BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between occupational class and self-reported low back pain (LBP) in a representative sample of the Japanese general population. METHODS: We used anonymized data from a nationwide survey (31,443 men and 35,870 women aged ≥ 20). Occupational class variables included working status, occupation, employment status, and company size (number of employees). Covariates included age, socio-economic status, lifestyle, and comorbidities. Poisson regression models stratified by gender were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for self-reported LBP. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported LBP was 11.7% in men and 14.2% in women. After adjustment for covariates and mutual adjustment for all occupational class variables, among both genders, agricultural/forestry/fishery workers and non-workers had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP: APR (95% CI) of agricultural/forestry/fishery was 1.36 (1.08-1.70) in men and 1.59 (1.30-1.93) in women; that of non-workers was 1.42 (1.18-1.70) in men and 1.23 (1.08-1.40) in women. Among men, non-regular employees were more likely to have self-reported LBP than regular employees: APR (95% CI) was 1.25 (1.07-1.46) in part-timers and casual staff and 1.18 (1.03-1.35) in other types of non-regular employees. Moreover, compared to men working at companies with ≥ 100 employees, men working at companies with 30-99 employees had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP (APR 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34). Among women, professionals and technicians (1.26; 1.11-1.43) and sales workers (1.22; 1.04-1.43) had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP than clerks. Neither employment status nor company size was associated with self-reported LBP in women. After stratified analyses by age group, similar patterns were observed in participants aged 20-64, but not in those aged ≥ 65. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that self-reported LBP is highly prevalent among agricultural/forestry/fishery workers and the unemployed, regardless of gender, and that there are also gender differences in the association of occupational class factors with self-reported LBP. It is necessary, therefore, to take preventive measures against LBP based on gender and occupational class factors in Japan.
Adult ; Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Employment/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Humans ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Low Back Pain/epidemiology* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology* ; Occupations/statistics & numerical data* ; Prevalence ; Self Report ; Sex Distribution

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have underscored some unique inequalities in occupational mortality in Japan, many of these trends have been dramatically altered during recent decades. We analyzed mortality data by occupation and industry in Japan, to determine whether differences remained by the mid-2010s for men in working-age population. METHODS: We calculated age-standardized all-cause and cause-specific mortality, according to occupation and industry, among men aged 25-64 years in the 2015 fiscal year (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016). Occupational and industry-specific categories were defined using the Japan Standard Occupational Classification and Japan Standard Industrial Classification, respectively. Age-standardized mortality rates were computed using 5-year age intervals. Mortality rate ratios adjusted for age and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Poisson regression. Cause-specific deaths were classified into four broad groups (cancers [C00-D48], cardiovascular diseases [I00-I99], external causes [V01-Y98], and all other diseases) based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10). RESULTS: Clear mortality differences were identified by both occupation and industry among Japanese males. All-cause mortality ranged from 53.7 (clerical workers) to 240.3 (service workers) per 100,000 population for occupation and from 54.3 (workers in education) to 1169.4 (workers in mining) for industry. In relative terms, service workers and agriculture, forestry, and fishing workers had 2.89 and 2.50 times higher all-cause mortality than sales workers. Administrative and managerial workers displayed higher mortality risk (1.86; 95% CI 1.76-1.97) than sales workers. Similar patterns of broad cause-specific mortality inequality were identified in terms of both absolute and relative measures, and all broad cause-specific deaths contributed to the differences in mortality by occupation and industry. CONCLUSIONS Substantial differences in mortality among Japanese male workers, according to occupation and industry, were still present in 2015.
Adult ; Cause of Death ; Humans ; Industry ; statistics & numerical data ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupations ; statistics & numerical data ; Socioeconomic Factors

