Journal of Occupational Health最新文献

{"title":"Heat-mitigation effects of protective sheets in the construction industry for the prevention of heat stress disorders.","authors":"Chikage Nagano, Kimiyo Mori, Yumi Nakao, Seichi Horie","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag048","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study experimentally investigated whether highly heat-shielding protective sheets used at construction sites could reduce heat stress.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A construction-site simulation apparatus was installed in an artificial climate chamber, and direct solar radiation was simulated using infrared heating. Tempered glass partitions allowed the installation of different sheet materials. Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), air temperature (Ta), globe temperature (Tg), and relative humidity (RH) were continuously measured on both the indoor and outdoor sides. Three environmental conditions were tested: Ta 30°C, 75% RH; Ta 35°C, 60% RH; and Ta 40°C, 35% RH. Four sheet conditions were evaluated: No-sheet, Brown-sheet, Aluminum-sheet, and Lace sheet. Data collected during the steady-state period (60-120 minutes) were used for comparison.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>WBGT was significantly lower under all sheet-installed conditions than under No-sheet condition across all environmental settings. Under Ta 30°C, 75% RH and Ta 35°C, 60% RH environments, Ta and Tg were also significantly lower with sheet installation, suggesting that the sheets reduced radiant heat by blocking infrared radiation. In contrast, under the extremely hot condition of Ta 40°C, 35% RH, no significant differences in Ta or Tg were observed according to sheet installation. Because sheet installation was associated with increased RH, additional measures such as appropriate ventilation may further enhance heat-stress reduction.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Protective sheets may reduce heat stress by attenuating radiant heat under moderately hot conditions, but their heat-shielding effect appears limited under extremely hot conditions. Additional measures, such as appropriate ventilation, may further enhance heat-stress reduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13600416/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148818788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of dental noise on dentists' performance and stress responses: a randomized crossover trial.","authors":"Daisuke Kido, Sayaka Katagiri, Ayako Tanaka, Sachi Umemori, Koji Mizutani, Hiroshi Nitta","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag054","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate the effect of continuous noise generated during dental treatment on dentists' performance and stress responses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study involved a questionnaire survey and an experimental investigation. The questionnaire survey was conducted with 44 dentists to assess dental noise-related subjective burden and noise sources perceived as the most uncomfortable. In the experimental phase, a randomized crossover trial was performed with 11 participants under silent and noisy conditions. Work performance was evaluated using the total number of calculations (work volume) and error rates in the Uchida-Kraepelin test. Saliva samples were collected before, during, and after the test, and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), chromogranin A (CgA), and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels were measured to assess stress responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the questionnaire survey, clinical noise was perceived as uncomfortable by 93.2% of dentists, with the extraoral suction unit being identified as the most unpleasant device (equivalent continuous noise level: 91.7 ± 0.6 dBA). In the randomized crossover trial, work volume in the Uchida-Kraepelin test significantly decreased, and the error rates significantly increased, under the noisy condition. With respect to salivary stress markers, sAA levels were significantly higher under the noisy condition, and sIgA levels were significantly increased. By contrast, CgA levels did not significantly differ between the conditions. Furthermore, sAA levels were significantly correlated with work performance.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dental noise reduced dentists' performance and elicited stress responses. These findings highlight the need for noise mitigation and occupational stress management strategies in dental practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13677065/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148976958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surgical paradox: physiological activation and improved mood state during surgical work in pediatric surgeons.","authors":"Hisae Iida, Kazuto Suda, Ayaka Adachi, Michiaki Ikegami, Hiroko Watayo, Kentaro Fujiwara, Takamasa Suzuki, Kumpei Abe, Ailing Hu, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Atsuyuki Yamataka, Go Miyano","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag036","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Pediatric surgeons often experience physical and psychological strain. However, surgery may provide motivation and fulfillment. To explore this dual nature of surgical work, we examined physiological and psychological stress responses of pediatric surgeons on surgical working days (SWs) and nonsurgical working days (NSWs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nineteen pediatric surgeons participated in this cross-sectional study. Salivary cortisol, autonomic nervous activity using a wearable device (low/high heart rate ratio [LHR]), and total mood disturbance (TMD) score, calculated from subscales of the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS2) as an index of mood state, were assessed at 2 time points: before and after surgery by the operator on SWs (mean preoperative time: 11:16 am; mean postoperative time: 2:18 pm) and at 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on NSWs. Data were analyzed using mixed linear models and univariate tests to evaluate the influence of sex, post-call status, experience, and surgical site.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>On both SWs and NSWs (54 and 44 evaluation sessions from 19 pediatric surgeons, respectively), the post-work decrease in cortisol levels was smaller on SWs than on NSWs (P < .05). LHR increased significantly after surgery (SWs) but not on NSWs (P < .05), indicating a sympathetically activated state, particularly remarkable in post-call status compared with non-post-call status (P < .05). TMD scores were lower on SWs than on NSWs (P < .05), reflecting improved mood during surgical activity. More experienced surgeons (>5 years) had lower TMD scores for both SWs and NSWs (P < .05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite physical and psychological demands, performing surgery was linked to reduced mood disturbance among pediatric surgeons.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13418209/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148387764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dust exposure and lung function among firefighters involved in rescue and relief operations after the Great East Japan Earthquake.","authors":"Akane Takahashi, Toshiya Irokawa, Ritsuko Arakawa, Kyoka Kanno, Natsuko Ohko, Shinya Ohkouchi, Hiromasa Ogawa, Hajime Kurosawa","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag035","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to analyze the effects of dust exposure on lung function in firefighters engaged in the rescue activities after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 42 firefighters from 6 fire departments in the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture. Annual changes in lung function were compared between health examinations conducted before and after disaster. The associations between changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) during this period and factors such as smoking status, working hours in the week, use of respiratory protective equipment, and body mass index were examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the disaster period, the decline in FEV1 was greater in nonsmokers (-32 mL/y; 95% CI, -81 to -13 mL/y) than in smokers (-8.0 mL/y; 95% CI, -40 to 10 mL/y). However, overall, only smoking status was significantly associated with FEV1 decline. The impact of dust exposure was smaller than that of smoking.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study found no severe or irreversible health effects of dust exposure on lung function among firefighters engaged in rescue activities during the GEJE. However, these results suggest that temporary and minor effects on lung function cannot be ruled out, highlighting the need to establish a specialized health management system to monitor and manage health risks for rescue workers responding to future large-scale disasters in Japan.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13464702/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148412238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rural hospital general ward nurses' experiences of workplace violence by patients and visitors: a scoping review.","authors":"Christine Trotman, Joanne E Porter, Michael Olasoji, Anita Raymond, Bindu Joseph","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag022","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Workplace violence (WPV) is increasing globally, and nurses are disproportionately affected. While WPV has been studied in high-risk units such as emergency departments and mental health units, less is known about violence in general medical and surgical hospital wards, where most nurses work. WPV exacerbates nursing workforce shortages, especially in rural hospitals, which already face staffing challenges. In rural areas, previous research indicates that nurses' familiarity with patients and visitors makes patient-initiated violence more complex, and limited resources may mean a lack of on-site security and reduced local police presence. This study aimed to describe generalist nurses' experiences of WPV by patients and visitors in acute hospital wards, with particular attention to rural settings where reported.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review using PRISMA-ScR guidelines identified relevant peer-reviewed studies via CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Scopus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 165 records, 12 met the inclusion criteria. No included studies directly reported rural hospital generalist nurses' experiences of workplace violence, and evidence for this cohort could not be isolated. Four themes emerged: high prevalence of violence, underreporting, contributing factors, and negative impacts. Most generalist nurses reported experiencing WPV, with increased risk when inpatients were awaiting care-facility beds. These negative outcomes both result from, and contribute to, workforce shortages.