Sense of coherence on the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and sleep quality among nurses.

AIM: We aimed to examine the mediating effects of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) on the relationship between stress and sleep in nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey targeting nurses in Chiba and Tokyo during the summer of 2021 was conducted using Google Forms. Responses were obtained using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the 13-item version of the SOC scale (SOC-13), and questions regarding COVID-19-related stress. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to investigate relevant relationships. RESULTS: A total of 181 valid responses were obtained from 400 surveyed nurses. SEM analysis showed that COVID-19 stress was indirectly related to PSQI via its effect on SOC-13, with higher SOC-13 negatively correlated with PSQI. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need for interventions designed to promote SOC for nurses working under stressful conditions.

Designing a test battery for workers' well-being: the first wave of the Tsukuba Salutogenic Occupational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a diversification of working styles. The concept of workers' well-being is no longer limited to material wealth, such as how satisfied they are with their wages. Psychological enrichment, encompassing factors like motivation and interpersonal relationships, is also important. This study was established to develop a scale to evaluate the well-being of workers, named the Abundance Index for Workers (AIW). This new concept proposed by the authors comprehensively considers both job-related resources and personal and societal resources. METHODS: This study was carried out as part of the Tsukuba Salutogenic Occupational Cohort Study (T-SOCS). We utilized data from a survey targeting workers affiliated with institutions under the Tsukuba Science City Network, examining aspects of their daily life, work, and mental health. The deviation scores for each survey item were averaged to calculate an overall score. The correlations of the comprehensive score with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) index for depression and the Single-item Presenteeism Question (SPQ) index for presenteeism were analyzed to determine criterion-related validity. RESULTS: The number of participants analyzed was 2,745. Factor analysis categorized the data into three factors: workplace mental health, societal resources, and lifestyle habits. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.688. There were correlations of -0.363 (p < 0.001) between the total score and SPQ, and -0.558 (p < 0.001) between the total score and PHQ-9, suggesting a degree of criterion-related validity. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we designed a test battery that assesses workers' well-being based on job-related resources and the richness of societal resources. The internal consistency of this battery was not as high as expected due to the broad scope of well-being. Although it is difficult to evaluate workers' well-being on a single scale, we believe that the AIW functions well as a test battery by combining scales with different attributes, which enables well-being to be captured from as many different perspectives as possible. This tool is designed to assist individuals in evaluating their own well-being and recognizing factors that can enhance it. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable; this study is not an intervention trial.

Factors Associated With Work Engagement of Nurses During the Fifth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the prevalence of mental health issues among nurses. Work engagement (WE) is a concept that describes work-related positive psychological states and is of importance within mental health measures. There is, however, a lack of research on factors associated with the WE of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine which factors are associated with WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a framework. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses working in acute care and psychiatric institutions in the prefectures of Chiba and Tokyo in Japan. The survey period occurred between August 8 and September 30, 2021, during a time when the number of patients with a positive COVID-19 infection increased. The 3-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3) was used to measure WE. Factors such as age, gender, years of experience, affiliated ward, COVID-19-related stress, financial rewards from the government and hospital, encouragement from the government and patients, and workplace social capital were assessed. A total of 187 participants were included in the final analysis. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the factors related to WE. Partial regression coefficients (B), 95% CI, and P values were calculated. RESULTS: The mean overall score for the UWES-3 was 3.19 (SD 1.21). Factors negatively associated with UWES-3 were COVID-19-related stress on work motivation and escape behavior (Β -0.16, 95% CI -0.24 to -0.090; P<.001), and factors positively associated with UWES-3 were affiliation of intensive care units (Β 0.76, 95% CI 0.020-1.50; P=.045) and financial rewards from the government and hospital (Β 0.40, 95% CI 0.040-0.76; P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: This study examined factors related to WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the JD-R model. When compared with findings from previous studies, our results suggest that nurses' WE was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative motivation and escape behaviors related to COVID-19 were negatively associated with WE, while there were positive associations with financial rewards from the government and hospital and affiliation with an intensive care unit. Further research into larger populations is needed to confirm these findings.

