Journal of Occupational Health
Online ISSN : 1348-9585
Print ISSN : 1341-9145
ISSN-L : 1341-9145
Volume 47, Issue 5
Displaying 1-14 of 14 articles from this issue
Original
  • Madhu B. Singh, Ranjana Fotedar, J. Lakshminarayana
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 371-377
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In Rajasthan 21,000 workers are engaged in hand processing textile industries (process gray/raw cotton cloth). They are exposed to hazards of the textile industries besides the harsh conditions of the desert which contributes to adverse effects on their health. To explore the occupational health problems of the desert textile workers and their association with nutrition and environmental factors, investigations were carried-out in two districts, Jodhpur and Pali. Data on occupational disease conditions, environmental factors, nutritional deficiency signs and anemia were collected for a total of 1,240 individuals out of which 845 were textile workers and 395 were comparative group workers of the same age groups. The main disease conditions, i.e. aches (19.4%), respiratory (12.1%) and fever (7.7%), were higher in textile workers than the comparative group. Dyeing group workers suffered the most (25.5%) from aches, significantly higher than the comparative group (11.6%), may be due to a higher percentage of severe anemia, besides physical labour. Printing and bleaching group workers suffered from respiratory problems (15.5%) almost twice as much as the comparative group, possibly due to exposure to fumes of acids and use of chemical dyes. Housing conditions, personal hygiene and education showed negative associations with disease conditions but positive associations with anemia. The study revealed that in the textile industry, disease conditions vary with the categorization of work. The findings suggest the need for implementation of safety measures according to the type of work in textile industries, besides extension of health and nutrition education and welfare programs.
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  • Yuko Morikawa, Kazuyo Kitaoka-Higashiguchi, Chie Tanimoto, Midori Haya ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 378-383
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The present study investigated the effects of job stress on cellular immune function, such as NK cell activity and NK cell subsets. The participants were 61 female nurses aged 23-59, who worked in a public psychiatric hospital in Ishikawa, Japan. Each subject completed the Nursing Job Stressor Scale (NJSS) and their NK cell activity and lymphocyte surface antigens (CD16+56+) were evaluated as immune system parameters. The NJSS has seven subscales: conflict with other nursing staff, nursing role conflict, conflict with physicians or autonomy, conflict with death or dying, quantitative work load, qualitative work load and conflict with patients. Factors influencing NK cell activity, and the proportion and cell counts of CD16+56+ lymphocytes were evaluated. Increase in quantitative work load significantly decreased NK cell activity. Conversely, no linear relationship was observed between qualitative work load and immunological variables, with the highest percentage of CD16+56+ lymphocytes observed among participants in the medium work load group. The other five NJSS subscales did not relate to immune parameters. In conclusion, the results suggest that perceived job strains, particularly quantitative work load, decreased NK cell function.
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  • Ali Nasermoaddeli, Michikazu Sekine, Meena Kumari, Tarani Chandola, Mi ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 384-390
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Sleep disturbance as a pervasive health problem can directly affect the physical and psychological well-being of individuals. Factors that positively relate to sleep quality can therefore improve healthy functioning. We examined whether leisure time activities are associated with sleep quality in two culturally different samples of civil servants. In this cross-sectional study we evaluated 1,682 Japanese, in Toyama prefecture (T) city, and 6,914 British civil servants from the Whitehall II study undertaken in London. The Japanese version of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI-J) was used in T city and Jenkins' sleep problem scale was used in the Whitehall II study. Setting a validated cut-off point of 5.5 for the PSQI-J global score and the upper tertile point for the Jenkins' sleep problem scale, we conducted logistic regression analysis to assess the association between leisure time activities and sleep quality. In both populations, those who participated in voluntary activities in clubs or organizations were significantly less likely to have poor sleep quality with Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of 0.73 (95%CI; 0.56-0.97) and 0.85 (95%CI; 0.76-0.95) in Japanese and British civil servants, respectively. Similar findings were apparent for visiting friends and relatives (ORs 0.60 (95%CI; 0.46-0.80) and 0.71 (95%CI; 0.56-0.90) for Japanese and British subjects, respectively). Our findings suggest that engagement in social leisure activities is associated with better sleep quality and consequently better general well-being.
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  • Srdjan S. Borjanovic, Srdjan M. Jankovic, Zoran Pejovic
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 391-396
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Possible health issues of ELF EMFs include cardiovascular effects since both electrocardiogram and heart-rate changes have been reported in the literature. A non-linear relationship between field strength and biological response has been reported in some studies. In this study, a total of 59 subjects, divided into three independent magnetic field strength groups, were compared. A calculated 12-hour time weighted average (TWA) value of the fields was used as an exposure metric for each of the three locations ("low": 0.067 μT, "medium": 1.18 μT and "high": 5.2 μT) and subsequently used to estimate workers' exposure at these sites. Electrocardiograms were recorded in the resting position. Five parameters were derived from the ECG: heart rate (HR), duration of P wave and QRS wave, and duration of PR and QT intervals. The QT intervals were normalized to a heart rate of 60 (QTc). The obtained data were analyzed first by means of multivariate analysis of covariance and then oneway univariate analyses of covariances (ANCOVA) using exposure duration as a covariate. Only the ANCOVA on the QTc interval was significant. Our results suggest that the relationship between field strength and response is non-linear: the adjusted mean QTc values are similar between the "low" and the "high" group, but significantly lower in the "medium" group. One possible interpretation of our results is that a specific exposure pattern might be responsible for the non-linear effects observed, so that generally, characterizing exposure to electric and magnetic fields using simple metrics such as TWA may be insufficient.
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  • Hideto Harada, Yasushi Suwazono, Kouichi Sakata, Yasushi Okubo, Mitsuh ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 397-404
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    We assessed the relationship between shift work and job stress. The target subjects were 4,962 male workers (3,078 day workers and 1,884 shift workers) aged 18 to 60 yr who work in a Japanese steel company. We used the "Brief Job Stress Questionnaire", which was developed by a research group organized by the Japanese Ministry of Labour. We evaluated the effect of shift work on job stress using logistic regression analysis including age, lifestyle factors, work conditions, marital status, and living arrangements in the model. Job schedule type was significantly associated with job control, with an odds ratio of 2.22 for shift workers compared to day workers. The logistic regression analysis revealed that the odd ratios for having one or more stressor items in an unfavorable condition were significantly higher for shift workers compared to day workers. Increase in the amount of overtime and decrease in the number of holidays led to a significant deterioration in job stress. Our study reveals that the 3-shift system of employment increases work-related stress, and that job control is low among shift workers. To reduce job stress in this occupational population, a reduction in the amount of overtime and an increase in the number of holidays seem to be useful interventions.
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  • Akihito Shimazu, Norito Kawakami, Hirohiko Irimajiri, Mitsumi Sakamoto ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 405-413
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This study examined effects of web-based psychoeducation on self-efficacy, problem solving behavior, stress responses and job satisfaction. The program was based on social cognitive theory and was primarily aimed at increasing knowledge of stress, self-efficacy, and the use of problem solving behavior. A total of 225 employees were invited to participate in the study. Participants were assigned to an intervention (n=112) or waiting list control group (n=113). Those in the intervention group were asked to access the website and to complete learning within 1 month. To investigate the intervention effect, the change score in the outcome variable was calculated by subtracting the score at pre-intervention from that at post-intervention (1 week after completion of the learning period). Then, the difference in the scores between groups was examined using analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with the pre-intervention score as the covariate. We detected a marginally significant difference between groups in changes in job satisfaction from pre- to post-intervention (p=0.081). Participants in the intervention group showed an increase in job satisfaction score, while those in the waiting list control group showed a decrease in it. No significant differences were detected between groups in the other indicators (p>.10). We detected significant or marginally significant intervention effects on self-efficacy, problem solving behavior, stress responses, and job satisfaction among males and younger individuals, and those who had initially higher job strain and higher interest in managing stress. Further research is required with longer time periods (controlled follow-up) and a broader sample to fully determine the intervention effect.
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  • Sven Schneider, Simone Becker
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 414-423
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper investigates levels of engagement in physical activity (PA) among the total German working population and for specific subgroups. The first national health survey for the Federal Republic of Germany was conducted from October 1997 to March 1999. The following study is based on a representative net sample of 3,323 employed persons aged 18 to 69. Bivariate methods and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between PA and workplace and occupational factors in addition to social and lifestyle-specific correlates. Four out of 10 gainfully employed persons (39.2%) do not engage in sport. Those with physically strenuous jobs and frequent overtime work are significantly less likely to engage in leisure-time PA. Non-manual workers, and younger, unmarried workers are particularly likely to have an active lifestyle. Our study population did not correspond to the popular image of the recreational athlete as an abstinent, "ascetic" individual: The subgroups of non-smokers and teetotalers contained significantly fewer athletes than the corresponding reference groups. The present paper is the first to publish representative data on PA in the working population since German reunification in 1990. The data show that workers with a high risk of morbidity are those least likely to engage in leisure-time PA (manual workers with below-average educational qualifications from lower socioeconomic groups). The significant accumulation of socially depriving living conditions and lifestyle deficits among inactive subjects shows that one-off preventive measures intended to motivate sporting activity are likely to be ineffective in these subgroups of the population. We therefore advocate continuous exercise programs near the workplace involving exercise training suited to the particular occupation, dietary advice, relaxation techniques and occupational medical care.
