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South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Young Japanese women twice as likely to take extended sick leave as men: study
Japanese women in their twenties were twice as likely to take extended sick leave as their male counterparts, a recent survey has found, prompting calls to health officials to pay more attention to sex and age in preventing long-term sick leave. Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders, and pregnancy-related complications like severe morning sickness were the main reasons women called in sick for periods longer than 30 days, The Japan Times reported on Monday, citing a survey conducted by the Japan Institute for Health Security. Yukari Taniyama and other researchers from the institute looked into sick leave cases from 2012 to 2021 involving around 100,000 employees at companies headquartered in east-central Japan. They categorised the incidence of illness or injury that caused extended sick leave by sex, age and cause. Over the study period, 6,518 male employees took long-term sick leave, compared to 1,866 female employees. However, when calculated per 10,000 workers, women showed a higher incidence rate of 115.5 cases, against 89.2 for men. By age group, women in their twenties took the most extended sick leave, at 176.6 cases per 10,000 workers, more than double the 83.8 seen among men of the same age. 02:40 Japanese salarymen find joy in cheerleading Japanese salarymen find joy in cheerleading Mental illness was the primary cause of long-term sick leave for both men and women, but that declined with age.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Japan Times
Women in their 20s have higher rate of long-term sick leave, survey finds
A survey in Japan has found that women in their 20s had the highest incidence of long-term sick leave, defined as 30 or more consecutive days off work due to illness or injury, with the percentage being twice that of men in the same age group. The primary causes included mental illness, such as depression and anxiety disorders, as well as pregnancy-related problems, such as severe morning sickness, according to the survey by the Japan Institute for Health Security. Yukari Taniyama and other researchers at the institute analyzed sick leave cases in fiscal 2012-2021 among approximately 100,000 people working for companies headquartered in the Kanto and Tokai regions. They examined the incidence of illness or injury leading to 30 or more days off work by gender, age and cause. During this period, there were 6,518 cases of long-term sick leave among men and 1,866 among women. When calculating the incidence of such leave per 10,000 people working for a year, women had a rate of 115.5, compared with 89.2 for men. Among age groups, women in their 20s had the highest rate at 176.6, which was 2.1 times higher than the rate for men in the same age group, at 83.8. While mental illness was the leading cause of long-term sick leave for both genders, its prevalence decreased with age. Additionally, women in their 30s to 50s showed a higher incidence of sick leave due to cancer compared with men in the same age bracket. "Women generally have a higher incidence of long-term sick leave than men," Taniyama said. "Gender and age differences must be taken into account when treating and preventing diseases that cause sick leave."
NHK
10-06-2025
- Health
- NHK
Scientists in race to fight drug resistance
What happens if antibiotics stop working? The scientific world describes this threat to global health as antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. One study warns more than 39 million people could die by 2050 unless further measures are taken. Scientists from Japan and the United Kingdom have teamed up in the race to find a solution. Dr. Tamura Tsuyoshi sees plenty of patients at his Tokyo clinic who present with the common cold. He does not prescribe antibiotics for them because the drugs are ineffective against a virus. Nevertheless, some patients want them. "There are patients who feel secure when they take antibiotics," he says, adding, "I cannot refuse them unless I completely rule out a bacterial infection." Dr. Tamura Tsuyoshi of Tamura Clinic in Tokyo Tamura runs tests to identify the cause of his patients' illnesses to help determine the best treatment. He makes a conscious effort to avoid over-prescribing antibiotics. Bacteria are constantly evolving: changing their membranes to keep drugs out, expelling drugs, or altering drugs' targets to render antibiotics ineffective. The overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics are key drivers in accelerating that process – making AMR a global problem. Core of modern medicine Dr. Matsunaga Nobuaki is an AMR expert at the Japan Institute for Health Security. He warns that if antibiotics stop working, the effects would be far-reaching. Dr. Matsunaga Nobuaki