Search

ABSTRACT 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.

Background: Effective near-miss management is important in preventing workplace accidents. A company's inadequate response to near-miss reports can lead workers to feel insecure and dissatisfied with the company. We investigated the relationship between companies' responses to near-miss reports and turnover intentions of workers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using online self-administered questionnaire survey to workers aged ≥20 years in Japan in March 2022. The analysis included 5,071 participants who had near-miss experiences and reported them to their companies. The independent variable was companies' responses to near-miss reports, classified into three categories: adequate response group, inadequate response group, and no response group. The dependent variable was turnover intentions. We calculated the odds ratio and 95% confidential interval (CI) using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested for industries and adjusted for covariates. Results: Of the 5,071 participants, 3,058 (60.3%) were adequate response group, 1,484 (29.3%) were inadequate response group, and 529 (10.4%) were no response group. In multivariable adjusted model, compared with adequate response group, the odds ratio of inadequate response group and no response group were 1.80 (95% CI: 1.56–2.08) and 2.63 (95% CI: 2.15–3.22), respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggested that there was a relationship between companies' responses to the near-miss reports and turnover intentions of workers. It is important not only to collect near-misses but also to respond appropriately to the reports and provide feedback to workers.

Background: We examined the association between supervisor consultation, as an actual practice representing supervisor support, and work engagement. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study in Japan, involving 14,026 participants who met the requirement for a one-year follow-up. Supervisor consultation was measured using a single question, and work engagement was defined using the Japanese version of the nine-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Associations were examined using linear regression analysis. Results: Supervisor consultation was positively associated with work engagement after adjusting for gender, age, education, income, and industry (β = 3.474; p

Abstract Background In Japan, over 450 public health centers played a central role in the operation of the local public health system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify key issues for improving the system for public health centers for future pandemics. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. The respondents were first line workers in public health centers or local governments during the pandemic. We solicited open-ended responses concerning improvements needed for future pandemics. Issues were identified from these descriptions using morphological analysis and a topic model with KHcoder3.0. The number of topics was estimated using Perplexity as a measure, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation for meaning identification. Results We received open-ended responses from 784 (48.6%) of the 1,612 survey respondents, which included 111 physicians, 330 nurses, and 172 administrative staff. Morphological analysis processed these descriptions into 36,632 words. The topic model summarized them into eight issues: 1) establishment of a crisis management system, 2) division of functions among public health centers, prefectures, and medical institutions, 3) clear role distribution in public health center staff, 4) training of specialists, 5) information sharing system (information about infectious diseases and government policies), 6) response to excessive workload (support from other local governments, cooperation within public health centers, and outsourcing), 7) streamlining operations, and 8) balance with regular duties. Conclusions This study identified key issues that need to be addressed to prepare Japan’s public health centers for future pandemics. These findings are vital for discussions aimed at strengthening the public health system based on experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Droplet microfluidic-based technology is a powerful tool for biotechnology, and it is also expected that it will be applied to culturing and screening methods. Using this technology, a new high-throughput screening method for lactic acid bacteria was developed. In this study, the conventional culture of lactic acid bacteria that form clear zones on an agar medium was reproduced in water-in-oil droplets, and only the droplets in which lactic acid bacteria grew were collected one by one. Using this method, the specific recovery of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from a mixture of L. plantarum and Escherichia coli and the acquirement of lactic acid bacteria from an environmental sample were successful. This method could be applied to various conventional screening methods using the clear zone as a microbial growth indicator. This has expanded the possibilities of applying droplet microfluidic-based technology to microbial cultivations.

Background: The impact of COVID-19 infection on workers' work function persists even after the acute phase of the infection. We studied this phenomenon in Japanese workers. Methods: We conducted a one-year prospective cohort study online, starting with a baseline survey in December 2020. We tracked workers without baseline work functioning impairment and incorporated data from 14,421 eligible individuals into the analysis. We estimated the incidence rate ratio for new onset of work functioning impairment due to COVID-19 infection during follow-up, using mixed-effects Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. Results: Participants reporting infection between January and December 2021 showed a significantly higher incidence of new work functioning impairment (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.75–2.71, p

Indonesia is an archipelago nation that structures its health services through a stratified system. The public health center serves as the institution responsible for providing primary care services and undertaking various public goods initiatives, including promoting occupational health among workers in the informal sector. Integrated Occupational Health Services Post (Indonesian: Pos Upaya Kesehatan Kerja [Pos UKK]) is a community-based initiatives supported by public health centers that aims to address health-related issues among workers through a community participation model. Although the program appears to be well-suited to the country’s conditions, several challenges have emerged. This paper introduces the practical application of the program in the Province of Jakarta.

