The Association between Shift Work and Health-Related Productivity Loss due to Either Sickness Absence or Reduced Performance at Work: A Cross-Sectional Study of Korea.

Seong-Sik Cho,Mo-Yeol Kang,Dong-Wook Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph17228493

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between shift work and health-related productivity loss (HRPL) due to either sickness absence or reduced performance at work. Methods: From January 2020 to February 2020, data were collected using the web-based questionnaire. Workers in Korea (n = 4197) were selected with the convenience sampling method. To evaluate HRPL, the Korean version of the “Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire” was used. The nonparametric association between shift work and HRPL was determined. To estimate productivity loss by shift work, generalised linear models were used, and the productivity loss of workers who did not do shift work was used as the reference. Contrasts between the reference (non-shift work) and shift work, including the shift work subtype, were demonstrated. In the adjusted model, age, gender, and occupation were included as covariates. To test whether there were differences in this association by gender, a gender-stratified analysis was conducted. Results: Shift work significantly reduced productivity (2.5% points; 95% CI: 0.2–4.6). The fixed night shift had the largest productivity loss (7.7% points; 95% CI: 1.8–13.7), and the relationship between HRPL and shift work was more prominent among female workers. Conclusions: Shift work is related to an increase in HRPL, and there are gender differences in this association. Our study further indicated that a fixed night shift is most detrimental to workers’ health and productivity.

Highlights

Shift work has become an increasingly widespread practice across a variety of occupations.it has been estimated that almost 15–30% of the workforce in industrialised countries is involved in shift work [1]
The results indicated that shift work is associated with increased health-related productivity loss (HRPL)
The findings of the present study suggest that shift work is related to an increase in HRPL among the Korean working population, and that there are gender differences in this association

Summary

Introduction

Shift work has become an increasingly widespread practice across a variety of occupations.it has been estimated that almost 15–30% of the workforce in industrialised countries is involved in shift work [1]. A major reason for shift work is that modern technological and organisational advances have made it possible to perform many activities at any time of the day or night [3]. This “24-h society” requires that important services be provided at all times. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between shift work and health-related productivity loss (HRPL) due to either sickness absence or reduced performance at work. To estimate productivity loss by shift work, generalised linear models were used, and the productivity loss of workers who did not do shift work was used as the reference. Contrasts between the reference (non-shift work) and shift work, including the shift work subtype, were demonstrated

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion