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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, including psychological distress (OR, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 1.93). Among those under psychological distress, ORs for turnover were significantly higher (OR, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 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., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: T.N. reports personal fees from BackTech Inc., EWEL Inc., and Sompo Health Support Inc., outside the submitted work. K.M. reports research grants from Daido Life Insurance Company and Komatsu Ltd.; scholarship grants from AORC, BackTech Inc., Daido Life Insurance Company, EWEL Inc., iSEQ. Inc., JMA Research Institute Inc., Mediva Inc., SMS Co., Ltd., Sompo Health Support Inc., and T-PEC Corporation; and personal fees from BackTech Inc. and Sompo Health Support Inc., outside the submitted work. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

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)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study examines workplace support and resilience's influence on psychological distress in Japanese employees., Method: A 1-year prospective online cohort study was conducted. Logistic regression analyzed prevalence odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for psychological distress. Participants were grouped based on their support and resilience levels., Results: Prevalence odds ratios for psychological distress followed this pattern for low and high resilience groups: "necessary but not received" (prevalence odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for low/high resilience: 9.71, 6.88-13.69 and 4.72, 2.97-7.52, respectively), "received" (6.65, 4.29-10.29 and 2.27, 1.21-4.25), and "not necessary" (4.43, 3.30-5.95 and reference). Workplace support had a stronger impact on psychological distress in low-resilience employees., Conclusions: We provided evidence that the combination of the need for support from the workplace and resilience affects psychological distress in employees., Competing Interests: Eguchi, Inoue, Mafune, Tsuji, Tateishi, Ikegami, Nagata, Matsugaki, and Fujino, for the CORoNaWork project have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Objective: The study aims to explore the relationship between firm size and perceived organizational support (POS) and to investigate how supervisor support might moderate this relationship., Methods: The study involved a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Japan with 25,648 participants. Assessing POS through eight-question. Firm size was categorized into small (2-49 employees), medium (50-999), and large (1000 or more). Coefficients were estimated using multiple regression analyses., Results: The analysis revealed that medium and large firms had lower POS compared to small firms, with the difference being more pronounced in medium firms. A positive interaction between firm size and supervisor support was observed for POS., Conclusions: This study found that although POS is more likely to be lower in medium and large firms than in small firms, the effect of supervisor support on improving POS is stronger., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: T.N. reports research grant from TIS Inc. and personal fees from BackTech Inc., EWEL Inc., and Sompo Health Support Inc., outside the submitted work. K.M. reports research grants from DAIDO LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Komatsu Ltd., and HASEKO Corporation, scholarship grants from AORC, BackTech Inc., DAIDO LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, EWEL Inc., iSEQ.Inc., JMA Research Institute Inc., MEDIVA.Inc., SMS Co., Ltd., Sompo Health Support Inc., and T-PEC COPRORATION, and personal fees from BackTech Inc. and Sompo Health Support Inc., outside the submitted work. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

The 87 th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS2023) was held in March 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan, marking the first in-person gathering after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the theme of "New Challenge With Next Generation" the conference emphasized the development of future cardiovascular leaders and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Notable sessions included the Mikamo Lecture on heart failure and the Mashimo Lecture on AI in medicine. Various hands-on sessions and participatory events were well received, promoting learning and networking. Post-event surveys showed high satisfaction among participants, with positive feedback on face-to-face interactions and the overall experience. JCS2023, attended by 17,852 participants, concluded successfully, marking a significant milestone in post-pandemic meetings, and advancing cardiovascular medicine.

Background: Near-misses in the workplace indicate potential safety hazards, and their adequate management is considered extremely important in preventing occupational accidents. However, the impact of a company's response to near-misses on the occurrence of subsequent accidents remains unclear. This study examined the relationship between the adequacy of a company's responses to near-misses and the occurrence of occupational accidents., Methods: We conducted a 1-year prospective cohort study using an online self-administered questionnaire, targeting workers in Japan. The study included 2755 participants who had experienced and reported near-misses. We categorized company responses to these near-misses as adequate, inadequate, or no response. The outcome was the incidence of occupational accidents over the past year. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs using multilevel logistic regression adjusting for covariates., Results: Among all participants, 59.0% were in the adequate response group, 30.1% were in the inadequate response group, and 10.8% were in the no response group. In the multivariate-adjusted model, the ORs of the inadequate response and the no response groups were 1.53 (95% CI, 1.25-1.88; P < .001) and 1.75 (95% CI, 1.32-2.33; P < .001), respectively., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the adequacy of a company's response to near-misses reported by workers can be significantly related to the occurrence of subsequent occupational accidents. Companies need to thoroughly respond to near-misses reported by workers and adequately inform workers about the company's safety activities. This may lead to a reduction in the number of subsequent occupational accidents., (© The Author(s) [2024]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

