[Development of an exercise program for sedentary behavior in desk workers].

PURPOSE: The effects of lacking exercise due to increased sedentary behavior on physical and mental health are attracting attention. We developed an exercise program for sedentary behavior in desk workers and verified whether decreased body pain and weakness and improved subjective health are short-term effects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We developed a 3-min exercise program comprising three among four types of exercises; standing on one leg (1 min on each side), squats (1 min), stretching (1 min), and deep breathing with eyes closed (1 min). The exercise program was performed in the morning and afternoon for 2 months (41 days) (3 types × twice daily × 41 days = 246 times) by 94 employees of University A. For easier implementation, radio exercises (part 1), widely recognized in Japan, were performed in the morning and afternoon before work. Participants were asked about their attributes, work situation, physical and mental conditions before and after implementation, and evaluation of the exercise program after implementation. RESULTS: Exercise records and questionnaire responses were collected from 87 participants. The median number of exercises was 83 (interquartile range; 16-128). The participants were divided into two groups based on the median values. The level of lower back pain and friendship scores had an interaction and improved in the group that performed the exercise more frequently. A receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn based on the relationship between the group whose level of lower back pain was reduced by at least 2 of 11 points and that who did not, and the number of exercises. The cutoff value was 70 times, suggesting that performing exercise ≥ 70 times for 41 days decreased lower back pain. To continue implementing the exercise program, it was necessary to use free time, maintain motivation, and create a sense of unity in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: We created an exercise program comprising four types of exercise for sedentary behavior in desk workers, which is performed in the morning and afternoon for 2 months. Improvements were seen in the degree of lower back pain and friendship score.

[Development of a scale to evaluate the rest levels of male workers].

Objectives　"Rest" has two aspects: "repose," to recover from physical or mental fatigue, and "restore," to re-establish physical, mental, and social health. Many male workers work for prolonged hours, and despite stress, they do not apply coping behaviors, unlike female workers. Consequently, taking sufficient rest is difficult for male workers. The aim of this study was to develop a scale incorporating multiple factors to evaluate the state in which male workers take rest.Methods　A questionnaire survey was conducted involving 330 male workers aged 20-59 years who had been engaged in two manufacturing industries. The questionnaire items were created with reference to an interview survey of male workers in the literature. After discussing with industrial hygiene experts and conducting a pretest to obtain surface validity, 70 items were used for analyses. In the exploratory factor analysis, promax rotation was used with the maximum likelihood method. In the confirmatory factor analysis, goodness of fit was confirmed with the covariance structure analysis. Health-related quality of life, job stress, work engagement, sleep, and self-assessment of rest were used to examine concurrent validity.Results　With the exploratory factor analysis, we introduced a scale containing 15 items, including three subscales: filling with spirit, enthusiasm for work, and recovery from fatigue. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of the three subscales and the overall scale ranged from 0.79 to 0.88 and 0.89, ensuring internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis showed a generally good fit. Their scores were correlated with many items of the health-related quality of life, job stress, work engagement, sleep, and self-assessment of rest.Conclusions　A 15-item "Rest Evaluation Scale" was created to evaluate the state in which male workers in the manufacturing industries take rest. Since the validity, reliability, and concurrent validity of this scale were satisfactory, this scale was considered to be an index evaluating the state of rest of male workers.

Quality of Life and Its Related Factors in Female Postoperative Breast Cancer Patients Younger than 50 Years.

OBJECTIVES: Few reports on breast cancer patients have focused on the younger ages at which breast cancer morbidity increases. The purpose of this study was to clarify the quality of life (QOL) and its related factors in female postoperative breast cancer patients younger than 50 years. METHODS: A total of 166 (valid rate 57.8%) female postoperative patients were administered a questionnaire anonymously answered at their outpatient clinics specializing in breast cancer. QOL was evaluated using the QOL Questionnaire for Cancer Patients Treated with Anticancer Drugs (QOL-ACD). Multiple regression analysis of 13 items that showed a significant difference in the total points of QOL-ACD was performed with categories as independent variables and the total points of QOL-ACD as a dependent variable. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 43.6 years. The median total points of QOL-ACD was 88. The multiple regression analysis showed the following seven factors were related to the total points of QOL-ACD: ability to fulfill roles in the family, no symptoms, no financial difficuies, requiring no support at hospital visit, the use of many kinds of stress-coping methods, taking no medication for diseases other than cancer, and not unsatisfied with the scars and shape of breasts. CONCLUSION: The QOL of young, postoperative breast cancer patients was lower than that of the patient groups that included older subjects. To improve their QOL, it is important to provide social support for their family roles and economic situations, in addition to physical and psychological support based on the characteristics of the disease.