Job Stress and Self-perceived Fatigue in Korean Farmers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: A growing body of research has documented that job stress has a pivotal role in developing adverse health outcomes. However, little is known about the relationship between farmers' job stress and health outcomes. This study was undertaken to identify the relationship between job stress and self-perceived fatigue in Korean farmers. METHODS: A total of 526 Korean farmers were asked to participate in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the participants' general characteristics, job stress and self-perceived fatigue. Job stress was measured using a forty-eight item Farm Stressor Inventory (FSI), and the self-perceived fatigue was estimated by Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS). Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between job stress and self-perceived fatigue. RESULTS: The result showed that job stress was associated with self-perceived fatigue. For the farmers with high job stress, the risk of self-perceived fatigue was more likely to increase compared to those with low job stress. For males, labor intensity (OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.91~7.89), job environment (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.22~4.93), social support (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.07~4.13), social isolation (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.15~5.60), financial problems (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.53~6.91), uncertainty (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.30~4.75) and health problems (OR, 5.77; 95% CI, 2.46~13.53) were associated with self-perceived fatigue. For females, job environment (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.22~4.08), social isolation (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.05-4.15), physical environment & weather condition (OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.33~5.12), financial problems (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.55~5.32), uncertainty (OR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.95~6.83) and health problems (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.57~7.27) were associated with self-perceived fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that farmers' job stress plays a role in the development of fatigue, and job stressors related to fatigue are slightly different according to gender.

An Assessment of the Needs and the Affecting Factors for Small Scale Enterprise Worker's Health Centers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to assess the needs and roles of the Worker's Health Centers employed by small scale enterprises by investigating the requested services made to this type of Worker's Health Center. METHODS: The population of this research was taken from 1,145 business owners or managers of manufacturing companies employing less than fifty people in six industrial estates. Stratified sampling was used. Individual interviews were performed to assess the conditions and needs of these enterprises using a structured questionnaire and professional interviewers. RESULTS: According to the questionnaire survey, 941(82.2%) of the enterprises wish to use a Worker's Health Center. 946(83.3%) of the enterprises preferred an 'Expert visit to the enterprise or mixed' for the Delivery type. 486(42.4%) of the enterprises preferred the 'in the center of industrial complex' for the location of the Worker's Health Center. 789(69.1%) of the enterprises preferred 6-10 PM for the available open hours. A multiple regression analysis revealed a significantly positive association regarding the intention of using a Worker's Health Center and the Gyeonggi-Banwol (OR 2.49) or Gwangju-Hanam(OR 4.24) for the region. Compared to enterprises employing 1-4 worker, 30-49 worker enterprises show a 3.33 fold preference (95% CI 1.80~6.12) for the use of a Worker's Health Center. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, the intention regarding the use of a Worker's Health Center was high, Considering the time and spatial limits inherentin small scale enterprises, the 'expert visit to the enterprise' paradigm is important. It should be noted that when providing the service, a customized approach is necessary, determined by size, region, industry, and scale of the business, through the assessment of the small scale enterprises and the nature of the work environment when designing a Worker's Health Center operation.

Developing an Occupational Stress Scale for Korean Employees / 대한산업의학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: Over the past three decades, numerous studies performed in Korea have reported that job stress is a determinant risk factor for chronic diseases and work disability. Every society has its own culture and occupational climate particular to their organizations, and hence experiences different occupational stress. An occupational stress measurement tool therefore needs to be developed to estimate it objectively. The purpose of this study is to develop and standardize the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) which is considered to be unique and specific occupational stressors in Korean employees. Subjects and METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Study for Development and Standardization of Occupational Stress (NSDSOS Project: 2002-2004). A total of 12,631 employees from a nationwide sample proportional to the Korean Standard Industrial Classification and the Korean Standard Occupational Classification were administered. The KOSS was developed for 2 years (2002- 2004). In the first year, we collected 255 items from the most popular job stress measurement tools such as JCQ, ERI, NIOSH and OSI, and 44 items derived from the a qualitative study (depth interview). Fortythree items of KOSS, in the second year, were retained for use in the final version of the KOSS by using Delphi and factor analysis. Items were scored using conventional 1-2-3-4 Likert scores for the response categories. RESULTS: We developed eight subscales by using factor analysis and validation process: physical environment (3 items), job demand (8 items), insufficient job control (5 items), interpersonal conflict (4 items), job insecurity (6 items), organizational system (7 items), lack of reward (6 items), and occupational climate (4 items). Together they explained 50.0% of total variance. Internal consistency alpha scores were ranged from 0.51 to 0.82. Twenty-four items of the short form of the KOSS (KOSS-SF) were also developed to estimate job stress in the work setting. Because the levels of the subscales of occupational stress were gender dependent, gender-specific standard norms for both the 43-item full version and the 24-item short form using a quartile for the subscales of KOSS were presented. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that KOSS might be an appropriate measurement scale to estimate occupational stress of Korean employees. Further and more detailed study needs to be conducted to improve the validity of this scale.

