Teruyo Kitahara

Work schedule differences in sleep problems of nursing home caregivers

Nursing home caregivers (n=775; 604 women; mean age 33.6 years) were studied to examine how work schedules affect their sleep. The shift group (n=536) worked under a rotating two-shift system (n=365), a rotating three-shift system (n=66), or other types of shifts (n=78). The non-shift group included 222 caregivers. Participants completed a questionnaire about working conditions, sleep problems, health, lifestyle, and demographic factors. The two-shift caregivers reported the highest levels of difficulty initiating sleep (DIS, 37.6%), insomnia symptoms (43.0%), and poor quality of sleep (24.9%) among the groups. Adjusted odds ratios for these problems were significantly greater for the two-shift caregivers than for non-shift counterparts: DIS (odds ratio 2.86, 95% confidence interval 1.57-5.20), insomnia symptoms (2.33, 1.36-4.02), and poor sleep quality (2.15, 1.09-4.22). Our data suggest that working under a rotating two-shift system, which has a longer night shift, is associated with an elevated risk of sleep problems for nursing home caregivers.

A field study of exposure to whole-body vibration due to agricultural machines in a full-time rice farmer over one year

A field study of exposure to whole‐body vibration due to agricultural machines in a full‐time rice farmer over one year: Hiroji Tsujimura, et al. Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Social Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science

Improvement of the Sitting Position of the Computer Operator Using theToes

Objective: The purpose of this study was to reduce the workload on the computer operator using the toes. Methods: A subject was a 22-years-old man with upper extremity impairments, who worked at a welfare work activity center. The actual duration of computer operation using the keyboard and touch-pad on the desktop was approximately four hours a day. The subject complained of low back pain and lower extremity fatigue at closing time. To alleviate physical load, the working environment was modified as follows. The installation position of the keyboard and touch-pad was moved to the floor. The computer monitor was moved up and close to the operator. A new monitor, a video camera and light aimed at the keyboard were set up for keyboard projection. The effect of this modification was evaluated by a posture analysis, a sitting pressure distribution, a surface electromyogram at the neck and low back, and subjective feelings of the physical load. Results: In accordance with the working environmental modifications, the posture, the sitting pressure distribution, the myoelectric potential, and the physical load of the user improved. Conclusion: Environmental modifications can improve pain and fatigue at closing time and the operability of the computer user.

Survey of Agricultural Machine-induced Injuries in Shiga Prefecture by Insurance Report, 1981-1992

滋賀県での農作業災害予防のための課題を明らかにする目的で, 県共済連の保険請求資料を基に, 1982年から1991年までの期間について, 主な農業機械を原因とした災害の発生実態を経年的に検討した。農作業災害は調査期間中に男性に914件, 女性に288件発生しており, 1983年が144件で最も多く, 以後, 年間100件程度で推移していた。災害発生に結びついた主な農業機械は, コンバイン, 草刈機, トラクター, 耕転機であった。コンバイン, トラクター, 耕転機による災害は, 減少ないしは横這いであったが, 草刈機による災害は増加していた。1989年以後, 60歳以上の年齢階層が被災者の中で最も高い構1成比であり, しかも, それは滋賀県の農業従事者の60歳以上構成比よりも高かった。コンバイン, トラクターでは, 機械の操作性や作業環境に起因する災害は減少していたが, 脱穀や耕転作業時の災害は減少していなかった。草刈機による災害増加には, 普及台数の増加や傾斜畦畔の拡大により使用頻度が増えたことが関与していることが考えられた。草刈機による災害予防のためには, 機械や作業環境の改善とともに保護具の導入が必要と考えられた。