Evaluation of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome Owing to Nerve Conduction Study and Cumulative Exposure Index-A 2.5-Year Cohort Study.

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).

A 10-year Follow-up Cohort Study of the Health Effects in Toner-handling Workers.

In this study, we compare the results of a cross-sectional survey and secular changes between toner-handling workers and non-toner-handling workers, focusing on blood tests, urinalysis, respiratory function tests, and chest imaging results as indices of health effects. Of 116 employees who participated in the survey conducted at an office equipment manufacturer in Japan, 65 male employees who could be followed up for 10 years were included in the analysis. Thirty-eight workers engaged in toner-handling operations were considered toner-handling workers, and 27 not engaged in these operations were considered non-toner-handling workers.

The Relationship Between Fear-avoidance Beliefs in Employees with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Work Productivity: A Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to identify risk factors for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) and sought to examine the effect of fear-avoidance beliefs (FABs) on work productivity in workers with CMSP. We performed a longitudinal study using self-administered questionnaires given to employees in three different industries between April 2016 and March 2017. The questionnaire concerned background characteristics, work-related factors and musculoskeletal pain, the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun), and the Japanese version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-J).

Relationships Between Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Working Hours and Sleeping Hours: A Cross-sectional Study.

Ten to twenty percent of the population of Japan has chronic pain. Although studies have confirmed a relationship between sleeping hours and chronic pain, it remains unclear whether there is an association between working hours and chronic pain, especially chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), in workers. A self-administered questionnaire that sought information regarding background characteristics and work-related factors was sent to 118 enterprises; finally, 1,747 participants were included in the analysis and were classified into CMP (n = 448) and non-CMP (n = 1299) groups.

Health Effects of Toner Exposure Among Japanese Toner-Handling Workers: A 10-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of the respiratory diseases, i.e. pneumoconiosis, lung fibrosis, granulomatous pneumonitis, lung cancer and bronchial asthma, which have been reported as related to toner exposure.

[Investigation of the working behavior of part-time occupational physicians using practical recording sheets].

Objectives: We investigated the working behavior of part-time occupational physicians using practical recording sheets to clarify issues of occupational physicians' activities according to industrial groups or size of business.

Methods: We collected 561 recording sheets in 96 industries from 11 part-time occupational physicians as collaborators, who volunteered to be a part of this research. We collected a variety of information from the practical recording sheets, including the industry in which each occupational physician was employed, the annual number of times of work attendance, occupational physician-conducted workplace patrol, and employee health management.