This study aimed to examine the factors and their age differences associated with low back pain (LBP), including lifestyle and psychosocial factors, among Japanese workers at a large company. The study population consisted of 25,610 workers (mean ± SD age, 44.7 ± 9.6 yr) who underwent annual health checkups and completed the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) at a Japanese company in 2017. The self-administered questionnaire was used to assess gender, age, occupation, smoking status, exercise status, alcohol intake, job stress, and sleep duration. LBP presence was assessed using a part of the BJSQ. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with LBP according to age category. The prevalence of LBP in the study group was 23.3%. After stratification by age, overweight status and job stress were found to be significantly associated with LBP in all age groups. However, smoking status was significantly associated with LBP among individuals aged <40 yr (effect of interaction p=0.03) whereas exercise was significantly associated only among individuals aged ≥40 yr (effect of interaction p<0.01). This study shows that LBP factors may differ by age, highlighting the importance of age-appropriate measures for preventing LBP in workers.

We examined cardiovascular responses during driving and investigated the effects of different break patterns on these responses. Forty-seven males in their 40s and 50s participated, and the protocol included three driving sets with four break patterns. One driving set consisted of 1 h of city driving and 1 h of highway driving. The four break patterns were a 30-min lunch break (short/one: SO, n=12), a 60-min lunch break (long/one: LO, n=12), a 10-min break and a 50-min lunch break (long/two: LT, n=12), and a 10-min break and a 20-min lunch break (short/two: ST, n=11). The results showed that the lunch break was significantly effective in moderating diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate for all conditions, but the long-break conditions (LO and LT) were also effective in moderating cardiac output and stroke volume. Additionally, for the same total break length, one longer break was more effective in moderating cardiovascular and subjective burden than two shorter breaks. The results of this study suggest that it is important for drivers to take a lunch break, especially a long break around an hour, to reduce cardiovascular and subjective burden during their shift.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s (MHLW) Investigative Committee on Risk Assessment for Preventing Impairment of Workers’ Health Caused by Chemical Substances has investigated the carcinogenicity of chemical substances. This investigation led several chemicals to be regulated; however, the whole picture of the investigation remains unrevealed. To provide an overview of the investigated substances and their evaluation status, we collected documents on the MHLW website between 2009 and 2021, constructed a dataset from tables of some of these documents, integrated data from the constructed dataset with data from databases such as NITE-CHRIP, and then analyzed the data in the aspects of their chemical structure, chemical management law, evaluation method, and evaluation status. We found that most of the investigated substances were existing chemicals for which employers are exempt from hazard investigations under the chemical management laws and remained in the early phases of the investigation strategy developed by the Investigative Committee. Furthermore, a comparison of basic data for risk assessment on 45 substances under assessment revealed that some have the potential for harm to be regulated. This study highlights challenges and necessities of the Japanese government’s chemical management initiative for chemicals that pose a high risk to humans.

This study investigated workplace toilet access related to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among women in the Korean workforce. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine demographic characteristics, occupational risk factors, and urinary tract symptoms among employed Korean women. Occupational risk factors included two survey questions about access to toilets at work. LUTS were assessed using the overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and international consultation on incontinence questionnaire-urinary incontinence short form (ICIQ-SF). Health-related productivity losses (HRPL) were estimated using the work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire for urinary symptoms (WPAI-US). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association between workplace toilet access and LUTS. In addition, generalised linear regression analysis was performed to assess HRPL according to workplace toilet access. Of the 1057 participants, 260 (24.6%) and 294 (27.81%) had overactive bladder and urinary incontinence, respectively. More than 50% reported poor access to toilet. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the lower the access to toilets in the workplace, the higher the incidence of LUTS and the higher HRPL. In conclusion, restricted access to toilets at work are associated with poor urinary health and loss of productivity.

