Association between Health Practice and Food Stockpiling for Disaster

Association between lifestyle habits and presenteeism

BACKGROUND

Presenteeism is affected by work-related and individual factors. Among individual factors, the effect of combining various lifestyle habits on presenteeism is unknown.

AIMS

This study aimed to determine the relationship between changes in multiple good lifestyle habits with a change in presenteeism and to examine the effect of psychological factors on this relationship.

METHODS

We performed a 1-year retrospective cohort study on employees of large Japanese companies. Data were collected from health check-ups and a self-administered questionnaire. Changes in presenteeism were measured using the Quality and Quantity method. Changes in lifestyle habits were measured using a modified form of Breslow's seven health practices. Psychological factors were measured using the Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale. Linear regression was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The number of practised lifestyle habit changes was negatively correlated with a change in presenteeism. This result was consistent when adjusted for age, sex and company (B, -0.010; P < 0.05), but became non-significant when additionally adjusted for psychological distress (B, -0.006). When analysed separately, only an improvement in the body mass index (B, -0.054; P < 0.05) and a worsened sleep habit (B, 0.040; P < 0.01) influenced a change in presenteeism.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that improving various practised lifestyle habits in combination, rather than improving a single lifestyle habit, is beneficial in reducing presenteeism. Our finding that psychological distress altered the relationship of practised lifestyle habit changes with presenteeism indicates the importance of organizational-level intervention in presenteeism.

Association between personality traits and food stockpiling for disaster

This study investigated the association between personality traits and food stockpiling for disasters in predicted high-risk areas of food shortages due to the Nankai Trough Earthquake. This survey was conducted between December 18 and 20, 2019, using a web-based questionnaire. The participants were 1,200 individuals registered with an online survey company. This study analyzed the association between the Big Five personality traits and food stockpiling status (n = 1192). The Big Five personality traits assess five basic dimensions of personality (i.e., extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness). To measure theses personality traits, we used the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J). The Mann-Whitney test and a multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that none of the Big Five personality traits were significantly associated with having or not having stockpile food. However, interestingly, considering the stages of behavior change regarding stockpiling, high extraversion was significantly positively related to initiating stockpiling. Moreover, high neuroticism was significantly positively related to interrupted stockpiling. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on personality traits (especially low extraversion and high neuroticism) to promote food stockpiling for disasters.