Supernova (SN) 1987A is one of the best candidates to exploit the capabilities of the freshly launched XRISM satellite. This celestial object offers the unique opportunity to study the evolution of an SN into a young supernova remnant. To date, the X-ray emission has been dominated by the shocked circumstellar medium, with no shocked ejecta firmly detected. However, recent studies provide compelling evidence that in the forthcoming years, the X-ray emission from SN 1987A will increasingly stem from the ejecta. Our aim is to assess the proficiency of the XRISM-Resolve high-resolution spectrometer in pinpointing signatures of the shocked ejecta in SN 1987A. Taking advantage of a self-consistent state-of-the-art magneto-hydrodynamic simulation that describes the evolution from SN 1987A to its remnant, we synthesized the XRISM-Resolve spectrum of SN 1987A, as it would be collected in the allocated observation during the performance verification phase, which is foreseen for 2024. Our predictions clearly show the leading role of shocked ejecta in shaping the profile of the emission lines. The Doppler broadening associated with the bulk motion along the line of sight of the rapidly expanding ejecta is shown to increase the line widths well above the values observed so far. The quantitative comparison between our synthetic spectra and the XRISM spectra will enable us to establish a strong connection between the broadened line emission and the freshly shocked ejecta. This, in turn, will allow us to retrieve the ejecta dynamics and chemical composition from the X-ray emission.

Objective: The current study aimed to identify workplace stress and how stress factors differed in employees of a multinational company’s subsidiaries in Japan and Vietnam. Methods: For the study, a total of 340 Japanese and 379 Vietnamese workers were included from their corresponding subsidiaries of a multinational company headquartered in Japan. The data were anonymously collected via an online pre-administered questionnaire between November 2021 and February 2022. A brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to assess the job stress. Doubly robust estimation combines a multivariate regression model with a propensity score model to identify the adjusted difference of job stress between workers in two companies. Results: Japanese employees included 292 males and 48 females, with an average age of 45.5 years. Vietnamese workers comprised 91 males and 288 females, with an average age of 36.5 years. Japanese workers reported higher level of job stress (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, p

ObjectiveVaccine hesitancy is a major issue for acquiring herd immunity. However, some individuals may go unvaccinated owing to inhibitory factors other than vaccine hesitancy. If there is even a small number of such people, support is needed for equitable vaccine distribution and acquiring herd immunity. We investigated sociodemographic factors that affected not undergoing COVID-19 vaccination in Japan among individuals who had strong intention to vaccinate before beginning the vaccination.MethodsWe conducted this prospective cohort study on workers aged 20–65 years from December 2020 (baseline), to December 2021 using a self-administered questionnaire survey. There were 27,036 participants at baseline and 18,560 at follow-up. We included 6,955 participants who answered yes to this question at baseline: “Would you like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available?” We applied multilevel logistic regression analyses to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and being unvaccinated at follow-up.ResultsIn all, 289 participants (4.2%) went unvaccinated. The odds ratios (ORs) for being unvaccinated were significantly higher for participants aged 30–39 and 40–49 than those aged 60–65 years. Being divorced, widowed, or single, having low income, and having COVID-19 infection experience also had higher ORs.DiscussionWe found that some participants who initially had strong intention to vaccinate may have gone unvaccinated owing to vaccine side effects and the financial impact of absenteeism due to side effects. It is necessary to provide information repeatedly about the need for vaccination as well as social support to ensure that those who intend to vaccinate are able to do so when aiming for acquiring herd immunity through vaccination against COVID-19 as well as other potential infection pandemics in the future.

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.

Abstract Background Restricting the movement of the public to gathering places and limiting close physical contact are effective measures against COVID-19 infection. In Japan, states of emergency have been declared in specific prefectures to reduce public movement and control COVID-19 transmission. We investigated how COVID-19 infection related experiences including people with a history of infection, people with a history of close contact, and people whose acquaintances have been infected, affected self-restraint from social behaviors during the second state of emergency in Japan. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among workers aged 20–65 years using data from an internet survey. The baseline survey was conducted on December 22–25, 2020, and a follow-up survey was on February 18–19, 2021. There were 19,051 participants who completed both surveys and were included in the final analysis. We identified eight social behaviors: (1) eating out (4 people or fewer); (2) eating out (5 people or more); (3) gathering with friends and colleagues; (4) day trip; (5) overnight trip (excluding visiting home); (6) visiting home; (7) shopping for daily necessities; and (8) shopping for other than daily necessities. We set self-restraint regarding each social behavior after the second state of emergency was declared in January 2021 as the dependent variable, and COVID-19 infection related experiences as independent variables. Odds ratios were estimated using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested in the prefecture of residence. Results Significant differences by COVID-19 infection related experiences were identified: compared to people without COVID-19 related experiences, people with a history of COVID-19 were less likely self-restraint from most social behaviors. People whose acquaintance had been diagnosed with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to refrain from most social behaviors. There was no significant difference in any social behaviors for people with a history of close contact only. Conclusion To maximize the effect of a state of emergency, health authorities should disseminate information for each person in the target population, taking into account potential differences related to the infection related experiences.

