Publications by authors named "Akira Ogami"
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced people to change their lifestyles. We examined dietary differences by job type and industry among workers during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted using data an internet survey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Occupational falls are a significant concern among older workers. Although recent cross-sectional studies have indicated a potential association between frailty and occupational falls among older workers, the causal relationship remains unclear. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether frailty is a risk factor for occupational falls among older workers using a longitudinal design.
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- A study examined how cancer affects older workers' intention to leave their jobs, focusing on those aged 60-75.
- Out of 4498 participants, findings revealed a significant link between having cancer and the likelihood of wanting to quit, along with other health issues.
- The research suggests that physical and mental health challenges should be addressed by healthcare providers and employers to support older workers with cancer in maintaining their employment.
Objective: The work environment during work from home (WFH) may have a negative impact on workers' health. We investigated the effects of the physical work environment during WFH on sleep.
Methods: We conducted a 1-year cohort study of 2099 Japanese WFH workers.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore how telecommuting affects sleep quality based on whether workers' telecommuting preferences match their actual frequency of working from home.
- Researchers collected survey data from over 33,000 Japanese workers, focusing on 9,425 who answered follow-up questions, to assess their sleep quality using the Athens Insomnia Scale.
- Results indicated that workers who preferred telecommuting experienced a significantly higher risk of insomnia if they telecommuted less frequently, particularly those telecommuting less than once a week.
Objective: This study aims to clarify the relationship between peripheral neuropathy in hand-arm vibration syndrome and cumulative exposure index.
Methods: 68 participants without symptoms were surveyed. The participants were divided into three groups based on past and current vibration exposure (VE).
The exact definition of a personal health record (PHR) is not clear, but it is generally defined as an electronic record of an individual's medical examination results and medication history that can be accurately tracked by the individual and family members. There are many opportunities to obtain personal PHR data in the field of occupational health, and the amount of information in a worker's PHR is enormous. It is necessary in this field to comprehensively integrate and accumulate not only information from medical examinations, but also records of the work environment and work records as personal health information.
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- Presenteeism negatively impacts workers' health and quality of life, increasing the risk of job resignations and unemployment, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A study involving over 27,000 Japanese workers found that those with higher work functioning impairment, as measured by the Work Functioning Impairment Scale, faced significantly greater odds of leaving their jobs for health-related reasons.
- There is a need for management strategies to support employees experiencing work functioning impairment to help mitigate their employment disadvantages.
Objective: Discriminatory treatment against those with emerging infection is a long-standing problem. The present study investigates whether workers infected or in close contact with COVID-19 were susceptible to workplace mistreatment during the pandemic in Japan.
Methods: This Internet-based cross-sectional study analyzed a total of 18,170 workers aged 20 to 60 years in Japan in December 2020.
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.
Article Synopsis
- Vaccine hesitancy is not the only reason people may remain unvaccinated, as some face other barriers despite having the intention to get vaccinated.
- A study in Japan analyzed 6,955 individuals who were inclined to get vaccinated, revealing that younger age groups, social status (e.g., being single or divorced), low income, and previous COVID-19 infections were linked to higher rates of remaining unvaccinated.
- Findings highlight the need for ongoing information and social support to help individuals overcome obstacles and achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 and other potential pandemics.
Article Synopsis
- * It found that emergency workers' BMI was affected by factors such as eating out habits and evacuation circumstances, with evacuation linked to increased BMI.
- * To prevent obesity and related health issues among these workers, diet counseling is crucial, especially for those who have been evacuated, to help them maintain proper caloric intake.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the combined effects of unhealthy lifestyles and inadequate COVID-19 safety measures on workers' self-rated health (SRH) during the pandemic in Japan.
- - Data from 22,637 workers revealed that both unhealthy behaviors (like poor diet and lack of exercise) and insufficient infection control independently contributed to poor SRH, with even worse outcomes when both factors were present.
- - The findings indicate that addressing both personal health habits and organizational safety practices is crucial for improving workers' health during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the extent to which the intensity of perceived workplace health support (PWHS) affected the incidence of psychological distress.
Methods: At the baseline, data from 4540 eligible participants throughout Japan were obtained using an Internet survey. Among them, 2362 participants who could be followed up 1 year after the initial study were included in the analysis.
Objective: A substantial number of workers' experience mistreatment in the workplace, impacting workers' health and companies' functioning. Vulnerability of those with lower income has been reported, yet little is known about mistreatment during COVID-19. This study aims to examine whether workers in financial distress are particularly prone to mistreatment at the workplace with reference to pandemic-related infection prevention measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Currently, there is no standardized questionnaire for regular workplace health check-ups in Japan. We considered that there are several issues associated with this, including the possibility that the questionnaire items are not useful for occupational health staff. Therefore, our study aimed to examine the questionnaire items required in regular health check-ups from the occupational health practice perspective and prepare a draft of a standardized medical questionnaire.
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- The study assesses how working from home (WFH) affects job stress among Japanese workers, particularly during the pandemic.
- Conducted through an online survey, it analyzed data from nearly 7,000 participants over a year to compare job stress levels between varying frequencies of WFH.
- Findings suggest that high WFH frequency correlates with poor social support and similar job control levels compared to non-WFH workers, indicating that limiting WFH to three days or fewer may help manage job stress better.
Objectives: The physical work environment while working from home (WFH) is a key component of WFH, which, if inadequate, can impair workers' health and work functioning. We investigated environmental factors in WFH and worsening of work functioning.
Methods: A 1-year prospective cohort study was conducted involving 2530 Japanese workers who worked from home.
Background: There are increasing concerns that prevention measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) such as social distancing and telework are leading to loneliness and poor lifestyle habits like increased alcohol consumption. The purpose of this study was to assess whether loneliness reported among workers during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with changes in alcohol consumption.
Methods: The study comprised a cross-sectional, online survey of 27,036 workers between December 22 and 26, 2020.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological distress and poverty among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: An Internet-based prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 11,081 individuals who were not experiencing poverty at baseline in December 2020 were included.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically transformed the work environment and practices worldwide. Long-term infection control practices may increase the psychological distress of workers, and, conversely, inadequate infection control practices in the working place may increase the fear of infection. This study aimed to determine the relationship between infection control practices in the working place and employee mental state during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in treatment interruption for chronic diseases. The scale of COVID-19 in Japan has varied greatly in terms of the scale of infection and the speed of spread depending on the region. This study aimed to examine the relationship between local infection level and treatment interruption among Japanese workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We examined the association between the presenteeism and the risk of divorce among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A prospective study of 27,036 individuals was conducted starting in December 2020, with 18,560 (68.7%) participating in the follow-up in December 2021.
Objectives: Our objective was to assess the effect of appropriate workplace IPC measures on employees' work engagement. It could be important to note how workplace infection prevention control (IPC) measures for COVID-19 contribute to positive mental health among workers. We hypothesized that if workplace IPC measures are adequately implemented, they would have a positive effect on employees' work engagement.
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- The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted changes in work environments and has heightened the need to evaluate its effects on workers' physical and mental health.
- A longitudinal online survey was conducted among Japanese workers in October 2021, with plans for two follow-up surveys in subsequent years to assess the impact of occupational health measures.
- Out of 5111 initial respondents, 4540 participants were included in the final analysis, revealing a balanced representation of males and females across various age groups despite some fraudulent responses.