OBJECTIVETo investigate the influential factors for job burnout among the managerial staff in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer in Guangzhou, China.

METHODSA total of 288 managers in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer were surveyed using the Occupational Stress Indicator, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale.

RESULTSOn the depersonalization dimension, the male managers had significantly higher scores than the female managers. The scores of emotion exhaustion and depersonalization of MBI showed significant differences among the managers with different levels of occupational stress. The path analysis showed that occupational stress, neuroticism, and psychoticism had negative effects on emotion exhaustion, while job satisfaction and utilization of social support had direct positive effects on emotion exhaustion. Occupational stress, psychoticism, and passive coping style had direct negative effects on depersonalization, while job satisfaction, objective support, and utilization of social support had positive effects on depersonalization. Job satisfaction and active coping style had positive effects on sense of personal accomplishment, while passive coping style had a negative effect on sense of personal accomplishment. Personality exerted its effect on social support through coping style and thus on job satisfaction and job burnout.

CONCLUSIONMale managers have a greater propensity to depersonalization than their female counterparts. High occupational stress is a risk factor for job burnout. Personality, social support, and coping style are influential factors for job burnout.

Administrative Personnel ; psychology ; Adult ; Burnout, Professional ; etiology ; psychology ; Fatigue ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the health status and intention of quitting smoking in factory workers, so as to provide scientific evidence for smoking control.

METHODSA cross-sectional survey was carried out on smoking behavior, self-reported health status (SRHS), and intention of quitting smoking in 668 Guangzhou factory workers with different job types. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used on current smokers. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of SRHS, difficulty of quitting smoking (DQS) with some risk factors.

RESULTS(1) 65.0% (n = 348) male and 3.0% (n = 4) female workers were ever-smokers. 90.6% of male smokers usually smoked when getting together with friends or smokers, staying at home, or at leisure time, or just after a meal. (2) 10.7% of the daily smokers and ex-smokers had a worse SRHS than the general same-age people, which is significantly higher than 5.1% of the occasional smokers and those who were never smoking. The OR was 2.22 (95% CI 1.08 approximately 4.59) after adjusting age and education. (3) Of male daily smokers, 50.5% ever thought of quitting smoking. The proportions of ever-thought of quitting smoking were 73.3%, 50.0% and 37.2% respectively in those with better, pretty the same and worse SRHS than the general same-age people (P = 0.009). The proportions of DQS self-scored 30 or less, 31 to 60 and 60 or more were 26.9%, 24.9% and 48.2% respectively in male daily smokers. The OR for DQS (self-scored > 30 vs < or =30) increased with increasing number of colleague smoked and worked around, and with nicotine dependence.

CONCLUSIONDaily smokers and former smokers have worse SRHS than those who are occasional smokers or never smokers in male workers, and most of those with worse SRHS who ever thought of quitting smoking. The DQS is mainly significantly associated with number of colleague smoking and working around, and with nicotine dependence.

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Intention ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tobacco Use Disorder ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo establish the method of gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of the cotinine (COT) in human urine.

METHODSThe conjugated trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (THOC) and COT were hydrolyzed in human urine with beta-glucuronidase. The composition of COT was extracted with the mixture of dichloromethane and n-butyl acetate (2:1) and was separated with HP-5MS fused-silica capillary column. The GC-MS was used for determining its content.

RESULTSThe monitoring limit of this method was 0.02 microg/L. Its recovery rate was higher than 90%, Its accuracy rate was 4.30%. It was used for the determination of the cotinine in human urine in Guangzhou Biological Bank the Elderly Cohort.

CONCLUSIONThe GC-MS method is a good microanalysis for monitoring the cotinine in human urine rapidly and accurately with little background disturbance. It has been applied in our Guangzhou Cohort Study for determining cotinine in human urine.