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  • Sunil Kumar, NG Sathwara, Anil K Gautam, Kamlesh Agarwal, Bharti Shah, ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 424-430
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    A total of sixty-one subjects occupationally exposed to chromium in an industry which manufactures chromium sulphate and fifteen control subjects from a nearby industry which does not manufacture any chromium related compounds were studied. The history of each subject was recorded on pre-designed form through interview and a routine medical examination was carried out. Blood samples (5-6 ml) were collected for the estimation of chromium and semen samples were collected for semen analysis and the determination of copper and zinc levels in the seminal plasma. Clinical examination revealed nasal perforation in 10 subjects (out of 61) in the exposed group as compared to none in the control group. A significantly higher level of chromium was observed in the blood of the exposed workers as compared to the control. The concentration of zinc in seminal plasma was lower while the level of copper was higher in the exposed group as compared to the control. However, these changes were not statistically significant. Statistically significant higher numbers of morphologically abnormal sperms were noticed in the exposed group with respect to the control. Further analysis of the data indicated that about 53% of the exposed subjects showed less than 30% normal forms as compared to 10% in control subjects. However, no significant alterations in semen volume, liquefaction time, mean pH value, sperm viability, concentration or motility, were noticed between chromium exposed and unexposed workers. The data also indicates that exposure to chromium has some effect on human sperm as a significant positive correlation (r=0.301) was observed between percentages of abnormal sperm morphology and blood chromium levels (p=0.016) after pooling all the data of the control and exposure groups.
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  • Melek Nihal Esin, Serap Bulduk, Haluk Ince
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 431-436
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the work-related risks and health problems of working children. The sample included 167 working boys. These boys were chosen from schools giving occupational education in the industrial part of Istanbul. A questionnaire and worksite assessment checklists, developed by the researchers, were used as data gathering tools. Data were collected from the boys' schools and workplaces. From this data, it was found that 24.6% of the boys were jewelers, 32.3% were car mechanics and 43.1% were hairdressers. Findings revealed that 30.5% of the boys, who were engaged in child labor, were poor and dropped out of school to assist their families. Boys, whose mean age was 17.6 ± 1.2, had been working since they were 13 yr old. The boys were also found to work 66.4 h a week, which was an unexpectedly high result considering the 35 hours limitation set by the laws of Turkey for working children. As for work-related risks, chemical risks for boys working as hairdressers (p<0.01), and using sharp tools and accidents for boys working as car mechanics were more common than the other groups (p<0.001, p<0.001). Boys working as hairdressers mostly had respiratory system problems, skin problems, and headache (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001). Those working as car mechanics had nose/throat problems, and musculoskeletal system problems (p<0.001, p<0.01). Among those working as jewelers, eye-related problems were common (p<0.001). It was concluded from the findings of the present study that child labor creates an unhealthy environment for children.
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  • Norie Kurahashi, Tomoko Kondo, Minoru Omura, Tomohiro Umemura, Mingyue ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 437-444
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In animal studies using oral dosing for short periods, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is well known for its reproductive toxicity, especially for its testicular toxicity. However, extending the period of DEHP exposure in prepubertal rats resulted in significant increases in testosterone. This suggests that the reproductive effect of DEHP might be associated with the timing and the term of exposure. Moreover, the route of exposure may induce differences in its effect because tissue levels of metabolites of DEHP after inhalation are thought to be different from those after oral administration. We researched the effects of inhalation of DEHP on testes of prepubertal rats. Our results showed that inhalation of DEHP by 4-wk-old male Wistar rats at doses of 5 or 25 mg/m3, 6 h per day, for 4 and 8 wk significantly increased the concentration of plasma testosterone and weight of seminal vesicles. However, the concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and the expression of mRNAs of androgen biosynthesis enzyme, cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain-cleavage enzyme (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17, 20 lyase (CYP17) and aromatase (CYP19) did not change. Rats with precocious testes did not increase in any of the DEHP groups. We also found that the estimated effective dose in this study was less than those reported in previous studies which used oral dosing. Our study showed that inhaled DEHP increased plasma testosterone concentrations in prepubertal rats and suggested that their effects were more sensitive to inhalation of DEHP than oral dosing.