Relationships Between Childhood Bullying/Domestic Violence Experience and Insomnia among Employees in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic childhood experiences such as domestic violence and bullying have been reported to be associated with insomnia in adulthood. However, little evidence is available for the long-term effects of childhood adversity on workers' insomnia worldwide. Our objective was to examine whether childhood experiences of bullying and domestic violence are associated with insomnia in workers in adulthood. METHODS: We used survey data from a cross-sectional study of the Tsukuba Science City Network in Tsukuba City, Japan. Workers aged 20 to 65 years (4509 men and 2666 women) were targeted. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed with the Athens Insomnia Scale as the objective variable. RESULTS: Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that childhood bullying and domestic violence experience of childhood bullying and domestic violence were associated with insomnia. As for the experience of domestic violence, the higher the time of experience, the higher the odds ratio of insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: It may be useful to focus on childhood traumatic experiences regarding insomnia in workers. In the future, objective sleep time and sleep efficiency should be evaluated using an activity meter and other methods to verify the effects of bullying and domestic violence experiences.

Delayed sleep-wake rhythm due to staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and sleep debt after returning to campus among Japanese nursing university students: A longitudinal study.

This study aimed to investigate sleep problems during staying at home due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and after returning to campus among university nursing students. We analyzed data from self-reported sleep surveys conducted during a nursing course at a university in Tokyo between 2019 and 2021. During staying at home due to COVID-19, we observed delayed sleep-wake rhythm, prolonged sleep duration on weekdays, a decreased sleep debt, improved daytime sleepiness, and worsened insomnia, especially in terms of difficulty initiating sleep (Study 1; 18 paired data). After returning to campus, we found advanced wake-up time, shortened sleep duration, increased sleep debt, worsened insomnia, and increased daytime sleepiness (Study 2; 91 paired data). The association between advanced midpoint of sleep and commute time over an hour (aOR, 3.29; 95%CI: 1.24-8.72) was confirmed. Furthermore, sleep paralysis and nightmares were more prevalent among nursing students with an advanced midpoint of sleep, whereas nursing students whose midpoint of sleep was delayed had higher daytime sleepiness after returning to campus. To maintain regular sleep-wake rhythms and sufficient sleep duration, the educational environment surrounding nursing university students (e.g., curriculum, class schedule, style of class) should be established considering their age-dependent biological rhythm in addition to sleep hygiene education for students.

A high sense of coherence can mitigate suicidal ideation associated with insomnia.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate whether insomnia is associated with suicidal ideation (SI) among Japanese workers by conducting a multi-level analysis with sense of coherence (SOC) as a random effect. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 19,481 workers in Tsukuba, Japan. Data from 7,175 participants aged 20-65 years were included in the analysis. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used as the independent variable, and SI over the past year was used as the dependent variable. SOC was measured using the five-point SOC-13 scale, and socioeconomic and health factors were investigated as covariates. Participants were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) based on their SOC scores. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: In the high-SOC group, only one person had SI. In a multi-level logistic analysis that excluded the high SOC group, insomnia was found to be associated with SI (OR = 2.26, 95% CI [1.75, 2.93]). Furthermore, the AIS sub-items "Final awakening earlier than desired" (OR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.05, 1.50]) and "Sense of well-being during the day" (OR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.34, 1.99]) were associated with SI. 8.95% or 11% of the variation in the presence or absence of SI was found to be explained by differences between SOC groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights that insomnia is associated with SI, and that high SOC may reduce SI even under insomnia. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm whether high SOC reduces SI due to insomnia.

Prevalence, characteristics, and psychological outcomes of workplace cyberbullying during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a cross-sectional online survey.

