Objectives Karoshi, or “death from overwork,” has been recognized for decades; however, epidemiological findings regarding long working hours (LWH) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) remain inconsistent. This study aimed to provide new evidence on the association between LWH and IHD, while accounting for job strain among Japanese workers, both male and female.
Methods This study utilized data from 6,670 workers participating in the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study. Baseline working hours were categorized as <5, 5 to 6.9, 7 to 8.9 (reference), 9 to 10.9, and 11 hours/day. Fatal and non-fatal incident IHD cases were determined during follow-up using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, cardiometabolic characteristics, and job strain.
Results During a mean follow-up of 12 years, 58 incident IHD cases (42 men and 16 women) were documented. Long working hours (≥11 hours/day) were significantly associated with an increased risk of IHD in the total sample (hazard ratio, 2.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.15 to 7.39), and the overall pattern of associations was similar in sex-stratified analyses.
Conclusions These findings suggest that LWH independently increases the risk of IHD among Japanese workers, even after adjustment for job strain, underscoring the importance of managing working hours to reduce karoshi in both male and female workers.
Objectives Recent research indicates a potential association between workplace violence and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the working-age population. However, the relevant evidence in the United States is sparse. Thus, this study was conducted to explore the possible relationship between workplace violence and CVD among United States workers.
Methods We utilized cross-sectional data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, which included a representative sample of 18 380 workers, to investigate the associations between workplace violence and the prevalence of CVD using logistic regression. Workplace violence was determined based on self-reported threats, bullying, or harassment at work over the past 12 months, supplemented with additional information regarding frequency. CVD included all forms of heart disease and stroke.
Results A total of 1334 workers reported experiences of workplace violence, and 1336 workers were diagnosed with CVD. After adjustment for covariates, participants who reported any instance of workplace violence had significantly higher odds of having CVD (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35 to 2.30) than those who reported no such violence. Furthermore, the highest odds of CVD (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.63) were observed among those frequently exposed to workplace violence. Even occasional exposure to workplace violence was associated with 74% excess odds of CVD.
Conclusions Our study indicates an association between workplace violence and CVD in United States workers, exhibiting a dose-response pattern.
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