Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

  • Volume 35
  • /
  • Pages.32.1-32.10
  • /
  • 2023
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  • 1225-3618(pISSN)
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  • 2052-4374(eISSN)
The Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회)
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The relationship between fatigue and sickness absence from work

  • Minsun Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • Jiho Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • SeongCheol Yang (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • Dong-Wook Lee (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • Shin-Goo Park (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • Jong-Han Leem (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital) ;
  • Hwan-Cheol Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital)
  • Received : 2023.04.02
  • Accepted : 2023.07.20
  • Published : 2023.12.31
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Abstract

Background: Although many studies have been conducted on worker fatigue and sickness absence, the association between fatigue and sickness absence is unclear in Korean workers. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of worker fatigue on future sickness absence. Methods: The study was conducted on workers who received medical check-ups at a university hospital for two consecutive years (2014-2015). During check-ups in the first year, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was used to assess fatigue levels, and during check-ups in the second year, sickness absence was surveyed to determine whether they had been absent from work due to physical or mental illness during previous 12 months. The χ2 test was used to analyze relationships between sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, fatigue levels, and sickness absence. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression analysis controlled for confounding factors. Results: A total of 12,250 workers were included in the study, and 396 (3.2%) workers experienced more than one day of sickness absence during the study period. Adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 3.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.64-4.28) in the moderate-fatigue group and 6.87 (95% CI: 4.93-9.57) in the high-fatigue group versus the low-fatigue group. For men in the moderate- and high-fatigue groups, adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 3.40 (95% CI: 2.58-4.48) and 8.94 (95% CI: 6.12-13.07), and for women in the moderate- and high-fatigue groups, adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 2.93 (95% CI: 1.68-5.10) and 3.71 (95% CI: 1.84-7.49), respectively. Conclusions: Worker fatigue is associated with sickness absence during the following 12 months, and this association appears to be stronger for men than women. These results support the notion that sickness absence can be reduced by evaluating and managing work-related fatigue.

Keywords

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