Objectives: Occupational future time perspective (OFTP) is important concept for a successful career in older workers. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between individual and work-related factors and OFTP., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study via an online questionnaire survey. Respondents were stratified sampled according to the distribution of workers across Japan. To assess OFTP, we used the Japanese version of the OFTP scale. We included factors such as sex, age, education, marital status, subjective health status, personal income, length of employment, industry, size of company, employment status, working days per week, and night shift. Multiple regression analysis was employed to calculate the regression coefficients for each factor, with OFTP serving as the dependent variable., Results: In total we included 1484 respondents. Our findings indicated that higher OFTP was associated with higher education, better subjective health status, higher personal income, and smaller size of company. Compared with manufacturing, certain industries such as agriculture and forestry, transportation and postal services, and health care showed lower OFTP. In contrast to permanent workers, contract and part-time workers demonstrated lower OFTP, whereas owners of non-family businesses exhibited higher OFTP. Furthermore, individuals working 1-4 d/wk showed lower OFTP compared with those working 5 d/wk., Conclusions: Older workers facing limitations in resources, such as educational background, personal income, precarious employment, and health status, tend to have lower OFTP. Such individuals should be given priority for support and assistance., (© The Author(s) [2024]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

Objectives: Enhancing employees' perceived organizational support (POS) is crucial for organizations, and one effective approach is enhancing supervisors' POS. However, there is limited research focusing specifically on enhancing supervisors' POS. We aimed to investigate the influence of occupational health staff's involvement for supervisors on their POS., Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted using an online survey targeting supervisors in various industries across Japan. We assessed supervisors' POS using 8 effective items of the Japanese version of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support. Data were collected on the involvement of occupational health staff in providing supervisors with training on workplace health management and guidance on addressing specific subordinates with health concerns. The association between this involvement and POS was assessed through multiple regression analyses., Results: The study involved 541 supervisors with occupational health staff at their workplace in the final analysis. Training from occupational health staff was significantly associated with an increase in POS at follow-up after adjustment for potential confounders, including demographic variables and POS at baseline. Similarly, guidance from occupational health staff was also significantly associated with increased POS. This effect was particularly notable in small workplaces., Conclusions: Our study indicates that occupational health staff's involvement in supporting supervisors can contribute to enhancing supervisors' POS, especially in small workplaces. These findings suggest that by developing structured systems and establishing specific roles for occupational health staff, organizations may effectively enhance supervisors' POS., (© The Author(s) [2024]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS-J) for the Japanese workforce., Methods: The translation of the SPOS into Japanese followed the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Task Force guidelines. An online baseline survey with 6220 Japanese workers assessed the SPOS-J and related scales, followed by a follow-up survey with 452 respondents 2 weeks later. We developed the SPOS-J and evaluated its factorial, convergent, and known-group validities, as well as its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and interpretability., Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) indicated that the SPOS-J, diverging from the original version's 1-factor structure, adopted a 2-factor structure comprising 2 subscales: the SPOS-J (Sufficiency of Positive Aspects [SPA]) and the SPOS-J (Minimality of Negative Aspects [MNA]). The final version of the SPOS-J, consisting of 8 items selected by the item response theory analysis, demonstrated acceptable model fit in the CFA. Cronbach a values for SPOS-J (SPA) and SPOS-J (MNA) were .92 and .84; intraclass coefficients were 0.72 and 0.55, respectively. The correlations between SPOS-J (SPA) and related variables, as well as the score distributions by demographic characteristics, supported the convergent and known-group validity of SPOS-J (SPA). In contrast, SPOS-J (MNA) showed lower correlation coefficients with all related variables and supported known-group validity., Conclusions: The SPOS-J (SPA), a subscale of the 8-item SPOS-J, is a reliable and valid measure for assessing perceived organizational support among Japanese workers., (© The Author(s) [2024]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

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., (© The Author(s) [2024]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

Objectives: Presenteeism adversely affects workers' quality of life, leading to further deterioration of their health and affecting their ability to continue working. Unemployment is one of the most serious consequences for workers experiencing presenteeism. A worker's ability to work depends on the degree of mismatch between their health status and job demands and work factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected workers' experiences of presenteeism as well as their employment status. We examined the association between presenteeism and risk of job resignations and unemployment among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A prospective study of 27 036 internet monitors was conducted, starting in December 2020, with 18 560 (68.7%) participating in the follow-up by December 2021. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun) was used to measure the degree of work function impairment., Results: The group with the highest WFun scores had higher odds ratios (ORs) for both retirement and unemployment for health reasons than the group with the lowest WFun scores. ORs were 2.99 (95% CI, 2.48-3.62; P < .001) and 1.82 (95% CI, 1.65-2.00; P < .001), respectively., Conclusions: Workers with work functioning impairment are at increased risk of resignation or unemployment. Management strategies for workers with work functioning impairment are needed to reduce their disadvantages in employment., (© The Author(s) [2023]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Occupational Health.)

Objective: Psychological distress is commonly reported sequela in COVID-19-infected people. We investigated the association between experiencing COVID-19 infection and psychological distress in Japan., Method: A total of 14,901 persons who participated in a follow-up survey in December 2022 were included in the analysis. Odds ratios and regression coefficients were estimated by statistical analysis, with history of COVID-19 infection as the independent variable and presence of psychological distress as the dependent variable., Result: Experiencing COVID-19 infection was associated with psychological distress. In a model adjusted for "feeling treated unfairly," the association between infection experience and a high K6 score was significantly attenuated., Conclusions: The results showed that the experience of COVID-19 infection is associated with psychological distress. Moreover, most cases of psychological distress among those who experienced COVID-19 infection can be at least partly explained by a perception of unfair treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

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., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Nagata, Odagami, Nagata, Adi and Mori.)

