries was 0.7%. The adjusted IRR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for occupational fall injuries among participants with anemia was 1.71 (1.12-2.60). When dividing anemia into two groups, IRR (95%CI) was 1.46 (0.84-2.53) for Mild anemia and 2.13 (1.18-3.84) for Moderate-severe anemia (p for trend=0.007).

Conclusion: In this observational study of employees of large Japanese supermarket stores, anemia was significantly associated with a higher incidence of occupational falls. Our findings suggest the importance of anemia in the prevention of occupational falls.

Objective: Occupational falls are a significant concern among older workers. Although recent cross-sectional studies have indicated a potential association between frailty and occupational falls among older workers, the causal relationship remains unclear. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether frailty is a risk factor for occupational falls among older workers using a longitudinal design.

Methods: This was an Internet-based prospective cohort study. A total of 5,000 older workers (aged 60-75 years) were recruited, with 2,873 participants meeting the inclusion criteria for the follow-up survey. Frailty was assessed using a frailty screening index based on the Fried phenotype model. Occupational falls were defined as those that occurred during the follow-up period.

Results: Among the participants, 13.9% were frail. The incidence of occupational falls was higher in the frailty group (11.6%) than that in the non-frailty group (4.9%). In the multivariate-adjusted model, frailty was significantly associated with occupational falls (relative risk: 2.10, 95% confidential interval: 1.51-2.94).

Conclusion: Frailty is a significant risk factor for occupational falls among older workers. Employers should consider implementing health-management strategies that focus on frailty to prevent occupational falls in this population.

Objectives: The global increase in physical inactivity is progressively evolving into a significant health challenge. Alongside the promotion of more active leisure pursuits, elevating physical activity in the workplace has coming into focus. Financial incentives are not only a popular, but also promising tool in this regard. According to behavioral economics, they are able to initiate physical activity and thus create the basis for behavioral change.

Methods: The present systematic review was prepared according to the current PRISMA guidelines and with reference to the Cochrane Handbook. A systematic literature search of six electronic databases and three study registers was conducted to identify relevant literature. Both RCTs as well as non-RCTs were included. The Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool and the ROBINS-I Tool were used to assess the risk bias of individual studies, while the GRADE approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence for all studies related to physical activity outcomes. A narrative synthesis was conducted.

Results: Six studies were included in the review. Among the total of 2,646 participants, the average age ranged from 35.5 to 43.3 years, and the percentage of women was between 48.6 and 88%. Risk of bias was rated as 'high' in three studies, 'moderate' in two, and 'low' in one. The quality of evidence was assessed as 'moderate'. Four of the six studies reported positive effects on physical activity during the incentive period.

Conclusion: Workplace health promotion incorporating financial incentives have the potential to positively impact the physical activity levels of employees.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/joccuh/uiae006.].

Objective: Construction workers are significantly vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders, yet the number of studies conducted in developing nations-where these workers significantly contribute to the economy-remains insufficient. This study aims at exploring the interaction between physical and psychosocial exposure to the onset of neck pain or symptoms amongst construction workers in a developing country.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 235 respondents from various construction projects participated in this study. Participants were assigned into one of four exposure groups: low physical and low psychosocial (which served as the reference group); low physical and high psychosocial; high physical and low psychosocial, and high physical and high psychosocial. To quantitatively assess the interaction, we calculated the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI).

Results: Workers experiencing high levels of both physical and psychosocial risk factors had the highest odds ratio (OR) of neck symptoms (OR: 12.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.39 - 46.99) compared to other groups. The AP (AP: 0.33, 95% CI: -0.24 - 0.90), RERI (RERI: 0.40, 95% CI: -0.99 - 1.79), and SI (SI: 1.69, 95% CI: -1.77 - 5.15) revealed an interaction between physical and psychosocial factors that increases the OR of neck symptoms.

Conclusions: This result suggests that physical risk factors at work become significantly more detrimental when paired with high psychosocial stress. Hence, ergonomic interventions in the construction industry aiming to reduce musculoskeletal disorders should consider both physical and psychosocial risk factors concurrently.