Journal of Occupational Health
Online ISSN : 1348-9585
Print ISSN : 1341-9145
ISSN-L : 1341-9145
Volume 43, Issue 5
Displaying 1-13 of 13 articles from this issue
  • Motonobu MIYAZAKI, Hiroshi UNE
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 225-230
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Risk of Lung Cancer among Japanese Coal Miners on Hazard Risk and Interaction between Smoking and Coal Mining: Motonobu MIYAZAKI, et al. Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University—This article examines whether an association is found between lung cancer and coal mining and also whether a correlation is found between smoking and coal mining that relates to the risk of lung cancer in Japanese coal miners. A cohort study was performed in former coal mine areas. The survey was carried out between 1987 and 1989, and was extended in a follow-up period to 1995. 5, 818 Japanese males (1, 796 coal miners and 4, 022 non-coal miners) aged from 40 to 69 yr responded to a mail questionnaire that included occupational history and smoking habits. The data were analysed with Cox''s proportional hazards model. Significant differences in hazard ratios for lung cancer were recognized in coal miners with ≥15 yr of work (Hazard ratio=2.08, 95% CI: 1.01-4.27) and current smokers with ≥20 cigarettes/day (Hazard ratio=5.41, 95% CI: 1.26-23.28). As regards the interaction of coal mining and smoking, the hazard ratios were 2.04 (95% CI: 0.13-32.83) for coal miners who had never smoked, 4.71 (95% CI: 0.62-35.56) for non-coal miners who were ex-smokers or current smokers, and 6.88 (95% CI: 0.92-51.65) for coal miners who were ex-smokers or current smokers compared with non-coal miners who had never smoked. The interaction of coal mining and smoking for the risk of lung cancer was likely to be additive rather than synergistic. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 225-230)
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  • Lin FRITSCHI, N de KLERK, M SIM, G BENKE, AW MUSK
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 231-237
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Respiratory Morbidity and Exposure to Bauxite, Alumina and Caustic Mist in Alumina Refineries: Lin FRITSCHI, et al. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University—A cross-sectional survey of 2404 employees in three alumina refineries was performed in 1996. The aims of this study were to investigate associations between respiratory symptoms and lung function and cumulative quantitative workplace exposure to alumina and bauxite dust, as well as recent workplace exposure to caustic mist. All participants answered questions about respiratory symptoms and the relationship of those symptoms to work, as well as having spirometry and providing a complete job history. The job histories were combined with a task exposure matrix for bauxite and alumina dust. The current job was also assigned a semiquantitative exposure to caustic mist. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for symptoms were calculated for each exposure. Subjects in the highest group of current caustic exposure reported increased prevalence of work related wheeze (PR=1.8 95% CI 1.0-3.1) and rhinitis (PR=1.6 95% CI 1.1-2.4) but did not have measurable changes in lung function. Alumina exposure was associated with minor increases in reporting of work related wheeze and rhinitis but no changes in lung function. Bauxite exposure at the levels experienced in these alumina refineries was not associated with either symptoms or lung function changes. (J Occup Health 2001; 43:231-237)
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  • Yu-Hsuan SHAO, Wen-Yu YEH, Chiou-Jong CHEN, Chun Wan CHEN, Yue-Liang G ...