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., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None declared. The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Objectives: The physical work environment while working from home (WFH) is a key component of WFH, which, if inadequate, can impair workers' health and work functioning. We investigated environmental factors in WFH and worsening of work functioning., Methods: A 1-year prospective cohort study was conducted involving 2530 Japanese workers who worked from home. Environment while WFH was assessed using binary subjective assessments based on existing guidelines. Existence of impaired work function was assessed using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale. We performed multilevel logistic regression analysis nested in the prefecture of residence., Results: Lack of room/space for concentration, lack of enough light and foot space, inadequate temperature and humidity, and use of a sitting table were associated with work functioning impairment., Conclusions: An inappropriate environment while WFH can have a negative impact on workers' health., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Dr Fujino has the copyright to WFun with royalties paid from Sompo Health Support Inc, outside of this work. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript. Okawara, Ishimaru, Igarashi, Matsugaki, Mafune, Nagata, Tsuji, Ogami, and Fujino, for the CORoNaWork project have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Background: During a pandemic, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) play an important role in protecting oneself and others from infection. There are large regional differences in COVID-19 infection rates in Japan. We hypothesized that the local infection incidence may affect adherence to individual NPIs., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted online among full-time workers in Japan in December 2020. The questionnaire asked the respondents to identify their habits regarding seven common NPIs (wearing masks, washing hands after the bathroom, disinfecting hands when entering indoors, gargling when returning home, ventilating the room, disinfecting or washing hands after touching frequently touched surfaces, carrying alcohol sanitizers when outdoors)., Results: A total of 27 036 participants were analyzed. Compared with the region with the lowest infection rate, five of the seven NPIs showed statistically significant trends across regional infection levels, the two exceptions being wearing masks and washing hands after the bathroom. Multivariate adjustment did not change these trends., Conclusions: This study found that NPIs were more prevalent in regions with higher incidence rates of COVID-19 in Japanese workers. The findings suggest that the implementation of NPIs was influenced not only by personal attributes but also by contextual effects of the local infection level., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-married people are at high risk of loneliness. With social interactions restricted, it is important for non-married people to acquire a new romantic partner for their mental health and quality of life. We hypothesized that infection control efforts in the workplace influence people's social interactions, including romantic activities., Methods: We conducted an internet-based prospective cohort study from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021, using self-administered questionnaires. Briefly, 27,036 workers completed the questionnaires at baseline, and when followed up after 1 year, 18,560 (68.7%) participated. A total of 6,486 non-married individuals with no romantic relationship at baseline were included in the analysis. At baseline they were asked about the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace, and at follow-up they were asked about activities they performed with a view to romantic relationships during the period from baseline to follow-up., Results: Compared to workers in workplaces with no infection control measures, the odds ratio (OR) associated with romance-related activities for those in workplaces with seven or more infection control measures was 1.90 (95% CI: 1.45-2.48, p < 0.001), and the OR associated with having a new romantic partner was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.20-2.66, p = 0.004)., Discussion: Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace and the expressed satisfaction with those measures promoted romantic relationships among non-married, single individuals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Fujino, Okawara, Hino, Muramatsu, Nagata, Ikegami, Tateishi, Tsuji and Ishimaru.)

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., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

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., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Occupational Future Time Perspective scale (OFTP-J) and assess its structural validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability among Japanese workers., Methods: The online survey was conducted with 2046 participants who met the eligibility criteria. The Japanese version of the OFTP scale was developed through translation and back-translation processes. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the structural validity. Pearson's correlations were computed to assess construct validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to determine internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was examined using Cohen's weighted kappa coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients., Results: The confirmatory factor analysis supported an 8-item model with three factors (i.e., focus on opportunities, perceived remaining time, and focus on limitations) for the Japanese version of the OFTP scale. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.81 to 0.92. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between the OFTP scale and its subscales, possible antecedents (age, self-rated health, and job control), and possible outcomes (learning goal orientation, job crafting, and work engagement). Test-retest reliability was confirmed with moderate agreement., Conclusions: The OFTP-J was found to be reliable and valid. It can be used to measure OFTP among Japanese workers and facilitate comparative research with the original English version. The OFTP-J provides valuable insights into the learning motivation and work engagement of the aging workforce., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Objective: We examined the association between the presenteeism and the risk of divorce among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A prospective study of 27,036 individuals was conducted starting in December 2020, with 18,560 (68.7%) participating in the follow-up in December 2021. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun) was used to measure the degree of work function impairment., Results: Compared with the group with the lowest WFun score, the odds ratio for the group with moderate WFun was 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.82; P = 0.525), and the odds ratio for the group with the highest WFun was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 2.62; P = 0.006)., Conclusions: This study suggests that supporting workers with presenteeism has important implications not only from the perspective of labor productivity in management but also for the individual's quality of life in terms of family relationships., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Dr Fujino has the copyright to WFun with royalties paid from Sompo Health Support Inc, outside from this work. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this article., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Objective: We investigated whether workplace infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic could increase perceived organizational support (POS)., Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in Japan from December 2020 to December 2021 using a questionnaire survey. There were 18,560 respondents at follow-up; we investigated 4971 who rated low POS at baseline. The participants were asked a single question about POS and nine about workplace infection control measures. We determined the odds ratios (ORs) of high POS at follow-up using multilevel logistic regression analysis., Results: The groups of 5 to 6 (OR = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-1.57, P = 0.014) and 7 to 9 workplace infection control measures (OR = 1.54, 95% confidence interval, 1.28-1.85, P < 0.001) had significantly higher ORs than the group with 0 to 2 measures., Conclusions: Health support for employees through workplace infection control measures can increase POS., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in treatment interruption for chronic diseases. The scale of COVID-19 in Japan has varied greatly in terms of the scale of infection and the speed of spread depending on the region. This study aimed to examine the relationship between local infection level and treatment interruption among Japanese workers., Methods: Cross-sectional internet survey was conducted from December 22 to 26, 2020. Of 33,302 participants, 9,510 (5,392 males and 4,118 females) who responded that they required regular treatment were included in the analysis. The infection level in each participant's prefecture of residence was assessed based on the incidence rate (per 1,000 population) and the number of people infected. Age-sex and multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of regional infection levels associated with treatment interruption were estimated by multilevel logistic models, nested by prefecture of residence. The multivariate model was adjusted for sex, age, marital status, equivalent household income, educational level, occupation, self-rated health status and anxiety., Results: The ORs of treatment interruption for the lowest and highest levels of infection in the region were 1.32 [95 % confidence interval (CI) were 1.09-1.59] for the overall morbidity rate (per 1,000) and 1.34 (95 % CI 1.10-1.63) for the overall number of people infected. Higher local infection levels were linked to a greater number of workers experiencing treatment interruption., Conclusions: Higher local infection levels were linked to more workers experiencing treatment interruption. Our results suggest that apart from individual characteristics such as socioeconomic and health status, treatment interruption during the pandemic is also subject to contextual effects related to regional infection levels. Preventing community spread of COVID-19 may thus protect individuals from indirect effects of the pandemic, such as treatment interruption., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Akashi, Hino, Tateishi, Nagata, Tsuji, Ogami, Matsuda, Kataoka and Fujino.)