Abstract Background The number of employees with physical diseases is increasing, and there is a need for support to help them return and continue to work. To provide effective support, it is important to identify barriers and facilitators for individuals in returning and continuing to work. Previous studies have reported barriers and facilitators for specific diseases. However, few reports have dealt with these issues across various diseases. To identify a range of barriers and facilitators that may apply to different physical diseases, we conducted a qualitative analysis by interviewing patients with diverse characteristics being treated for diseases. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews based on the criteria for qualitative research. We investigated three disease groups to obtain details of barriers and facilitators: impairments that were visible to other people (mainly stroke); impairments invisible to others (mainly heart disease); and impairments that changed over time (mainly cancer). Interview transcripts were analyzed and the results reported using systematic text condensation. Results We extracted 769 meaning units from 28 patient interviews. We categorized barriers and facilitators that were generalizable to various diseases into three themes (personal factors, workplace factors, and inter-sectoral collaboration and social resources) and 10 sub-themes (work ability, psychological impacts, health literacy, social status, family background, workplace structure, workplace system, workplace support, inter-sectoral collaboration, and social resources). Conclusions This study identified 10 sub-themes that can be applied for workers with physical diseases; those sub-themes may be used as a basis for communicating with those individuals about returning and continuing to work. Our results suggest that various barriers and facilitators for workers with physical diseases should be understood and addressed at medical institutions, workplaces, and support sites.

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had various impacts on businesses and workers worldwide. The spread of infection has been reported through cluster outbreaks in the workplace, and World Health Organization has emphasized workplace infection control measures. Occupational physicians (OPs) are expected to actively support employers’ efforts to minimize the damage of the pandemic. However, there is little research on the role of these specialists during a pandemic. Clarification of the contributions of OPs to health and safety at the workplace in the COVID-19 pandemic would be beneficial to ensure that OPs can be effectively deployed in the next pandemic. Methods We employed semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts. Twenty OPs were selected as priority candidates from among 600 OPs certificated of the JSOH, and thirteen who met the eligibility criteria agreed to participate. The online interviews were conducted in November and December 2020 with thirteen OPs. We extracted meaning units (MUs) from interview transcripts according to the research question: “What was the role of OP in the COVID-19 pandemic?“ and condensed and abstracted them into codes and categorized them. Validity was confirmed by additional 5 OPs interviews. Results A total of 503 MUs were extracted from the transcripts. These were abstracted into 10 sub-categories and two categories. Categories 1 and 2 dealt with “Role in confronting the direct effects of the pandemic” and “Role in confronting the indirect effects of the pandemic” and accounted for 434 (86.3%) and 69 (13.7%) MUs, respectively. These results were validated by another 5 interviews. Conclusion This study identified the role of OPs in Japan in the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that they made a wide range of contributions to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic. We hope our findings will help OPs during future pandemics or other long-term emergency situations.

Abstract 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.

IntroductionThe Go To Travel campaign in Japan was launched to subsidize travel and accommodation costs for tourists through vouchers that could be used at domestic destinations. Infection prevention behavior can lead to refraining from travel owing to infection concerns; conversely, taking preventive action can promote travel. There is a lack of information about the association between infection prevention behaviors and desire to travel. During a pandemic of infection, there is the difficult challenge of balancing the promotion of infection prevention behavior with economic revitalization. Thus, we examined the relationship between personal infection prevention behaviors and using Go To Travel.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 26,637 workers who responded to a large-scale questionnaire survey about COVID-19 in Japan. We built multilevel logistic regression models adjusted for confounders to assess the association between each personal infection prevention behavior and using Go To Travel. We analyzed the seven infection prevention behavior individually: wearing a mask when among other people; disinfecting hands with alcohol before going indoors; washing hands after using the toilet; gargling upon returning home; opening a window to ventilate a room; carrying an alcohol sanitizer; and disinfecting hands after touching objects outside.ResultsAmong the 26,637 participants, 7,959 (30%) used Go To Travel. For “wearing a mask in the presence of others” and “washing hands after using the toilet,” the majority of respondents answered “almost always: 86.5 and 85.6% respectively. Action “carrying alcohol disinfectant” was the least implemented, with 36.9% of respondents saying “almost never.” Two of the seven preventive behaviors (“disinfecting hands with alcohol before going indoors” and “carrying alcohol disinfectant”) were positively related to using Go To Travel, that is, the more of these actions they took, the more they used Go To Travel (p for trend