The ability to adapt to night shift work varies greatly among individuals, but little is known about how personal traits and coping strategies interact to affect shift-work tolerance. This study aimed to identify how certain personal traits (e.g., flexibility, languidness, chronotype, and neuroticism) and behavioral and coping strategies influence shift-work tolerance. Additionally, it explored whether behavioral and coping strategies moderate the association between neuroticism and shift-work tolerance. In this cross-sectional study, nurses (N=297) working rotating shifts consisting of either three 8-h shifts or two 12-h shifts at two university hospitals and one training hospital in South Korea completed a survey on shift work. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis. Nurses with personal traits of lower flexibility, higher languidness, evening-oriented chronotypes, and higher neuroticism had less shift-work tolerance. Engagement-coping decreased fatigue, whereas disengagement-coping increased insomnia. Among those with higher levels of neuroticism, disengagement-coping further reduced alertness, while engagement-coping aggravated insomnia. Addressing the complex interplay between personal traits and coping strategies is essential to enhance adaptations to shift work without adverse consequences.

In the theoretical part of this article, we provide a brief introduction to different types of repeated measure designs and methods to analyze repeatedly measured data, with a particular focus on continuous time modelling of intensive longitudinal data (ILD) with N≥1 analysis. We built on the distinction between within-person versus between-person effects, and how this is addressed in static versus dynamic models. Further, we elaborate on the distinction between discrete time dynamic models versus continuous time dynamic models. In particular, we deal with continuous time structural equation models (CTSEM), and we provide a brief introduction into the underlying math. Since smart devices have become useful tools in monitoring health, we use the applied part of this article for explaining how to retrieve N=1 bivariate ILD from popular smart watches and how to prepare them for CTSEM (including N>1 multivariate extensions). We show how to specify a cross-lagged panel CTSEM using the R package ctsem, how to fit the specified model to the retrieved data, and how to interpret the results. Limitations of CTSEM are discussed, too. Monitoring and forecasting industrial health represent important issues for organizations.

Employees’ physical and mental health issues have intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in telecommunications. Organizational wellbeing is a holistic approach that is gaining prominence. This study aimed to investigate the level of organizational wellbeing at the individual level and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 2,070 telecommunication workers in Thailand. Data collection employed a structured questionnaire comprising three sections: personal factors; occupational factors; and an organizational wellbeing assessment categorized into five domains including workplace physical environment and safety climate (9 items), workplace policies and culture (10 items), health status (10 items), work evaluation and experience (13 items), and home, community, and society (3 items). Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. Bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression were performed. A total of 655 responses (31.6%) were collected. The mean score was 177.8 (SD=22.0). The analysis reported significant factors associated with organizational wellbeing scores comprising working more than 48 h per week (β=−5.8, 95% CI: −10.4 to −1.2) and sleeping duration of at least seven hours per day (β=4.4, 95% CI: 1.1 to 7.7). Workplaces should design wellbeing promotion programs that address these factors by encouraging adequate sleep and balancing working hours to enhance overall employee wellbeing.

We aimed to examine concurrent trajectories of occupational groups and level of sustainable working life, and individuals’ characteristics as predictors for the trajectories. National register data from 81,388 Swedish twins born in 1925–1990 included occupational groups. To define the level of sustainable working life, employment, unemployment, sickness absence, and disability pensions in 2001–2016 were used. Group-based multi-trajectory modeling and multinomial regression for relative risks (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied. Five trajectory groups (4.4–20.8%) showed stable occupational groups and stable sustainable working life over time. Two trajectory groups had a decrease in sustainable working life: 6.1% were between being building and manufacturing worker, and mechanical manufacturing and transport worker, etc., and 8.7% were stable in occupations in administration and customer service clerks. One group (5.5%) had a stable sustainable working life but shifted from elementary occupations to occupations requiring an advanced higher education level. All studied factors played a role in belonging to the trajectory groups. To conclude, the concurrent changes over time in occupational groups and sustainable working life were stable. A few identified occupational groups had a decrease in sustainable working life over time, thus meriting support across working careers to remain in paid work.

Silicosis is a fibrotic respiratory disease caused by inhalation of crystalline compounds. In particular, it should be taken into account in all professions where silica is used, such as sandblasting, stone bench manufacturing, ceramics, jewelry and glass production Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a slowly progressive systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic lymphocytic invasion of exocrine glands and extraglandular tissues, accompanied by a series of systemic symptoms. Occupational silica exposure is known to be associated with autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus This manuscript presents a case of Sjögren’s syndrome in a ceramic worker.