Relationship between behavioral lifestyle and mental health status evaluated using the GHQ-28 and SDS questionnaires in Japanese factory workers

In order to clarify the relationships between lifestyle behaviors and mental health status in Japanese workers, the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) were administered to 254 male factory workers; further, eight of their personal health practices were surveyed using the Health Practice Index (HPI). Few studies have used the GHQ-28 and SDS simultaneously; moreover, to date, no study has included the lifestyle factors in these scales. We used these tools for the concurrent assessment of mental health status and classified the subjects into high-risk and low-risk groups. The GHQ-28 and SDS scores correlated negatively with the HPI scores. In the older age group, these scores decreased significantly corresponding to an increase in the total number of favorable lifestyle practices followed. Significant relationships were observed between the GHQ-28 subscales and the HPI. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that four of the eight health practices surveyed were significantly related to the mental health status in all subjects. Thus, good health practices appear to be closely associated with good mental health status. However, to establish our results, larger study populations are required for further studies in various occupational fields.     

The relationship of lifestyle factors, personal character, and mental health status of employees of a major Japanese electrical manufacturer

Summary  To examine the relationship lifestyle factors, personal character, mental health status, and job strain a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among employees of a leading electrical manufacturing company in Japan. A total of 2,327 workers (Male=1,668, Female=659) responded to the survey. We analyzed the relationships of health practices based on such factors as: Free child (FC) from the Egogram, the Working-life satisfaction, and the General Health Questionnaire-28 through Path-analysis techniques. The following results were obtained: The mental health status was significantly affected by such factors as health practices, Working-life satisfaction, personal character (FC), life satisfaction, and age. Health practices and personal character (FC) showed a direct relationship to the mental health status and an indirect relationship to the Working-life satisfaction and life satisfaction. The variances accounting for mental health status were 41.8% in male workers and 43.8% in female workers. Path-analysis data suggested that mental health status was affected about 40% by lifestyle, personal character, Working-life satisfaction, and life satisfaction. It was suggested that there might be important factors affecting mental health status but which are unknown to us by as much as 60% in the present day. These findings suggested the necessity of further investigation of the relationship among lifestyle factors, mental health status, and job strain among employees of a reputable company in the present day.     

Association of smoking with other lifestyle factors and mental health status of Japanese factory workers

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among factory workers in Japan. The questionnaire included items concerning eight health practices recommended by Morimoto and the General Health Questionnaire-28. Data from 1598 male workers were analyzed. There were few differences in comprehensive health status due to smoking status, but smokers under the age of 30 years had worse lifestyle habits than nonsmokers with regard to favorable drinking and eating breakfast, and smokers between the ages 30 and 44 years had worse lifestyle habits with regard to favorable drinking and eating breakfast, and better habits regarding sleeping hours and working hours. Smokers under 30 showed worse mental health status than ex-smokers with regard to social dysfunction, though there was little difference between those aged from 30 to 44 and those 45 and older. The results suggested the importance of considering the difference in lifestyle and mental health status due to smoking status when providing advice for improving health habits.     

Relationships among self-management skills, communication with superiors, and mental health of employees in a Japanese worksite

The present study investigated relationships among self-management skills, communication with superiors, and the mental health of employees in a Japanese worksite. The subjects were manufacturing workers in a medium-sized company in Kyushu. In 1999, we mailed a self-administrated questionnaire which included questions on age, gender, job rank, communication with superiors, a General Self-Efficacy Scale, a Self-Management Skill Scale, and the Japanese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Eighty percent of the subjects returned the questionnaire. Excluding senior managers and insufficient answers, the final response rate was fifty-five percent. The multiple regression analysis showed that job rank contributed significantly and positively and that age, communication with superiors, and self-management skills contributed significantly and negatively to the GHQ-12. Our results implied that self-management skills might have the potential of affecting the mental health of Japanese employees.     

Effects of shift work on quality of sleep among retired workers]

To examine the relationship between shiftwork experience and quality of sleep after retirement, we carried out a self-reported questionnaire survey on 777 retired workers of a manufacturing company. Questionnaire items included past illness, current health status, dietary habit, alcohol drinking, smoking, regular exercise, sleep, working condition (job, shift work experience, shift work periods and side job), current working status, social activity, educational background, sex, age and number of years since retirement. Present health status (adjusted odds ratio 4.318, 95% CI 2.475-7.534), shift work experience (2.190, 1.211-3.953), present working status (1.913, 1.155-3.167) and dietary habit (1.653, 1.055-2.591) were significantly related to sleep disturbance after retirement by multiple logistic regression analysis. To prevent sleep disturbance after retirement, people should keep a regular lifestyle and good health status, especially ex-shift workers.     

