Journal of Occupational Health最新文献

Background: Return-to-work (RTW) support has become a growing priority in occupational health. Manual workers-who constitute over half of the global labor force-may face greater RTW barriers due to the physically demanding nature of their jobs. However, few studies have quantitatively compared the perceived RTW barriers between manual and non-manual workers. This study aimed to compare perceived RTW barriers between manual and non-manual workers with chronic conditions to inform the development of tailored support strategies.

Methods: We analyzed 219 employed adults, either actively working or on certified leave, who attended X Hospital consultations between September 2019 and June 2020 to obtain support for balancing work and medical treatment. Perceived RTW barriers were assessed with a validated 10-category yes/no structured checklist (personal: work ability/psychological/health literacy; workplace: structure/system/support; inter-sectoral/social). Logistic regression was performed to compare barriers between manual and non-manual workers.

Results: Manual workers were significantly more likely to report barriers related to psychological impacts (OR = 2.34) and workplace systems (OR = 2.88). Although work ability did not differ significantly by job type, it was the most frequently reported RTW barrier in both groups.

Conclusion: Manual workers' RTW challenges are characterized by psychological and organizational barriers. RTW programs should assess psychological readiness before resumption of duties and provide managerial training to address anxiety and loss of confidence, while implementing job-specific accommodations such as phased tasks, ergonomic adjustments, and light duties in coordination with healthcare providers.

Objectives The cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains uncertain in the majority of affected individuals, and risk of socioeconomic status on CKD progression has recently gained attention. We compared the risk of CKD progression among 18 occupational classifications using an annual health-checkup database. Methods We used the annual health checkup data and health insurance claims data of the Japan Health Insurance Association in Kyoto prefecture between April 2012 and March 2016. The primary outcome for survival analysis was defined as a more than 30% change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from the first health checkup. We used the Cox proportional-hazards model for time-to-event analyses to estimate the hazard ratio, and 95% CIs for the primary outcome, adjusting for age, sex, eGFR, body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, dyslipidemia, uric acid, urinary protein, and existence of kidney diseases at first health checkup. Results We analyzed 239,506 employees, and 1,736 (0.7%) individuals whose eGFR had decreased by 30% or more; the mean follow-up period was 2.8 years. When we compared the risk for "manufacturing," five categories of industries ("information and communications"; "transport and postal services"; "accommodations, eating and drinking services"; "living-related and personal services and amusement service"; "medical, health care and welfare") were associated with a decline in the risk of eGFR after adjusting for the confounding factors and/or mediators. Conclusions We provided evidence that the risk of CKD progression depends on occupational type. Further research is needed to confirm the mechanism and causal relationships involved.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate two concise measures of workplace loneliness.

Methods: A three-item scale for loneliness at work (SLAW-3) and a single-item scale for loneliness at work (SLAW-1) were developed by modifying existing scales for general loneliness. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted of 1,228 full-time employees in Japan to test the reliability and validity of these scales. Internal consistency of the SLAW-3 was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the construct validity was examined through correlations with established measures of workplace loneliness, psychological distress, well-being, self-rated health, and workplace social support.

Results: The SLAW-3 demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) and unidimensionality. It correlated positively with established measures of workplace loneliness and psychological distress measures and negatively with well-being and workplace social support measures. The SLAW-1 also demonstrated significant correlation with the SLAW-3 and with psychological indicators such as distress, well-being, self-rated health, and workplace social support.

Conclusions: The SLAW-3 was found to be a reliable and valid measure of workplace loneliness. The SLAW-1 also demonstrated adequate construct validity, despite its single-item format. Both scales are short and may be effectively used to assess workplace loneliness in large-scale employee surveys or brief screenings.

Objectives: Essential workers, particularly in healthcare and social services were critical during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet their mental health outcomes remain understudied. We examined changes in (i) sickness absence (SA) due to common mental disorders (CMDs) and (ii) antidepressant prescription in health and social care workers during vs. pre-pandemic periods.

Methods: Using Swedish national registers, we included healthcare and social workers (19 - 65 years) from 2018 to 2021. We compared quarterly incidence rate (IR) trends for SA >90 days due to CMD and antidepressant prescription across two periods: pre-pandemic (Jan 2018-Feb 2020) and during the pandemic (Mar 2020-Dec 2021) using interrupted time-series analysis. Analyses accounted for seasonality and were stratified by age, sex, and education.

Results: There was no evidence of a difference in IR trends for SA >90 days or antidepressant prescription pre-pandemic vs. during the pandemic for the entire sector. However, trends of IR for antidepressant prescription increased among workers in medical laboratories (8.7% per quarter change; 4.4-13.1%), and hospitals (1.5%; 0.6-2.5%) and decreased per quarter for ambulance transports (5.4%; 0.4-1.0%). Women (10.9%; 7.2-14.7%) and highly educated individuals (10.0%; 4.1-16.1%) working in medical laboratories as well as 19-25-year-olds working in primary and dental care (7.3%; 1.7-13.1%) also experienced an increase in antidepressant prescription.

Conclusions: While overall trends in SA >90 days and antidepressant prescription remained stable, certain occupational and sociodemographic groups were found to be affected in regard to antidepressant prescription. These groups warrant targeted support in future health crises.

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