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  • Fengyuan Piao, Ning Ma, Yusuke Hiraku, Mariko Murata, Shinji Oikawa, F ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 445-449
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    To clarify the association between oxidative DNA damage and the neurotoxicity of arsenic, the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as an index of oxidative DNA damage in the brain was examined in mice fed with drinking water containing 1 or 2 ppm arsenic, using an HPLC-electrochemical detector and immunohistochemical method. 8-OHdG levels were significantly increased in the brain of mice given arsenic and its immunoreactivity was distributed in the cerebral and cerebellar cortexes. Cerebral cortex neurons and Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex showed degenerative changes in accordance with the distribution of 8-OHdG immunoreactivity. The levels of arsenic in this study were lower than those reported in epidemiological studies. Thus, we conclude that environmentally relevant levels of arsenic induce pathological changes through oxidative DNA damage in the brain tissues in vivo and that cerebral and cerebellar cortex neurons seem to be the major targets of arsenic neurotoxicity.
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Short Communication
Field Study
  • Ryoichi Inaba, Seyed Mohammad Mirbod, Junichi Kurokawa, Masato Inoue, ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 454-465
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Subjective musculoskeletal symptoms are more frequently complained about in cold store work and in related conditions than in normal temperature work. This cross sectional study was undertaken (a) to explore the prevalence of subjective symptoms in winter among a group of female workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, and in a group of female checkers in several supermarkets of a large consumer cooperative; and (b) to give recommendations for improving the winter working conditions of these workers. The subjects consisted of 46 workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, 56 checkers operating a laser scanner in supermarkets and 59 office workers (control group). Work loads for the three groups were estimated according to the recommended criteria. A self-administered questionnaire covering age, occupational career, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical exercise, present or past history of diseases, individual protective measures against cold, and subjective symptoms (54 items) was used. The air temperature of the working site at the opening time for classification workers was 4.8°C which was significantly lower than those measured for the other two work places (12.1°C and 15.8°C). About 70 to 80% of classification workers complained of cold sensation in different body regions, as well as shoulder stiffness, and problems related to the back. The supermarket checkers and office workers had a high prevalence of cold sensation in their feet. The frequencies of using warm clothes and foot heaters, as an individual measure to work comfortably in winter among the classification workers and the checkers were significantly higher than that among the office workers. We concluded that work difficulty due to moderate cold exposure among workers in the consumer cooperative could be reduced by some physical activity as well as proper clothes.
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  • Yuko Shimizu, Ako Maeda, Tetsuya Mizoue, Masakazu Nakamura, Akira Oshi ...
    2005 Volume 47 Issue 5 Pages 466-470
    Published: 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: October 18, 2005
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In order to promote smoking countermeasures in a manufacturing plant, we conducted a questionnaire survey about smoking control measures in workplaces. Twenty nine point five percent of the subjects responded that they were exposed to passive smoking where they worked and that the most common source of passive smoking in the workplace and rest areas was environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) leaking from smoking areas. For smoking control measures, 27.8% of employees preferred a total ban on smoking in the building while 55.2% preferred measures to prevent ETS leakage from smoking areas. Regardless of whether they were smokers or not, 99.2% of respondents believed that passive smoking countermeasures in the workplace were necessary and 88.9% of smokers responded that banning smoking in the building was unavoidable. Based on these results, a total ban on smoking in the building was implemented in those workplaces where it was feasible to do so, smoking areas in the remaining workplaces were upgraded to prevent ETS infiltration, and the effects were evaluated by real-time monitoring of the concentration of suspended particle matter. The questionnaire survey results showed that 79.9% of smokers were interested in smoking cessation, that awareness of the adverse health effects of smoking on the smoker and surrounding non-smokers and the nuisance it caused was significantly lower among smokers compared to non-smokers (p<0.01), and that 65.5% of non-smokers believed that smoking was beneficial to the mental health of smokers, despite the fact that they had no experience of smoking themselves. Reporting these results to the Safety and Health Committee was found to be useful both in ensuring thorough segregation of smoking areas and in supporting smoking cessation programs in places where no previous action had been taken because smoking was viewed as a matter of personal choice. We also believe that provision of accurate information tailored to actual smoking conditions in the workplace is useful in effectively implementing anti-smoking campaigns on the adverse effects of smoking and smoking cessation programs. The implementation of a questionnaire survey and environmental measurements that lead to countermeasures was shown to be effective in establishing designated smoking areas and educational programs for smoking cessation.
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