Shiftwork: what health care managers need to know

Shiftwork is one of health care worker's oldest problems and is known to have important implications on health. Health risks are compounded with age and the amount of cumulated shiftwork. No shift system is clearly advantaged, yet the worker's ability to choose the shift system seems to maximize adaptation to shiftwork. When designing a work schedule, it is important to take into consideration the shift pattern, length of the shift, and the number of consecutive days worked. A poorly designed work schedule can impact the quality of care, the personal and professional outcomes for health care workers, patient satisfaction, length of stay, unplanned absenteeism, cost effectiveness, and productivity. Long-term studies of shiftworkers may disproportionately represent workers who have adapted to shiftwork. Self-scheduling is an interesting alternative in the quest for a more responsive work environment and is a strategy for retention among new, mid-career, and senior nurses. Planned on-site napping may be a useful tool to combat the pernicious effects of sleep debt on performance. Guidelines must be developed and initiatives implemented and evaluated to protect health care workers, especially older female shiftworkers, from the negative impact of shiftwork as they represent a precious resource in a shrinking supply.     

The influence of psychosocial factors at work and life style on health and work ability among professional workers

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to explore the associations of psychosocial factors at work, life style, and stressful life events on health and work ability among white-collar workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among workers in commercial services (n = 1141). The main outcome variables were work ability, measured by the work ability index (WAI), and mental and physical health, measured by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Individual characteristics, psychosocial factors at work, stressful life events, and lifestyle factors were determined by a questionnaire. Maximum oxygen uptake, weight, height, and biceps strength were measured during a physical examination. RESULTS: Work ability of white-collar workers in commercial services industry was strongly associated with psychosocial factors at work such as teamwork, stress handling, and self-development and, to a lesser extent, with stressful life events, lack of physical activity, and obesity. Determinants of mental health were very similar to those of work ability, whereas physical health was influenced primarily by life style factors. With respect to work ability, the influence of unhealthy life style seems more important for older workers, than for their younger colleagues. CONCLUSION: Among white-collar workers mental and physical health were of equal importance to work ability, but only mental health and work ability shared the same determinants. The strong associations between psychosocial factors at work and mental health and work ability suggest that in this study population health promotion should address working conditions rather than individual life style factors.     

Psychological factors including sense of coherence and some lifestyles are related to general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) in elderly workers in Japan

Objectives  The number of elderly workers has also been increasing and poor psychological well-being in elderly workers has been reported. The aim of this study is to elucidate the factors that are related to poor psychological well-being in elderly workers. Methods  We administered General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) as an indicator of psychological well-being to 330 male elderly workers in the age range of 50–69, and analyzed different psychological factors, namely sense of coherence (SOC), and physical and lifestyle variables such as blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, smoking frequency, alcohol intake, exercise frequency, and body mass index (BMI) that are related to GHQ-12. Results  When the cut-off point of GHQ-12 was 2/3, 97 workers who showed high GHQ-12 score were classified as one group having poor psychological well-being. A statistically significantly lower SOC score, higher stress score, lower frequency of exercise, higher smoking score and higher BMI, but not longer working hours or higher shift work score in the workers with higher GHQ-12 scores were observed than in the workers with normal GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the low SCO score, low frequency of exercise, high smoking frequency and high BMI significantly contributed to the high GHQ-12 score. Conclusions  A low SOC score in elderly workers is assumed to be directly related to poor psychological well-being, or via the development of lifestyle problems such as lack of exercise, obesity, and smoking in elderly workers. This assumption must be confirmed by conducting future intervention studies on lifestyle.     

