A cohort study on.the influence of working in foreign countries on stress and lifestyle

背景资料：二战后，日本工业全球化。如今，有30多万日本人在国外工作。本队列研究的目的是调查在国外工作对日本工人生活方式和职业压力变化的影响。方法：对某贸易公司的194名被派往国外的男性工人和256名在国内工作的男性工人进行平均1年的跟踪调查。在基线和随访时，通过自评问卷收集生活方式和职业压力的数据。结果：在37岁及以下和38岁及以上两个年龄组中，国外从业人员与国内从业人员相比，在基线和随访期有不同程度的变化，主要表现为：37岁及以下的从业人员中，经常锻炼和较早进餐的比例较高，味增汤、绿茶、鱼、豆腐、蔬菜的摄入量较低，饮料和油腻食品的摄入量较高。其中，工作内容问卷测评的工作需求有所下降。在38岁或以上的工人中，经常锻炼的习惯和较早的晚餐时间，更频繁地外出就餐，降低饮酒量，更频繁地在两餐之间进食，酱汤、绿茶、鱼、豆腐和蔬菜的摄入量较低，土豆摄入量较高的比例增加。其中20个项目的一般健康问卷得分增加。结论：国外一年内生活方式和职业压力的变化与国内不同。不同年龄段的变化也不同。

BACKGROUND : After World War II, Japanese industry has been globalized. Nowadays, more than 300,000 Japanese are working in foreign countries. The aim of this cohort study was to investigate the influence of working in foreign countries on changes in lifestyles and occupational stress among Japanese workers.METHODS : A cohort of 194 male workers who belonged to a trade company and had been sent to foreign countries and 256 male workers in domestic sites was followed for one year on average. At both baseline and follow-up, the data of the lifestyles and occupational stress was gathered by self-rating questionnaires. The data was separately analyzed by strata of two age-groups of 37 years or less and 38 years or more, and the changes were compared between workers in foreign countries and in domestic sites by age-groups.RESULTS: Compared to workers in domestic sites, workers in foreign countries had different changes between baseline and follow-up as follows : Among workers aged 37 or less, the prevalence of regular exercise and earlier mealtime of supper, rates of lower intake of miso-soup, green tea, fish, tofu, and vegetables, and rates of higher intake of beverage and oily food increased. The job demand assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire decreased among them. Among workers aged 38 or more, the prevalence of habit of regular exercise and earlier mealtime of supper, taking supper out of home more frequently, lowering alcohol consumption, and eating between meals more frequently, rates of lower intake of miso-soup, green tea, fish, tofu, and vegetables, and rates of higher intake of potatoes increased. Among them, scores of the 20-items General Health Questionnaire increased.CONCLUSION : Changes of lifestyles and occupational stress for one year in foreign countries differed from in domestic sites. The changes also differed between age groups.