Factors Associated With Cold Hypersensitivity in the Hands and Feet Among Japanese Workers: A Nationwide Cross‐Sectional Survey

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Abstract
Aim: Cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet (CHHF) is particularly prevalent among women and older individuals. However, CHHF in the working‐age population has not been elucidated. Methods: We analyzed anonymized data of 26,131 currently employed individuals from the 2019 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, a nationwide survey by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare that used stratified two‐stage random sampling. CHHF was defined as self‐reported cold sensations in the hands and feet without organic abnormalities. Variables included sex, age, education, marital and economic status, lifestyle, nonrestorative sleep (NRS), mental health, and accompanying symptoms. Sex‐stratified binary logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, education, marital and economic status, smoking, drinking, NRS, and mental health. Results: The overall CHHF prevalence was 5.0 and 18.4 per 1000 persons in men and women (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.0–6.2 and 16.0–21.1), respectively. CHHF was positively associated with NRS (men, odds ratio [OR]: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.14–3.37; women, OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.34–2.66) and mental distress (moderate: men, OR: 3.60, 95% CI: 1.99–6.52; women, OR: 3.79, 95% CI: 2.55–5.64; serious: men, OR: 9.31, 95% CI: 4.45–19.49; women, OR: 10.30, 95% CI: 6.39–16.61) and negatively with higher education (men, OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.29–0.98; women, OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34–0.85). Conclusion: CHHF is not rare among working‐age Japanese individuals—particularly women—and is strongly linked to poor mental health and NRS, whereas higher education is negatively associated. Workplace health measures addressing sleep quality and psychological distress may help reduce CHHF.

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