Job stress evaluated using the brief job stress questionnaire and diabetes mellitus among a Japanese occupational population.

OBJECTIVE

Stress and working environments are risk factors for diabetes mellitus. A new occupational health policy called the Stress Check Program was started in Japan in 2015. Therefore, we clarified whether the presence or absence of high job stress (HJS) as determined using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is related to the comorbidity of diabetes.

METHODS

The results of a single year's BJSQ and medical examinations were investigated for 30,694 Japanese active office workers who were 30 to 59 years old. Presence or absence of HJS was assessed using the BJSQ and investigated using a personal computer in a medical interview. Furthermore, the relationships between HJS and diabetes comorbidity were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean age of the subjects was 43.8 ± 10.5 years old, and the proportion of subjects with HJS was 10%. After adjustment for age and sex, HJS was associated with a risk of diabetes comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.49). HJS was not a significant diabetic comorbidity factor when adjusted for lifestyle habits in addition to age and sex.

CONCLUSION

HJS measured using the BJSQ and unhealthy lifestyles synergistically contributed to diabetes comorbidity.