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 238-242
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Prevalence of Self-Reported Work-Related Skin Conditions in Taiwanese Working Population: Yu-Hsuan SHAO, et al. Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University—Work-related skin conditions are among the most prevalent occupational diseases, but population-based studies of occupational skin diseases are few. This study was conducted by a nationwide representative sampling of employed workers in Taiwan to estimate the prevalence of work-related skin conditions. A total of 18942 non-self-employed workers participated in this survey. Data were collected by selfadministered questionnaires. Those workers who reported having upper extremity skin conditions and considered their skin conditions caused by work exposure were defined as having work-related skin conditions. More than a half of the skin conditions were considered work-related. Overall, 4.4% of male employees and 4.2% of female employees reported having work-related skin conditions in the past year. Work-related skin conditions were more prevalent among male workers than female workers (adjusted OR=0.8, p<0.05) after adjusting for other factors. Low education level (adjusted OR=2.52, p<0.05), exposure to paint (adjusted OR=1.69, p<0.05), electroplating fluid or agriculture pesticide (adjusted OR=2.11, p<0.05) and working in a hot working environment (adjusted OR=2.76, p<0.05) were predictors of having work-related skin conditions. Sanitary and pollution control services, mining and quarrying, personal services, building construction, and fishing were identified as high-risk industries. This study concluded that work-related skin conditions were a rather common occupational disorder in Taiwanese working population. Risk factors and high-risk industries were considered for further research and intervention. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 238-242)
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  • Junichi NISHIMURA, Shosuke SUZUKI
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 243-253
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Study of the Factors Determining the Consciousness of Limited Research Abilities of Enterprise Researchers Due to Aging: Junichi NISHIMURA, et al. Department of Psychology and Education, Tokyo Kasei University—In this study, a functional relation between age and ability of enterprise researchers was forecasted as a means of discussing their age-related consciousness focusing on the five aspects of professional, technical, management, informative, and physiological abilities. Monotonous increase, stationary→increase, increase→stationary, increase→decrease, monotonous decrease, and other appearance patterns were compared for each ability type. At the same time, the similarity of these patterns was analyzed by principal component analysis to extract the general characteristics of the influence of age consciousness on abilities, and to discuss how these general characteristics were related to the personality of researchers, and to denote thoughts about the influence of aging on their research abilities and self-efficacy. The survey was performed on 83 Japanese pharmaceutical companies. 3, 450 questionnaires in total were delivered to the R & D department of each company according to corporate size. The number of respondents was 1, 067 persons, recovered from 37 companies (recovery rate: 30.6%). From the results, the following points were identified. First, although Japanese enterprise researchers have been said to have a strong awareness of their limited abilities due to aging, this was not necessarily true; there were, however, differences seen within the different ability types. Second, we noted the two salient factors of growth vs. degradation and of determining the rapidity of growth, and each of these was intricately related to the respondents' way of thinking about the influence of aging on their research abilities and selfefficacy. Third, as age increased, respondents tended to have a stronger consciousness of limited abilities due to aging and their career path (i.e., as researchers). Fourth, superior researchers who had already moved or were most probably going to move to research management functions tended to feel that their research lives were so much shorter. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 243-253)
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  • Hironobu KATSUYAMA, Goro TSUCHIYA, Shigeo SUNAMI, Kiyofumi SAIJOH
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 254-264
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Performance of Computer-Assisted Analysis of ECG Tests in Health Examinations and Heart Disease Risk in the Normal Working Population: Hironobu KATSUYAMA, et al. Department of Public Health, Kawasaki Medical School—Performance of ECGs in health examinations was examined to compare the accuracy of diagnoses made by occupational health physicians (OHPs) with those made by computer-assisted analysis. Approximately 15-20% of shipbuilders aged 35 or over with satisfactory performance of their duties at work had any ECG findings. The computer results differed from those of the OHPs with regard to the seriousness of Hypertrophy and the number of lschemic changes, mainly due to differences in the decision algorithm. Further medical examinations revealed that diagnoses by the OHPs were comprehensive enough to reflect conditions of clinical importance, whereas the computer results were characterized by numerous false negatives. Continuous health examination with ECG testing found approximately 7.3% of the workers could have suffered from some cardiovascular disorder within five years. Computer-assisted analysis is therefore useful in health examinations but a decision algorithm suitable for screening should be established to reduce the false negative rate and increase reliability. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 254-264)
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  • Shingo FUKAYO, Koichi NONAKA, Eiji YANO
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 265-270
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Different Dental Caries Patterns among Smelter Workers with Dental Erosion: Shingo FUKAYO, et al. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine—Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of dental caries among smelter workers with mild dental acid erosion. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 350 male workers at a copper-mine smelter in Japan revealed 28 cases of mild dental erosion. 26 subjects aged 40 yr and over were compared for their caries pattern with noncases in the corresponding age groups. Results: Although the number of overall DMFT (decayed, missing or filled teeth) was similar in the two groups (mean ± standard error, 14.7 ± 1.1 and 14.7 ± 0.4, respectively), site-specific DMFT had a different pattern: DMFT was significantly (p=0.012) less for maxillary anterior teeth among the cases (1.4 ± 0.3) compared with the non-cases (2.5 ± 0.1). The caries prevalence pattern of the non-cases was similar to that reported in the general population. Conclusion: The different caries pattern among the workers who had developed dental erosion indicates that low-level but consistent exposure to acid could have changed the risk for dental caries, possibly through the interactions of environmental acid and the pH-buffering action of saliva. (J Occup Health 2001; 43:265-270)
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  • Niu QIAO, Mario Di GIOACCHINO, He SHUCHANG, Liang YOUXIN, Roberto PAGA ...
