Sangyō eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health
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Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi · Sep 2008
[Characteristic patterns of fatigue feelings on four simulated consecutive night shifts by "Jikaku-sho shirabe"].
The aim of the present study was to reveal characteristic patterns of fatigue feelings on consecutive night shifts by a questionnaire for work-related fatigue feelings "Jikaku-sho shirabe". Ten healthy males (Mean +/- SD: 22.9 +/- 3.2 years old) participated in the experiment. Participants were required to attend the laboratory for nine consecutive nights under the following conditions: adaptation sleep (0:00-7:00), simulated day shift (10:00-18:00), baseline sleep (0:00-7:00), directly followed by four simulated night shifts (22:00-9:00) and the subsequent daytime sleep (12:00-18:00), three recovery nights (0:00-7:00) and two simulated day shifts (10:00-18:00). ⋯ For Clusters A and C, significant improvements were observed with the increase of the number of night shifts (F(11,99)=3.07, p<0.01, F(11,99)=3.37, p<0.01, respectively). On the other hand, Cluster B deteriorated with the progress of the simulated night shifts. Taken together, we suggest that the characteristic patterns of fatigue feelings on consecutive night shifts might represent dissociation among the feelings induced by several loads.
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Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi · Jan 2008
Methods and rationale for keeping records of hepatitis virus testing in Japanese workplaces.
In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued corporate guidance that employers should recommend their employees to have tests for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HV) at least once in their lifetime. However, employers should treat this information as confidential, even though the testing is carried out along with the health examination designated by the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Therefore, the records of HV tests should not be kept by employers, even though records of medical examinations designated by the law must be. ⋯ Among occupational health physicians from workplaces where occupational health professionals were in charge of the records, there was no standardized rationale for keeping records. However, most workplaces took into consideration the workers' privacy by getting employees' consent before divulging information to their employers. This relied not only on the occupational health professional's or health/safety officer's ethics, but also the necessity of reviewing the purpose and methods of keeping records of HV testing of employees, based on official notices or the Act on the Protection of Personal Information.
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Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi · Jan 2005
[A study in cases of Brugada-type electrocardiogram and its management proposals in health examination].
In 1992, Brugada et al. reported a characteristic electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern and ST-segment elevation in leads V1 to V3 associated with sudden death in patients without demonstrable structural heart disease. That disease is now called Brugada Syndrome. The diagnostic criteria for the Brugada Syndrome have still not been decided on, and the prevalence of Brugada type ECG (B-ECG) varies widely in Japan. ⋯ Type I (Coved) may be a more important electrocardiographic factor having a stronger causal relation to Ventricular Arrhythmia. Therefore, in management of health examinations, Type I patients with syncope or a family history of sudden cardiac death should visit a cardiologist for ICD-implantation, and even without any cardiac symptoms (syncope and a family history of sudden death), they are advised to visit a cardiologist for a program electrical stimulation (PES). Type II and III patients with any cardiac symptoms are advised to visit a cardiologist for PES or a drug challenge.
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Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi · Jul 2004
[Development of the Brief Scales for Coping Profile (BSCP) for workers: basic information about its reliability and validity].
Coping profile of workers greatly affects the process where job stressors develop health problems, but most of the previously proposed questionnaires for the coping profile are too long to be applied to the program of occupational mental health. In the present study, the authors report the process of developing a new self-rating questionnaire for assessing workers' coping profile which includes only 18 questions. Based on the results of a preparatory study, the 18 questions which provide 6 scales about coping strategies were proposed as the Brief Scales for Coping Profile (BSCP). ⋯ These results support part of the reliability and validity of BSCP, and also support the feasibility of BSCP as a tool for self-management and health education concerning job stress in the field of occupational mental health. The test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of BSCP should be confirmed in a future study. It also should be confirmed in future whether the coping profile relates with gender, age, job type, or other outcome of job stress in other populations.
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We conducted a questionnaire study on low back pain (LBP) and working conditions among male taxi drivers employed in the company in Fukuoka city in order to investigate the occurrence of LBP and occupational factors related to LBP among taxi drivers. The study was undertaken through two questionnaires, the first conducted in 1999 (n = 280, first cross-sectional study), the second conducted in 2001 (n = 284, second cross-sectional study). The questionnaire results were used to conduct two analyses: 1) the one-year prevalence of LBP and the relationship between LBP and occupational factors in the second cross-sectional study, and 2) the incidence of LBP and the relationship between LBP and occupational factors from the first to the second cross-sectional study in the longitudinal study. ⋯ The findings of this study also suggest that ergonomic problems with the driver's seat pan, whole-body vibration (WBV) and job stress may contribute to LBP among taxi drivers. Further study is needed to confirm how total mileage contributes to LBP. Furthermore, WBV during normal use of taxies should be measured in order to evaluate the association between WBV and LBP.