Factors related to the mental health of workers dispatched to foreign countries]

The purpose of this study was to elucidate factors related to mental health standards of workers dispatched to foreign countries. The subjects were 317 male employees of an electronics company aged between 30 and 49 yr who were first dispatched to North America, Southeast Asia, or Western Europe without movement between the actual locations. A questionnaire survey was conducted on these subjects. Items of investigation consisted of 12 General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) items (indices of mental health standards), 4 baseline characteristics (age, assignment period, areas, and types of work), and 37 other items such as sociocultural factors, medical-sanitary factors, work factors, daily lifestyle factors, social support factors, and environmental factors. Multiple regression analysis was performed on the GHQ scores as criterion variables and baseline characteristics and various factors as explanatory variables. As a result, the following factors were correlated with GHQ scores in workers dispatched to foreign countries: inconvenience caused by different manners and customs (beta = 0.256) among sociocultural factors: inability to understand doctor's instructions (beta = 0.129) among medical-sanitary factors: bad relationships with local superiors (beta = 0.229) and the frequency of paid vacation in a year (beta = -0.129) among work factors: taking exercise less than once in a week (beta = 0.141) and smoking habit (beta = 0.136) among daily lifestyle factors, and lack of communication with the family (beta = 0.177), lack of persons to consult with (beta = 0.138), being dispatched alone (beta = 0.119), and lack of cultural exchange with the local community (beta = 0.117) among social support factors. Since social support factors accounted for 4 of the 10 items related to GHQ scores, personal relationships may be important for mental health in workers dispatched to foreign countries.     

Relationships among self-efficacy, communication, self-management skills and mental health of employees at a Japanese workplace

We investigated relationships among self-efficacy, self-management skills, communication with superiors and mental health of employees at a Japanese workplace. The subjects were 426 employees in a medium-sized manufacturing company in Kyushu. In 1999, with agreement of the company, we mailed a self-administrated questionnaire which included questions on age, gender, job rank, communication with superiors, a General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES), a Self-Management Skill scale(SMS) and the Japanese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-12). Eighty percent of the subjects returned the questionnaire. Excluding senior managers and insufficient answers, the final response rate was 55 percent. By multiple regression analysis, we found that job rank contributed significantly and positively, and that age, communication with superiors and self-management skills contributed significantly and negatively to the GHQ-12. Our results implied that age, job rank, communication with superiors and self-management skills would contribute to the mental health of Japanese employees.     

Improving health, safety, and profits in extended hours operations (shiftwork)

Circadian Technologies, Inc. (CIRCADIAN) is an international consulting firm that for over 20 yr has helped employees better cope with shiftwork, while ensuring their employers reduce costs and maximize profits. This paper describes two of the methods employed to reduce accidents, absenteeism, and turnover, while improving morale and productivity in extended hour operations (shiftwork). Shiftworkers rarely receive on-the-job training to help them cope better with the rigors of working nights, evenings, and early mornings. A pre- and post-training study by CIRCADIAN demonstrated improvements in health and fatigue indices, and an increase in daytime sleep length. Companies who provide shiftwork lifestyle training also have lower rates of absenteeism and turnover compared to companies that do not provide training. The second intervention described in this paper is a novel method of shift scheduling. There are thousands of potential schedules, so how does a company choose the best schedule for their facility? The answer lies in allowing employees to be involved in the process of selection. This results in a workforce that experiences less fatigue, turnover and absenteeism, and higher morale.     

A follow-up study on the association of working conditions and lifestyles with the development of (perceived) mental symptoms in workers of a telecommunication enterprise

AIM: This study investigated the association of working conditions and lifestyle with mental health in Japanese workers. METHODS: A follow-up study was carried out in the Kanto district of Japan of workers in a telecommunications enterprise who received their first annual health check-up between 1992 and 1996 and were between 20 and 54 years old. Workers who reported mental symptoms, had a past history of disease, or current illness at their first check-up were excluded from the analysis. In total, the study included 23 837 workers. The association between working conditions and lifestyle and the development of mental symptoms was investigated by pooled logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Working long hours and part-time work, as opposed to normal daytime hours of work, were factors associated with the development of mental symptoms in males, as were smoking, short sleeping hours, little physical exercise, rarely taking three meals a day, frequently eating within 1 h before sleep, much preference for salty meals and little preference for vegetables. Consumption of alcohol was negatively associated with the development of mental symptoms in males. Overall, the results suggested that the lower the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score, the higher the risk of developing mental symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Working conditions and lifestyle, especially food preferences, have an apparent influence on the mental health of Japanese workers. Moreover, the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score indicates that working conditions and lifestyle appear to have a cumulative influence upon the mental health of Japanese workers.     