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite recognition of the issue, there is little evidence on patient-/visitor-initiated violence in rural hospital general wards. Further research is needed to understand how such violence affects nurses' safety, patient care quality, and workforce sustainability in rural areas, to inform policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13225262/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147722851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial intelligence in occupational health: aligning technological innovation with occupational safety and health policies in Malaysia.","authors":"Rosdin Samad, Nur Athirah Diyana Mohammad Yusof, Putri Anis Syahira Mohamad Jamil","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag030","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag030","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13371955/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148258384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kidney cancer risk among indium-exposed workers: a multicenter cohort study.","authors":"Makiko Nakano, Yoko Eitaki, Akiyo Tanaka, Kazuyuki Omae","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiaf074","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiaf074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the characteristics of incident cases and calculate the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of kidney cancer in a multicenter cohort study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Baseline studies included 601 individuals across 12 factories manufacturing or recycling indium compounds between 2003 and 2006. In total, 341 individuals had undergone at least 1 follow-up health checkup by 2022. Of these, 128 individuals were examined from 2019 to 2022, with a mean follow-up duration of 17.1 years (range 13.3-18.4). The overall SIRs of kidney cancer were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One female and 2 male incident cases of kidney cancer were identified at 3 different factories. The mean age was 55 years, and they were either smokers or secondhand smokers. The mean duration of indium exposure was 14.6 years, and the mean serum indium concentration at baseline was 2.3 μg/L (range <0.1-4.3 μg/L). One case consistently exhibited undetectable indium concentrations in both serum and kidney tissue. Another case involved double primary cancers of the lung and kidney. The expected number of kidney cancer cases based on the Japanese general population was 0.505. The overall SIR was 5.95 (95% CI, 2.02-17.47). Even after excluding the case with undetectable In-S and In-K levels, the overall and female SIRs remained significantly elevated (overall SIR 3.96; 95% CI, 1.09-14.44; female SIR 56.86; 95% CI, 9.80-314.69).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Indium exposure may contribute to the development of not only lung cancer but also kidney cancer in humans. Continued follow-up in the cohort study is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13070609/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145781346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response to \"The impact of overseas assignments on metabolic factors: Panasonic cohort study 23\".","authors":"Yuchi Maeda, Atsuhiko Ota","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag015","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag015","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147369704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors affecting the early resignation of newly employed nurses: a prospective observational study.","authors":"Seunghyeon Cho, Kyung Wook Kang, Hyeonjun Kim, Inho Jung, Sunjin Jung, JiHwan Kim, Won-Ju Park","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag032","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nurse resignation is a major issue in global health care systems. Nurses experience health problems due to irregular night shift work and excessive work demands. This study investigated the association between initial factors at the start of employment and the early resignation of newly employed nurses at 2 university hospitals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study conducted a prospective follow-up of 641 new nurses for 6 months. Data on sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and stress-related factors were collected during job orientation. Early resignation was defined as voluntary resignation within 6 months of starting work. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify significant factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of participants was 23.7 years, and most were female (86.6%). During the 6-month follow-up, 243 nurses (37.9%) resigned. Nurses who resigned early were slightly older and reported higher baseline levels of perceived stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as fewer stress relievers. Early resignation was also more frequent among participants with perceived socioeconomic vulnerability (PSV). In adjusted analyses, high perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.203; 95% CI, 1.088-4.459; P = .028) and PSV (aOR, 1.622; 95% CI, 1.162-2.264; P = .005) remained independently associated with early resignation. Depression and fewer stress relievers were associated with early resignation in crude analyses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Voluntary early resignation was more common among newly employed nurses who reported high perceived stress and PSV before starting work. High perceived stress and PSV served as independent predictors of early resignation, while depression and limited stress-relief resources may represent additional potential risk factors during the early transition period. Early stress assessment, mental health-oriented support, and tailored educational interventions for new nurses may help to reduce early resignation rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13481147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response to \"Association between health literacy and behaviors among shift workers: an observational cross-sectional study with mediation analysis\".","authors":"I Wayan Gede Suarjana, Hanifa M Denny","doi":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag009","DOIUrl":"10.1093/joccuh/uiag009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16632,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13082225/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146180783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}