title: Is high job control a risk factor for poor quality of life in workers with high autism spectrum tendencies? A cross-sectional survey at a factory in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of autism spectrum (AS) tendencies and psychosocial job characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among factory workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey was administered to 376 Japanese factory employees from the same company (response rate: 83.6%) in 2010. Psychosocial job characteristics, including job demand, job control, and social support, were evaluated using the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). AS tendencies was assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and HRQOL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-8). Associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the multivariate analysis, AQ was positively (odds ratio [OR]: 3.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70-9.73) and social support in the workplace was inversely (OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10-0.57) associated with poor mental HRQOL. No significant interaction was observed between AQ and JCQ subitems. Only social support was inversely associated with poor physical HRQOL (OR and 95% CI for medium social support: 0.45 and 0.21-0.94), and a significant interaction between AQ and job control was observed (p=0.02), suggesting that high job control was associated with poor physical HRQOL among workers with high AQ, whereas low job control tended to be associated with poor physical HRQOL among others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that AS tendencies have a negative effect on workers' HRQOL and social support is a primary factor in maintaining HRQOL. Moreover, a structured work environment can maintain physical HRQOL in workers with high AS tendencies since higher job control will be stressful.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Policy Studies, Nanzan University.
authors.forename: Norika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Tsukimi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Mieko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult