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Association between job characteristics and health behaviors in Japanese rural workers

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Abstract

Associations between job characteristics defined by the Karasek’s job demand-control model and health behaviors were investigated in a cross-sectional analysis of 6,759 Japanese rural workers. High psychological demands were associated with heavy smoking, exaggerated prevalence of alcohol drinking, and high work-related physical activity. Low job control was associated with lower consumption of vegetables, a smaller quantity number of cigarettes smoked, and a low level of work-related physical activity. Job strain, a combined measure obtained from the ratio of demands to control, was associated with lower vegetable consumption, low prevalence of smoking, and high prevalence of current alcohol drinking. Stratified analyses by occupations and gender provided some but not allof the explanations for the unexpected findings. The results indicate a possible association between psychosocial job characteristics and health behaviors. A few unexpected findings prevent complete support to one of the hypothetical pathways that the job characteristics lead to cardiovascular disease through behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Okayama University School of Medicine and Dentistry, Social and Environmental Life Sciences, Social Medicine and Longevity Sciences, Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, 700-8558, Okayama, Japan

    Akizumi Tsutsumi

  2. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan

    Kazunori Kayaba

  3. Kuze National Health Insurance Clinic, Gifu, Japan

    Manabu Yoshimura

  4. Osaki National Health Insurance Clinic, Kochi, Japan

    Machi Sawada

  5. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan

    Shizukiyo Ishikawa

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Akaike Town Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan

    Kenichiro Sakai

  7. Department of Internal Medicine, Wara National Health Insurance Hospital, Gifu, Japan

    Tadao Gotoh

  8. Tsukude National Health Insurance Clinic, Aichi, Japan

    Naoki Nago

Authors
  1. Akizumi Tsutsumi
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  2. Kazunori Kayaba
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The Jichi Medical School Cohort Study Group

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Correspondence to Akizumi Tsutsumi.

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Tsutsumi, A., Kayaba, K., Yoshimura, M. et al. Association between job characteristics and health behaviors in Japanese rural workers. Int. J. Behav. Med. 10, 125–142 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327558IJBM1002_03

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