Association between working hours and cancer risk in Japan: The Japan public health center-based prospective study

Association between long working hours and engagement in preventive healthcare services in Korean workers: Findings from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND

Engagement in preventive healthcare services is crucial for preventing diseases. We explored how working hours are associated with engagement in preventive healthcare services, with a focus on gender differences.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The dependent variable was engagement in each of the five preventive healthcare services (health check-ups, influenza vaccination, and stomach, breast, and cervical cancer screenings). We estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using robust Poisson regression.

RESULTS

The study analyzed 19,819 workers (9119 women). The adjusted PRs (95% CI) of the association between working ≥55 h per week and engagement in preventive healthcare services among men were 0.95 (0.90-1.00) for health check-ups, 0.86 (0.77-0.96) for influenza vaccination, and 0.95 (0.87-1.03) for stomach cancer screening compared to working 35-40 h per week. Among women, the adjusted PRs (95% CI) of the association between working ≥55 h per week and engagement in preventive healthcare services were 0.84 (0.78-0.91) for health check-ups, 0.82 (0.73-0.92) for influenza vaccination, and 0.88 (0.80-0.97) for stomach, 0.85 (0.78-0.94) for breast, and 0.82 (0.74-0.91) for cervical cancer screenings.

CONCLUSION

Long working hours were negatively associated with engagement in preventive healthcare services, and the association was pronounced among female workers. Efforts to promote preventive healthcare participation among individuals with long working hours are necessary, and it is essential to consider the unique vulnerabilities of women when developing such policies.

Association between working hours and cancer risk in Japan: The Japan public health center-based prospective study

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we evaluated the association between working hours and cancer risk in the Japanese population, which has not been evaluated.

METHODS

Using a cohort database from a Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study, we evaluated 26 738 participants (16 351 men and 10 387 women), who responded to a questionnaire about working hours and followed these participants from 1993-1994 to 2013. Participants were divided into four groups according to working hours (≤6, 7-8, 9-10, ≥11 h/day). The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each cancer incidence were calculated using a multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

During 488 383 person-years of follow-up, 481 patients with newly diagnosed cancers were identified. There was no clear association between long working hours and overall cancer, lung cancer, and stomach cancer risks. Long working hours tended to increase prostate cancer risk in men and breast cancer risk in women, although the difference was not statistically significant. Increased liver cancer risk with short working hours (HR [95% CI]; 3.15 [1.44-6.88] in the ≤6 h/day group vs. 7-8 h/day) was observed. Colorectal cancer also tended to increase risk in short working hours, however, there were not statistically significance.

CONCLUSIONS

In this population, long working hours were not associated with cancer risk with statistically significance. The association between short working hours and liver cancer risk was observed, probably due to the reverse causation of liver cancer.