Survey of Smokers Among Workers at One Facility: A Cross-sectional Study With Propensity Score Matching

Smoking has been reported to be a risk factor for a variety of diseases. In Japan, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) has been administered by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since December 2015, but few reports have focused on its relationship with smoking. We investigated the current situation of smokers among staff of Kagoshima University who underwent a medical check-up.

Of 2,478 people who underwent a medical check-up in May and June 2021, we targeted 2,237 workers who reported whether they smoked. We examined results of the medical check-up and BJSQ and the background of smokers (n=139, 6.2%). We compared smokers and non-smokers (n=2,098) using propensity score matching (PSM) for sex, age, drinking habits, medication for dyslipidaemia, and overtime working hours at a 1:1 ratio.

The results showed that white blood cell count (p=0.044), platelet count (p<0.001), glutamyl transferase (p=0.023), and triglyceride (p=0.027) were significantly higher among current smokers in comparison with current non-smokers. Smokers reported significantly more stress than non-smokers in terms of social support (p=0.027).

As a result of PSM, several blood test items related to non-communicable diseases (lifestyle-related diseases) showed high values in current smokers, and these individuals reported significantly more stress than non-smokers. According to the emphasis on group analysis in the Total Health Promotion Plan revised in 2020, our findings can be helpful in enhancing smoking cessation programs in the workplace.