Abstract Background The number of people with diabetes is increasing and resulting in major economic losses. Presenteeism accounts for the majority of economic losses, so measures against presenteeism are important. This study investigated the relationship between severity of type 2 diabetes and presenteeism. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers over 40 years of age. Participants were classified as normal group or diabetic treatment group using their medical examination results and health insurance claims data. Diabetic treatment groups were described by degree of treatment control: Good (HbA1c

A national questionnaire survey on guidewire penetration accidents by the Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy reported examples of perforation accidents occurring “during catheter introduction” (75.2% of accidents). In this study, we evaluated the behavior of a guidewire and a catheter during catheter introduction by numerical simulations, based on the results of the national survey. Using the contact force between the medical devices and the vessel wall, and the medical device position as criteria, we investigated the mechanism and the risk of penetration by the device tip during device introduction. We also evaluated the effects of the insertion velocity of the guidewire and the catheter. The contact force gradually increased during insertion of the guidewire, and the maximum contact force was observed after the guidewire passed through a bend in the blood vessel. After that, when introducing a catheter along the guidewire at the bend in the blood vessel, the guidewire imparted a greater load on the vessel wall than when the guidewire itself was introduced. This is the same tendency seen in our previous study and the national survey. One reason for the force increase during catheter introduction is a decrease in the contact area, which concentrates the contact force. Another reason for the force increase is that the bending stiffness of the guidewire covered by the catheter is the sum of the stiffnesses of the two devices, which is larger than that of only the guidewire. Different from guidewire introduction, as the insertion velocity of the catheter increased, the maximum contact force decreased under the influence of the bend shape and the contact force distribution. Moreover, the guidewire oscillated considerably when the catheter was introduced, and this oscillation increased as the insertion velocity increased, leading to a risk of mistakenly straying into a perforating branch.

Objectives: To identify what types of information were useful and/or difficult to obtain for occupational physicians during the COVID-19 epidemic, and how information should be provided to help occupational physicians in the event of future outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. Methods: The list was developed by categorizing information about COVID-19 delivered by researchers to a group of occupational physicians after the COVID-19 outbreak. We created a survey and asked the group about the usefulness and ease of obtaining each type of information. Results: In total, 79.1–100% of the occupational physicians said that each type of information was “Useful”. Information on the nature of the virus; clinical course, testing, and treatment; infection prevention measures; regulations in Japan; immigration restrictions in Japan; and guidelines were all considered useful by more than 95%, as was information about the introduction of information aggregation websites by public institutions, academic societies, experts, and others, and sharing of case studies by information distribution group members. These last two items also had a high percentage of respondents who said that they “only obtained the information because it was distributed this way”. Conclusions: Constructing a system for automatic distribution of information that is useful to occupational physicians and difficult to obtain elsewhere may make it easier for occupational physicians to respond more smoothly to emerging infectious disease outbreaks within a company.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify career support systems for full-time occupational physicians in large companies in Japan with an established company-wide occupational health system. Methods: We conducted interviews with the supervising occupational physicians of target companies selected using the snowball sampling method and that met the inclusion criteria: (1) a company or corporate group with over 10,000 workers; (2) an assigned occupational physician who oversaw occupational physician services for the entire company; and (3) the company had more than 10 full-time occupational physicians. Results: We obtained responses from eight companies (six manufacturing and two railroad companies). All the companies had established a system to support expertise development of occupational physicians, give them greater responsibility, and follow their development in the company. Through the interviews, efforts of each company were described in the following four areas: (1) efforts of human resource development; (2) support for maintaining and improving expertise; (3) treatment in accordance with career stage; and (4) issues related to career support in companies. Conclusions: To provide high-quality, stable occupational health services to an entire company, it is necessary to create a situation where full-time staff can contribute for a long period and develop their careers in the process.

