ORIGINAL PAPER
Job stress among workers who telecommute during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan: a cross-sectional study
 
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1
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Work Systems and Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences)
 
2
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences)
 
3
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Environmental Health, School of Medicine)
 
4
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Occupational Medicine, School of Medicine)
 
5
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Occupational Health Practice and Management, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences)
 
6
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Public Health, School of Medicine)
 
7
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan (Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences)
 
 
Online publication date: 2022-03-09
 
 
Corresponding author
Kazunori Ikegami   

University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Work Systems and Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, 807-8555, Fukuoka, Japan
 
 
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(3):339-51
 
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: The work system reform and the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan have prompted efforts toward telecommuting in Japan. However, only a few studies have investigated the stress and health effects of telecommuting. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between telecommuting and job stress among Japanese workers. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. In December 2020, during the “third wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet-based nationwide health survey of 33 087 Japanese workers (The Collaborative Online Research on Novel-coronavirus and Work, CORoNaWork study) was conducted. Data of 27 036 individuals were included after excluding 6051 invalid responses. The authors analyzed a sample of 13 468 office workers from this database. The participants were classified into 4 groups according to their telecommuting frequency, while comparing scores on the subscale of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and subjective job stress between the high-frequency, medium-frequency, low-frequency, and non-telecommuters groups. A linear mixed model and an ordinal logistic regression analysis were used. Results: A significant difference in the job control scores of the JCQ among the 4 groups was found, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. The high-frequency telecommuters group had the highest job control score. Further, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the subjective job stress scores of the high- and medium-frequency telecommuters groups were significantly lower than those of the non-telecommuters group. Conclusions: This study revealed that high-frequency telecommuting was associated with high job control and low subjective job stress. The widespread adoption of telecommuting as a countermeasure to the public health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may also have a positive impact on job stress. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(3):339–51
eISSN:1896-494X
ISSN:1232-1087
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