The relationship between fatigue and sickness absence from work

Kim Min Sun,Kim Ji Ho,Yang SeongCheol,Lee Dong-Wook,Park Shin-Goo,Leem Jong-Han,Kim Hwan-Cheol 대한직업환경의학회 2023 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.35 No.1

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 moderatefatigue 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 workrelated fatigue.

건강 검진 환자에서 만성 피로 증후군의 발생 빈도와 임상양상

지종대(Jong Dae Ji),천병철(Byung Chul Chun),최윤선(Youn Seon Choi),최성재(Seong Jae Choi),이영호(Young Ho Lee),송관규(Gwan Gyu Song) 대한내과학회 2000 대한내과학회지 Vol.59 No.5

N/A Background : To determine the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue in Korea and to describe demographic, clinical, and psychological differences among those with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), those with idiopathic chronic fatigue, and healthy controls. Methods : 1,526 persons aged 18-76 years who visited Korea university hospital health management center for general check-up between December 1998 and August 1999 were participated in the study. The questionnaire made according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria was administered to the recruited persons and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were diagnosed by questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests. The Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression. Results : Of the 1,526 persons studied, 433 (29.4 %) reported severe fatigue lasting at least 6 months. Of the 202 persons with unexplained chronic fatigue, 31 persons (2.0% of the study population) were classified as CFS cases. The prevalence of CFS was 2.81% in women, 1.49% in men respectively (p<0.05). When CES-D cut-off score of 25 was used, 30.43% of persons with CFS and 5.93% of persons without chronic fatigue had scores suggestive of depression. CFS patients had higher mean scores on CES-D than persons without chronic fatigue (p<0.05). Conclusion : Persons who met the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome were found in 2.0%. The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in our study were high, compared with previous studies in other countries. CFS patients had higher mean scores on CES-D than persons without chronic fatigue.(Korean J Med 59:529-534, 2000)

Fatigue Life of the Bolted Yoke Connection in Single Support Beam (SSB) Modular Bridge Expansion Joints

George N. Stamatopoulos 한국강구조학회 2017 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.17 No.2

The objective of this article is to demonstrate a comprehensive procedure for the estimation of the fatigue life of the component centre-beam-to-support-beam (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection. In this procedure, all the aspects are included such as fatigue vehicle loading, cycles per truck passage, lifetime average daily truck volume, fatigue classification of the detail and determination of fatigue infinite life. A typical single support beam (SSB) steel modular beam expansion joint (MBEJ) was modelled as 3D space frame. Moreover, three F.E. sub-models were created for the simulation of the (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection with preloaded bolts M16, M20 and M22 respectively. The Fatigue Load Model 2 (FLM2), recommended in EN 1991-2:4.6.4 for infinite fatigue life was chosen for the fatigue verification of the bolted yoke connection detail, assumed to be travelling at 90 km/h over the expansion joint. The 3D space frame was analysed by using Time-history dynamic analysis and thereafter, the calculated outputs were introduced in the F.E. sub-models. From the analysis of the sub-models the stress ranges were obtained and the fatigue evaluation of the yoke joint was performed. The investigation shown that poor detailing at the connection between the centre-beam-to-support-beam (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection is susceptible with reference to fatigue. Finally, important conclusions were extracted for both the behaviour of the entire modular joint and the fatigue life of the bolted yoke detail.

약사의 피로자각증상

이해진,김택준,전정일,구정완,정치경 大韓産業醫學會 1997 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.9 No.1

