世論 What Japan Thinks

Following Giganews picking up my emoticons translation, from the same article I learnt about a survey conducted by Nagase Beauty Care into the matter of working women and stress. The survey was conducted on the 16th and 17th of January by means of an internet-based questionnaire.

Demographics

500 women from all over the country working in public companies were interviewed, with 125 in their twenties, 125 in their thirties, 125 in their forties, and 125 in their fifties.

Not being a woman, I obviously cannot add my own opinions here!

Survey results

Q1: Recently, have you been stressed or feel that stress is building up? (Sample size=500)

	Yes (to SQs)
All	83.8%
20-29 years old	83.2%
30-39 years old	89.6%
40-49 years old	81.6%
50-59 years old	80.8%

Q1SQ1: Is this stress due to work-related or private matters? (Sample size=419)

	Work	Private	Both
All	37.0%	14.8%	48.2%
20-29 years old	41.3%	14.4%	44.2%
30-39 years old	38.4%	14.3%	47.3%
40-49 years old	38.2%	11.8%	50.0%
50-59 years old	29.7%	18.8%	51.5%

Q1SQ2: What do you think is the main cause of this stress? (Sample size=419, free answer)

Inter-personal relations (work or home)	47.3%
Work function-related issues	28.4%
Related to being busy	11.2%
Family issues	9.1%
Financial issues	7.2%
Problems within myself	6.7%
Child-rearing issues	6.4%
Personal health issues	2.9%
Worries about future	2.4%
Various things	1.7%
Marriage prospects	1.2%
Environmental issues	1.2%
Don’t know, no particular reason	1.2%
Other	3.3%

Q2: Currently or in the past has stress affected your looks or health? (Sample size=500)

	Yes (to SQs)
All	86.0%
20-29 years old	89.6%
30-39 years old	88.8%
40-49 years old	84.0%
50-59 years old	81.6%

Q2SQ1: Currently or in the past how has stress affected your looks or health? (Sample size=430, multiple answer)

Just can’t get rid of tiredness	44.4%
Often have stomach pain	43.3%
Stiff shoulders	40.9%
Poor sleep patterns, insomnia	38.1%
Acne	37.7%
Bags under eyes	31.6%
White hair increase	30.7%
Overeating	30.2%
Feel sleepy regardless of how much sleep I get	29.5%
Weight increase	29.1%
Often have headaches	28.8%
Make-up application got worse	27.7%
Constipation	17.9%
Irregular periods	17.4%
Dry skin	16.7%
Back pain	15.6%
Hair loss	14.2%
Wrinkles increase	11.6%
Sweat easily	10.5%
Diarrhea	10.5%
Loss of appetite	8.6%
PMS got worse	8.1%
Open pores	7.4%
Spots increased	7.2%
Hair lost lustre	6.5%
Oily skin	4.7%
Other	11.6%

Looking at each individual age group, acne was by far the most common problem those in their twenties faced, while those in their thirties and forties most often had stomach aches, and those in their fifties were most susceptible to stiff shoulders.

Q2SQ2: What steps did you take when these problems occurred? (Sample size=430, free answer)

Saw a doctor, took medicine	21.4%
Took lost of rest, sleep	19.1%
Nothing, just grinned and bore it	16.0%
Went somewhere to relax (beauty salon, massage, sauna, hot springs, spa, etc)	11.2%
Took supplements	9.3%
Got into a hobby	7.2%
Did exercise	6.7%
Relaxed at home (bath, aromatherapy, listen to music, read book, etc)	5.6%
Talked to friends, other people	4.7%
Changed my look	4.7%
Paid attention to my diet (including dieting)	4.2%
Ate favourite foods, drunk alcohol	4.2%
Went shopping	3.7%
Went travelling	2.3%
Took sabbatical, changed jobs, quit ob	2.1%
Took days off work	1.9%
Resolved not to let stress build up	0.2%
Other	5.8%

Going to the doctor was the most popular option for all age groups bar those in their twenties; they took lots of rest.

Q3: What failures of self-control do you have when stressed? (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Forget about counting calories and just eat my favourite foods	43.0%
Go quiet and shun people	39.0%
Go on a shopping spree buying stuff I don’t need	30.6%
Dump all my complaints at length on friends	26.8%
Argue with people at work	24.8%
Forget important stuff	18.2%
Skive off work	16.8%
Drink enough for a hangover	15.6%
Spend ages on the phone	13.6%
Go on a shopping spree buying expensive stuff	9.6%
Make big mistakes at work	8.6%
Be mean to co-workers	7.2%
Give up going to work during commute	6.6%
Argue with strangers	4.2%
Other	5.4%
Nothing in particular	9.0%

Q4: Is there someone around you who thinks that you have stress building up? Choose the person who you think suspects this the most. (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Boss	15.4%
Husband	14.0%
Co-workers	12.8%
Mother	10.2%
Friend	8.8%
Children	6.4%
Brothers or sisters	4.8%
Father	2.6%
Boyfriend	2.4%
Mother-in-law	1.4%
Subordinates	1.2%
Grandfather	0.2%
Grandmother	0.2%
Falther-in-law	0.0%
Other	1.2%
No-one in particular	18.4%

No-one was the top answer for every age group up to the forties, but for those in their fifties, husbands were the most likely to know.

Q5: Is there someone around you that you envy for appearing stress-free? Choose the person who looks most stress-free. (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Boss	8.0%
Co-worker	7.6%
Own child	6.0%
Friend	4.8%
Brother or sister	3.8%
Father	3.4%
Mother	3.2%
Husband	3.0%
Mother-in-law	2.2%
Subordinate	2.0%
Grandmother	2.0%
Father-in-law	1.6%
Boyfriend	1.4%
Grandfather	0.2%
Other	1.2%
No-one in particular	49.6%

Q6: When you are stressed-out, who looks out for you? Choose the person who looks out for you the most. (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Husband	18.8%
Friend	15.6%
Mother	13.2%
Boyfriend	10.6%
Child	8.0%
Co-worker	6.2%
Brother or sister	3.2%
Boss	2.6%
Subordinate	1.2%
Grandmonther	0.6%
Father	0.4%
Mother-in-law	0.0%
Father-in-law	0.0%
Grandfather	0.0%
Other	0.4%
No-one in particular	19.2%

Q7: To get rid of stress, what’s the most money you’ve ever spent? What did you buy? (Sample size=500, free answer)

Rank	Cost	Item	Purchaser age
1	5,000,000 yen	Foreign exchange investments	50-59
2	3,000,000 yen	Piano	40-49
3	2,000,000 yen	Net shopping	30-39
		Jewelry	50-59
4	1,700,000 yen	Jewelry	40-49
5	1,000,000 yen	Quit job and move house	30-39
		Overseas study	30-39
		Overseas travel	40-49
		Furs	50-59
		Beauty treatment	50-59
		Jewelry	50-59
6	800,000 yen	Jewelry	20-29
		Motorcycle licence, motorbike	20-29
		Trip to Paris	30-39
		Ornaments	50-59
7	700,000 yen	Motorcycle	40-49
8	600,000 yen	Watch	30-39
9	520,000 yen	Long overseas travel	50-59
10	500,000 yen	Beauty treatment	20-29
		Shopping	30-39
		Overseas travel	30-39
		Brand-name watch	30-39
		Travel with family, parents and brothers and sisters	40-49
		LCD television	50-59