Effect of side jobs and psychological distress on employee turnover in Japanese employees: A nationwide prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of engaging in side jobs on turnover and its interaction with psychological distress among Japanese employees. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey. We investigated 2783 full-time employees in companies permitting side jobs. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between side jobs and turnover, and its relationship stratified by psychological distress. RESULTS: Employees engaging in side jobs had higher odds ratios (ORs) for turnover after adjusting for covariates, included psychological distress (OR = 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-1.93). Among those under psychological distress, ORs for turnover were significantly higher (OR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval: 1.39-2.76). Conversely, in employees without distress, no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Side job engagement correlates with higher turnover, particularly among employees under psychological distress.

A prospective cohort study of perceived organizational support and occupational accidents and near-miss events among Japanese workers.

INTRODUCTION: Preventing occupational accidents is a major global challenge, and employee safety practices play a crucial role in accident prevention. Although perceived organizational support (POS) is related to safety practices, there is currently insufficient evidence supporting a relationship between POS and occupational accidents. We investigated the relationships between POS and both occupational accidents and near-miss events that can lead to accidents in the following year among workers in various industries in Japan. METHOD: This prospective cohort study was conducted from March 2022 to March 2023 using a questionnaire survey. In total, 9916 participants who completed the follow-up survey and met our inclusion criteria were analyzed. The follow-up survey asked participants about both occupational accidents and near-miss events experienced in the year following the baseline assessment. POS was evaluated at baseline using the eight-item version of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support. Odds ratios (ORs) for the relationships between POS and occupational accidents and near-miss events were estimated using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested by industries. RESULTS: The ORs for self-reported occupational accidents were significantly higher for the moderate (OR = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.82), low (OR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.18-1.89), and very low (OR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.61-2.56) POS groups compared with the very high group. The ORs for self-reported near-miss events were also significantly higher for the moderate (OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.03-1.43), low (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.03-1.40), and very low (OR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.34-1.82) groups than the very high group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest lower POS is related to a higher occurrence of occupational accidents and near-miss events in the following year. Organizations should consider enhancing employees' POS to reduce occupational accidents and near-miss events. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: To enhance employees' POS, organizations should address identified antecedents of POS (e.g., fairness, supervisor support, rewards, favorable job conditions, and human resource practices).

Association between workaholism and headaches causing presenteeism: A cross-sectional study in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the association between workaholism and headaches causing presenteeism among Japanese employees. METHODS: Used data from self-reporting questionnaire and annual health checkups. Workaholism was assessed using the Dutch Workaholic Scale and headaches causing presenteeism were identified as the symptom hindering work. We performed a logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: Among 5,802 respondents, 3.7% cited headaches as the symptom hindering work. We found an association between workaholism and such headaches (Odds ratios [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.03-1.08). Both working excessively (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.12) and working compulsively (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05-1.15) subscales were also related. CONCLUSIONS: Workaholism may lead to productivity loss due to headaches, and addressing workaholism can prevent this loss. Combining health examination data with work hours data may enable the early detection of workaholism.

Relationship between diabetes treatment status and occupational accidents.

AIMS: To evaluate the relationship between diabetes treatment status and occupational accidents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey completed in March 2022 among workers aged 20 years or older. The questionnaire included questions about diabetes treatment status and occupational accidents. The association between the treatment status of diabetes and occupational accidents was examined using a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study included 25,756 participants with no diabetes, 1,364 participants receiving diabetes treatment, 177 participants who had interrupted diabetes treatment, and 396 participants who needed diabetes treatment but had not seen a doctor. Compared with those with diabetes treatment, the odds ratio of occupational accidents among participants without diabetes was 0.40 (95% CI: 0.32-0.49), the odds ratio among participants with interrupted diabetes treatment was 4.15 (95% CI: 2.86-6.01), and the odds ratio among participants who needed diabetes treatment but had not seen a doctor was 1.25 (95% CI: 0.89-1.77). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that diabetes treatment status was related to occupational accidents, and it may be important for workers with diabetes to be supported to balance their diabetes management and their work commitments.

