Inequality in the health status of workers in small-scale enterprises.
BACKGROUND
Small-scale enterprises (SSEs) usually share poorer resources for promoting occupational health.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate inequality of health status among SSEs in Japan.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, multiple-centred study was carried out using the periodical health check-up data for the fiscal year 2000 to compare the age-adjusted proportions of workers with hypertension (HT), hyperlipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and obesity and of current smokers by size of enterprise, i.e. <or=29, 30-49, 50-99, 100-299, 300-999 and >or=1000 employees in Japan.


RESULTS
From five leading occupational health organizations, data were collected for 9833 enterprises with a total of 436 729 subjects, 302 383 males and 134 346 females. The proportions of workers in SSEs with <or=49 employees with HT, IGT and obesity were 8.5, 5.0 and 3.5%, respectively, higher than those in enterprises with >or=50 male employees. The prevalence of smokers in SSEs with <or=49 employees was 61%, 2-6% higher than in enterprises with >or=50 male employees. These proportions showed a significantly increasing tendency with decreasing size of male workforce.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the cross-sectional design and only adjusting age as a potential confounder, higher proportions of HT, IGT, obesity and smoking in male workers were found in SSEs compared to larger organizations.
Hoshuyama
Tsutomu
T
Department of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Orio, Yahatanishiku, Kitakyushu, Japan. hoshuyam@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
Hino
Yoshiyuki
Y
Kayashima
Koutarou
K
Morita
Tetsuya
T
Goto
Hideyuki
H
Minami
Makiko
M
Sakuragi
Sonoko
S
Tanaka
Chieko
C
Takahashi
Ken
K
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007221:Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology