The study aim was to examine whether flexible working time was associated with burnout and poor perceived health in relation to the work-related psychological/behavioral factors of self-endangering ...work behavior (SEWB), workaholism, work engagement, and job stressors. We analyzed data obtained from an Internet survey of 600 full-time Japanese employees. We also proposed a causal model using path analysis to investigate the overall relationships of burnout and perceived health to psychological/behavioral factors. The results indicated that flexible working time was associated with adverse work-related consequences and factors such as increased burnout, working hours, SEWB, workaholism, and job demands, and with positive factors such as improvement of work engagement. The path analysis suggested that burnout was caused by workaholism both directly and via SEWB, and by low job decision latitude, and was reduced by work engagement. Similarly, it was observed that poor health was caused by workaholism via SEWB, and reduced by work engagement. Thus, SEWB is driven by workaholism and plays a key role in the adverse health consequences of flexible working time. For workers to benefit from flexible working time, it is important to improve workaholism, SEWB, and low job decision latitude, and to develop work engagement in the workplace.
The Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS) is frequently used for evaluating subjective sleepiness. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the KSS with ...electroencephalographic, behavioral and other subjective indicators of sleepiness.
Participants were 16 healthy females aged 33–43 (38.1±2.68) years. The experiment involved 8 measurement sessions per day for 3 consecutive days. Each session contained the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), the Karolinska drowsiness test (KDT—EEG alpha & theta power), the alpha attenuation test (AAT—alpha power ratio open/closed eyes) and the KSS.
Median reaction time, number of lapses, alpha and theta power density and the alpha attenuation coefficients (AAC) showed highly significant increase with increasing KSS. The same variables were also significantly correlated with KSS, with a mean value for lapses (r=0.56).
The KSS was closely related to EEG and behavioral variables, indicating a high validity in measuring sleepiness.
KSS ratings may be a useful proxy for EEG or behavioral indicators of sleepiness.
This study investigated whether workers who practiced unhealthy lifestyles but worked under organizations with insufficient control against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would pose a ...synergistic risk of poor self-rated health (SRH).
A total of 22,637 workers (men, 48.5%) were extracted from an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan (December 2020). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate adjusted odds ratio (AOR) against poor (poor, fair) SRH.
Accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (AOR, 1.49 to 4.40; P < 0.05) and insufficient infection control (AOR, 1.80; P < 0.05) were independently related to poor SRH; however, when these factors were combined, SRH was additively worsened (AOR, 2.14 to 7.72; P < 0.05).
This study highlights that not only unhealthy lifestyle practices but also poor organizational management against infection would worsen workers' SRH during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Late in the 1970s, serious social concern over health problems due to long working hours has arisen in Japan. This report briefly summarizes the Japanese circumstances about long working hours and ...what the Government has achieved so far. The national statistics show that more than 6 million people worked for 60 h or more per week during years 2000 and 2004. Approximately three hundred cases of brain and heart diseases were recognized as labour accidents resulting from overwork (Karoshi) by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) between 2002 and 2005. Consequently, the MHLW has been working to establish a more appropriate compensation system for Karoshi, as well as preventive measures for overwork related health problems. In 2001, the MHLW set the standards for clearly recognizing Karoshi in association with the amount of overtime working hours. These standards were based on the results of a literature review and medical examinations indicating a relationship between overwork and brain and heart diseases. In 2002, the MHLW launched the program for the prevention of health impairment due to overwork, and in 2005 the health guidance through an interview by a doctor for overworked workers has been enacted as law. Long working hours are controversial issues because of conflicts between health, safety, work-life balance, and productivity. It is obvious that we need to continue research regarding the impact on worker health and the management of long working hours.
•35% of long-haul truck drivers reported at least 1 crash in their career as an LHTD.•68% of non-crash injuries involving days away from work were not reported.•73% of LHTDs perceived their delivery ...schedules unrealistically tight.•37% of LHTDs reported being noncompliant with hours-of-service rules.•38% of LHTDs perceived their entry-level training inadequate.
Approximately 1,701,500 people were employed as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the United States in 2012. The majority of them were long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs). There are limited data on occupational injury and safety in LHTDs, which prompted a targeted national survey. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health conducted a nationally representative survey of 1265 LHTDs at 32 truck stops across the contiguous United States in 2010. Data were collected on truck crashes, near misses, moving violations, work-related injuries, work environment, safety climate, driver training, job satisfaction, and driving behaviors. Results suggested that an estimated 2.6% of LHTDs reported a truck crash in 2010, 35% reported at least one crash while working as an LHTD, 24% reported at least one near miss in the previous 7 days, 17% reported at least one moving violation ticket and 4.7% reported a non-crash injury involving days away from work in the previous 12 months. The majority (68%) of non-crash injuries among company drivers were not reported to employers. An estimate of 73% of LHTDs (16% often and 58% sometimes) perceived their delivery schedules unrealistically tight; 24% often continued driving despite fatigue, bad weather, or heavy traffic because they needed to deliver or pick up a load at a given time; 4.5% often drove 10miles per hours or more over the speed limit; 6.0% never wore a seatbelt; 36% were often frustrated by other drivers on the road; 35% often had to wait for access to a loading dock; 37% reported being noncompliant with hours-of-service rules (10% often and 27% sometimes); 38% of LHTDs perceived their entry-level training inadequate; and 15% did not feel that safety of workers was a high priority with their management. This survey brings to light a number of important safety issues for further research and interventions, e.g., high prevalence of truck crashes, injury underreporting, unrealistically tight delivery schedules, noncompliance with hours-of-service rules, and inadequate entry-level training.
This study uses the Taylor linearized variance estimation method to compute weighted unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of neck pain by occupation, with a cross-section data set from the 2009 to 2012 ...National Health Interview Survey.
The goal of this study was to explore occupational patterns of neck pain and the relationship between long work hours and neck pain in the working population in the United States.
The past research has demonstrated that specific occupations have a high prevalence of neck pain. However, occupational patterns of neck pain in the United States have been understudied.
Risk of neck pain was estimated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) as measures of association.
After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic status, and behavior-related factors and compared with workers in architecture and engineering occupation group, the top 5 occupational groups with significantly higher relative prevalence of neck pain included: military specific (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.17-5.35); arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.34-2.17); life, physical, and social science (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.33-2.11); health care support (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.23-1.97); and installation, maintenance, and repair (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96). Compared with those who worked 40 hours, people who worked 46 to 59 hours (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.30) and 60 or more hours of work per week (OR, 1.35; 95% CI-1.21, 1.51) were more likely to report neck pain.
This study adds to the evidence that an individual's occupation and work hours affect workers' risk for neck pain. This study indicates a need for new research efforts and public policies targeted to workers who are susceptible to neck pain in the United States.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted working life quality. This study investigated whether changes in work/sleep patterns due to the pandemic are related to ...poor psychological status among Japanese workers during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020). We hypothesized that workers who experienced drastic changes in working hours and sleep duration would be at an increased risk of psychological distress.
A cross-sectional self-administered Internet survey was conducted that included questions regarding socio-demographics, lifestyle, health, and occupational background and conditions. Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between psychological distress and a combination of changes in working hours and sleep duration.
Among 25,762 workers, decreased work hours and decreased sleep duration presented 2.59 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% confidence interval CI = 2.05-3.28) compared to those who had no changes in work hours combined with unchanged sleep duration (reference group). Increased work hours and decreased sleep duration were associated with 1.98 times higher odds of psychological distress (95% CI = 1.64-2.39).
Our observations confirmed that decreased sleep duration could be a key factor for psychological distress, irrespective of working hours. Interestingly, workers with a combination of decreased work hours and sleep duration posed the highest risk of psychological distress. Decreased work hours accompanied by financial difficulties in the early stage of the pandemic may have caused decreased sleep duration, resulting in a high prevalence of psychological distress. Our study underlined the importance of sleep management in maintaining workers' mental health, moreover, the need to consider situations and conditions of other daily tasks, such as work hours, for better sleep management.
Aerators are necessary for the conservation of water quality in dams, as they increase water circulation and oxygenate the water. To estimate aerator performance characteristics in the field, the ...optimal spatial range, resolution, and sampling time interval need to be determined for the targeted water mass. In this study, we conducted precise field experiments at Hiyoshi Dam in Kyoto, Japan, by employing a new type of aerator in the summer of 2012. Initially, the water temperature distribution near one aerator was observed using an automatic temperature profiler capable of horizontal movement on the water surface over a distance of 90 m at a speed of 0.1 m/s during a sampling cycle of 15 minutes. The vertical temperature distribution was determined by a series of thermocouples suspended in steps of 0.1 to 1 m on a 10-m-long cable beneath the surface. Subsequently, the water temperature distribution between two identical aerators located 275 m apart was observed using 6 pairs of vertically suspended thermocouples connected horizontally with a cable at 25-m intervals. Finally, the water flow distribution near one aerator was observed with an electromagnetic flowmeter. Analysis of the results clearly showed how an entrained water mass intruded into a thermocline that formed at a depth of 2.5 m. In addition, details regarding the speed and flow rate of the intrusion, the mixing efficiency, and the estimated number of days required for shallow layer circulation were estimated.
Objective The concept of self-endangering work behavior (SEWB) was recently proposed to describe problematic behaviors to cope with heavy workloads and self-management. Although SEWB may enable ...workers to achieve immediate goals, it risks health and long-term work capacity. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of the SEWB (J-SEWB) scale, which was originally in German, and verified its validity and reliability.Materials The original SEWB scale consisted of 21 items, constituting five subscales: “Intensification of working hours,” “Prolongation/extension of working hours,” “Refraining from recovery/leisure activities,” “Working despite illness,” and “Use of stimulating substances.” We translated the scale into Japanese, then checked the wording using back-translation.Methods The J-SEWB scale and questions for working conditions and sociodemographic variables was administered via an online survey with 600 participants registered with an internet survey company in Japan. Cronbach’s α coefficients were calculated for each subscale to assess internal consistency. Construct validity was examined using principal factor analysis with equamax rotation. An analysis of variance evaluated the relationships of J-SEWB scores with working conditions and sociodemographic variables.Results Cronbach’s α coefficients ranged from 0.846 to 0.964 for five subscales, and 0.957 for all 21 items (total J-SEWB score) in 600 participants. The factor analysis identified five factors, classifying 21 items into corresponding subscales. Total J-SEWB scores were significantly higher for flexible work as well as longer working hours.Conclusions The J-SEWB scale appears to be an effective tool for assessing SEWB in Japanese employees, with satisfactory reliability and construct validity.
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