Treatment status of psychiatric disorders and falls in the workplace among Japanese workers: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: In Japan, the most common injury requiring sick leave is a fall in the workplace; therefore, it is very important to prevent falls. Most measures to prevent falls involve aspects of the workplace environment and safety. However, few measures consider the perspective of individual health. We investigated the relationship between psychiatric disorders and falls in the workplace and whether treatment status for a psychiatric disorder is associated with workplace falls. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among workers aged 20 years or older in Japan from February 28 to March 3, 2022. In total, the data of 27 693 participants were analyzed. We used a questionnaire to query participants' status of treatment for any psychiatric disorder and whether they had experienced a fall in the workplace. The association between treatment for a psychiatric disorder and workplace falls was examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared with participants receiving appropriate treatment for a psychiatric disorder, the odds ratio (OR) of a workplace fall was significantly lower among participants who did not require treatment for a psychiatric disorder, at 0.56 (95% CI: 0.47-0.66; P < .001); the OR of a workplace fall was significantly higher among participants whose treatment for a psychiatric disorder was interrupted, at 1.47 (95% CI: 1.21-1.78; P < .001), after adjusting for age, sex, household income, number of workplace employees, sleeping hours, exercise habits, and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that receiving appropriate treatment for psychiatric disorders may contribute to preventing falls in the workplace.

Association between exposure to technological advances in the workplace and work engagement: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to measure the association between exposure to technological advances and work engagement, adjusting for personal and workplace factors. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide online longitudinal survey study in Japan. The sample was stratified to represent Japanese workforce conditions. Work engagement was measured using the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9. Exposure to technological advances was measured using a single question with Likert scale responses. Industry characteristics that were more/less likely to be replaced by automation were also measured. Linear regression was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There were 16 629 participants. We found that exposure to technological advances was associated with work engagement after adjustment for age, sex, education, income, and industry characteristics. We observed a significant interaction between age and exposure to technological advances (coefficient 0.891, P < .001), and conducted an age-stratified linear regression analysis. The significant association between age and exposure to technological advances reduced as age increased, and disappeared after adjustment for baseline work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal observations showed that exposure to technological advances was not significantly associated with work engagement.

Protocol of a study to benchmark occupational health and safety in Japan: W2S-Ohpm study.

We aim to conduct a prospective cohort study to benchmark occupational health and safety in Japan. Here, we describe the detailed protocol for the baseline survey based on the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys. We conducted the baseline survey for the prospective cohort study in 2022. Our target population was workers in Japan aged 20 years or older, who we sampled to be representative of the Japanese workforce, stratified by sex, age, and region. Among 59,272 registered monitors who answered the initial screening questions, 29,997 completed the survey. After excluding 2,304 invalid responses, we used 27,693 valid participants in our final analysis. The number and mean age of men were 15,201 (55%) and 46 years; those of women were 12,492 (45%) and 45 years. With respect to sex, age, and regional composition, our sampling was representative of Japan's working population. Our sampling for employment status and industry yielded almost the same proportions as a government-led representative sampling of workers in Japan.

Inequality in workplace support for various types of precarious workers compared with permanent workers in Japan: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine, by sex, whether precarious workers in Japan receive less support in the workplace than permanent workers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire in 2022. We stratified participants by sex and performed modified Poisson regression analysis. The outcomes were support from supervisors, co-workers, occupational health professionals, and no one. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were calculated for contract workers, part-time workers, and dispatched workers, using permanent workers as reference. RESULTS: This study had 21 047 participants. For men, 87.9% were permanent workers; for women, 50.7% were permanent workers and 37.3% were part-time workers. For workplace support, 47.5% of men and 45.2% of women selected superiors; 41.8% of men and 50.5% of women selected colleagues; 16.8% of men and 6.2% of women selected occupational health professionals. Female contract workers were less likely to receive support from their supervisors (aPR 0.88) or co-workers (aPR 0.89). Male part-time workers were less likely to be supported by their co-workers (aPR 0.86). Dispatched workers were less likely to be supported by their supervisors (men aPR 0.71, women aPR 0.84) and co-workers (men aPR 0.73, women aPR 0.77). Part-time and dispatched workers were less likely to receive support from occupational health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Precarious workers could get less workplace support than permanent workers. This may contribute to occupational health problems with precarious workers.

Seeking Treatment Profile of Male Shift Workers With Hypertension and Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This study was identified seeking treatment for hypertension and diabetes among male shift workers. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study included nine large companies in Japan. Data were collected from health checkup, health insurance records, and self-administered questionnaires in 2017 and 2020. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. RESULT: Person-days shift workers and day workers seeking treatment for hypertension were 41,604 and 327,301, respectively and, for diabetes, were 7326 and 60,735, respectively. The log ranks were statistically significant. Shift workers were 46% and 56% less likely to seek treatment for hypertension and diabetes, respectively, than day workers were after adjustment for age, marital status, education level, and intention to modify lifestyle (model 2) ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Male shift workers are less likely to seek treatment for hypertension and diabetes compared with day workers.

Workplace Social Support and Work Engagement Among Japanese Workers: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the relationship between employees' perceptions of the number of sources of workplace social support and work engagement and whether each type of workplace social support is independently related to work engagement. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey in Japan. In total, 12,017 participants were analyzed. Participants were asked about 4 sources of workplace social support: supervisors, colleagues/subordinates, occupational health staff, and external counselors contracted by the workplace. Work engagement was measured using the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Coefficients were estimated using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: The coefficient of work engagement increased as the number of sources of perceived workplace social support increased. Each support was also positively related to work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations should develop systems comprising various sources of workplace social support to increase employee work engagement.

Medical staff's sense of awareness of informed consent for adolescent cancer patients and the need for decision-making support practiced from the perspective of trauma-informed approach.

It has not been established how to assess children's and adolescents' decision-making capacity (DMC) and there has been little discussion on the way their decision-making (DM). The purpose of this study was to examine actual situation and factors related to difficulties in explaining their disease to adolescent cancer patients or obtaining informed consent (IC). The cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted. Physicians who have been treating adolescent cancer patients for at least five years answered a self-administered questionnaire uniquely developed about clinical difficulties in explaining, IC and factors related patient's refusal of medical treatment (RMT). Descriptive statistics for each item and a polychoric correlation analysis of the problems and factors related to the explanation were conducted. As a result, fifty-six physicians were participated (rate of return: 39%). Explaining the disease and treatment to patients (83.9%), IC to patients (80.4%), and explaining the disease and treatment to parents (78.6%) was particularly problematic. Difficulties to provide support related with patient's refusal of medical treatment and to explain disease and treatment for patient and parents were related to difficulties obtaining IC for the patient. Conclusion: There are clinically difficult to explain for the patient or parents and to obtain IC for the patient. It is necessary to establish a disease acceptance assessment tool for the adolescence generation so that it can be applied in the field.

Supervisors' Work Engagement Is Associated With Interactivity and Carefulness in Supporting Subordinates: A Cross-sectional Study Using Text Mining in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to structure supervisory support and clarify the relationship between supervisors' work engagement and support for their subordinates. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a manufacturing company using a questionnaire survey. Supervisors provided open-ended responses regarding the provision of support for their subordinates. Using text mining, we structured these descriptions into multiple categories, assigned words to them, and analyzed frequently mentioned categories by the level of work engagement. RESULTS: We obtained responses from 729 participants that included 13,968 words. We structured supervisory support by three categories (contents, direction, and attitude toward support) and 11 subcategories. As supervisors' work engagement increased, the rates of mentioning information retrieval, information transmission, and carefulness increased. CONCLUSIONS: Supervisors with work engagement could communicate with each other and be careful in providing support to their subordinates.

Factors associated with acceptance of a digital contact tracing application for COVID-19 in the Japanese working-age population.