BackgroundAlthough 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. ObjectiveWe 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. MethodsA 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. ResultsAt 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. ConclusionsMobile 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 RegistrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000023651; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view_cb.cgi?recptno=R000027244&flwp_key=1008PYbOcXKmk7CAg4Th1FWS

The control of human flow has led to better control of COVID-19 infections. Japan’s state of emergency, unlike other countries, is not legally binding but is rather a request for individual self-restraint; thus, factors must be identified that do not respond to self-restraint, and countermeasures considered for those factors to enhance its efficacy. We examined the relationship between sociodemographic factors and self-restraint toward social behaviors during a pandemic in Japan. This cross-sectional study used data for February 18–19, 2021, obtained from an internet survey; 19,560 participants aged 20–65 were included in the analysis. We identified five relevant behaviors: (1) taking a day trip; (2) eating out with five people or more; (3) gathering with friends and colleagues; (4) shopping for other than daily necessities; (5) shopping for daily necessities. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and self-restraint for each of the behaviors. Results showed that for behaviors other than shopping for daily necessities, women, those aged 60–65, married people, highly educated people, high-income earners, desk workers and those who mainly work with interpersonal communication, and those with underlying disease reported more self-restraint. Older people had less self-restraint than younger people toward shopping for daily necessities; an underlying disease had no effect on the identified behavior. Specialized interventions for these groups that include recommendations for greater self-restraint may improve the efficacy of the implementing measures that request self-restraint.

Abstract Background This study aimed to examine the association between overtime work and the frequency of preventive dental visits among workers in Japan. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 14,847 daytime-workers. We used a logistic regression model stratified by sex and age and adjusted for marital status, occupation, education, and oral status to investigate the association between overtime work hours and the frequency of preventive dental visits. Results In total 1037 men (9.3%) and 511 women (13.9%) attended quarterly preventive dental visits, and 2672 men (23.9%) and 1165 women (31.8%) attended annual preventive dental visits. Overtime work was statistically significantly associated with quarterly preventive dental visits among men aged 50–59 years, with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 0.73 (0.56–0.95), 0.75 (0.54–1.04), and 0.55 (0.34–0.90) for

Objectives: Presenteeism refers to the condition of working while having health problems and can be one of the perspectives to assess the incompatibility between workers and their jobs. The purpose of this survey was to find out what kind of occupational health issues can be detected by occupational physicians’ interviews focusing on presenteeism. Methods: We conducted interviews with workers suffering from presenteeism in a food manufacturing company. The Work Functioning impairment scale (WFun) was used as the indicator of presenteeism. We discussed the occupational health issues and the necessity of additional interventions. Results: Thirty-nine workers with WFun score of 21 or higher were interviewed, and we have found nine cases in need of support. The workplace issues were structured into four categories: (i) health problems that are difficult to identify through health checkups, (ii) health problems missed by the stress check program, (iii) health problems caused by workload that cannot be identified by workplace patrols, and (iv) health problems that are not considered because they do not require support. Conclusions: We discovered new workplace issues by interviewing workers suffering from presenteeism.

BackgroundMusculoskeletal symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain/stiffness and low back pain are common health problems in the working population. They are the leading causes of presenteeism (employees being physically present at work but unable to be fully engaged). Recently, digital interventions have begun to be used to manage health but their effectiveness has not yet been fully verified, and adherence to such programs is always a problem. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the improvements in musculoskeletal symptoms in workers with neck/shoulder stiffness/pain and low back pain after the use of an exercise-based artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted interactive health promotion system that operates through a mobile messaging app (the AI-assisted health program). We expected that this program would support participants’ adherence to exercises. MethodsWe conducted a two-armed, randomized, controlled, and unblinded trial in workers with either neck/shoulder stiffness/pain or low back pain or both. We recruited participants with these symptoms through email notifications. The intervention group received the AI-assisted health program, in which the chatbot sent messages to users with the exercise instructions at a fixed time every day through the smartphone’s chatting app (LINE) for 12 weeks. The program was fully automated. The control group continued with their usual care routines. We assessed the subjective severity of the neck and shoulder pain/stiffness and low back pain of the participants by using a scoring scale of 1 to 5 for both the intervention group and the control group at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention by using a web-based form. We used a logistic regression model to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) of the intervention group to achieve to reduce pain scores with those of the control group, and the ORs of the subjective assessment of the improvement of the symptoms compared to the intervention and control groups, which were performed using Stata software (version 16, StataCorp LLC). ResultsWe analyzed 48 participants in the intervention group and 46 participants in the control group. The adherence rate was 92% (44/48) during the intervention. The participants in the intervention group showed significant improvements in the severity of the neck/shoulder pain/stiffness and low back pain compared to those in the control group (OR 6.36, 95% CI 2.57-15.73; P

