Yamaguchi Satoko, Atarashi Tomofumi, Okada Akira, Inoue Reiko, Nasu Shigeru, Yamauchi Toshimasa, Arase Yasuji, Aizawa Takao, Nangaku Masaomi, Kadowaki Takashi
Department of Prevention of Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care, Tokyo, Japan.
JMA J. 2025 Jul 15;8(3):911-924. doi: 10.31662/jmaj.2024-0337. Epub 2025 Jun 27.
Preventive programs, including cancer and diabetes screenings, were disrupted globally by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels even in 2021-2022. In Japan, COVID-19 was downgraded to the lowest-risk category under the Infectious Diseases Control Law in May 2023. However, whether participation in health check-ups recovered after this downgrade remains unclear. Additionally, understanding the impact of the pandemic on employees' mental health and attrition is crucial for maintaining services in future pandemics. To address these issues, we conducted a nationwide survey.
A questionnaire survey was conducted between December 16, 2023, and February 21, 2024, targeting member facilities of Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care. The questionnaires covered COVID-19-related rules before and after the downgrade, the negative impact on employees' mental health, and whether employee resignations increased compared to the pre-pandemic period. Participants also provided data on the number of health check-up examinees from 2019 to 2023.
We emailed 1,381 facilities, of which 856 responded (response rate: 62.0%). An additional 124 facilities responded via the Society's website, yielding a total of 980 participants. While cancer screenings by local governments returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, gastric cancer screenings remained low. Nearly 30% of facilities reported a negative impact of the pandemic on employees' mental health, which was associated with factors such as being annexed to hospitals and employees' complaints about strict COVID-19-related rules. This negative impact was strongly linked to increased employee resignations.
While overall cancer screening rates recovered, gastric cancer screenings remained below pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, the negative impact on employees' mental health was significantly associated with increased attrition, highlighting the need for mental health support for those engaged in preventive medicine to maintain services during future pandemics.
包括癌症和糖尿病筛查在内的预防项目在全球范围内因2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行而中断，甚至在2021 - 2022年都尚未恢复到大流行前的水平。在日本，COVID-19在2023年5月被降级为《传染病防治法》规定的最低风险类别。然而，在此次降级后健康检查的参与率是否恢复仍不清楚。此外，了解大流行对员工心理健康和人员流失的影响对于在未来大流行中维持服务至关重要。为解决这些问题，我们进行了一项全国性调查。
在2023年12月16日至2024年2月21日期间，针对日本人间ドック预防医学会的会员机构进行了问卷调查。问卷涵盖了降级前后与COVID-19相关的规定、对员工心理健康的负面影响以及与大流行前相比员工辞职是否增加。参与者还提供了2019年至2023年健康检查受检者数量的数据。
我们向1381家机构发送了电子邮件，其中856家回复（回复率：62.0%）。另有124家机构通过学会网站回复，共有980名参与者。虽然地方政府的癌症筛查在2023年恢复到大流行前的水平，但胃癌筛查仍然较低。近30%的机构报告大流行对员工心理健康有负面影响，这与诸如附属于医院以及员工对严格的COVID-19相关规定的抱怨等因素有关。这种负面影响与员工辞职增加密切相关。
虽然总体癌症筛查率有所恢复，但胃癌筛查仍低于大流行前的水平。此外，对员工心理健康的负面影响与人员流失显著相关，这凸显了在未来大流行期间为从事预防医学的人员提供心理健康支持以维持服务的必要性。