The working-age population is at the epicenter of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. Therefore, it is important to increase the acceptance of digital contact tracing apps in this population. Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA) is the only digital contact tracing app in Japan. This study aimed to determine factors associated with acceptance of the COCOA for COVID-19 in the Japanese working-age population. A cross-sectional study was performed for 27,036 full-time workers registered with an internet survey company during December 2020 in Japan. Factors associated with COCOA adoption were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The rate of downloading the COCOA was 25.1%. The COCOA was more likely to be accepted by people with married status, university graduation or above, higher income, and occupations involving desk work. Fear of COVID-19 transmission, wearing a mask, using hand disinfection, willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and presence of an acquaintance infected with COVID-19 were also associated with a greater likelihood of adopting the app. The rate of downloading the COCOA in Japan was not very high. The present findings have important implications for widespread adoption of digital contact tracing apps in working-age populations in Japan and elsewhere.

Association Between Types of Chronic Disease and Receiving Workplace Accommodations: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Workers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the type of chronic disease and receiving workplace accommodations. METHODS: This online cross-sectional study analyzed a self-reported questionnaire administered in Japan. A total of 6775 full-time workers who reported needing work accommodations were included. RESULTS: Workplace accommodations were more likely to be provided for workers with cancer, mental illness, and benign gynecological disorders than for workers with no disease under treatment. In contrast, workplace accommodations were less likely for workers with low back pain and skin diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Receiving workplace accommodations depends on the type of chronic disease. Chronic diseases for which workers frequently receive workplace accommodations may be those for which support is encouraged by law. It is necessary to support workers with chronic diseases that do not receive adequate workplace accommodations.

Perceived Supervisor Support for Health Affects Presenteeism: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated how perceived supervisor support for health (PSSH) affects the occurrence of presenteeism 1 year later. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. In total, 10,718 nonmanagerial employees in seven companies in Japan were included in the analyses. We conducted multilevel logistic regression analyses nested by company to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of the relationship between PSSH at baseline and high presenteeism at follow-up. RESULTS: The ORs for high presenteeism at follow-up were significantly higher for high (OR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.51), low (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.94), and very low PSSH (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.88 to 3.12), compared with very high PSSH. CONCLUSIONS: Lower PSSH can induce high presenteeism, suggesting that increasing PSSH is important to reduce the occurrence of presenteeism in companies.

Corporate health culture promotes infection control measures against COVID-19 in the workplace.

OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the relationship between health culture evaluated by the Health and Productivity Survey Sheets and the implementation status of infection control measures against COVID-19 in the workplace. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using the corporate data (2518 companies) collected for the purpose of selecting the excellent company of health and productivity management by the Japanese government. The explanatory variable was the overall evaluation score, and the outcome was whether or not infection control measures against COVID-19 in the workplace. We used logistic regression analysis and calculated the odds ratio adjusted for the industry sector, the corporation size, and the operating profit ratio by the overall evaluation score category. RESULTS: The odds ratio of all infection control measurements in the workplace increased as the evaluation score increased. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a new finding that the presence of a healthy culture in the workplace will lead to the appropriate implementation of infection control measures during a pandemic. The company's ordinary commitment to employee health will be effective even in times of health crisis, such as during the outbreak of the pandemic.

Effects of Feedback From Self-Monitoring Devices on Lifestyle Changes in Workers with Diabetes: 3-Month Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although lifestyle interventions are useful in the prevention and management of diabetes, they can be expensive and time-consuming. There is some evidence on the effectiveness of automated mobile technology for health self-monitoring; however, few studies have used such devices in the occupational health field. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the effectiveness of a digital self-monitoring device on glucose levels and activity of workers with diabetes in Japan. The primary outcomes were changes in blood glucose levels, and the secondary outcomes were changes in weight and BMI. METHODS: A 2-arm randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted with workers from 23 organizations. The intervention group (n=50) wore an armband activity monitor, a body composition monitor, and a blood pressure monitor for 3 months and received semiautomated weekly email messages tailored to their device data. The control group (n=53) engaged in no self-monitoring. Messages were developed by a physician and a dietician. Postintervention changes in blood glucose levels, weight, and BMI were compared between the intervention and control groups, using blood tests and questionnaires. RESULTS: At the end of 3 months, the intervention group showed significantly lower blood glucose levels (HbA1c: intervention group mean 6.4% (SD 0.3%) vs control group mean 6.6% (SD 0.3%); Cohen d=0.7, 95% CI 0.2-1.1; P=.009). There were no significant between-group differences in weight and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Mobile digital self-monitoring was effective in improving blood glucose levels in workers with diabetes. The use of digital health devices is a cost-effective way of implementing health self-monitoring for large numbers of individuals in the workplace. However, due to the large volume of missing values in this study, we need to be careful in interpreting the results, and well-designed intervention studies need to be conducted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000023651; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view_cb.cgi?recptno=R000027244&flwp_key=1008PYbOcXKmk7CAg4Th1FWS.

