- Correlates of Self-rated Fatigue in Korean Employees.
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Sei Jin Chang, Sang Baek Koh, Myung Gun Kang, Sook Jung Hyun, Bong Suk Cha, Jong Ku Park, Jun Ho Park, Seong Ah Kim, Dong Mug Kang, Seong Sil Chang, Kyung Jae Lee, Eun Hee Ha, Mina Ha, Jong Min Woo, Jung Jin Cho, Hyeong Su Kim, Jung Sun Park
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J Prev Med Public Health. 2005;38(1):71-81.
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- OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the correlates of self-rated fatigue in Korean employees. METHODS: The data for 10, 176 (men, 7, 984; women, 2, 192; mean age, 34.2; SD: 8.8) employees recruited from a nationwide sample were examined. A structured questionnaire was used to measure the participants' fatigue, sociodemographics (sex, age, education, and marital status), job-related characteristics (work duration, grade at work, work hours, shiftwork, employment type, and magnitude of workplace), and health-related habits (smoking, drinking, coffee intake, and exercise). Two types of measurement for fatigue were used to evaluate the magnitude of fatigue: self-rated question and a standardized measurement tool (Multidimensional Fatigue Scale: MFS). RESULTS: According to the self-rated fatigue, 32% of employees reported that they felt fatigue for the past two weeks, and 9.6% of males and 8.7% of females had experienced excessive fatigue (6 months or more). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that fatigue measured by MFS was more common in women, younger, college or more graduated, single, and employees who do not regularly exercise. Fatigue was also associated with long work hours, and the size of the workplace (< 1, 000 employees). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that fatigue has been considered as a common complaint, and that it is affected by job-related factors like work hours and the workplace size as well as sociodemographics or health-related behaviors. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of fatigue on adverse health outcomes, work performance, work disability, sick absence and medical utilization, and to examine the relationship of job characteristics (e.g.: work demand, decision latitude) to fatigue.
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- Fatigue Subjective Symptoms and Risk Factors in Bank Workers with VDT.
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Joo Ja Kim, Kyung Jae Lee
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J Prev Med Public Health. 2005;38(1):45-52.
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To investigate the fatigue subjective symptoms and VDT related risk factors in bank workers. METHODS: A total of 2178 workers (62.8% male, 37.2% female) were surveyed with a self-administered and structured questionnaire consisting of 30 fatigue symptoms and other VDT related factors regarding work characteristics, work postures, work environments, personal medical histories, etc. Fatigue subjective symptoms were divided into 3 groups of 10 questions each: a dull, drowsy and exhausted feeling (Group I), a mental decline of working motivation (Group II), or a feeling of incongruity in the body and dysfunction of autonomic nervous system (Group III). Each question was weighted as 0 for 'none', 1 for 'sometimes', and 2 for 'always'. RESULTS: Mean age was 35.8+/-7.2 years (38.9+/-6.0 in males, 30.6+/-5.8 in females), Mean work duration was 7.7+/-7.1 years (8.4+/-7.4 in males, 6.5+/-6.4 in females). Mean symptom score in males was 11.0+/-8.1 (4.9+/-3.1 in Group I, 3.0+/-3.1 in Group II, 3.1+/-2.8 in Group III) and in females was 17.5+/-9.5 (7.0+/-3.8 in Group I, 4.6+/-3.5 in Group II, 5.9+/-3.4 in Group III). Mean scores were higher in the order of Group I> III> II. Females had significantly higher scores than males in all three groups (p< 0.001). Most common symptoms complained of as 'always' or 'sometimes' were 'feel strained in the eyes' (85.4%) among Group I, 'find difficulty in thinking' (54.2%) among Group II, and 'feel stiff in the shoulders' (72.3%) among Group III. In multiple regression analysis, female, non-straight spine at workstation, more VDT work hours, history of physical therapy, glare of screen, overtime work, young age, and non-horizontal elbow position were significantly related with high score of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: More supportive VDT work environment and education for correct work postures for VDT workers are recommended.
