Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health最新文献

{"title":"[Allergy and immunotoxicology in preventive and clinical medicine from theory to practice: Environmental factors in Bronchial Asthma].","authors":"Takeshi Hisada, Yasumitsu Nishimura, Kunio Dobashi, Takahiko Yoshida, Toshihiro Itoh, Yasuo Morimoto, Narifumi Suganuma, Qing Li, Hiroo Wada, Atsuhi Ueda, Fujio Kayama, Kazuhiro Satoh, Minoru Satoh, Eiji Shibata, Tatsuya Takeshita, Hiroyuki Yanagisawa, Masashi Tsunoda","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-009-A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-009-A","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>According to the gene-environment interactions (GEi) concept, the mechanism of health impairment can be explained by genetic factors, environmental factors, or their interaction. Physical and mental health effects resulting from environmental exposure may be classified either as toxicity, immune response, and allergic reaction. Moreover, despite the already established therapeutic approaches to bronchial asthma and decreasing mortality due to bronchial asthma, patients with difficult and severe asthma are increasing in number. This review outlines recent topics in the field of allergies, focusing on asthma.</p><p><strong>Results and discussion: </strong>Living environment-derived pollutants and their involvement in the pathogenesis of asthma and its exacerbation, referred to here as an exposome concept, comprises the three domains of internal, specific external, and general external. Living environment-derived pollutants include exposure to pollutants in workplaces, climate change, air pollution, microplastics, tobacco smoke, biodiversity change and loss, changing dietary habits, and the microbiome. These are associated with the modernization, urbanization, and globalization of human society. Although many novel compounds are currently available, their harmful health effects, such as allergy, are not thoroughly understood. Hence, the means to mitigate these are unknown. Dietary changes from a traditional diet rich in fish to a Western-style diet are considered critical environmental factors and therefore, associated with an increased prevalence of allergies. Cytokines, including TSLP, IL-25, and IL-33, released from the airway epithelium in response to various triggers (exposure to diverse environmental factors) are known as alarmins. Anti-alarmin antibodies are a promising therapeutic approach against severe and difficult allergic disorders. Collaboration between hospitals and clinics and occupational and clinical medicine is imperative for treating and managing severe asthma. In addition to avoiding environmental exposure, understanding the pathogenesis and exacerbation of asthma is essential for future research in the field of allergy and immunotoxicology.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142635353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Assessment of the application of atherosclerotic disease risk scores in the workplace].","authors":"Kazushirou Kurogi, Sakiko Yura, Kazuo Moriyama, Eri Tsuda, Naoki Yoshida, Masato Ito","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-022-B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-022-B","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>In occupational health activities in Japan, evaluating workers' fitness for work following health checkups is a primary task. Health checkups are used to identify workers at high risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases and conduct fit-for-work evaluations. However, identifying high-risk individuals based on a single risk factor may overlook those with multiple risk factors who have a high risk of developing cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Presently, we aimed to investigate the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score from a previous study by Hisayama (Hisayama study) and examine its use in the workplace.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Baseline data from health checkups conducted in 2010 of 41,815 employees (men; 34,024, women; 7,791) aged 19-64 years without previous cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease were analyzed. The relationship between baseline ASCVD risk scores and the incidence of ASCVD > 10 years (2011-2020) was examined using Cox regression analysis with hazard ratios (HR). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the model's performance and determine optimal cut-off values for the identification of high-risk individuals in the workplace.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 10-year incidence of ASCVD was 2.6% (men; 3.0%, women; 0.8%). In men, each 1% increase in ASCVD risk score was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in ASCVD incidence (HR; 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.42-1.51, p < .001), which was observed from age 30 and even after multivariate adjustment. In women, univariate analysis showed an association between increased ASCVD risk score and incidence (HR; 3.19, 95% CI; 2.10-4.85, p < .001); however, this was not significant after adjustment. ROC analysis identified 1.62% as the optimal cut-off (sensitivity; 58.6%, specificity; 71.9%, positive predictive value [PPV]; 5.2%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The ASCVD risk score is a useful tool for risk management and prevention in the workplace, particularly for men. In women, this association disappeared after age adjustment, possibly due to reduced estrogen effects with aging. Based on the ROC analysis, stratifying at ≥ 1.5% for intervention, ≥ 2.0% (top 20%) for \"high risk,\" and ≥ 3.5% (PPV > 10%) for \"extremely high risk\" is advised. However, this study may have underestimated the risk levels; therefore, companies should adapt the use of ASCVD risk scores flexibly according to their circumstances.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142396508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Business continuity capabilities for disaster preparedness: A comparative study of different industries in Wakayama Prefecture].","authors":"Ikuharu Morioka, Tatsuya Takeshita, Kazuhisa Miyashita, Akira Fujiyoshi, Tomohiro Tanaka, Zentaro Ikuta, Aiko Hirabayashi","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-002-E","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-002-E","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to elucidate the status of business continuity plan (BCP) formulation in businesses, focusing on different industries. It examined their preparation for natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and crisis events, such as emerging infectious diseases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 1,583 businesses in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, were randomly selected from the Wakayama Occupational Health Support Center workplace list. Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed by mail. The questionnaire comprised questions on the business, awareness and formulation status of BCP, and business continuity capabilities in preparation for natural disasters and crisis events. It also explored difficulties in progress in BCP formulation. Businesses were categorized into three groups based on the type of industry: manufacturing (114 companies), lifeline (66 companies), and others (207 companies).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Questionnaires were collected from 412 businesses, and 387 of those that responded to the type of industry were analyzed (valid response rate: 24.3%). More than 50% of businesses in all industries were aware of BCP. Regarding the status of BCP formulation, 39.5% of the manufacturing, 34.8% of the lifeline, and 41.5% of others had already formulated or were formulating a BCP. Many lifeline businesses had not taken any measures to prepare facilities and allocate funds for emergencies. Additionally, 49% were at high risk of being forced to close down due to disasters. As the difficulties in progress in formulating a BCP, 60.9% of lifeline businesses did not know what to develop or how to consider it. In addition, 44.2% of others had to secure the time and human resources necessary for formulation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although awareness of BCPs is increasing, their formulation has not progressed significantly. In particular, BCP formulation has been delayed in lifeline industries, resulting in low business continuity capabilities. Given that many businesses do not know the contents or methods of formulating BCPs, it is suggested that educating relevant parties about using templates is necessary. This approach can reduce the time required for formulation and enable the creation of a BCP even without detailed human resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"192-201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141263687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Underlying scinece for a guide to maintain physical and mental health of long working physicians].","authors":"Hiroo Wada, Ryutaro Shirahama, Yuito Ueda, Mayuko Hosokawa, Toru Tsuda, Takeshi Tanigawa","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-007-A","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-007-A","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"202-206"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141474196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Association of psychological violence, harassment, and cyberbullying with depression and turnover intentions in female nurses].","authors":"Asuka Hori, Tomoko Sankai, Akiko Miki","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2022-037-E","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2022-037-E","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Psychological violence and harassment have been reported to be associated with mental health problems and turnover intention among nurses. Cyberbullying, a hidden form of harassment using information and communication technology, is attracting attention as a factor that threatens the mental health of nurses. This study aimed to add coping characteristics, social support, and workplace social capital to psychological violence, harassment, and cyberbullying in female nurses and determine their association with depression and turnover intention.</p><p><strong>Participants and methods: </strong>An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted, targeting 2,158 female nurses working in four domestic hospitals, excluding those in management positions. The analysis included 1,151 nurses who responded (valid response rate: 53.3%). Multiple regression analysis was performed with depression and turnover intention as dependent variables and psychological violence and harassment, cyberbullying, the brief scales for coping profile (BSCP) and social support scale scores, and social capital (SC) as independent variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Depression was positively correlated with psychological violence and harassment, cyberbullying, and the BSCP subscale \"avoidance and suppression\" and negatively correlated with the BSCP subscale \"changing the point of view\" and social support subscales \"support from supervisors\" and \"support from co-workers.\" Turnover intention was positively correlated with psychological violence and harassment and the BSCP subscale \"avoidance and suppression\" and negatively correlated with the BSCP subscale \"changing the point of view,\" social support subscale \"support from supervisors,\" and vertical SC.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>The results suggest that work environments should prevent psychological violence and harassment in nurses to promote a sense of security and eliminate mental health problems. Cyberbullying was inferred as a factor that could lead to mental health problems among nurses. Therefore, each nurse should raise their awareness of information literacy, besides attending more to their words and attitudes.