Relationship between job stress and subjective oral health symptoms in male financial workers in Japan

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to assess subjective oral health symptoms and job stress, as measured by self-assessment of how demanding the job is, in male financial workers. Methods: The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. For the stress check, 7 items about how demanding the job is were selected from The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Participants comprised a total of 950 financial male workers, ages 25 to 64. Results: Participants who answered “I can’t complete my work in the required time” had more decayed teeth (p=0.010). Participants who felt that their job is highly demanding (answered affirmatively to 6 or all 7 items) were more likely to report “often get food stuck between teeth” (p=0.030), “there are some foods I can’t eat” (p=0.005), “bad breath” (p=0.032), and “jaw makes clicking sound” (p=0.032). The independent variable of total stress score of 24–28 was found to be correlated to at least three oral health symptoms (OR: 3.25; 95%CI: 1.66–6.35). Conclusion: These results indicate that certain job stress factors are associated with certain oral health symptoms, and that oral health symptoms are likely predictors of job stress.

Systematic Review of the Literature on Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease in Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Individuals

“…In all three types of disadvantaged individuals in whom caries experience was compared with the general population, DMFT was higher in socially vulnerable people. Specifically, a greater probability of having a higher DMFT index was found in low-education people (OR 1.40 [95% CI 1.29–1.52], p < 0.05; 6051 participants) [ 57 ], in low-income people (OR 3.7 [95% CI 2.8–4.6], p < 0.05; 1695 participants, two studies, I 2 = 78%) [ 56 , 76 ] and in professionals who sustain an excessive hourly workload (>40 h of overtime) (OR 2.56 [95% CI 1.23–5.33] p = 0.012 to OR 3.01 [95% CI 1.13–7.97] p = 0.027; 950 participants) [ 79 , 80 ]. Moreover, institutionalized elderly people (resident in care homes) showed a higher caries experience than non-institutionalized elderly people with a DMFT 25.4 SD 2.1 ([95% CI 19.9–30.9]; 2608 participants, six studies) versus 16.1 SD 2.1 ([95% CI 11.2–21]; 8276 participants, nine studies) [ 29 , 31 , 34 , 40 , 41 , 44 , 48 , 60 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 81 , 82 ].…”

Work stress and oral conditions: a systematic review of observational studies

“…After full-text assessments of 14 articles, 3 were excluded due to retraction (n=1) and the use of composite outcomes including dental caries and periodontal status (n=2). 25 26 Finally, 11 articles were included in this systematic review. 22–24 27–34…”

Influence of Occupational Stress and Coping Style on Periodontitis among Japanese Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Questions from parts A–D adopt the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) to measure occupational stress. The reliability and validity of the BJSQ was confirmed for Japanese workers [12,20,21]. The BJSQ is composed of 57 items used to assess job stressors (Part A, 17 items: e.g., psychological job demands, job control), stress response (Part B, 29 items: e.g., psychological and physical stress reactions), and buffering factors (Parts C and D, 11 items: e.g., social support at work).…”

“…Moreover, it contributes to poor physical and mental health [9]. For instance, research has shown that occupational stress is associated with certain oral health problems, including caries [10], periodontal disease [11], temporomandibular disorder, and halitosis [12]. Stress has long been regarded as an important predisposing factor for periodontal disease among workers, and an association has been reported between periodontal disease and work-related stress and dissatisfaction [13].…”