To ensure safe coil embolization for cerebral aneurysms, it is important to investigate the contact force between a coil and an aneurysm wall. Therefore, in our previous study, we developed an experimental system for measuring the contact force between a coil and an aneurysm biomodel. However, because the aneurysm model was made of silicone rubber, its physical properties, such as the friction coefficient, differed from those of aneurysms in vivo. Therefore, in this study, we made an aneurysm model using poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogel (PVA-H) and evaluated the effect of the model material on the contact force. In addition, we acquired images during the experiment and evaluated the behavior of the coil and catheter and the relationship between the catheter movement and the contact force. A commercially available coil was inserted through a catheter into two types of aneurysm models (silicone rubber and PVA-H), and the effects of the model material and the catheter tip position (near dome, at the center, and near neck) were evaluated. The contact force and the total movement of the catheter tip for the PVA-H model were smaller than those for the silicone rubber model. The contact force (total catheter movement) was greater (smaller) when the catheter tip was inserted deeper into the silicone rubber model. These results suggest that the state of contact between the aneurysm and the coil affects the contact force and the catheter movement and that these two values are related.

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.

The prevention of an arteriosclerosis, which is a major cause of death in the world has social significance. In previous studies, blood vessel elasticity was estimated by using parameters of blood vessel model. However, the effect of wave propagation on the estimation was ignored. It is not clear how these features affect the estimation of blood vessel elasticity in clinic. In this study, the coupled model of blood vessel and blood flow based on the coupled wave theory was proposed on the assumption that the viscosity is more strongly influenced by blood flow than by blood vessels. Identifying the model parameters of elastic pipes subjected to cyclic pressure fluctuations by using measured pressure and displacement data, we concluded that the coupled model may be applicable for estimating the vessel stiffness in clinical practice.

Introduction: This study aims to clarify whether the competencies required of occupational health professionals for disaster management, identified from experiences in a single disaster, can be agreed upon by occupational health professionals with experience in other disaster responses. Methods: This study employed a quantitative study design using a questionnaire. The participants were occupational health professionals. The questionnaire included 29 competencies identified from the experiences of occupational health activities conducted during the Kumamoto earthquake. Items were rated from 1 (not necessary at all) to 5 (very necessary) by the participants. Exploratory factor analysis of the responses was performed. Result: The participants were 334 (29.9%), of which 97 (29.0%) answered that they had disaster response experience. Factor analysis was performed by setting three factors for 22 items. Factors 1, 2, and 3 were labeled “skills about coordinating within the organization,” “practical ability to respond to changing situations,” and “consistency as occupational health professionals,” respectively. Discussion: In the event of a disaster, occupational health professionals are required to ensure their own safety, grasp the occupational health needs changing over time, and make decisions based on changing situations. The study suggests that a disaster response is a rare experience even for specialists in occupational health. To enable them to appropriately play their roles in occupational health response during disasters, a system of education aimed at maintaining coherence as the occupational health profession and demonstrating coordinating and practical skills in the event of a disaster should be established.

Objectives: In the event of a disaster, both victims and first responders are exposed to health risks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health effects of workers responding to disasters following the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). Methods: We reviewed the literature on the health effects of workers responding to disasters at GEJE. PubMed and Ichu-Shi Web (an online search database for Japanese medical literature) were utilized. After the screening, we excluded papers that did not meet our inclusion criteria. Results: We identified 25 papers matching our criteria. Papers on the health of workers who responded to disasters was primarily focused on medical professionals, public servants, and emergency professionals. Although many papers focused on the mental effects of health effects of health consequences, suggesting that many occupations increase the risk of depression and PTSD, some also reported on positive factors, such as improving work engagement by overcoming difficulties. Emergency professionals were also at risk for PTSD and depression, however, some reported that the risk was relatively low compared to other occupations. Conclusions: In the event of a disaster such as GEJE, many first responders were traumatized. Attention should be paid to the support of survivors during a disaster, but the health effects of workers involved in disaster response should also be addressed. In the future, it is necessary to establish a system to monitor and support the health of first responders.

Study objectivesThis cross-sectional study analyzed the effect of treatment with hypnotics for sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, on daytime work functioning by phase of treatment in Japanese workers.MethodsSubjects were respondents (n = 36,375) to a questionnaire survey conducted in 2015 to assess work functioning impairment in 15 companies in Japan. The questionnaire results were analyzed together with the respondents' healthcare data extracted from public health insurance claims. Work functioning impairment was measured using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun). The status of treatment for insomnia was determined using data on diseases and prescribed drugs extracted from health insurance claims from the past 16 months. The odds ratio of severe work functioning impairment according to on-treatment duration and off-treatment duration was estimated using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe risk of severe work functioning impairment was significantly higher in subjects with insomnia who were being treated with hypnotics for 1 month or longer compared to non-insomnia subjects. This increased risk tended to be reduced with longer on-treatment duration. For subjects who had previously received hypnotics treatment for insomnia, the risk of severe work functioning impairment was significantly increased in all subgroups stratified by time from discontinuation of the prescription. This increased risk tended to be reduced with longer off-treatment duration.ConclusionsWorkers who are or were receiving hypnotics to treat insomnia may have a higher risk of daytime functioning impairment. Those with protracted insomnia require careful assessment of the risks and benefits of prescription hypnotics.