Cotinine ; urine ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoking ; urine

Objective To investigate smoking behavior and nicotine dependence (ND), so as to provide evidence for tobacco control in workers. Methods A cross-sectional study to investigate smoking behavior and ND in 668 workers with different job assignment in Guangzhou. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between ND and some risk factors. Results (1) The prevalence of ever-smoking was 65.0 % ( 348/535 ) in men ( 55.5 % daily smokers, 5.4% occasional smokers and 4.1% ex-smokers), and 3.0% (4/133) in women. The prevalence of current smoking for manual workers and safety officers were 67.6 % and 64.5 % respectively.(2) Among daily and occasional smokers, 66.7% and 89.7% of them had low ND respectively. Among daily smokers, ND increased with the duration of smoking. Manual workers and officers had higher ND. Conclusion The prevalence of smoking was relatively high in workers and officers and in men. However,majority of the smokers were with low ND and could be the prioritized target for a primary smoking cessation intervention program.

Objective To study the serum leptin and adiponectin levels among relatively healthy older people and their association with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.Methods Personal medical history and blood sample were collected from 1515 older people of Guangzhou.Fasting serum glucose,lipids,leptin and adiponectin were measured.Results(1)In relatively healthy older adults aged 50 or above,from Guangzhou,the following data were seen:serum leptin levels(x-±s)in men and women were(3.90±2.36)ng/ml and(12.17 ±2.01)ng/ml respectively;serum adiponectin levels in men and women were(5.33 ± 2.78)mg/L and(7.18 ± 2.58)mg/L respectively.(2)Serum leptin and adiponectin level increased with age.After adjusting for body mass index,the trend for serum leptin level in men(P＜0.001)and adiponectin level in women(P＜0.05)were significantly associated with age.(3)No association was found between cigarette smoking and levels of leptin or adiponectin in both men and women after adjusting for age(P from 0.09 to 0.76).(4)In both men and women,serum leptin and adiponectin levels were positively associated with waist circumference/body mass index,systolic blood pressure,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride(P from 0.04 to＜0.001).In men,leptin was also significantly associated with the increase of diastolic blood pressure and glucose but decreased with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(P from 0.03 to 0.02).(5)Decreased adiponectin level was associated with increased waist circumference and triglyceride in both men and women(P from 0.003 to＜0.001)and with the increased body mass index,fasting plasma glucose as well as with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men(P from 0.05 to＜0.001)but with increased systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol in women(P from 0.05 to 0.006).Conclusion In Guangzhou city,among relatively healthy older adults aged 50 or above,their serum leptin and adiponectin levels were lower in men than in women.Serum leptin level in men and adiponectin level in women were significantly associated with the increase of age.Increased leptin and decreased adiponectin levels were associated with increased traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Objective To examine the impact of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) physical activity intensity on to the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among Chinese elderly. Methods A total number of 1996 residents aged 50 or above living in Guangzhou city were recruited from the phase 3 of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Information on physical activity and fasting plasma glucose status was derived from standardized interviews and laboratory assays. Results Among the participants who were classified as physically active (60.0%), moderate active (29.8%) and inactive (10.2%), the prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus were 9.1%, 12.0%and 14.2%,respectively. After adjustment on age, sex, obesity and other potential confounding factors, data from logistic regression model showed that the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for diabetes on subjects in physically moderate active and active group were 0.75 (0.46-1.26)and 0.60 (0.38-0.97) respectively with P for trend as 0.03, when comparing to those physically inactive ones. Conclusion Promotion of physical activity might have had some effects in reducing the risk of diabetes mellitus among the older adults.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of dust exposure and smoking on mortality of respiratory system diseases (RSD).

METHODSBased on the Guangzhou Occupational Health Surveillance Record System established between 1989 and 1992, 80,987 factory workers, aged 30 years old or older, occupationally exposed or not exposed to dusts, were included in a prospective cohort study.

RESULTS(1) The mean age of the cohort was 43.5. Most subjects were workers, had secondary education, and almost all were married. The dust exposure rate was 16.3%, the smoking rate 43.7% and the alcohol-drinking rate 33.5%. (2) The cohort was followed up for 8 years on average, but 35 people (0.04%) were lost for follow up. Among the 1593 deaths, 219 and 90 people died of lung cancer and non-cancer respiratory system diseases (NCRSD) respectively. (3) The adjusted relative risk (RR) of death of lung cancer for smokers, 3.32, was 2.2 times of that for dust exposed workers, 1.53, and the RR of death of NCRSD for dust exposed workers, 2.41, 1.28 times of that for smokers, 1.89, especially for silica dust-exposed workers, 5.72, 3.03 times of that for smokers. Dust exposure combined with smoking caused significantly higher RR of death of RSD. (4) In male, the death risks of RSD were increased with the amount of smoking per day and years of smoking.

CONCLUSIONOccupational dust exposure and smoking may cause excessive lung cancer and NCRSD death with synergistic effects. Smoking has higher RR of Lung cancer death than dust exposure. However, the dust exposure contributes to higher RR of NCRSD death. There is a significant dose-effect relationship between smoking and the death risk of RSD.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; etiology ; mortality ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects

Objective To examine the association between genetic polymorphism of rs1409181 in ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) among older Chinese in Guangzhou. Methods 390 subjects aged ≥50 years were randomly selected from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-CVD. Information on personal history, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and lipids were collected. Color Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the indicators of LVH, including left ventricular internal diastolic diameter (LVIDD) , thickness of the interventricular septum diastolic wall (IVSD) and the posterior wall diastolic diameter (LVPWD). LVIDD was calculated using Devereux ventricular mass (LVM)equation while the Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) equation was used to estimate LVH. The genotype of rs1409181 was determined by Taqman SNP genotyping kits using the ABI 7900HT real time PCR system. Results In the GG, CG and CC genotype groups, the proportions of LVH were 21.5%, 28.2% and 37.5% respectively. Compared with GG, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for the LVH were 1.39(0.78-2.50) and 2.36(1.21-4.60) for CG genotype and CC genotype of ENPP1 respectively (P for trend=0.01). Conclusion Polymorphism of ENPP1 gene rs1409181 was associated with LVH in the older Chinese people in Guangzhou.

Objective To examine the dose-response relationship of smoking status with carotid atherosclerosis in 959 relatively healthy Chinese men. Methods 959 older Chinese men were selected from Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (GBCS) on cardiovascular disease. Personal histories were collected and fasting plasma glucose and lipids, blood pressure, and common carotid artery intima-median thickness (CCA-IMT) were measured. Results ( 1 ) Composition of the cases:39.1% were non-smokers, 25.7% were former smokers and 35.2% were current smokers. The mean (95% confidence interval) carotid IMT was 0.78 (0.77-0.79) mm. 18.4% of the subjects had carotid IMT equal to or thicker than 1.0 mm while 34.1% had carotid plaque. (2)After adjusting for age, sex,physical activity, body mass index, fasting glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared to never smokers, current smokers had significantly increased risk for thicker IMT and carotid plaque [odds ratio (OR) = 1.82, 95% GI: 1.30-2.55 and OR=1.95, 95%CI: 1.38-2.75, respectively, all P＜0.001]. The risk for thicker IMT and carotid plaque increased with the increasing amount (cigarettes/day) and duration of smoking (years) as well with cigarette pack-years (P for trend all ≤0.01 ). Conclusion An elevated risk with a clear doseresponse relationship was found between cigarette smoking and carotid atherosclerosis. Quitting smoking or reducing the amount of smoking may lower the risk of atherosclerosis, preventing and controlling the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, and reducing the related cardiovascular mortalities.

Objective To explore the association of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with obesity level in middle and elderly population. Methods A total of 19181 subjects aged 50-85 years were collected in this study from the first and second recruitment phase of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. The subjects received face-to-face interviews to collect the detailed information on their sociodemographic background, occupational exposures, living environment, lifestyle, family and personal disease histories, and had physical examinations and tests including 12-lead ECG, chest radiograph, and pulmonary function testing. Each subject was screened for a range of fasting biochemical parameters. The cognitive ability was tested with 10-words delayed memory test. The associations between cognition function and anthropometric indices of obesity, including body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waistline, were evaluated. Results Apart from fast glucose and hypertension in subjects with normal cognition function and abnormal cognition function, some lifestyle and such physiological and biochemical factors as age, education, smoking status, and drinking status were significantly different in both gender (P＜0.05). WHR was the independent risk factor of MCI in both gender (P＜0.05). Logistic regression indicated that high WHR was a risk of MCI in both gender; the greater the WHR, the poorer memory the middle and elderly population; the OR and 95％ CI was 1.57 (1.42-1.72) in female and 1.22(1.05-1.41) in male. Conclusion Centripetal obesity is associated with MCI. WHR is a sensitive indicator influencing the cognitive function in women.