PURPOSE: This study aimed to (1) explore current levels of quality of life, depression, resilience and social support and (2) investigate factors associated with quality of life among parents who lost children in the Sewol ferry disaster. METHODS: Data for this descriptive and correlation study was collected from December 2016 to June 2017. Structured questionnaires were completed by 114 parents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Lower levels of quality of life were reported by parents with no current occupation, who considered emotional support by others as not helpful, not disclosing self as family of a victim, experiencing change in social activities related to the disaster, and not participating in bereavement activities with other families (all p values <.05). Factors associated with quality of life were depression (β=−.53) and resilience (β=.26) and explained 48.0% variance (F=50.37, p<.001), while social support was not a significant factor. CONCLUSION: Our study findings provide fundamental information on the mental health status of families of the Sewol ferry disaster victims. Nursing interventions to improve quality of life of parents who lost their children in the disaster should emphasize both managing depression and improving resilience.
Bereavement ; Child ; Depression ; Disaster Victims ; Disasters ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Occupations ; Parents ; Quality of Life ; Resilience, Psychological ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore subjective perceptions of good nurses' images perceived by nursing students using Q-methodology and to identify characteristics by types and reflect them in nursing education. METHODS: Between December 21 and November 30, 2017, using Q-methodology, 31 nursing students from two universities sorted and rated 34 Q-statements on a nine-point scale according to the degree of their agreement. A data analysis was conducted using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: The images of good nurses, as perceived by nursing college students, were extracted into three types, each of which had unique characteristics; the cumulative variance was 55%. Three types were identified as “Task-oriented health professional type,” “Emotional companion type,” and “Flexible mediator type” respectively. CONCLUSION: This study investigated the significant differences of subjectivity in images of good nurses perceived by nursing college students. The results of this study can be applied to the development and application of a nursing education curriculum that helps nursing college students form positive nursing images and grow into competent nurses.
Curriculum ; Education, Nursing ; Friends ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Nursing ; Statistics as Topic ; Students, Nursing

BACKGROUND: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) has been widely used as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in occupationally exposed workers. The objective of this study is to investigate the concentration of urinary 1-OHP among charcoal workers as subjects and non-charcoal workers as controls. METHODS: Early morning urine samples were collected from 68 persons (25 charcoal workers in Igbo-Ora, 20 charcoal workers in Alabata, and 23 non-charcoal workers) who volunteered to participate in this study. 1-OHP determination in urine samples was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography after hydrolysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean urinary 1-OHP concentration (μmol/mol creatinine) among charcoal workers at Igbo-Ora and Alabata and non-charcoal workers were 2.22 ± 1.27, 1.32 ± 0.65, and 0.32 ± 0.26 (p < 0.01). There existed a relationship between respondent type and 1-OHP concentration. Charcoal workers were 3.14 times more at risk of having 1-OHP concentrations that exceed the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guideline of 0.49 μmol/mol creatinine than non-charcoal workers (relative risk = 3.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.7–5.8, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Charcoal workers are exposed to PAHs during charcoal production and are at risk of experiencing deleterious effects of PAH exposure. Routine air quality assessment should be carried out in communities where charcoal production takes place. Assessment of urinary 1-OHP concentration and use of personal protective equipment should also be encouraged among charcoal workers.
Charcoal* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Nigeria* ; Occupations ; Personal Protective Equipment ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic* ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study examined the customers' perception on Home Meal Replacement (HMR) products. Specifically, there were three research objectives: 1. to identify the customers' HMR purchase patterns and preference of HMR product development; 2. to identify the attributes of the HMR products that the customers perceive; and 3. to examine the customers' level of expectation-confirmation toward HMR product attributes according to the demographic characteristics. This study employed a self-administered survey that was distributed online from November 21~24, 2017. The sample of the study was the customers who had purchased HMR products in the six months prior to taking the survey. A total of 553 respondents completed the survey, which was used for data analysis. The results revealed the customers' HMR purchase patterns. The major HMR product type of purchase was ready to heat (52.6%), while the main reason for purchasing HMR products was convenience (83.2%). For the differences in the level of expectation-confirmation toward HMR products in accordance with the demographic characteristics of customers, the results indicated that there was a difference in the expectation-confirmation level according to age, whereas the respondents aged 29 and under showed a significantly higher level of time-saving for the preparation and ease of cooking (P < 0.05) than the other age groups. In addition, there was a significant difference in the expectation-confirmation level for saving meal preparation time (P < 0.05) and convenience (P < 0.01) among the customer's occupation. These findings can provide the basis for a strategy for developing HMR products reflecting the rapidly changing customers' needs. HMR products should be developed according to the specific target market, as the study indicated that the respective customer segmentation resulted in a difference in their expectation toward HMR products.
Cooking ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Meals ; Occupations ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate students' academic outcomes after implementation of the team-based learning (TBL) approach in patient/client management courses in an entry-level doctor of physical therapy (DPT) curriculum. METHODS: The research design of this study involved comparing written and practical exam scores from DPT student cohorts taught with the traditional instructional methods (lecture-based) to those of students from subsequent cohorts taught using the TBL approach in two patient/client management courses: basic skills and cardiopulmonary. For this comparison, the exams used, the number of contact hours and labs, and the instructors who taught these courses remained the same during the transition between these two instructional methods (traditional vs. TBL). The average of all individual course exam scores was used for data analysis. RESULTS: In both courses, there were no meaningful differences in the mean exam scores among students across years of cohorts receiving the same instructional method, which allowed clustering students from different years of cohorts in each course receiving the same instructional method into one group. For both courses, the mean exam score was significantly higher in the TBL group than in the traditional instruction group: basic skills course (P<0.001) and cardiopulmonary course (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Student cohorts taught using the TBL approach academically outperformed those who received the traditional instructional method in both entry–level DPT patient/client management courses.
Cohort Studies ; Curriculum* ; Education, Professional ; Educational Measurement ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Learning* ; Methods ; Physical Therapists ; Research Design ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics as Topic ; United States*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting social problem-solving ability of alcohol-dependent patients with a focus on gender differences. METHODS: Participants were 250 alcohol-dependent people(men 140, women 110) who were living in B, G and Y cities. Data were collected from January 10 to March 31, 2017 using self-report questionnaires. Abstinence self-efficacy, alcohol insight, unconditional self-acceptance, and social problem-solving ability were investigated. For data analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression were employed. RESULTS: Factors influencing social problem-solving ability for men were unconditional self-acceptance and age. The explanatory power was 28%. Factors influencing social problem-solving ability for women were unconditional self-acceptance, stress, religiousness, age, occupation and abstinence self-efficacy and the explanatory power was 72%. Unconditional self-acceptance and age were significant variables of social problem-solving ability in both men and women. Stress, occupation, religiousness and abstinence self-efficacy were significantly associated with social problem-solving ability in women but not in men. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that it is necessary to consider gender characteristics in order to develop effective management programs for social problem-solving ability in alcohol-dependent people.
Alcoholics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupations ; Problem Solving ; Sex Characteristics ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of indicators of occupational class on healthcare utilization by using longitudinal data from a nationally representative survey. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Korean Welfare Panel Study conducted from 2006 (wave 1) through 2014 (wave 9). A total of 5,104 individuals were selected at baseline (2006). Analysis of variance and longitudinal data analysis were used to evaluate the following dependent variables: number of outpatient visits and number of days spent in the hospital per year. RESULTS: The number of annual outpatient visits was 4.298 days higher (P<0.0001) in class IV, 0.438 days higher (P=0.027) in class III, and 0.335 days higher (P=0.035) in class II than in class I. The number of days spent in the hospital per year was 0.610 days higher (P=0.001) in class IV, 0.547 days higher (P<0.0001) in class III, and 0.115 days higher (P=0.136) in class III than in class I. In addition, the number of days spent in the hospital in class IV patients with unmet healthcare needs showed an opposite trend to that predicted on the basis of socioeconomic status (estimate,−8.524; P-value=0.015). CONCLUSION: Patients whose jobs involved manual or physical labor were significantly associated with higher healthcare utilization. Thus, the results suggest that healthcare utilization in different occupational classes should be improved by monitoring work environments and promoting health-enhancing behaviors.
Adult* ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Humans ; Occupations ; Outpatients ; Social Class ; Statistics as Topic

INTRODUCTIONCurrently very little is known about the prevalence or magnitude of caregiver dependence in Singapore and thus, there is a need to fill this gap in this multiethnic ageing population. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of caregiver dependence among older adults in Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSData were used from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey among Singapore residents aged 60 years and above. Caregiver dependence was ascertained by asking the informant (the person who knows the older person best) a series of open-ended questions about the older person's care needs.

RESULTSThe older adult sample comprised 57.1% females and the majority were aged 60 to 74 years (74.8%), while 19.5% were 75 to 84 years, and 5.7% were 85 years and above. The prevalence of caregiver dependence was 17.2% among older adults. Significant sociodemographic risk factors of caregiver dependence included older age (75 to 84 years, and 85 years and above,<0.001), Malay and Indian ethnicity (<0.001), those who have never been married (= 0.048) or have no education (= 0.035), as well as being homemakers or retired (<0.001). After adjusting for sociodemographic variables and all health conditions in multiple logistic regression analyses, dementia (<0.001), depression (= 0.011), stroke (= 0.002), eyesight problems (= 0.003), persistent cough (= 0.016), paralysis (<0.001), asthma (= 0.016) and cancer (= 0.026) were significantly associated with caregiver dependence.

CONCLUSIONVarious sociodemographic and health-related conditions were significantly associated with caregiver dependence. Dependent older adults will put greater demands on health and social services, resulting in greater healthcare expenditures. Hence, effective planning, services and support are crucial to meet the needs of dependent older adults and their caregivers.

Activities of Daily Living ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asthma ; epidemiology ; Caregivers ; Cough ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dementia ; epidemiology ; Depression ; epidemiology ; Educational Status ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Logistic Models ; Malaysia ; Male ; Marital Status ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Occupations ; statistics & numerical data ; Paralysis ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Retirement ; statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Stroke ; epidemiology ; Vision Disorders ; epidemiology