A Prospective Cohort Study of Presenteeism and Increased Risk of Divorce Among Japanese Workers

Yoshihisa Fujino; Makoto Okawara; Ayako Hino; Keiji Muramatsu; Tomohisa Nagata; Seiichiro Tateishi; Mayumi Tsuji; Akira Ogami; Tomohiro Ishimaru; CORoNaWork Project

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002670

A Prospective Cohort Study of Presenteeism and Increased Risk of Divorce Among Japanese Workers

J Occup Environ Med. 2022 Nov 1;64(11):e695-e699. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002670. Epub 2022 Aug 16.

Authors

Yoshihisa Fujino¹, Makoto Okawara, Ayako Hino, Keiji Muramatsu, Tomohisa Nagata, Seiichiro Tateishi, Mayumi Tsuji, Akira Ogami, Tomohiro Ishimaru; CORoNaWork Project

Affiliation

¹ From the Department of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Drs Fujino, Okawara, and Ishimaru); Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Hino); Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Muramatsu); Department of Occupational Health Practice and Management, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Nagata); Disaster Occupational Health Center, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Tateishi); Department of Environmental Health, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Tsuji); Department of Work Systems and Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Ogami).

Abstract

Objective: We examined the association between the presenteeism and the risk of divorce among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A prospective study of 27,036 individuals was conducted starting in December 2020, with 18,560 (68.7%) participating in the follow-up in December 2021. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun) was used to measure the degree of work function impairment.

Results: Compared with the group with the lowest WFun score, the odds ratio for the group with moderate WFun was 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.82; P = 0.525), and the odds ratio for the group with the highest WFun was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 2.62; P = 0.006).

Conclusions: This study suggests that supporting workers with presenteeism has important implications not only from the perspective of labor productivity in management but also for the individual's quality of life in terms of family relationships.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Divorce
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Pandemics
Presenteeism*
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires