Incidence and lifestyle risk factors for same-level falls among Japanese workers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of lifestyle-related factors with occupational falls and fall-related fractures among Japanese workers. METHODS: This nationwide web-based longitudinal study utilized data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Surveys from 2023 to 2025. Multilevel Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate relative risks (RRs) of lifestyle behavioral factors for same-level occupational falls over a 1-year follow-up, incorporating prefecture-level random intercepts to account for clustering. RESULTS: Current tobacco use (RR: 1.33), dual use of cigarettes and heated tobacco products (RR: 1.69), and hypertension (RR: 1.31) were associated with higher fall incidence. Short sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of fall-related fractures (RR: 1.71), whereas moderate physical activity was protective against falls (RR: 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle behavioral modifications may help reduce workplace fall risk and related injuries.