Abstract Background A number of companies publish corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in booklets and other publicly available formats. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the nine-year (2004–2012) trend of occupational safety and health (OSH) activities as described in CSR reporting (by industry sector and company size). Methods We investigated CSR reporting on the website in all Japanese companies listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The data were extracted from CSR reporting of each company every year from 2004 to 2012. We counted the pages dedicated to information on OSH activities by industry sector and company size and calculated the rate of OSH divided by total CSR-related activities. Results The number of companies publishing CSR reports increased in all industry sectors, although the rate of inclusion of OSH activity within CSR reports increased only among sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce. Among all company size, CSR reporting increased constantly throughout all observed years. The proportion of companies that had described OSH in CSR reporting increased from 2004 to 2012, and 76.5% companies had described OSH activities in 2012. The average number of pages of CSR-related report was 34.2 in 2004, increasing to 43.1 in 2012. The proportion of described pages of OSH activities in total CSR reporting increased gradually, and 2.7% in 2012. The focus of CSR reporting gradually shifted from ‘environment’ to ‘social activity including OSH’. Conclusions Majority of companies are putting more emphasis on OSH in CSR reporting in Japan.

Abstract Background The disasters at Seveso, Three Mile Island, Bhopal, Chernobyl, the World Trade Center (WTC) and Fukushima had historic health and economic sequelae for large populations of workers, responders and community members. Methods Comparative data from these events were collected to derive indications for future preparedness. Information from the primary sources and a literature review addressed: i) exposure assessment; ii) exposed populations; iii) health surveillance; iv) follow-up and research outputs; v) observed physical and mental health effects; vi) treatment and benefits; and vii) outreach activities. Results Exposure assessment was conducted in Seveso, Chernobyl and Fukushima, although none benefited from a timely or systematic strategy, yielding immediate and sequential measurements after the disaster. Identification of exposed subjects was overall underestimated. Health surveillance, treatment and follow-up research were implemented in Seveso, Chernobyl, Fukushima, and at the WTC, mostly focusing on the workers and responders, and to a lesser extent on residents. Exposure-related physical and mental health consequences were identified, indicating the need for a long-term health care of the affected populations. Fukushima has generated the largest scientific output so far, followed by the WTCHP and Chernobyl. Benefits programs and active outreach figured prominently in only the WTC Health Program. The analysis of these programs yielded the following lessons: 1) Know who was there; 2) Have public health input to the disaster response; 3) Collect health and needs data rapidly; 4) Take care of the affected; 5) Emergency preparedness; 6) Data driven, needs assessment, advocacy. Conclusions Given the long-lasting health consequences of natural and man-made disasters, health surveillance and treatment programs are critical for management of health conditions, and emergency preparedness plans are needed to prevent or minimize the impact of future threats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms play an interaction effect on the association between psychosocial work environments and health (psychological distress/work engagement) among workers.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 2,693 employees at a pharmaceutical company using a self-administered questionnaire evaluating ADHD symptoms (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener), psychosocial work environments (job demands, job control and social support), and health outcomes (psychological distress; K6, and work engagement; Utrecht Work Engagement Scale). Multiple regression analyses were applied to assess the interaction between ADHD symptoms and psychosocial work environments on health outcomes.Results: The prevalence of workers with ADHD symptoms was 5.9% (n = 159). Significant interaction effects of ADHD symptoms × job control and ADHD symptoms × social support were observed (β = −0.067, p < 0.01 and β = −0.052, p < 0.01, respectively) on psychological distress after adjustment of age, sex, occupation and education. The interaction effect of ADHD symptoms × each psychosocial work environment was not observed on work engagement.Conclusions: Job control and social support were more influential factors that were related to psychological distress in accordance with ADHD symptoms. This study also found no difference of the interaction between psychosocial work environments and ADHD symptoms on work engagement. To the best of our knowledge, this study was first to clarify the effect of ADHD symptoms on the association between psychosocial work environments and health outcomes (psychological distress/work engagement). These findings can aid employers how to arrange better work environments for workers with ADHD symptoms.

