Keiko Teranishi

Objectives: Previous research has indicated that shift workers exhibit fewer healthy behaviors than those working regular daytime hours. Although health literacy influences health behaviors, studies comparing health literacy levels between shift and fixed-day workers and investigating whether differences in health behaviors between these 2 groups are mediated by health literacy are lacking. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire in a large-scale manufacturing company. Overall, 2152 manual workers aged 18-64 years were enrolled in this study (961 and 1191 fixed-day and shift workers, respectively). Logistic regression structural equation models were used for analyzing the mediating role of health literacy in the relationship between shift work and health behaviors. Results: Shift and fixed-day workers did not show differences in age-adjusted health literacy. Compared with fixed-day workers, the odds ratios of shift workers for leisure time exercise, not currently smoking, having breakfast, brushing their teeth, and eating green and yellow vegetables were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.70-1.02), 0.68 (95% CI, 0.56-0.80), 0.63 (95% CI, 0.52-0.76), 0.79 (95% CI, 0.65-0.95), and 0.58 (95% CI, 0.48-0.70), respectively. Mediation analysis showed that the odds ratios of the direct effects of shift work on favorable habits were almost the same as the total effect. Conclusions: This study observed that health literacy did not mediate health behavior and shift work. Further research is needed to clarify the causes of these differences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to Japanese nurses’ desire to quit their jobs during the Omicron wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We distributed an original, self-administered questionnaire to nurses at 3 facilities that accepted patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Of the 625 nurses, 152 responded (24.3%); after excluding 3 men to rule out the effects of sex, responses for 81 (53.3%) nurses were analyzed. In total, 49 (60.5%) nurses expressed a desire to quit their current job. After controlling for the effects of age and years of experience, factors related to the desire to quit the current job included having fewer than 2 years of experience (odds ratio [OR] 9.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.69–48.87), feeling anxiety at work (OR 4.59, 95% CI 1.01–20.81), being afraid to go to work (OR 4.10, 95% CI 1.20–21.69), and experiencing difficulty talking to people (OR 10.26, 95% CI 1.48–70.99). Nurse managers should regularly screen nurses who have fewer than 2 years of experience, feel anxiety at work, are afraid to go to work, and find it difficult to talk to people. Early action may prevent the turnover of nurses during a public health emergency.

Hospitals have established visiting restrictions to block coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) external transmission routes. This study investigated factors associated with nurses’ internal transfer intentions and changes in their workloads, burdens, and daily lives owing to pandemic-related family visiting restrictions. Participants were nurses from three medical institutions designated for infectious diseases in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. An original self-report questionnaire was developed based on previous studies and a web-based survey conducted. Responses were received from 152 nurses and 84 were included in the analysis. Factors influencing internal transfer intentions were age ≥30 years [odds ratio (OR): 6.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–35.83]; ≥11 years of experience (OR: 12.57, 95% CI: 2.32–68.02); and longer working hours (OR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.48–13.72). The effect of visitation restrictions on daily life and internal transfer intentions was greater in nurses with ≥11 years of experience (OR: 4.31, 95% CI: 1.09–17.04), those with increased night awakening (OR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.33–10.18), and those who desired to receive counseling (OR: 4.38, 95% CI: 1.07–17.91). In conclusion, excessive working hours may affect nurses’ internal transfer intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nocturnal awakening and desire to receive counseling may predict nurses’ internal transfer intentions.