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"181-191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141581970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Performance of generative pre-trained transformer-4 on the certification test for mental health management: A factorial design].","authors":"Kazuhiro Watanabe, Yasuhiro Tsutsui, Takao Tsutsui, Takenori Yamauchi, Mitsuo Uchida, Yuriko Hachiya, Ilsung Kim, Mako Iida, Kotaro Imamura, Asuka Sakuraya, Norito Kawakami","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-017-B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-017-B","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the performance of generative pre-trained transformer-4 (GPT-4) on the Certification Test for Mental Health Management and whether tuned prompts could improve its performance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used a 3 × 2 factorial design to examine the performance according to test difficulty (courses) and prompt conditions. We prepared 200 multiple-choice questions (600 questions overall) for each course using the Certification Test for Mental Health Management (levels I-III) and essay questions from the level I test for the previous four examinations. Two conditions were used: a simple prompt condition using the questions as prompts and tuned prompt condition using techniques to obtain better answers. GPT-4 (gpt-4-0613) was adopted and implemented using the OpenAI API.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The simple prompt condition scores were 74.5, 71.5, and 64.0 for levels III, II, and I, respectively. The tuned and simple prompt condition scores had no significant differences (OR = 1.03, 95% CI; 0.65-1.62, p = 0.908). Incorrect answers were observed in the simple prompt condition because of the inability to make choices, whereas no incorrect answers were observed in the tuned prompt condition. The average score for the essay questions under the simple prompt condition was 22.5 out of 50 points (45.0%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>GPT-4 had a sufficient knowledge network for occupational mental health, surpassing the criteria for levels II and III tests. For the level I test, which required the ability to describe more advanced knowledge accurately, GPT-4 did not meet the criteria. External information may be needed when using GPT-4 at this level. Although the tuned prompts did not significantly improve the performance, they were promising in avoiding unintended outputs and organizing output formats. UMIN trial registration: UMIN-CTR ID = UMIN000053582.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142305231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Exploring the reality of seafarers' deaths and injuries and preventive measures from the cases of overwork-related disorders].","authors":"Takumi Iwaasa, Toru Yoshikawa, Masaya Takahashi","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-018-E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1539/sangyoeisei.2024-018-E","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Till date, only few studies have detailed the reality of overwork-related disorders among seafarers. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of overwork-related disorders among seafarers and assess factors such as patient attributes, diseases diagnosed at the time of determination, workload factors, and other aspects, thereby suggesting relevant preventative measures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Among all the patients identified with overwork-related disorders from April 2010 to March 2017, 2,280 cases of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases and 3,517 cases of mental disorders were selected. To identify seafarer-related cases, keywords related to seafarers were extracted. Subsequently, 33 cases of cardiovascular disease and 19 cases of mental disorders were obtained.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average age of the patients with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases was 56.7 years; for those with mental disorders, it was 45.2 years. The patients were most commonly engaged in fishing, transportation, and postal services. Most patients were employed in the deck department or were captains. The most common types of vessels were fishing and cargo ships. Among the diseases diagnosed at the time of determination, cerebrovascular diseases accounted for 20 cases (60.6%) and cardiovascular diseases accounted for 13 cases (39.4%), with cerebral and myocardial infarctions being the most frequent conditions. Among mental disorders, \"mood disorders\" accounted for 7 cases (36.8%), and \"neurotic disorders, stress-related disorders, and somatoform disorders\" accounted for 12 cases (63.2%), with major depressive episodes, post-traumatic stress disorder, and adjustment disorders being the most common. The most common workload factor for patients with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases was \"long-term excessive work,\" and among non-workload factors, \"long working hours\" and \"irregular working hours\" were prevalent. For mental disorders, 8 cases were attributed to \"extreme psychological stress.\" Specific events leading to these diseases included \"interpersonal relationships,\" \"experiencing accidents or disasters,\" and \"work quantity and quality.\"</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, as well as mental disorders, showed a notable aging trend among seafarers. Thus, measures that consider the characteristics of elderly workers, such as their physical function, are important. Additionally, as seafarers are distributed across various industries and occupations, measures should be specifically tailored to their industry and job type. Our study confirmed that long working hours and irregular working hours were prevalent in both cases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for further efforts to prevent and mitigate overwork-related deaths among seafarers, including organizational support from onshore workplaces and enhancement of medical and ope","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142057720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Digital devices for smoking cessation among working women: Insights from survey of academic papers].","authors":"Kyoko Kitagawa, Kyoko Nomura, Mayumi Tsuji","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-040-W","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-040-W","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"168-173"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141083057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Features and evaluations of organizational support provided by occupational health nurses in private practice for the implementation of sustainable health and productivity management in medium-sized enterprises].","authors":"Noriko Nishikido, Junko Yoshino, Hitomi Abe, Yuko Mitsuhashi, Satoko Shimamoto, Michiyo Ito, Minako Sasaki","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-042-B","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-042-B","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to clarify the features and evaluations of the organizational support provided by occupational health nurses (OHNs) in private practice to promote sustainable health and productivity management (HPM) in medium-sized enterprises.