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., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Amylose content is an important determinant of rice quality. Its accurate, non-destructive assessment is a challenge to the industry. We examined whether the automatic quality inspection system accurately measured the amylose content. Brown and milled rice models were calibrated with 902 samples produced between 2008 and 2017 in Hokkaido, Japan, and validated individually by samples collected in 2018 (n = 33) and 2019 (n = 71) from several grain elevators within the region. Models were developed by processing the automatic system data comprising of a near-infrared spectrometer, a visible light grain segregator, combined analysis of chemometrics, and by merging low and ordinary amylose variety validation results. The lower standard error of prediction (<0.52%) and a higher ratio of performance deviation (>4.0) in both models enabled accurate non-destructive assessment of amylose content. Hence, the automatic quality inspection system is a useful tool for meeting the demands of higher quality and palatability of rice., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The work system reform and the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan have prompted efforts toward telecommuting in Japan. However, only a few studies have investigated the stress and health effects of telecommuting. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between telecommuting and job stress among Japanese workers., Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. In December 2020, during the "third wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet-based nationwide health survey of 33 087 Japanese workers (The Collaborative Online Research on Novel-coronavirus and Work, CORoNaWork study) was conducted. Data of 27 036 individuals were included after excluding 6051 invalid responses. The authors analyzed a sample of 13 468 office workers from this database. The participants were classified into 4 groups according to their telecommuting frequency, while comparing scores on the subscale of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and subjective job stress between the high-frequency, medium-frequency, low-frequency, and non-telecommuters groups. A linear mixed model and an ordinal logistic regression analysis were used., Results: A significant difference in the job control scores of the JCQ among the 4 groups was found, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. The high-frequency telecommuters group had the highest job control score. Further, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the subjective job stress scores of the high- and medium-frequency telecommuters groups were significantly lower than those of the non-telecommuters group., Conclusions: This study revealed that high-frequency telecommuting was associated with high job control and low subjective job stress. The widespread adoption of telecommuting as a countermeasure to the public health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may also have a positive impact on job stress. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(3):339-51., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Objective: We examined whether teleworking preference and frequency were associated with work functioning impairment., Methods: This online cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among 27,036 full-time Japanese workers. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale was used to measure work functioning impairment, and we performed multilevel logistic regression analysis., Results: Higher odds ratios for work functioning impairment were observed among employees who preferred to telework compared with those who preferred working in the workplace. A similar trend was observed among employees who teleworked four or more days a week compared with those who almost never teleworked. When teleworking preference and frequency were adjusted, only teleworking preference was associated with work functioning impairment., Conclusions: A preference for teleworking was associated with work functioning impairment and one factor that increased the teleworking frequency., Competing Interests: Dr Fujino reports personal fees from Sompo Health Support Inc. for the copyright of WFun. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare regarding this study., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Objective: This study investigated the association between attending work while experiencing fever or cold symptoms and workers' socioeconomic background and company characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed. Of a total of 33,302 participants, 3676 workers who experienced fever or cold symptoms after April 2020 were included. The odds ratios (ORs) of attending work while sick associated with workers' socioeconomic background and company characteristics were evaluated using a multilevel logistic model., Results: The OR of attending work while sick associated with a lack of policy prohibiting workers from working when ill was 2.75 (95% CI: 2.28 to 3.20, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: This study suggests that clear company policies on work and illness can be effective for preventing employees from attending work while sick., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Objective: Based on experiences following the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear power plant accident in 2011, Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals (NECHs) were designated as centers for radiation disaster management in Japan. This study aimed to investigate their current status and identify areas for improvement., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2018. Demographic data were collected by a questionnaire with free text responses about attitudes toward NECHs. Considerations regarding risk communications during a radiation disaster were analyzed using qualitative text mining analysis., Results: A total of 36 hospitals participated in this study. Only 31% of NECHs anticipated a radiation disaster. The importance of business continuity plans and risk communications was shown. Text analysis identified 7 important categories for health care workers during a radiation disaster, including media response, communications to hospital staff, risk communications, radiation effects on children, planning for a radiation disaster in the region, rumors, and the role in the region., Conclusion: The radiation disaster medical system and NECHs in Japan were surveyed. The importance of risk communications, planning for a radiation disaster in each region, and the role in the region are identified as issues that need to be addressed.