is an AMR expert at the Japan Institute for Health Security. "People need to realize that antibiotics are the infrastructure behind all modern medical care," he says. "If people can't use them, then cancer patients are at risk, not just from cancer, but infectious diseases. Also, doctors need to consider the risk of resistant bacteria when they do surgery." Patients undergoing surgery are routinely administered antibiotics to prevent infection, including women giving birth by cesarean section. Cancer patients whose immune systems are weakened by chemotherapy are also at risk. Developing new antibiotics While the appropriate use of antibiotics is essential to tackle AMR, there is also a need for new antibiotics to replace those that have become ineffective. According to the World Health Organization, the matter is urgent. Research institutions in both Japan and the UK are teaming up to try and meet this challenge. Dr. Alicia Demirjian is an infectious disease specialist from the UK Health Security Agency who visited Japan in February. The country used to be a medical powerhouse back in the 1980s, and she says it has the potential to reclaim that mantle. Dr. Alicia Demirjian, UK Health Security Agency, fourth from left, in Japan "I think we can rely on some of the science that has been done before," she says. "The fact that the public is aware that there have been some very strong Japanese scientists to build on this and bring back the notion that AMR is an important topic, infectious diseases are an important topic, and we know it is possible within Japan." Dr. Alicia Demirjian, UK Health Security Agency Matsunaga and Demirjian visited Japanese institutions that could make a difference, including Kitasato University in Tokyo. The laboratories there have collected soil from across Japan, isolating hundreds of microorganisms with the goal of seeing if any can be used to make new drugs. A collaboration is now underway with the University of Warwick in the UK. A researcher outlines the laboratory work to Matsunaga, third from left, and Demirjian, fourth from left. Kitasato University's President Sunazuka Toshiaki says while the basic research is underway, finding new compounds with potential is a long, difficult process. "The project offers us a good chance, and I think we can have a win-win relationship," he says of the joint enterprise. Private companies are also involved. Pharmaceutical firm Shionogi is behind one of the latest antibiotics that works against drug-resistant bacteria. It was approved in the United States in 2019. With approval of the antibiotic's safety and efficacy, it is now used in 26 countries and regions. Shionogi vice chairperson Sawada Takuko told Matsunaga and Demirjian that many companies around the world do not work on developing antibiotics because it is simply not profitable. Sawada Takuko, Vice Chairperson of the Board, Shionogi Sawada notes some fledgling drug companies have gone bankrupt even after the successful development and launch of products to market, which risks discouraging progress. "If young researchers saw that situation, why can they choose infectious disease area for their research?" she says. Sawada is calling for more government support to sustain the development of new antibiotics. Matsunaga and Demirjian meet with Sawada. Market challenges In countries like Japan and the UK, governments are allocating funds towards the production of new medicines to tackle AMR. Japan is investing 1.3 billion yen or more than $9 million annually as incentives for firms that have launched drugs targeting a specific type of drug resistant bacteria onto the market. The way in which new antibiotics are introduced ― and saved for use at appropriate times ― makes it a long, expensive process. Overusing newly developed drugs would feed into the existing problem. Raising awareness At a workshop hosted by Matsunaga and Demirjian, participants discussed how to raise public awareness of AMR. "I think we all now have some homework," says Demirjian. "We have to go back within our respective organizations, continue the advocacy work that needs to be done and then continue to touch base every now and then so that we can keep progressing the work." Reducing AMR's death toll The estimated number of deaths associated with AMR was nearly five million in 2019. Last year, world leaders at the United Nations committed to reducing that total by 10 percent by 2030. For now, the WHO wants countries to develop and implement their own AMR action plans. But lower- and middle-income countries have difficulty funding the required initiatives, and also struggle to get testing kits and appropriate medicines. Inadequate sanitation on top of those issues creates a perfect storm for the growth of resistant bacteria. AMR used to be called a "silent pandemic." Many researchers have dropped that name now that it has become an urgent problem with grave consequences.
