Relationship between turnover and periodic health check-up data among Japanese hospital nurses: a three-year follow-up study

Abstract

The present study explored the relationship between turnover and periodic health check-up data among Japanese hospital nurses. The subjects were 379 registered nurses in a Japanese hospital and the duration of our study period was three years. By the proportional hazard model, we investigated the relative risks (RRs) of the turnover rate associated with the following: lifestyles (irregularity of meals, taking breakfast), work environment (working hours, work schedule), and health status (body mass index [BMI], serum total cholesterol [T-cho], taking medication, sleep disturbance). We obtained the data on turnover from October, 1997 to September, 2000. During the observed period we were able to follow up on 363 female nurses (96%) and the turnover total amongst them was 100. We divided the subjects into a younger (21-25-yr-old) and an older (>25-yr-old) group because of the interaction between age and turnover. In the younger group, we found that sleep disturbance influenced turnover significantly. On the other hand, in the older nurses, BMI and T-cho contributed to turnover significantly. Our results imply the possibility of a partial association between turnover and periodic health check-up data among the nurses.