J Prev Med Public Health.  2005 Feb;38(1):71-81.

Correlates of Self-rated Fatigue in Korean Employees

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute of Occupational Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Korea. kohhj@wonju.yonsei.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 3Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pochon CHA University, and Kumi Cha Hospital, Korea.
  • 4Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 5Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 6Department of Preventive Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 7Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 8Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankuk University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 9Department of Psychiatry, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Korea.
  • 10Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 11Department of Preventive Medicine, Konkook University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 12Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), Korea.

Abstract


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.

Keyword

Fatigue; Health behavior; Epidemiology

MeSH Terms

Adult
Employment/*psychology
Fatigue/*epidemiology
Female
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
*Self Disclosure
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