- Effects of an Online Organizational Intervention Targeting Managers in Nursing Homes on Caregivers' Low Back Pain and Managers' Work Engagement: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Sep 04. [Online ahead of print]JO
- CONCLUSIONS: Online organizational interventions targeting nursing homes did not significantly improve caregivers' low back pain or work engagement. High job demands, suboptimal adherence, and constraints inherent in the videoconference system potentially attenuated the intervention's effects.Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000051939).
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- Is the right to disconnect a testable organizational hypothesis for physiological recovery? A comment on after-hours ICT use. [Letter]J Occup Health. 2026 Jan-Dec; 68(1):uiag045.JO
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- Applicability of Infrared Thermography in Occupational Health for Multidisciplinary Clinical Decision-Making: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Sep 03. [Online ahead of print]JO
- CONCLUSIONS: Overall, infrared thermography was used primarily as a non-invasive, adjunctive, and complementary imaging method to document skin-surface temperature distribution and thermal patterns in occupational contexts. When interpreted alongside occupational history and clinical, physiological, ergonomic, and environmental information, thermographic findings may contribute to multidisciplinary clinical assessment and decision-making. Methodological limitations and heterogeneity warrant caution when transferring findings across work-related conditions and occupational settings.
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- Current Practice in Ionizing-Radiation Health Examinations at Occupational Health Institutions in Japan: A Nationwide Questionnaire Survey. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Sep 01. [Online ahead of print]JO
- CONCLUSIONS: Implementation varied across institutions, particularly in exposure assessment and the use of personal dose information in clinical judgment. This heterogeneity may limit not only the interpretability of examination results but also their contribution to evaluating radiation-related health effects, fitness for work judgments, and occupational radiation protection. These findings highlight the importance of improving the availability and integration of exposure-related information within existing examination processes, particularly in predominantly low-dose occupational environments.
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- Heat-mitigation effects of protective sheets in the construction industry for the prevention of heat stress disorders. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Aug 26. [Online ahead of print]JO
- CONCLUSIONS: 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.
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- Heat-related symptom profiles among construction workers: a latent class analysis of behavioral and workplace factors. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one-third of workers belonged to a high-symptom class with co-occurring heat-related symptoms. High-symptom class membership was more strongly associated with behavioral and workplace factors than with individual characteristics. The inverse association with organizational rest break guidance highlights the need for institutional protocols that authorize stopping work before symptoms develop. These findings support organizational interventions that reduce reliance on worker-initiated prevention.
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- Employment quality and workers' health and well-being in China: longitudinal evidence from the China Family Panel Studies. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Workers' health and well-being were related not only to employment status or income, but also to broader aspects of employment quality, including subjective work experience, working-time arrangements, and institutional protection. Employment quality and its different dimensions should receive greater attention in occupational health promotion and the evaluation of high-quality employment.
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- Is the right to disconnect a testable organizational hypothesis for physiological recovery? A comment on after-hours ICT use. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Jan 06; 68(1).JO
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- Association between unpredictable work schedule changes and sleep disorders among wage workers: evidence from national Working Conditions Surveys in Korea and Europe. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Habitual work schedule unpredictability is a distinct occupational risk factor for sleep disorders. The observed dose-response pattern suggests that greater advance notice may be associated with lower risk, highlighting schedule predictability as a potential occupational health priority warranting regulatory and organizational attention.
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- Daily presenteeism fluctuates substantially among Japanese workers while converging with retrospective WHO-HPQ scores. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Daily presenteeism converged with retrospective WHO-HPQ presenteeism while capturing substantial within-person variability that is not fully reflected in retrospective assessments. These findings support interpreting presenteeism as a dynamically fluctuating state and highlight the importance of selecting measures with appropriate temporal resolution.
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- Effects of a telework environment intervention on work setup behaviors and somatic symptoms among Japanese teleworkers: a secondary analysis of the TELEWORK cluster randomized controlled trial. [Randomized Controlled Trial]
- CONCLUSIONS: This secondary analysis did not detect statistically significant improvements in telework environment setup behaviors or somatic symptoms. Statistical conclusions regarding intervention effects remain inconclusive, underscoring the need for organizationally supported, multifaceted strategies to strengthen telework environments.
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- Factors influencing collaboration between occupational health nurses and human resources personnel in supporting the return to work of employees with mental health problems: a cross-sectional study. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Jan 06; 68(1).JO
- CONCLUSIONS: Enhancing the quality of relationships, including trust and information sharing, and improving organizational justice, are crucial for strengthening collaboration in support for return to work. This study provides practical intervention targets and useful insights for improving occupational health policies and practices.
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- Computer vision syndrome and ergonomic risk factors among administrative workers in public health care facilities: a cross-sectional occupational study. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: CVS was common among administrative workers in public health care facilities in the east coast state of Malaysia. Modifiable ergonomic factors, especially incorrect screen positioning, greatly raised the risk. These results emphasize the importance of workplace ergonomic interventions and regular visual health checks to reduce digital eye strain and enhance occupational health in settings with extensive computer use.
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- Comparison of workers' compensation systems in Singapore and Japan. [Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the underlying principles and trade-offs within each workers' compensation system allows for identification of opportunities to strengthen fairness and ensure more equitable outcomes for workers, employers, and society. Both Singapore and Japan can benefit from closer collaboration to share best practices, innovative solutions, and research efforts to address shared challenges.
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- Post-traumatic growth and professional fulfillment among health care workers after the COVID-19 pandemic: a 2-wave longitudinal study in Japan. [Journal Article]J Occup Health. 2026 Jan 06; 68(1).JO
- CONCLUSIONS: PTG was consistently associated with professional fulfillment among health care workers in the post-pandemic period, and higher PTG prospectively associated greater subsequent professional fulfillment. These findings are significant in demonstrating that PTG can be a meaningful focus for promoting professional fulfillment in health care workers after a public health crisis.
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