1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A cohort study on.the influence of working in foreign countries on stress and lifestyle
| Project/Area Number |
08670456
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Public health/Health science
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| Research Institution | Showa University |
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Principal Investigator |
NAKAMURA Kenichi Showa University School of Medicine professor, 医学部, 教授 (90050400)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SEKO Chieko Showa University School of Medicine Assistant, 医学部, 助手 (50276557)
SUGIMORI Hiroki Showa University School of Medicine Assistant, 助手 (20276554)
IHARA Kazushige Showa University School of Medicine Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (10266083)
OBU Sadayoshi Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Clinic head manager, 診療所, 所長
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| Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1998
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| Keywords | epidemiology / cohort study / trade company / occupational stress / lifestyle / Job Content Questionnaire / dietary survey / General Health Questionnaire |
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| Research Abstract |
BACKGROUND : After World War II, Japanese industry has been globalized. Nowadays, more than 300,000 Japanese are working in foreign countries. The aim of this cohort study was to investigate the influence of working in foreign countries on changes in lifestyles and occupational stress among Japanese workers.
METHODS : A cohort of 194 male workers who belonged to a trade company and had been sent to foreign countries and 256 male workers in domestic sites was followed for one year on average. At both baseline and follow-up, the data of the lifestyles and occupational stress was gathered by self-rating questionnaires. The data was separately analyzed by strata of two age-groups of 37 years or less and 38 years or more, and the changes were compared between workers in foreign countries and in domestic sites by age-groups.
RESULTS: Compared to workers in domestic sites, workers in foreign countries had different changes between baseline and follow-up as follows : Among workers aged 37 or less, the prevalence of regular exercise and earlier mealtime of supper, rates of lower intake of miso-soup, green tea, fish, tofu, and vegetables, and rates of higher intake of beverage and oily food increased. The job demand assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire decreased among them. Among workers aged 38 or more, the prevalence of habit of regular exercise and earlier mealtime of supper, taking supper out of home more frequently, lowering alcohol consumption, and eating between meals more frequently, rates of lower intake of miso-soup, green tea, fish, tofu, and vegetables, and rates of higher intake of potatoes increased. Among them, scores of the 20-items General Health Questionnaire increased.
CONCLUSION : Changes of lifestyles and occupational stress for one year in foreign countries differed from in domestic sites. The changes also differed between age groups.
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