Workplace Bullying could Play Important Roles in the Relationships between Job Strain and Symptoms of Depression and Sleep Disturbance: Jiro Takaki, et al. Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical SciencesObjective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether workplace bullying mediates between job strain, evaluated by the job demand–control model, and symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance.Methods: The subjects in this cross‐sectional study were recruited from all the workers (N=2,634) at 50 organizations in Japan. Due to missing data, the numbers of subjects included in the analyses varied from 1,646 to 2,062 (response rates varied from 62.5% to 78.2%). Job strain and workplace social support, workplace bullying, depression, and sleep disturbance were assessed using the Japanese versions of the Job Content Questionnaire, the Negative Acts Questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Mediation analysis followed the approach outlined by Baron and Kenny. We quantitatively estimated the mediation effects and tested their significance after adjustment for various combinations of demographic variables and workplace social support.Results: Total effects of job strain index on depression or sleep disturbance were all positive and significant (p<0.05) in both genders. Mediation effects of workplace bullying were also all positive and significant (p<0.05) in both genders. Even after adjustment for workplace social support, the mediation effects were decreased, especially in women, but remained significant (p<0.05).Conclusions: Workplace bullying seems to play important roles in the relationships of job strain with depression or sleep disturbance in both genders.

In this study, the authors assessed gender differences between the relationships of self-efficacy and the internal health locus of control with compliance in hemodialysis patients. Using a self-efficacy scale for health-related behavior and the Japanese version of the Health Locus of Control Scale, the authors studied individuals who had been regularly undergoing hemodialysis for longer than 1 year. Blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium, and interdialytic weight gain were used to measure compliance. In men, self-efficacy and the internal health locus of control were negatively correlated with all compliance measures. In women, all the correlations were positive, except for that between self-efficacy and interdialytic weight gain. The authors constructed regression lines for the significant interactions. On the basis of blood urea nitrogen or serum potassium levels, the authors found that female patients who had higher self-efficacy or internal health locus of control were less compliant. The decrease of in...

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Assessment of Workplace Bullying and Harassment: Reliability and Validity of a Japanese Version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire: Jiro Takaki, et al. Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical SciencesObjectives: Interest in workplace bullying and harassment has been increasing in Japan. At present, the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) is one of the most frequently used questionnaires for assessing these issues. The purpose of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the NAQ.Methods: We translated the original version of the NAQ using a back‐translation method. Participants in this study were recruited from 737 workers at a manufacturing company in Japan. Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 517 respondents (response rate: 70.1%).Results: We used a cross‐validation approach. A three‐factor model was obtained from exploratory factor analyses. The confirmatory factor analysis for this model revealed values of 0.94, 0.91, 0.95, and 0.054 for the goodness‐of‐fit index, the adjusted goodness‐of‐fit index, the comparative fit index, and the root mean square error of approximation, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficients for the NAQ scores with the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) support scores and the Effort‐Reward Imbalance Questionnaire scores for respect and job security were significant (p<0.001) and the direction of these associations were consistent with our expectations, with the exceptions of the correlations between the NAQ sexual harassment score and the JCQ support scores. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the scores on the entire NAQ scale and on three subscales (person‐related bullying, work‐related bullying, and sexual harassment) were 0.90, 0.84, 0.60, and 0.60, respectively.Conclusions: A Japanese version of the NAQ was developed and it appears to have acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability and factor‐ and construct‐validity.