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Corporate managers and employees of four enterprises with fewer than 300 employees received support from an experienced OHN in private practice through five support sessions per company, primarily targeting company managers. The OHNs documented their support steps and evaluations. After completing the support process, we conducted semi-structured interviews with company managers and OHNs to evaluate the support provided by the OHNs. The support processes were organized for each company according to an analytical framework based on the consolidated framework for implementation research; the support features of OHNs were extracted. The evaluations of the support provided by OHNs from the perspective of company personnel were categorized using content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six features of support by OHNs for the promotion of HPM were extracted, including clarifying corporate needs while focusing on relationships of trust with company representatives, providing appropriate health information, and introducing external resources to facilitate independent and continuous efforts in the company to promote sustainable HPM. The managers' evaluations of the support provided by the OHNs included the following six categories: 1) identified and recognized current internal health issues; 2) received specific assistance tailored to the company; 3) gained an opportunity to work on health promotion measures; 4) considered the development and continuation of future health promotion measures; 5) learned about the existence of OHNs as easy to consult with; and 6) identified aspects of support from OHNs that were different from what they expected.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study clarified the features and evaluations of the support provided by OHNs in private practice in medium-sized enterprises for the promotion of HPM. Our findings suggest that the involvement of OHNs in private practice may increase the number of medium-sized enterprises that can autonomously commit themselves to HPM in a sustainable manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"156-167"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141156030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[The history of compensation system for workers with pneumoconiosis-related lung cancer].","authors":"Yoshimasa Ishii, Yoshiharu Aizawa, Takumi Kishimoto, Seichi Horie, Chikage Nagano, Hidesuke Shimizu","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-025-A","DOIUrl":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2023-025-A","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To review the historical aspects of compensation system for workers with pneumoconiosis who developed lung cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Materials and papers published on the compensation system as discussed in administrative meetings were utilized.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Legal claims for compensation for lung cancer among individuals with pneumoconiosis increased during the period of rapid economic growth in Japan. A possible causal relationship between pneumoconiosis and lung cancer in workers has been discussed by committees of specialists. The Expert Committee on Pneumoconiosis and Lung Cancer in 1978 did not find a causal relationship between them. However, a survey of physicians specializing in pneumoconiosis revealed medical disadvantages among individuals diagnosed with pneumoconiosis who developed lung cancer. The Ministry of Labour announced the risk of work-related lung cancer in patients with advanced pneumoconiosis (class IV or equivalent severity). Since then, numerous lung cancer patients with pneumoconiosis have been adjudicated. In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of silica and declared it to be a Group I carcinogen in humans. The Expert Committee on Compensation of Lung Cancer Cases Developing from Pneumoconiosis discussed the IARC evaluation but did not accept this classification. However, the Committee of Occupational Exposure Limits in the Japan Society of Occupational Health upheld the IARC evaluation of silica as a Group I carcinogen. Because the Expert Committee of Medical Disadvantage of Lung Cancer Patients with Pneumoconiosis accepted the increased risk of lung cancer in patients with class III or equivalent severity pneumoconiosis, the Ministry of Labour announced worker compensation for such patients. The Expert Committee of Health Control of Pneumoconiosis Complicated with Lung Cancer reported in 2002 that a meta-analysis revealed no increased risk of lung cancer among workers exposed to crystalline silica; however, there was an increased risk of lung cancer in patients with pneumoconiosis. The Ministry of Labour has added lung cancer to the list of complications from pneumoconiosis and, if necessary, regular medical checkups for lung cancer. After Leaving dust work, the Health Care System provides for workers who are diagnosed With class II or higher pneumoconiosis. Therefore, if an individual with pneumoconiosis develops class II or higher lung cancer, that individual becomes eligible for workers' compensation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The conclusion of the Expert Committee in 2002 and the decision of the Ministry of Labour to add lung cancer to its list of complications of pneumoconiosis are evaluated to be appropriate.</p>","PeriodicalId":94204,"journal":{"name":"Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health","volume":" ","pages":"143-154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140308435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}