Psychological and occupational predictive factors for back pain among employees of a university hospital in southern Spain

OBJECTIVES: To identify the individual and occupational factors that are predictors for low back pain among the employees of a university hospital in southern Spain. METHODS: A transverse study was conducted in which the population used was the hospital employees who volunteered to participate. The information was obtained by using a questionnaire, which included demographic and anthropometric variables, habits, characteristics of the work done, and of any pain experienced. The mental health condition of subjects was measured using the GHQ-28, using a score of > or = 6 as the cut-off point. To study the variables associated with pain, crude odds ratios (ORs) were calculated (+/- 95% CI) and adjusted according to a logistic regression model. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred and four subjects participated in the study but only 890 of these completed the questionnaire in full (rate of response, 35.7% of total employees). The population studied was notable for the high proportion of women, for subjects > 41 years of age, and subjects who undertook little or no physical exercise. In addition, according to the GHQ-28 test, 29.9% of the total were 'probable psychiatric cases'. The crude ORs were high in all the occupational categories in comparison with the doctors, with the exception of the maintenance, cleaning, and catering group. They were also higher among women, among subjects with poor mental health, and among women with one or more children. The adjusted ORs showed that having a GHQ-28 score of > or = 6, and belonging to the auxiliary technician category, were independent risk factors for suffering low back pain. Being older than 41 years and in temporary employment were protective variables. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of probable mental illness is the variable most strongly associated with the presence of low back pain in the population studied. Its diagnostic confirmation and appropriate treatment could contribute to reducing the prevalence of vertebral pains in this occupational group.     

影响某电脑公司员工参与体力活动相关因素的定性研究

[目的]了解电脑从业人员的体力活动相关情况,为进一步开展干预活动提供参考依据.[方法]对上海某电脑公司49名员工进行一对一的非正式访谈,在atlas/ti软件支持下应用内容分析法对资料进行分析归纳.访谈内容包括基本健康状况、目前体力活动情况、体力活动相关知识了解情况、进行体力活动的障碍和促进体力活动的意见与建议.[结果]该电脑公司员工不仅大多以静态生活方式为主,而且不能正确描述促进健康体力活动的要求.缺乏运动的时间、无人结伴锻炼、锻炼的场地与设施的不便利,以及个人心理认知因素是影响其体力活动相关行为的主要因素.结果还显示,在公司开展电子邮件为载体的体力活动干预的同时,结合组织其他体育活动是该公司员工易于接受的体力活动干预形式.[结论]该人群不仅体力活动水平明显不足,而且缺乏体力活动健康促进的相关知识,以电子邮件为载体的促进体力活动的干预方式是该公司可行的选择.     

公交驾驶员乘客困扰、应对方式与一般心理健康状况的关系研究

目的 了解成都市公交驾驶员的一般心理健康状态及其主要影响因素,探讨公交车乘客困扰、驾驶员应对方式与一般心理健康状况的关系。方法 使用驾驶员应对方式问卷中文简版、公交车乘客困扰问卷、一般健康问卷（GHQ - 12）对成都市公交驾驶员进行调查,了解调查对象的个体特征、乘客困扰、应对方式以及一般心理健康状况。采用logistic回归分析一般心理健康状况的主要影响因素。结果 995名成都市公交驾驶员ＧHQ - 12平均得分11.00（5.00）分,心理障碍高危人群266名。不同驾龄、婚姻状况、锻炼情况的公交驾驶员GHQ - 12得分差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;logistic逐步回归分析结果显示,影响心理健康的危险因素是驾龄长（OR = 1.250）、受到乘客困扰多（OR = 1.064）、情绪性应对频率高（OR = 1.397）;每周1～2次和每周≥3次锻炼（OR = 0.684,0.508）相较从不或偶尔锻炼是心理健康的保护因素。结论 成都市公交驾驶员一般心理健康状况较差,相关部门应该从减轻工作困扰,提高应对能力和养成健康的生活方式等方面采取针对性措施。     

Working conditions and mental health: Results from the CARESUN study

The authors conducted a work-related stress surveillance study in 2013 on 6,558 public-sector employees in Italy, examining how they perceived their jobs, via the Job Content Questionnaire, and their mental health status, via the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). Of the 2,094 employees completing the questionnaires, 60% were male, 52% had a medium-level education, and 76% had a medium-level job. Three hundred and eighty-five employees (18%) had a GHQ-12 score >3 and were classified as GHQ-12 cases: these were more often female (54%), medium-to-highly educated (54%), and had more often reported health problems over the previous year (51%). Thus, GHQ-12 cases represented a significant percentage of the examined population, indicating that work-related stress surveillance programs are needed for the planning of psychosocial interventions aimed at the reintegration of individuals with mental health problems.     