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between frequency of working from home and low back pain (LBP), considering the quality of work environment., Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional internet-based survey. Of 33 302 respondents, data from 12 774 desk workers were retained for analysis. We used a 0-10 numerical rating scale to assess LBP. Work environment was assessed using five subjective questions. Mixed-effects logistic regression nested by city level was used to analyze the relationship between frequency of working from home and LBP, stratified by work environment condition., Results: The prevalence of LBP was 21.0%. Among those reporting a poor work environment, as opposed to almost never working from home, the multivariate odds ratio (OR) of LBP were as follows: working from home less than 1 day per week: OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.89-1.76, p = .190; 2-3 days per week: OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.16-2.16, p = .004; and 4 or more days per week: OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.38-2.40, p < .001. By contrast, among those reporting a good work environment, the OR of LBP did not increase as the frequency of working from home increased., Conclusions: The relationship between LBP and frequency of working from home was found to vary with the quality of the work environment; more specifically, LBP was associated with frequency of teleworking in a poor work environment. This study suggests that employers should give more support to their employees in promoting a good work environment to prevent LBP. (Words: 240/250)., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Objectives: Our objective was to assess the effect of appropriate workplace IPC measures on employees' work engagement. It could be important to note how workplace infection prevention control (IPC) measures for COVID-19 contribute to positive mental health among workers. We hypothesized that if workplace IPC measures are adequately implemented, they would have a positive effect on employees' work engagement., Methods: We conducted an internet-based prospective cohort study from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021 (follow-up after 1 year) using self-administered questionnaires. At baseline, 27036 workers completed the questionnaires, while 18 560 (68.7%) participated in the one-year follow-up. After excluding the 6578 participants who changed jobs or retired during the survey period, or telecommuted more than 4 days per week, 11 982 participants were analyzed. We asked participants about the implementation of workplace IPC measures at baseline and conducted a follow-up using a nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9)., Results: Four groups were created according to the number of workplace IPC measures implemented. The mean (SD) UWES-9 score of the "0-2" group was the lowest at 18.3 (13.2), while that of the "8" group was the highest at 22.6 (12.6). The scores of the "3-5," "6-7," and "8" groups were significantly higher than that of the "0-2" group (all, p < .001). The p trend of the four groups was also significant (p < .001)., Conclusions: Promoting workplace IPC measures improves workers' work engagement, and a dose-response relationship exists between workplace IPC measures and work engagement., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Objectives: Perceived organizational support is a broad perception by employees about the extent to which their employer values their contributions and cares about their well-being. We examined the relationship between workplace vaccination opportunities for COVID-19 provided by companies and increases and decreases in perceived organizational support, using a prospective cohort study., Methods: This study was conducted between December 2020 and December 2021 using a self-administered questionnaire survey in Japan. In total, 18 560 people responded to the follow-up, and were included in this study. The odds ratios (ORs) for the association between company-arranged vaccination opportunities and high perceived organizational support at the follow-up for participants (a) with low perceived organizational support at the baseline (n = 4971), and (b) with high perceived organizational support at the baseline (n = 6912) were separately estimated using a multilevel logistic model., Results: The OR of high perceived organizational support at the follow-up after low baseline levels was significantly higher in participants given a vaccination opportunity than those not given this opportunity (OR 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.67; p < .001). The OR of high perceived organizational support at the follow-up after high baseline levels was also significantly highly in participants given a vaccination opportunity than not (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.23-1.54; p < .001). These significant differences remained after adjusting for workplace infection control measures., Conclusions: Employee health support provided through a workplace vaccination program can contribute to high perceived organizational support., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Background: Previous studies have reported an increase in loneliness since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there are few data on the relationship between job stress and loneliness. This study aimed to assess the relationship between job stress and loneliness among desk workers, with a focus on the impact of remote working., Methods: This study was part of the Collaborative Online Research on the Novel-coronavirus and Work (CORoNaWork) project in Japan. We extracted data from 13,468 workers who indicated that they were doing desk work. Loneliness was assessed using a single question and job stress was valuated using the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Multiple logistic regression was performed., Results: Participants who worked remotely 4 or more days per week were marginally more likely to report feeling lonely compared with those who did not work remotely (adjusted odds ratio = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.99-5.84, P = 0.066). Remote working did not explain the interaction between JCQ scale scores and loneliness. Among remote workers, the level of support provided by co-workers and supervisors was strongly associated with feelings of loneliness as well as non-remote workers (co-worker support: AOR = 4.06, 95% CI: 2.82-5.84, P < 0.001; supervisor support: AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.79-3.47, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: To reduce loneliness and the risk of associated mental health problems, high-frequency remote workers should interact with supervisors and co-workers using the information and communication technology developed for this purpose.