BACKGROUND: The rapid introduction of teleworking due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to concerns about increases in cyberbullying (CB) worldwide. However, little is known about workplace CB in non-Western countries. The first objective was to clarify the prevalence and characteristics regarding workplace CB victimization in Japan. The second objective was to demonstrate the psychological outcomes of CB victimization in combination with traditional bullying (TB). METHODS: We conducted an anonymous, cross-sectional, Internet-based survey targeting regular employees in Japan (N = 1200) in January 2021. We investigated CB victimization using the Inventory of Cyberbullying Acts at Work and TB victimization by using the Short Negative Act Questionnaire. Possible explanatory factors for TB/CB victimization were sociodemographic variables, personality trait, chronic occupational stress, organizational climate, and gratitude at work. We also measured psychological distress, insomnia, and loneliness to assess adverse effects of workplace bullying. Two-step cluster analysis was used in determining the patterns combined with TB and CB victimization. Hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: In total, 8.0% of employees reported experiencing CB on a weekly basis. CB victimization was associated with younger age, managerial position, higher qualitative workload, and active information dissemination via the Internet, and frequency of teleworking. Three clusters based on TB and CB victimization patterns were identified: those who belong to the first cluster suffered neither from TB and CB (81.0%), the second cluster suffered only from TB (14.3%), and the third cluster suffered from both TB and CB (4.8%). The third cluster exhibited higher odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for psychological distress (OR = 12.63, 95% CI = 4.20-38.03), insomnia (OR = 6.26, 95% CI = 2.80-14.01), and loneliness (OR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.74-6.04) compared to the first cluster. CONCLUSIONS: These findings firstly clarify the prevalence and correlated factors of CB victimization among employees in Japan. Further, we showed that psychological wellbeing can be impaired by the coexistence of TB and CB. Our research could be the first step to develop the effective countermeasures against workplace CB.

Ibaraki's Amabie-chan usage and its association with infection prevention behavior and fear of COVID-19: a cross-sectional preliminary survey of the Tsukuba Salutogenic Occupational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Ibaraki's Amabie-chan is a COVID-19 infection control system unique to Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. It requires residents to register each time they visit events, commercial facilities, and restaurants. The number of registrations has been limited, and its function alerting about people positive for COVID-19 infection seems not to be working. Nevertheless, registration with the system might have some impact on the user's behavior. In the current preliminary survey, the possible impact of Ibaraki's Amabie-chan on infection prevention behavior and fear of COVID-19 was investigated. METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based, anonymous, and self-administered survey was conducted at two workplaces in Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, Japan. The first survey was conducted at one of the workplaces in November 2020, and the second survey, at the other workplace in February 2021. Variables of interest were sex, age group, marital status, employment status, Ibaraki's Amabie-chan use, COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application use, ten items of infection prevention behaviors, and fear of COVID-19. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: In both surveys, use of Ibaraki's Amabie-chan was significantly associated with COCOA use and with "physical condition management such as body temperature measurement." No association was found with other infection prevention behaviors or with fear of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings did not provide sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of Ibaraki's Amabie-chan in regard to users' infection control behavior. Further detailed study is needed to investigate the effectiveness in terms of infection prevention and the cost-effectiveness of Ibaraki's Amabie-chan.

Morning preference is associated with subjective happiness among Japanese female workers: A moderation analysis by sleep characteristics from the SLEPT study.

Research on mental health in working populations has predominantly focussed on negative outcomes, while studies on the positive aspects of life remain very limited, especially in Japan. Although morningness has recently been considered a factor for being happy, the role of sleep characteristics as it relates to the association between morningness and happiness has not been substantiated. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between diurnal preference and level of subjective happiness in healthy, full-time, daytime workers in Japan. We also tested the moderation effect of sleep parameters on the relationship between diurnal preference and subjective happiness. This is an exploratory analysis from the cross-sectional data of the SLeep Epidemiology Project at the University of Tsukuba (SLEPT Study). Subjective happiness was evaluated using a single-item question. Diurnal preference was assessed using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), in which higher scores indicate greater tendency to have morning preference. The participants underwent assessment of sleep parameters for 7 consecutive days using a waist-worn actigraphy device and kept a sleep diary. Sleep parameters investigated were subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness, weekend oversleep, total sleep time, sleep onset time, wake time, and sleep efficiency. A total of 205 males (average 42.6 ± 10.4 years) and 272 females (41.1 ± 9.8 years) were eligible for analysis. Hierarchical liner regression analysis was used to show the relationships of subjective happiness with MEQ score, and the sleep parameters. Further, moderation analysis was conducted by adding the interaction between MEQ score and the sleep parameters. After adjusting for age, psychological distress, self-rated health, and occupational stress, we found that subjective happiness was significantly associated with higher MEQ score and sleep efficiency but only in female. The moderating role of sleep parameters was not found. We discussed the implications of the obtained results and a possible strategy to maintain and improve subjective happiness of female workers who have evening preference.