Relationship between working-life satisfaction, health practices and primary symptoms/problems

This study examined the relationship between Quality of Life (QOL) among workers of a major manufacturing company, health practices and primary symptoms/problems. To examine subjective assessment of the quality of life, we designed a comprehensive working-life satisfaction scale. Similarly we designed and assessed Health Practice Index (HPI) and scores for primary symptoms/problems. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Scores for primary symptoms/problems tended to be lower as the Health Practice Index (HPI) were higher. 2) Working-life satisfaction tended to be higher as scores for primary symptoms/problems were lower. 3) Working-life satisfaction tended to be higher as the Health Practice Index (HPI) were higher. The findings pointed to strong correlations between working-life satisfaction as a subjective index in order to assess the Quality of Life (QOL), the Health Practice Index (HPI) and scores for primary symptoms/problems.     

The relationship between nonstandard working and mental health in a representative sample of the South Korean population

In light of escalating job insecurity due to increasing numbers of nonstandard workers, this study examined the association between nonstandard employment and mental health among South Korean workers. We analyzed a representative weighted sample of 2086 men and 1194 women aged 20-64 years, using data from the 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Nonstandard employment included part-time work, temporary work, and daily work. Mental health was measured with indicators of self-reported depression and suicidal ideation. Based on age-adjusted prevalence of mental health, nonstandard employees were more likely to be mentally ill compared to standard employees. Furthermore, nonstandard work status was associated with poor mental health after adjusting for socioeconomic position (education, occupational class, and income) and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise). However, the pattern of the relationship between nonstandard work and mental health differed by gender. Female gender was significantly associated with poor mental health. Although males tended to report more suicidal ideation, this difference was not statistically significant. Considering the increasing prevalence of nonstandard working conditions in South Korea, the results call for more longitudinal research on the mental health effects of nonstandard work.     

The role of retiree health insurance in the early retirement of public sector employees

Most government employees have access to retiree health coverage, which provides them with group health coverage even if they retire before Medicare eligibility. We study the impact of retiree health coverage on the labor supply of public sector workers between the ages of 55 and 64. We find that retiree health coverage raises the probability of stopping full time work by 4.3 percentage points (around 38 percent) over two years among public sector workers aged 55–59, and by 6.7 percentage points (around 26 percent) over two years among public sector workers aged 60–64. In the younger age group, retiree health insurance mostly seems to facilitate transitions to part-time work rather than full retirement. However, in the older age group, it increases the probability of stopping work entirely by 4.3 percentage points (around 22 percent).     

Health practice and total mortality among middle-aged and elderly residents in Sukagawa, Japan

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to clarify the relationship of total mortality with the HPI (health practices index: the additive index of five health practices) and lifestyle among elderly residents in a Japanese cohort. METHODS: A population-based prospective study was conducted in Sukagawa City of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed and collected via mail. One-third of the city residents aged 40-69 years and over 70 years were randomly selected. Baseline surveys were conducted in February 2001 for the '40-69 cohort' and in July for the 'over 70 cohort'. Among 8746 subjects in the '40-69 cohort' and 2718 in the 'over 70 cohort', 5,657 (64.7%) and 2,019 (74.3%) responded, respectively. The questionnaires consisted of items on 'Alameda seven health practices' (weight, sleeping, smoking, drinking, breakfast, exercise, snacking), medical history, perceived health status, and home bound status of the 'over 70 aged cohort'. We followed the younger cohort for 3 years and 7 months and the elderly cohort for 3 years and 3 months until the end of October 2004, and checked their survival status using a municipal resident registry. Analysis of factors associated with total mortality one year after the baseline survey employed a simple chi2 test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the Cox proportional-hazards model to compute relative risks (RRs). The HPI was the additive index of five health practices: weight, sleeping, smoking, drinking, exercise. RESULTS: 1. No significant association was observed between lifestyle and total mortality in the '40-69 cohort'. However, there were significant links between total mortality in the 'over 70 cohort' and HPI and exercise. 2. The Kaplan-Meier curves for the 'over 70 cohort' showed higher survival for the group with higher HPI scores. Again, results of the Cox proportional-hazards model showed no factor significantly associated with the total mortality of the '40-69 cohort'. For the 'over 70 cohort', HPI, age, sex, subjective health and housebound status were associated. Medical history did not show any significant influence. For each of 'the Alameda 7 health practices', exercise was associated with all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: 1. Maintaining good health practices improves life prognosis of the elderly. 2. The HPI is an useful indicator of life prognosis. 3. Promotion of exercise and prevention of becoming housebound are important for improving life prognosis.