title: Psychosocial and clinical factors predicting resumption of work following acute myocardial infarction in Japanese men.
abstract: We investigated psychosocial and clinical factors related to work resumption, delay in returning to work and level of work activity after an acute myocardial infarction in Japanese male patients. A total of 111 married male patients experiencing a first acute myocardial infarction, aged less than 66 years and in full-time employment participated. Interviews and questionnaires were administered during hospitalization to assess potential predictors of work-related outcomes, with follow-up (81.6%) after an average of 8 months. We found that failure to return to work was predicated independently by older age (P=0.019), an introverted personality (P=0.011) and the presence of depressive symptoms during hospitalization (P=0.031). Delay in returning to work was predicted by greater concerns about health (P=0.011), low social support (P=0.021), and a failure to recognise a link between stress, coping style and illness (P=0.001). Resuming work at a lower activity level than before infarction was associated with older age (P=0.008), higher health concerns (P=0.012), and patients' predictions of their lower work activity (P=0.001). Clinical indices of infarction size and disease severity did not predict work-related outcomes. We conclude that psychosocial factors are associated with work resumption in Japanese men characterised by a job-centred lifestyle, with different factors being important for different work outcomes. The psychosocial factors found to be important are similar to those identified in Western societies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima City, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steptoe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozoe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010551:Personality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*