title: Improvement of the Work Environment and Work-Related Stress: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Study of a Nationally Representative Sample of Japanese Workers.
abstract: This cross-sectional multilevel study aimed to investigate the relationship between improvement of the work environment and work-related stress in a nationally representative sample in Japan.
  
  
  
  The study was based on a national survey that randomly sampled 1745 worksites and 17,500 nested employees. The survey asked the worksites whether improvements of the work environment were conducted; and it asked the employees to report the number of work-related stresses they experienced. Multilevel multinominal logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted.
  
  
  
  Improvement of the work environment was not significantly associated with any level of work-related stress. Among men, it was significantly and negatively associated with the severe level of work-related stress. The association was not significant among women.
  
  
  
  Improvements to work environments may be associated with reduced work-related stress among men nationwide in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (Mr Watanabe, Dr Kawakami); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Mr Watanabe); Center for Cancer Control and Statistics, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Dr Tabuchi), Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D000073397:Occupational Stress / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012201:Reward; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057188:Workflow; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology*