No abstract

The purposes of this study were to obtain descriptive information about the job duties and tasks of Japanese occupational health nurses and to compare the roles and functions of occupational health nurses in the United States and Japan. A modified version of a job analysis survey developed by the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses was used to collect data. The findings indicated 62% of Japanese occupational health nurses perform direct care roles, approximately half perform educating or advising and consulting roles, and approximately 40% perform management roles. Details related to specific tasks and differences in nurses with varying preparation also are presented.

The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the association between the lifestyle risk factors, especially physical activity, and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the comorbidity of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia in middle-aged Japanese urban population. Subjects (279 males and 119 females, 53.5+/-6.8 years old) were selected from one city office in Tokyo and consisted of type 2 diabetes cases (n=53), dyslipidemia cases (n=130), the comorbidity cases (n=58) and sex- and age-matched controls (n=155). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect physical activity data using Baecke's questionnaire translated and other lifestyle data. Our results revealed that physical activity was significantly associated with the reduction of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the comorbidity, and the sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios of the fourth quartile to the lowest one were 0.31 (95%CI:0.12-0.81) and 0.32 (95%CI:0.13-0.81), respectively. Family history of diabetes and smoking were independent risk factors for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the comorbidity.