Gender differences in housework and childcare among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Although gender stereotypes regarding paid work and unpaid work are changing, most wives are responsible for taking care of the family and home in Japan. It is unclear how time spent on housework and childcare has changed between working men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. The purpose of this study is to investigate how working men and women's responsibilities for housework and childcare changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan depending on work hours, job type, the number of employees in the workplace, and frequency of telecommuting. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis (N = 14,454) was conducted using data from an Internet monitoring study (CORoNa Work Project), which was conducted in December 2020. A multilevel logistic model with nested prefectures of residence was conducted to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for change in time devoted to housework and childcare among men and women adjusting for age, household income, presence of spouse who work, work hours, job type, the number of employees in the workplace, frequency of telecommuting, and the incidence rate of COVID-19 by prefecture. RESULTS: More women tended to perceive that their time of housework and/or childcare had been changed (increased housework: OR 1.92, 95% CI [1.71-2.16], P < .001; decreased workhours: 1.66 (1.25-2.19), P < .001: increased childcare: OR 1.58, 95% CI [1.29-1.92], P < .001; decreased childcare: 1.11 (0.62-2.00), P = .719). CONCLUSIONS: The time spent by women on housework and childcare changed significantly compared to men during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

The differences of the economic losses due to presenteeism and treatment costs between high-stress workers and non-high-stress workers using the stress check survey in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine differences in the economic losses due to presenteeism and costs of medical and dental treatment between high-stress workers and non-high-stress workers using the stress check survey. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 in a pharmaceutical company. High-stress workers were classified with the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire using two methods: the sum method and the score converted method. The incidence of presenteeism and its costs were determined using a questionnaire. The costs of medical and dental treatment were calculated according to claims. We compared the costs between high-stress and non-high-stress workers using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. RESULTS: Of 3910 workers, 6.3% were classified as high-stress using the sum method and 6.6% were classified as high-stress using the score converted method. The costs associated with presenteeism and medical treatment among high-stress workers were higher than the costs among non-high-stress workers, whereas the costs associated with dental treatment were not. CONCLUSIONS: To motivate employers to improve stressful work environments, it is recommended that presenteeism measurement items be added to the stress check survey, and that the methods used in this study be used to calculate the loss associated with high-stress workers in Japanese companies. However, we must be careful in interpreting absolute presenteeism loss amounts because they are poorly reliable and valid.

Occupational safety and health aspects of corporate social responsibility reporting in Japan: comparison between 2012 and 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To survey the content of occupational safety and health (OSH) disclosed in corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related reports and integrated reports in 2020 and to compare the changes between 2012 and 2020 according to industry and company size. RESULTS: Among all companies, 441 (20.3%) issued CSR-related reports and 590 (28.1%) issued integrated reports. The number (percentage) of companies that issued either CSR-related reports or integrated reports was 880 (40.5%). The percentages of both CSR-related reports and integrated reports increased with increased company size. The number (percentage) of companies reporting OSH in CSR-related reports was 391 (88.7%) and that in integrated reports was 493 (83.6%). The percentage of OSH reporting in CSR-related reports and integrated reports was high in secondary industries and low in tertiary industries.