Various catheter simulators using a computer or blood vessel biomodels have been developed for training of medical students and young physicians. Moreover, we have developed a system to simulate a guidewire in blood vessels that uses both numerical analysis and experimental observation for the quantitative analysis of treatment technique, surgical planning, intra-operative assistance, and to facilitate the design of new guidewires. However, not limited to our group, there is a lack of studies evaluating the motions of both the guidewire and catheter and their interaction in a blood vessel. Therefore, in the present study, we modified our computer-based system and experimental apparatus to evaluate the catheter motion and compared both results. First, we added a mechanism to the experimental apparatus to move and evaluate the catheter in a poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogel blood vessel model. Second, we added a new catheter model to the calculation. We subsequently evaluated the behaviors of the medical devices (the guidewire and the catheter) by measuring the three-dimensional position and the contact force between the medical devices and the vessel wall. Comparison of the calculation and experimental results showed that the trajectories and the contact forces of both the experimental and numerically analyzed medical devices had the same tendencies. By considering the flexibility of the catheter in both the experimental and numerical analysis methods, we could reproduce the phenomena seen in clinical situations, such as movement of the catheter during the insertion or removal of the guidewire, and movement of the guidewire during the insertion of the catheter.

A Peltier element is considered as a way to enable local temperature control and also has several advantages including rapid thermal response, no vibration and compactness. Therefore, a focal cooling device using a Peltier element for treatment is expected to apply to various parts of a living body. In the design of the device ensuring both the energy efficiency and therapeutic effect, it is necessary to understand the thermoelectric conversion characteristics of the Peltier element and the thermal conductivity of the attachment in the device, which should be designed in accordance with the cooling performance and size. Therefore, the investigation using a mathematical model is believed to play an important role in such case. The purposes of this study are to clarify the characteristics of the model parameters and to investigate whether performance evaluation of the device from its characteristics is possible. Model parameters were identified experimentally using three prototypes of different sizes and cooling abilities. From the result of the parameter identification, internal resistance and thermal conductance of the Peltier device are dependent on the cooling performance. The parameters representing the thermal conductance between each attachment in the device are strongly depend on the size. However, changes of these parameters were smaller than the size ratio of the device. Our results suggest that it can provide useful information to the designer.

Recognizing subtle cartilage changes in the preclinical stage of osteoarthritis (OA) is essential for early diagnosis. To this end, the ability of the ultrasound signal intensity to detect macroscopically undetectable cartilage change was investigated. In this study, cartilage of rabbit OA model and human OA samples was examined by macroscopic evaluation, ultrasound signal intensity, histology with Mankin scores, and Fourier transform infrared imaging (FTIRI) analysis. Rabbit OA was induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection and evaluated at 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks. Twenty human samples were harvested during total knee arthroplasty from OA patients who had macroscopically normal human cartilage (ICRS grade 0) on the lateral femoral condyle. In the animal study, there was no macroscopic OA change at 2 weeks, but histology detected degenerative changes at this time point. Ultrasound signal intensity also detected degeneration at 2 weeks. In human samples, all samples were obtained from macroscopically intact site, however nearly normal (0 ≤ Mankin score

We report complete genome sequence of a mesophilic hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanocella paludicola, the first cultured representative of the order Methanocellales once recognized as an uncultured key archaeal group for methane emission in rice fields. The genome sequence of M. paludicola consists of a single circular chromosome of 2,957,635 bp containing 3004 protein-coding sequences (CDS). Genes for most of the functions known in the methanogenic archaea were identified, e.g. a full complement of hydrogenases and methanogenesis enzymes. The mixotrophic growth of M. paludicola was clarified by the genomic characterization and re-examined by the subsequent growth experiments. Comparative genome analysis with the previously reported genome sequence of RC-I(MRE50), which was metagenomically reconstructed, demonstrated that about 70% of M. paludicola CDSs were genetically related with RC-I(MRE50) CDSs. These CDSs included the genes involved in hydrogenotrophic methane production, incomplete TCA cycle, assimilatory sulfate reduction and so on. However, the genetic components for the carbon and nitrogen fixation and antioxidant system were different between the two Methanocellales genomes. The difference is likely associated with the physiological variability between M. paludicola and RC-I(MRE50), further suggesting the genomic and physiological diversity of the Methanocellales methanogens. Comparative genome analysis among the previously determined methanogen genomes points to the genome-wide relatedness of the Methanocellales methanogens to the orders Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales methanogens in terms of the genetic repertoire. Meanwhile, the unique evolutionary history of the Methanocellales methanogens is also traced in an aspect by the comparative genome analysis among the methanogens.