In order to investigate industrial fatigue of pharmacists, the questionnaire survey for subjective symptoms and its related factors was carried out on 435 pharmacists who were managing pharmacies in Seoul. The questionnaires were composed of three groups of 10 items each, representing dullness and sleepness(Ⅰ), difficulty in concentrations(Ⅱ) and bodily projection of fatigue(Ⅲ). The results were as follows : 1. The complaint rate of fatigue was the highest in 'eye strain' and followed by 'whole body tires', 'apt to forget', 'leg feel heavy', 'feel drowsy' and 'feel like lying' in the descending order. 2. The average weighted score of fatigue complaint was the highest in dullness and sleepness group(Ⅰ) and followed by difficulty in concentrations group(Ⅱ) and bodily projection of fatigue group(Ⅲ) in the descending order, suggestion the heavier mental stress rather than physical burden of the pharmacists work contents. 3. The average weighted scores of fatigue complaints were significantly higher in female and 0-3 off-duty days per month group than those in male and more than 4 off-duty days per month group. 4. The average weighted scores of fatigue complaints were significantly different among the characteristic groups of counselling postures, noise and using chairs. 5. The groups with the high quality of sleeping, regular physical exercise and diet, or satisfied with their job and income had significantly lower average weighted scores of fatigue complaints. 6. The 42.5% of the subjects complained felling heavy chronic fatigue. And the significant differences for average weighted scores were noted among three groups, representing 26.64 in felling heavy chronic fatigue, 18.23 in feeling light chronic fatigue, and 9.50 in feeling no chronic fatigue.

설문지와 의료기기 자료 분석을 통한 사상체질별 피로 특성 연구

김구,하예진,박수정,최나래,이영섭,주종천,Kim, Koo,Ha, Ye-Jin,Park, Soo-Jeong,Choi, Na-Rae,Lee, Young-Seop,Joo, Jong-Cheon 사상체질의학회 2013 사상체질의학회지 Vol.25 No.4

Objectives The purpose of this study was to find correlations between gastrointestinal disorders, pain, sleep disorder, fatigue, and to figure out characteristics of fatigue in Sasang Constitution using medical devices data. Methods Sixty three subjects were divided into fatigue group and non-fatigue group, both groups had to undergo blood tests, questionnaire, Sasang constitutional analysis tool (SCAT), pulse wave analyzer examination, heart rate variability examination, nail fold capillary microscopic examination. Results 1) The results of questionnaire about fatigue, gastrointestinal disorder, pain, sleep disorder, quality of life had significant differences between fatigue and non-fatigue groups. 2) Soeumin had more serious gastrointestinal problem and Soyangin had more serious sleep disorder in fatigue groups than non-fatigue groups. 3) According to blood test results, there was no difference between fatigue and non-fatigue groups. 4) Elastic parameter of pulse wave analyzer and nail fold capillary microscopic examination showed significant differences between fatigue and non-fatigue groups in Soyangin. Conclusions We reach the conclusion that fatigue is usually accompanied by gastrointestinal disorder, pain, sleep disorder, deterioration in the quality of life. In Soeumin, treating gastrointestinal disorders can be helpful for treatment of fatigue. In Soyangin, improving sleep disorder may be more effective way to treat fatigue.

ORiginal Article : Fatigue Severity and Factors Associated with High Fatigue Levels in Korean Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

( Suhyeon Yoo ),( Yoon Suk Jung ),( Jung Ho Park ),( Hong Joo Kim ),( Yong Kyun Cho ),( Chong Il Sohn ),( Woo Kyu Jeon ),( Byung Ik Kim ),( Dong Il Park ) The Editorial Office of Gut and Liver 2014 Gut and Liver Vol.8 No.2

Background/Aims: Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often complain of fatigue. To date, only a few studies in Western countries have focused on fatigue related to IBD, and fatigue has never been specifically studied in Asian IBD patients. The aim of the present study was to in-vestigate the fatigue level and fatigue-related factors among Korean IBD patients. Methods: Patients in remission or with mild to moderate IBD were included. Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue and the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Corresponding healthy controls (HCs) also completed both fatigue question-naires. Results: Sixty patients with Crohn disease and 68 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were eligible for analysis. The comparison group consisted of 92 HCs. Compared with the HCs, both IBD groups were associated with greater levels of fatigue (p<0.001). Factors influencing the fatigue score in UC patients included anemia and a high erythro-cyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Conclusions: Greater levels of fatigue were detected in Korean IBD patients compared with HCs. Anemia and ESR were determinants of fatigue in UC patients. Physicians need to be aware of fatigue as one of the important symptoms of IBD to better understand the impact of fatigue on health-related quality of life. (Gut Liver 2014;8:148-153)

Comparison of Fatigue Severity and Quality of Life between Unexplained Fatigue Patients and Explained Fatigue Patients

유은해,최은실,조수현,도재혁,이숙정,김정하 대한가정의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Family Medicine Vol.39 No.3

Background: Recently, despite the high prevalence of fatigue in patients, there is a lack of research on the quality of life (QoL) in unexplained fatigue patients, indicating that they are not properly diagnosed and treated. The aim of this study was to compare fatigue severity and QoL between patients with explained and unexplained fatigue.Methods: The study consisted of 200 Korean adults who complained of fatigue without underlying disease. Fatigue Severity Scale, Short Form Health Survey-36 version 2 (SF-36v2), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) self-questionnaires were administered. Participants were dichotomized to two groups, namely, patients with unex-plained or explained fatigue, sorted according to laboratory examination results. The chi-square test, t-test, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used, and analysis of covariance was calculated after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, and physical component summary (PCS) of SF-36v2 or BDI-II.Results: PCS of SF-36v2 between the two groups showed significant difference. Compared to patients with ex-plained fatigue, those with unexplained fatigue showed lower physical component scores of QoL.Conclusion: QoL of patients with unexplained fatigue could largely diminish than those with explained fatigue. The primary clinician should be aware of poor QoL in patients with unexplained fatigue to identify who is in need of more attention and intervention.

Fatigue in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Pooled Frequency and Severity of Fatigue

Claire Jungyoun Han,Gee Su Yang 한국간호과학회 2016 Asian Nursing Research Vol.10 No.1

Purpose: Fatigue is the third most common “extraintestinal” complaint of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but it is still poorly understood. This study aimed to review characteristics of IBSassociated fatigue and to examine pooled frequency, severity of fatigue, and correlations of related factors with fatigue in IBS via meta-analyses. Methods: Publications were searched in eight databases from 1995 to 2014. Random effects metaanalyses were applied with standard error, weighted effect size, and correlation-based measure of effect size. Results: Twenty-four studies were included in systematic review. Seventeen studies were used for metaanalyses (2 studies were excluded in the frequency of fatigue analysis due to data unavailability). Using “tiredness” to define fatigue, and Fatigue Impact Scale to assess fatigue were the most frequently used across the studies. Gastrointestinal symptoms, psychological distress, and health-related quality of life were the most common correlates with fatigue. The pooled frequency of fatigue was 54.2% [95% confidence interval (38.5, 69.4)]. Metaregression on the frequency of fatigue showed positive and significant relations with tertiary care settings, female sex, and younger age. There was a negatively moderate relationship between the severity of fatigue and health-related quality of life score (correlation-based measure of effect size: -.378). Conclusions: Fatigue is prevalent among patients with IBS and commonly co-occurs with other symptoms. This is the first study to fully examine fatigue in IBS, which shed light on the comprehensive management of fatigue in this patient group. Future research is warranted to further explore fatiguerelated factors and underlying mechanisms of fatigue in IBS.

Fatigue in the General Korean Population: Application and Normative Data of the Brief Fatigue Inventory

Yun, Y.H.,Lee, M.K.,Chun, H.N.,Lee, Y.M.,Park, S.M.,Mendoza, T.R.,Wang, X.S.,Cleeland, C.S. Dept. of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-- 2008 Journal of pain and symptom management Vol.36 No.3

The purpose of this study was to provide normative data for the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) in the general Korean population so that the results for the general population could be compared with those for patients. We constructed a questionnaire that included the BFI and items on demographic characteristics and conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey in 1,000 individuals. We used multivariate logistic analysis to investigate factors associated with ''usual'' and ''worst'' fatigue. The internal consistency was very high (Cronbach's alpha=0.96) and construct validity was confirmed by factor analysis. All patients had a mean+/-SD BFI score of 4.33+/-2.48 for ''worst'' fatigue and of 4.07+/-2.27 for ''usual'' fatigue, and the global BFI score was 3.44+/-2.05. The prevalence of each moderate-to-severe fatigue type was similar in severity of fatigue, with 55.2% in ''usual'' fatigue, and 57.3% in ''worst'' fatigue. Among the types of fatigue, the prevalence of severe fatigue was lowest for ''usual'' fatigue (16.5%). In multivariate analyses, the group aged 40-59 years had greater levels of ''usual'' and ''worst'' fatigue compared with the group aged 20-29 years. Poor general health and the presence of comorbidities were also associated with increased ''usual'' and ''worst'' fatigue. Regular physical activity was associated with reduced levels of ''worst'' fatigue. The normal values of BFI with proper psychometric properties may help us to better understand the correlates of fatigue in the general population and patients. Our findings indicate that comorbidities should be considered when comparing fatigue data from the general population with data from patients.

일부 남성 금속제품 조립작업자들의 피로에 영향을 미치는 작업관련요인

장준호,강동묵,고상백,김정원,조병만,이수일 大韓産業醫學會 2004 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.16 No.2

목적 : 남성 금속제품 조립 작업자들의 피로에 영향을 미치는 작업관련요인을 파악하고자 한다. 방법 : 작업자의 일반적 특성 및 작업관련 특성, 육체적 부하, 직무 스트레스 등을 조사 항목으로 하여 자동차 부품 조립업 1개소(476명), 자동차 엔진 조립업 1개소(610명), 대형 선박 엔진 조립업 1개소(454명)의 작업자(1,540명)를 대상으로 수거된 설문지 중 부실하게 응답한 38부를 제외한 1,136부(총연구대상의 73.8%)를 분석하였고, 피로도와의 연관성을 다중선형회귀분석으로 살펴보았다. 조사는 자기 기입식 설문지를 사용하였다. 육체적 부하를 측정하기 위해서는 Borg의 scale이 사용되었다. 격무 스트레스를 측정하기 위해서는 Karasek의 Job content questionnaire가 사용되었다. 피로의 측정은 전반적 피로도(sum of fatigue), 일상생활 기능장애(daily dysfunctioning), 상황적 피로(situational fatigue), 피로점수의 총합(sum of fatigue)으로 구성되어 있는 다면적 피로척도를 사용하였다. 피로점수의 분포는 본 연구에 응답한 피로점수의 총합을 사분위수로 나누어서 4등급으로 나누었다. 결과 : 피로점수의 분포는 피로점수의 총합을 사분위수로 나누었을 때, 0≤1등급≤73, 74≤2등급≤82, 83≤3등급≤93, 94≤4등급≤133이었다. 다중선형회귀분석에서 피로점수의 총합과 유의한 관계를 보인 경우는 주간근무, 긴 주당 노동시간, 높은 육체적 부하, 높은 직무요구도, 낮은 직무자율성, 낮은 상사의 지지 등이었고, 전반적 피로도와 유의한 관계를 보인 경우는 주간근무, 높은 육체적 부하, 높은 직무요구도, 낮은 직무자율성, 낮은 상사의 지지 등이었다. 일상생활 기능장애와 유의한 관계를 보인 경우는 주간근무, 긴 주당 노동시간, 높은 육체적 부하, 낮은 직무자율성 등이었다. 상황적 피로와 유의한 관계를 보인 경우는 높은 연령, 주간근무, 긴 주당 노동시간, 낮은 직무자율성 등이었다. 결론 : 피로관련 요인은 긴 주당노동시간, 높은 직무요구도, 높은 육체적 부하, 낮은 직무자율성, 낮은 상사의 지지로 생각된다. Objectives: To find work related factors affecting perceived fatigue among male metal product assemblers. Methods: The study subjects were metal product assemblers from three metal product companies (476 car parts assemblers, 610 car engine assemblers, 454 ship engine assemblers). From the total of 1,540 subjects, 1,136 (73.8%) were included and 38 respondents with insufficient replies were excluded. Associations between fatigue score and other variables (general characteristics, job related factors, workload, job stresses) were investigated in terms of the concept of multidimensional fatigue construct by self administered questionnaire. Using MFS (Multidimensional Fatigue Scale), JCQ (Job Content Questionnaire), and Borg's scale, we estimated the fatigue, job stress, and workload, respectively. Fatigue score was estimated by 'sum of fatigue' in MFS. Associations were tested by linear regression analysis using SAS v.8.0. Results: In this study, the fatigue related factors were older age, longer working hours per week, higher workload, higher job demand, lower decision latitude, and lower supervisor support. Conclusions: Prolonged working hours, higher workload, higher job demand, poor supervisor support and lower decision latitude were fatigue related factors among the male metal product assemblers of this study.