Objective: We investigated the association between telework frequency and the presence of non-COVID-19-related physical symptoms during the COVID-19 emergency declaration among workers in Japan., Methods: Data were collected from 1648 workers via web-based self-reported questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between telework frequency per week (0, 1-2, 3-4, and ≥5 days/week) and the presence of stiff shoulders, eyestrain, and low back pain., Results: Among 917 participants, telework frequency was significantly associated with stiff shoulders (≥5 days: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37-7.06), eyestrain (≥5 days: aOR 5.31, 95% CI 2.09-13.44), and low back pain (≥5 days: aOR 5.57, 95% CI 2.22-14.00), compared with non-teleworkers., Conclusions: Workers who abruptly began telework experienced more physical symptoms than non-teleworkers during the emergency declaration., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Dr Nagata is an advisor of BackTech Inc., and BackTech Inc. has invested in an endowed course at University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan. However, Dr Nagata does not receive any reward from BackTech Inc. in this study. Mr Tezuka is an intern at Backtech Inc. and is engaged in management support work for medical professionals. However, Mr Masato does not receive any financial assistance for this writing. Tezuka, Nagata, Saeki, Tsuboi, and Fukutani have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Background: It is important to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating as many people as possible to end the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the relationship between willingness to receive vaccination and sources of health information among those who did not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19., Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data using a self-administered questionnaire survey. The baseline survey was conducted during December 22-25, 2020, and the follow-up survey during February 18-19, 2021. Participants were aged 20-65 years and worked at the time of the baseline survey (N = 33,087). After excluding 6,051 invalid responses, we included responses from 27,036 participants at baseline. In total, 19,941 people responded to the follow-up survey (74% follow-up rate). We excluded 7,415 participants who answered "yes" to the question "If a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, would you like to get it?" in the baseline survey. We finally analyzed 12,526 participants., Results: The odds ratio for change in willingness to be vaccinated from "no" to "yes" differed by source of health information. Compared with workers that used TV as a source of information, significantly fewer people who reported getting information from the Internet and friends/colleagues were willing to get the vaccine., Conclusions: It is important to approach workers who do not watch TV when implementing workplace vaccination programs. It is likely that willingness to be vaccinated can be increased through an active company policy whereby the top management recommend vaccination, coupled with an individual approach by occupational health professionals., Trial Registration: Not applicable.

Objectives: This study examined the association of presenteeism with experiences of poverty among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A prospective cohort study of Japanese workers was conducted using an Internet monitoring survey. The baseline survey was conducted in December 2020, and a follow-up survey in December 2021. Of the 27 036 workers who participated, 18 560 (68.7%) completed the follow-up survey. The 11 081 who reported that they were not in financial difficulty in the baseline survey were included in the analysis. The degree of work functioning impairment was assessed at baseline using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun). Households' experience of not being able to pay for food and clothing was identified in the follow-up survey. The odds ratios (ORs) of presenteeism determined by WFun associated with poverty were estimated using a multilevel logistic model. The multivariate model included age, sex, marital status, job type, income, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, number of employees in the workplace, and the incidence rate of COVID-19 by prefecture at baseline., Results: In the multivariate model, the odds ratio of experiencing food insecurity increased with high WFun score: compared with WFun scores of 13 or less, the OR was 1.87 (95% CI: 1.43-2.43, P < .001) for WFun scores of 14 or more and 3.26 (95% CI: 2.58-4.12, P < .001) for WFun scores of 21 or more., Conclusions: In addition to labor productivity, the adverse effects of presenteeism on social security-related concerns such as poverty require further attention., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of near-miss dispensing errors in hospital pharmacies in Japan. A prospective multi-center observational study was conducted between December 2018 and March 2019. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of near-miss dispensing errors in hospital pharmacy departments. The secondary objective was to determine the predictive factors for near-miss dispensing errors using multiple logistic regression analysis. The study was approved by the ethical committee at The Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan. A multi-center prospective observational study was conducted in 20 hospitals comprising 8862 beds. Across the 20 hospitals, we assessed data from 553 pharmacists and 53039 prescriptions. A near-miss dispensing error proportion of 0.87% (n = 461) was observed in the study. We found predictive factors for dispensing errors in day-time shifts: a higher number of drugs in a prescription, higher number of quantified drugs, such as liquid or powder formula, in a prescription, and higher number of topical agents in a prescription; but we did not observe for career experience level for clinical pharmacists. For night-time and weekend shifts, we observed a negative correlation of near-miss dispensing errors with clinical pharmacist experience level. We found an overall incidence of near-miss dispensing errors of 0.87%. Predictive factors for errors in night-time and weekend shifts was inexperienced pharmacists. We recommended that pharmacy managers should consider education or improved work flow to avoid near-miss dispensing errors by younger pharmacists, especially those working night or weekend shifts.