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 271-277
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Effects of Lead Exposure in Printing Houses on Immune and Neurobehavioral Functions of Women: Niu QIAO, et al. Department of Occupational Health, Shanxi Medical University, China—The object of this study was the effect of lead (Pb) exposure on immune and neurobehavioral parameters of 16 women with a mean age of 34 yr who worked for an average of 12 yr in three printing houses in Taiyuan (Shanxi Province, China). The women were not occupationally exposed to toxic agents other than Pb. Mean air Pb in the printing houses was about 25 μg/m3, mean blood Pb of the workers was 28.6, μg/d/ and that of the referents 12.4. The referent group of 36 women, resident in the same industrialised and traffic busy city, was of similar age, working activity, lifestyle and education of the Pb-exposed group. The Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) was utilised; some of the NCTB scores, including the simple reaction time, Digit Symbol, Pursuit Aiming II (PA) and correct PA, were significantly lower in the Pb exposed group, whereas all the negative Profile Mood States (POMS) scores were slightly higher in the workers (some with a significant difference) indicating a negative psychological effect of Pb. Lymphocyte subsets were determined in 16 of the Pb exposed women and in 16 referent women with similar age and lifestyle of the whole group of 36 controls. CD4+-CD45RO+ “memory”T lymphocytes of the workers were significantly higher than those of control women, whereas NK and B CD3--HLA-DR+and NK CD16+-CD56+ lymphocytes of the Pb exposed women were much lower than those of the referent group. We suggest that the reduction of blood CD16+-CD56+ lymphocytes in the workers in the printing houses may depend either on a direct effect of Pb exposure on the immune system or on an effect mediated by the neuroendocrine system.(J Occup Health 2001; 43:271-277)
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  • Lukas Jyuhn-Hsiarn LEE, Chih-Ting YU, Jung-Der WANG
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 278-280
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Procedure-Specific Rates for Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Workers: Lukas Jyuhn-Hsiarn LEE, et al. Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University—To assess the rates of needlestick injuries (NSIs) from different types of injection procedures in health care workers, we conducted a prospective study in a university hospital in Taiwan. NSIs in the departments of internal medicine and surgery were prospectively monitored during July 1994-March 1995. All the injured were interviewed to identify their associated procedures. The corresponding numbers of injection procedures were collected during the study period to estimate the denominator of medical procedures. A total of 81 cases of contaminated NSIs were actively collected over a 9-month period compared with 54 NSIs from a routine self-reporting system. Procedures involving intravenous catheter stylets had the highest needlestick injury rate, 43.5/100, 000, followed by blood transfusion and blood drawing, 17.7 and 13.3/100, 000, respectively. These rates may aid priority setting to introduce safer needle devices when resources are limited. (J Occup Health 2001; 43:278-280)
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  • Masaiwa INOUE, Yasue MINAMI, Saeko MASAKI, Tomiko KAWASHITA, Kenichi Y ...
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 281-283
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Hideki KURITA, Tetsuya KAMEI, Kaoru NAGAOKA, Tsutomu YOSHIDA, Hirosige ...
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 284-286
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Matti HAKKOLA, Lauri SAARINEN, Kaija PEKARI
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 287-290
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Yuko YAMANO, Jun KAGAWA, Sumiko ISHIZU
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 291-294
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Toshiteru OKUBO
    2001 Volume 43 Issue 5 Pages 295-300
    Published: 2001
    Released on J-STAGE: March 30, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Specialist Qualification Program for Physicians Prepared by the Japan Society for Occupational Health: Toshiteru OKUBO. University of Occupational and Environmental Health—The Japan Society for Occupational Health introduced a new qualification program for occupational physicians in 1992. Qualification is based on an examination and in this examination candidates must undergo the following five different types of evaluations. 1. Written tests 2. Oral examinations 3. Group discussions 4. Presentation 5. Personal interview. Two types of written tests are given to evaluate the knowledge level of the candidates, a short answer test and an essay. The oral examination is given to a group of 4 to 6 candidates. Two examiners are assigned to each group and 10 questions are asked of the candidates in turn. To the same group but with the different examiners assigned, more complicated problems are given in the discussion section. Each candidate is randomly given a subject for personal presentation from a pool of subjects. Three examiners are assigned to each candidate in the personal interview. Sixty percent is the criterion for success. For each of the evaluations other than the written tests, three evaluation categories, namely knowledge, expertise and personal attitude are introduced. Based on these checking points the examiners are requested to give a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate by points with one hundred as the perfect score. If the final evaluation in all three categories is successful, the candidate has passed the examination. Evaluation of this examination has been carried out concerning variation according to examiner, relationship between examination types and impression given by the candidates. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 295-300)
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