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- Epidemiology of Psychosocial Distress in Korean Employees.
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Sei Jin Chang, Sang Baek Koh, Myung Gun Kang, Bong Suk Cha, Jong Ku Park, Sook Jung Hyun, Jun Ho Park, Seong Ah Kim, Dong Mug Kang, Seong Sil Chang, Kyung Jae Lee, Eun Hee Ha, Mina Ha, Jong Min Woo, Jung Jin Cho, Hyeong Su Kim, Jung Sun Park
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J Prev Med Public Health. 2005;38(1):25-37.
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To estimate the magnitude of psychosocial distress and examine eligible factors associated with the development of psychosocial distress in Korean employees, using a nationwide sample. METHODS: A total of 6, 977 workers were recruited from 245 companies. A structured questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographics, health-related behaviors, job characteristics, social support at work, personality traits (locus of control, type A behavior pattern), self-esteem, and psychosocial distress. RESULTS: The results showed that 23 % of workers were categorized as high stress, 73% as moderate, and 5% as normal. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that psychosocial distress was more common in younger workers, both male and female. Regular exercise was negatively associated with increase of psychosocial distress. In job characteristics, as expected, low decision latitude, high job insecurity, and low social support at work were related to high psychosocial distress. Personality traits such as locus of control and type A behavior pattern, and self-esteem were more powerful predictors of psychosocial distress than general characteristics, health-related behavior, and job characteristics. There were some gender differences. While men who are less educated and single (unmarried, divorced, and separated) experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who are educated and married, women who feel high job demand experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who feel low job demand. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of the high stress group was higher than expected, and psychosocial factors like social support and personality characteristics (e. g. locus of control, type A behavior pattern and self-esteem) were more significant factors for psychosocial distress than other variables. This finding suggests that some psychosocial factors, especially inadequate social support, low self-esteem and lack of internal locus of control for the development of psychosocial distress, will also operate as an intervention strategy in the worksite stress reduction program. It is strongly required that worksite stress reduction programs should be established in at both occupational and level as well as in individual levels.
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- Performance Ranges of the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery among Female Workers Occupationally Not Exposed to Neurotoxic Agents in Manufacturing Industries.
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Kyung Jae Lee, Se Hoon Lee, Hyoung Ah Kim, Won Chul Lee, Seong Sil Chang, Chung Yill Park, Chee Kyung Chung
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Korean J Prev Med. 1995;28(4):911-923.
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- With increased use of neurotoxic agents in manufacturing industries, hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents pose significant problems in protecting health of workers who work in these industries. A normal range of neurobehavioral performance is required 10 study hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents among workers. However, such reference for Korean population is not available yet. The objective of this study is to estimate a normal range of neurobehuvioral test performance of female workers in Korea. Data for neurobehavioral test performance developed by the world Health organization were obtained from 165 female workers. Study Subjects, 140 production workers and 25 clerks, who voluntarily participated in this study were not occupationally exposed to neurotoxic agents. The mean age and the mean education years of them were 32 years and 10.9 years, respectively. Santa Ana dexterity, pursuit aiming, digit symbol, simple reaction time, and Benton visual retention tests among the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery(NCTB) were included in the evaluation. Subjects were interviewed by a trained interviewer for their detailed occupational history. Mean(+/-SD) performance of the participants were: 45.7+/-7.1 and 41.9+/-6.4 in the Santa Ana dexterity test of the preferred and non-preferred hands; 191.9+/-38.6 in correct dot of the pursuit aiming test; 57.7+/-16.0 in the digit symbol test; 274.8+/-44.6 msec in the mean simple reaction time and 70.5+/-69.0 msec in the mean standard deviation of it; and 7.8+/-1.7 in the Benton visual retention test. Most neurobehavioral performance scores were correlated significantly with age and educational level. Educational level was found to be a significant independent variable which was associated with all test scores. Age was significantly associated with scores of pursuit aiming and digit symbol tests.
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KSPM