Background: We examined the association between socioeconomic and health status, and lifestyle and sickness presenteeism among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 epidemic., Methods: A cross-sectional study using an Internet-monitor survey was conducted in December, 2020 in Japan. Of 33,302 survey participants, we analyzed 27,036 participants (13,814 men and 13,222 women) who reported experience with sickness presenteeism., Results: The odds ratio (OR) of sickness presenteeism associated with unmarried versus married status was 1.15. Respective figures for other variables were 1.11 for manual laboring work compared to desk work; 1.79 and 2.29 for loss of employment at the time the pandemic began and continuation of unemployment compared with maintaining employment during the pandemic; and 3.34 for a feeling of financial instability compared with stability., Conclusion: The issue of sickness presenteeism has become more prominent under the COVID-19 epidemic., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Background: Vaccination is considered the most effective control measure against COVID-19. Vaccine hesitancy and equitable vaccine allocation are important challenges to disseminating developed vaccines. To promote COVID-19 vaccination coverage, the government of Japan established the workplace vaccination program. However, while it appears that the program was effective in overcoming vaccine hesitancy, the program may have hindered the equitable allocation of vaccines because it mainly focused on employees of large companies. We investigated the relationship between company size and COVID-19 vaccination completion status of employees and the impact of the workplace vaccination program on this relationship., Methods: We conducted an internet-based prospective cohort study from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire survey. Briefly, 27,036 workers completed the questionnaire at baseline and 18,560 at follow-up. After excluding ineligible respondents, we finally analyzed the data from 15,829 participants. At baseline, the participants were asked about the size of the company they worked for, and at follow-up they were asked about the month in which they received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose and the availability of a company-arranged vaccination opportunity., Results: In each month throughout the observation period, the odds of having received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose were significantly lower for small-company employees than for large-company employees in the sex- and age-adjusted model. This difference decreased after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, and there was no significant difference after adjusting for the availability of a company-arranged vaccination opportunity., Conclusions: The workplace vaccination program implemented in Japan to control the COVID-19 pandemic may have been effective in overcoming vaccine hesitancy in workers; however, it may have caused an inequitable allocation of vaccines between companies of different sizes. Because people who worked for small companies were less likely to be vaccinated, it will be necessary to enhance support of vaccination for this population in the event of future infectious disease outbreaks., Trial Registration: Not applicable.