Fatigue as a Predictor of Medical Utilization, Occupational Accident and Sickness Absence / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship of fatigue to medical utilization, occupational accident and sickness absence. Subjects and METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Study for Development and Standardization of Occupational Stress (NSDSOS Project, 2002~2004). A total of 30,146 employees categorized within the Korean Standard Industrial Classification and the Korean Standard Occupational Classification were recruited. A structured-questionnaire was used to assess the participants' sociodemographics, job-related factors, health-related behaviors, personality trait, self-perceived fatigue (MFS) and the frequency of medical utilization, occupational accident and sickness absence. Data on medical utilization and occupational accident were confirmed from company health records. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to elucidate the relationship of self-perceived fatigue to medical utilization, occupational accident and sickness absence. RESULTS: In logistic regression analyses, self-perceived fatigue was associated with medical utilization (outpatient), occupational accident and sickness absence although the strength of the associations was higher in the blue collar workers except for medical utilization. For medical utilization, the white collar workers' adjusted odds ratios of outpatient utilization for workers scoring in the third quartile and the highest quartile, compared to workers scoring in the lowest quartile were 1.50 (95% CI: 1.20-1.87) and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.69-2.75), respectively. The blue collar workers' adjusted odds ratios of outpatient utilization for workers scoring in the second (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06-1.43), third (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.22- 1.66) and highest quartile (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.55-2.17), respectively, compared to workers scoring in the lowest quartile were statistically significant. However, no associations were found between fatigue and inpatient utilization for either the white or blue collar workers. The blue collar workers' adjusted odds ratios of being injured for workers scoring in the second, third and highest quartile were 1.41 (95% CI: 1.00-2.00), 1.57 (95% CI: 1.10-2.22) and 2.41 (95% CI: 1.69-3.44), respectively, compared to those scoring in the lowest quartile, but, those of the white collar workers were not significant. There was more likely to an increased risk of sickness absence in workers scoring in the second, third and highest quartile compared to those scoring in the lowest quartile in both white and blue collar workers, but the magnitudes of risk were higher in the blue collar workers than the white collars workers. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that fatigue is a determinant predictor of medical utilization, occupational accident and sickness absence, and that the pattern of risks for the three outcomes differs according to the occupational type. Some limitations of this study and considerations for future study were also discussed.

Maternal Working Conditions on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between working conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Korea. METHODS: We obtained data on health history, lifestyle, housework and working conditions, such as shift work, hours standing, working time, job demand, lifting at work and at home, between August and September 2000, from self-reported questionnaires. A group of 344, occupationally active, pregnant women from 51 industries were studied. Of the women studied, 328 women were further interviewed by telephone between November 2000 and September 2001. Result : Compared with daytime work, shift work increased the risk for preterm birth (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62) and low birth weight (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62). A significantly increased risk was found for prolonged standing, with an adjusted risk ratio of preterm births of 6.80 (95% CI=2.01-23.0). There were no significant differences in the incidence of spontaneous abortion between the occupational working conditions, with the exception of a previous history of spontaneous abortion. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that maternal working conditions, such as shift work and prolonged standing, contribute significantly to preterm birth and low birth weight.