This study aimed to clarify the relationship between occupational stress and heart rate at work. We measured the heart rate of 45 healthcare workers (mean age: 26.6 years) during an 8-hour workday, using a Holter electrocardiograph. The mean value for each 10- minute interval (interval heart rate) was then calculated. The median all-day maximum interval heart rate was 110 beats/min. Participants with an all-day maximum interval heart rate below 110 beats/min belonged to the low-heart-rate group (n=21), whereas those with above 110 beats/min were the high-heart-rate group (n=24). The Occupational Stress Brief Questionnaire scores was compared between the two groups. In addition, the influence of the Focusing Attitude (the ability to pay attention to and verbalize one's physical and mental experiences), which is related to stress coping, was also investigated.

The high-heart-rate group had significantly higher scores on the questionnaire item “Stress Reaction” than the low-heart-rate group. Multivariate analysis with “stress reaction” as the dependent variable, revealed a negative association with Focusing Attitude.

In conclusion, the chronic stress state can be reflected in the individualʼs heart rate during work, suggesting that applying the Focusing Attitude approach can help reduce occupational stress.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between the implementation status of diet therapy and quality of life (QOL) and to examine the ideal way of providing nutritional guidance for diabetic patients. We investigated the relationship between the implementation status of diet therapy, the shortened version of the diabetic diet-related QOL scale, and health-related QOL (8-item Short-Form Health Survey, SF-8), in 217 patients visiting a diabetic clinic by anonymous self-administration, and analyzed their relevance. As a result, the higher the frequency of diets that restrict dietary intake and establish eating habits, the better the QOL.

It was affected by the restrictions on “staple foods,” “starting with vegetables,” and “eating a combination of staple foods and the main and side dishes,” which enhanced the sense of benefit of diabetic diet-related QOL. Furthermore, “starting with vegetables” strongly affected the general health, and “earlier supper time” had a great influence on mental health and the mental summary score of SF-8. Therefore, it is suggested that the continuous implementation of diet therapy such as “starting with vegetables” and “earlier supper time” would bring mental and physical stability. It could be effective guidance not only from the point of view of lowering blood glucose but also from the point of view of physical and mental health science.