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., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Objectives: We evaluated the relationship between telecommuting environment and low back pain (LBP) among desk-based workers in Japan., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 3663 desk-based, telecommuting workers. LBP was assessed using a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale. The telecommuting environment was evaluated using subjective questions. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate this association., Results: The results of mixed-effects logistic model revealed that not having a place or room to concentrate on work, desk not well-lit enough for work, lack of space on the desk to work, not having enough legroom, and uncomfortable temperature and humidity conditions in the workspace were significantly associated with higher odds of LBP., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that telecommuting environment is associated with the prevalence of LBP., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interests for this article., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Many factors are related to vaccination intentions. However, gender differences in the determinants of intention to get the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine have not been fully investigated. This study examined gender differences in the determinants of willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine among the working-age population in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional study of Japanese citizens aged 20-65 years using an online self-administered questionnaire in December 2020. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Among 27,036 participants (13,814 men and 13,222 women), the percentage who were willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine was lower among women than among men (33.0% vs. 41.8%). Age and education level showed a gender gap regarding the association with willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine: men who were older or had a higher level of education were more willing to get the vaccine, whereas women aged 30-49 years and those with a higher level of education showed a relatively low willingness to get the vaccine. For both men and women, marriage, higher annual household income, underlying disease, current smoking, vaccination for influenza during the current season, and fear of COVID-19 transmission were linked to a higher likelihood of being willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. These findings give important insight into identifying target groups in need of intervention regarding COVID-19 vaccination, especially among women. Providing education about COVID-19 and influenza vaccination in the workplace may be an effective strategy to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Aim: Amyloidosis is a systemic or localized disease of protein deposition characterized by amorphous eosinophilic morphology and positivity of Congo Red staining. The typing of amyloidosis is becoming increasingly important because therapeutic agents for each amyloidosis type have been developed. Herein, the authors review the autopsy cases at an institution to reveal the putative Japanese characteristics of each amyloidosis type and evaluate the clinicopathological significance of each type., Materials and Methods: A total of 131 autopsy cases of systemic and localized amyloidosis were retrieved for classification by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry for transthyretin, amyloid A (AA), immunoglobulin light-chain kappa and lambda, and β2-microglobulin was performed for all cases., Results: The 131 amyloidosis cases were classified as follows: 71 cases (54.2%) of transthyretin amyloidosis, 32 cases (24.4%) of AA amyloidosis, 8 cases (6.1%) of light-chain amyloidosis, and 5 cases (3.8%) of β2-microglobulin amyloidosis, along with 15 equivocal cases (11.5%). All cases showed myocardial involvement of amyloidosis. Histopathologically, the transthyretin type was significantly associated with the interstitial and nodular patterns, and with the absence of the perivascular and endocardial patterns. The AA type was significantly associated with the perivascular and endocardial patterns, and with the absence of the nodular pattern., Conclusion: The authors revealed the putative characteristics of cardiac amyloidosis in Japan by using autopsy cases. About 90% of amyloidosis cases were successfully classified using only commercially available antibodies., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate the association of loneliness and its component subscales with the risk of dementia in a general Japanese older population., Method: A total of 1,141 community-dwelling Japanese residents aged ≥65 years without dementia were prospectively followed up for a median 5.0 years. We evaluated any loneliness and its component subscales-namely, social and emotional loneliness-by using the 6-item de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of each loneliness type on the risk of dementia controlling for demographic factors, lifestyle factors, physical factors, social isolation factors, and depression., Results: During the follow-up, 114 participants developed dementia. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate of dementia was significantly greater in participants with any loneliness and emotional loneliness than those without. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% confidence intervals) of participants with any loneliness and emotional loneliness on incident dementia were 1.61 (1.08-2.40) and 1.65 (1.07-2.54), respectively, as compared to those without. However, there was no significant association between social loneliness and dementia risk. In subgroup analyses of social isolation factors, excess risks of dementia associated with emotional loneliness were observed in participants who had a partner, lived with someone, or rarely communicated with relatives or friends, but such association was not significant in participants who had no partner, lived alone, or frequently communicated with friends or relatives., Discussion: The present study suggested that loneliness, especially emotional loneliness, was a significant risk factor for the development of dementia in the general older population in Japan., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Telework has been widely discussed in several fields; however, there is a lack of research on the health aspects of teleworking. The current study was conducted to determine the health effects of teleworking during an emergency statement as evidence for future policy development., Method: This was a cross-sectional study in which we administered an online questionnaire to 5,214 general workers (response rate = 36.4%) from June 2020 to August 2020. Based on working methods during the pandemic, workers were categorized into the office group (n = 86) and telework group (n = 1597), and we characterized their demographics, changes in lifestyle, telework status, physical symptoms, and mental health., Results: The results showed that the workers' residence, marital status, management positions, and employee status affected the choice of the work method. During the emergency, teleworkers experienced more changes in their habits than office workers. In terms of exercise habits, 67.0% of the individuals belonging to the office-telework (OT) group exercised less. Approximately half of the teleworkers were satisfied with their telework, and those in the OT group were less satisfied with their telework than those in the telework-telework (TT) group, and they reported an increase in both working hours and meeting hours. Work-family conflict was more pronounced in the TT group than in the two other groups. Only 13.2% of individuals did not experience any stress in the past 30 days, and all three groups showed varying degrees of anxiety and depressive tendencies. In addition, all teleworkers experienced adverse physical symptoms before and after the emergency., Conclusion: Health issues associated with teleworking should be given adequate attention., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: natriuretic peptide is associated with myocardial fibrosis in animal models and among patients with heart disease. However, it remains unclear whether serum N-terminal pro-B-type peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are associated with histopathologically proven myocardial fibrosis among individuals without apparent heart disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum NT-proBNP levels and the histopathologically estimated myocardial fibrotic area in autopsied samples from a community., Methods: we selected 63 cases without apparent heart disease with available data of serum NT-proBNP concentrations within six years before death (average age: 82 years; male: 52%) from autopsied cases in a community, and evaluated the percentage areas of myocardial fibrosis in four cardiac segments from each case (i.e. 252 cardiac segments in total). The association between serum NT-proBNP levels and the percentage area of myocardial fibrosis was estimated using a linear mixed model for repeated measures., Results: serum NT-proBNP levels were positively correlated with myocardial fibrotic area [Pearson's correlation coefficient: r = 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.28-0.66), p <0.001]. Serum NT-proBNP levels were significantly associated with the percentage areas of myocardial fibrosis after adjusting for potential confounding factors. There was no evidence of heterogeneity in the association between the subgroups with and without reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 )., Conclusions: the present study demonstrated that elevated serum NT-proBNP levels were associated with the histopathologically measured myocardial fibrotic area in autopsied cases from a community. These findings may help clarify the association between elevated serum NT-proBNP levels and myocardial fibrosis and their influence on prognosis., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in the elderly, and causes complications such as cardioembolic stroke. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, has been reported to be a risk factor for developing AF in Western countries. However, few community-based studies have examined this issue in general Asian populations., Methods and results: A total of 2,510 community-dwelling Japanese participants aged ≥40 years without a history of AF were divided into 4 groups according to the sex-specific quartiles of serum hs-CRP concentrations (Q1, lowest and Q4, highest) and followed up for 24 years. The hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the development of AF were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow up, 234 subjects developed AF. The risk of AF increased significantly with elevating serum hs-CRP levels after adjustment for potential confounding factors (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], Q1, 1.00 [reference]; Q2, 1.26 [0.83-1.92]; Q3, 1.77 [1.18-2.66]; and Q4, 1.89 [1.24-2.86]; P for trend <0.001)., Conclusions: The study findings suggest that elevated serum hs-CRP levels are an independent risk factor for the development of AF in a general Japanese population.

Background: The risk prediction of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is useful to prevent AF and its complications. The aim of this study is to develop a new risk prediction model for incident AF using the prospective longitudinal data from a general Japanese population., Methods and results: A total of 2,442 community-dwelling AF-free residents aged ≥40 years were followed up from 1988 to 2012 (46,422 person-years). The development of AF was confirmed by a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram at repeated health examinations and by medical records at clinics or hospitals. The risk prediction model for incident AF was developed using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow up, 230 AF events were confirmed. Age, sex, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, estimated glomerular filtration rate, abnormal cardiac murmur, high R-wave amplitude, and arrhythmia other than AF were selected for inclusion in the model. This model showed good discrimination (Harrell's c statistics: 0.785) and calibration (Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino test: P=0.87) for AF risk at 10 years., Conclusions: The new risk prediction model showed good performance on the individual risk assessment of the future onset of AF in a general Japanese population. As this model included commonly used clinical parameters, it may be useful for determining the requirements for the careful evaluation of AF, such as frequent electrocardiogram examinations in clinical settings, and subsequent reductions in the risk of AF-related complications.