BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out to assess the relationship between sickness absence and occupational stress, sleep quality, and amplitude and stability of circadian rhythm as well as to determine contributing factors of sickness absence. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on 400 randomly selected employees of an Iranian gas company. The data were collected using Pittsburgh sleep quality index, Karolinska sleepiness scale, circadian type inventory, and Osipow occupational stress questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean age and job tenure of the participants were 33.18 ± 5.64 years and 6.06 ± 4.99 years, respectively. Also, the participants had been absent from work on average 2.16 days a year. According to the results, 209 participants had no absences, 129 participants had short-term absences, and 62 participants had long-term absences. The results showed a significant relationship between short-term absenteeism and amplitude of circadian rhythm [odds ratio (OR) = 6.13], sleep quality (OR = 14.46), sleepiness (OR = 2.08), role boundary (OR = 6.45), and responsibility (OR = 5.23). Long-term absenteeism was also significantly associated with amplitude of circadian rhythm (OR = 2.42), sleep quality (OR = 21.56), sleepiness (OR = 6.44), role overload (OR = 4.84), role boundary (OR = 4.27), and responsibility (OR = 3.72). CONCLUSION: The results revealed that poor sleep quality, amplitude of circadian rhythm, and occupational stress were the contributing factors for sickness absence in the study population.
Absenteeism ; Circadian Rhythm* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Iran*

OBJECTIVE: Presenteeism has become a public concern recently. Thus, we aimed to understand the relationship between self-employed workers and presenteeism using a nationally representative sample of Korean workers. METHODS: Using data from the Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2011, a total of 43,392 workers including paid employees and self-employed workers were analyzed. The effect of employment status on presenteeism was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The independent variables were socioeconomic characteristics, working conditions, and working environments. RESULTS: Among the 43,392 workers, 34,783 were paid and 8,609 were self-employed. Self-employed workers were more likely to exhibit presenteeism than were paid workers. An elevated odds ratio of 1.27 (95% CI 1.19-1.36) was found for presenteeism among self-employed workers. CONCLUSION: Being self-employed was significantly related with exhibiting presenteeism. Additional research should investigate whether other factors mediate the relationship between employment status and presenteeism as well as ways to reduce presenteeism among self-employed workers.
Absenteeism ; Employment ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio

INTRODUCTION: Costs associated with chronic psoriasis impart a significant economic burden.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the direct and indirect cost of psoriasis patients in a tertiary government hospital in Davao City.

METHODS: Plaque-type psoriasis patients who were actively seeking care at the Southern Philippines Medical Center Department of Dermatology for at least 6 months prior to the study period were included. The participants reported on socioeconomic status, productivity loss and monetary funding through questionnaires. Work impairment was evaluated using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire and was used to compute the indirect cost. A 6-month retrospective review of the health information system and medical charts generated the healthcare resource utilization data as well as the medical data used to compute the direct cost.

RESULTS: Among the 43 participants enrolled, 53% had a monthly household income of less than PHP8,000 (USD157) and 27% were unemployed. There was an overall work impairment of 65.4%, and 55% had experienced a change in employment status due to psoriasis. The mean 6-month direct cost of psoriasis was PHP22,672.28 ($445). The mean 6-month indirect cost was PHP 26,071.20 ($511) for employment status change and PHP 75,804.30 ($1,486) for work impairment. Government agencies provided financial aid for treatment but majority of the costs came from the participants' own pockets.

CONCLUSION: The economic burden of psoriasis increased substantially due to the indirect cost, which in turn increased remarkably due to work impairment and employment status change.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of workers' current problems to the perceived stress and work performance among manufacturing industry workers in Korea. METHODS: Responses to structured survey questionnaires were received from 556 workers at 7 medium-sized manufacturing factories in Gyeongsang Province. RESULTS: Among the 556 responders, health problems, job stress, and life stress showed significant effect on their perceived stress. Job stress showed significant effect on workers' lateness and early leaving, and culture & leisure problems on absenteeism. Health problems and job stress took negative effects on their job concentration difficulty. The severity of these problems were related with the desired length of retention. CONCLUSION: We proved the effect of workers' current problems to their performance. The study results will be helpful to clarify what EAP services should be considered to solve these problems at a certain organization.
Absenteeism ; Leisure Activities ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the actual conditions of absence and early leave due to job stress of 4,350 workers in 83 small and medium scale industries, and its relationship to job stress factors using Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF). METHODS: A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to assess each respondent's sociodemographics, job stress, experience of absence and early leave due to job stress. Seven KOSS-SF domains of job stress were used. We estimated the relation of absence and early leave due to job stress and job stress factors using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Absence or early leave due to job stress occurred in 7% of male workers and 8% of female workers. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significantly positive association job stress-related absence/early leave and job demand, interpersonal conflict, organizational system, lack of rewards and occupational climate. CONCLUSIONS: Absence and early leave due to job stress is significantly attributed to organizational system and lack of reward for men, and occupational climate and organizational system for women.
Absenteeism ; Climate ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Questionnaires ; Reward

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the actual conditions of absence and early leave due to job stress of 4,350 workers in 83 small and medium scale industries, and its relationship to job stress factors using Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF). METHODS: A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to assess each respondent's sociodemographics, job stress, experience of absence and early leave due to job stress. Seven KOSS-SF domains of job stress were used. We estimated the relation of absence and early leave due to job stress and job stress factors using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Absence or early leave due to job stress occurred in 7% of male workers and 8% of female workers. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significantly positive association job stress-related absence/early leave and job demand, interpersonal conflict, organizational system, lack of rewards and occupational climate. CONCLUSIONS: Absence and early leave due to job stress is significantly attributed to organizational system and lack of reward for men, and occupational climate and organizational system for women.
Absenteeism ; Climate ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Questionnaires ; Reward

OBJECTIVES: Depression is a common disabling psychiatric illness in the workplace and is associated with high burden to both employer and employee. Little is known about the awareness, attitude, and impact of depression in the Korean workplace. This study investigates how workers perceive the symptomatology, disability, and management of depression. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional web-based survey of 1000 workers recruited from online sites. Selected panel members were invited to participate in the survey through Ipsos MORI (www.ipsos-mori.com/) between 10th and 19th February 2014. The participants were Korean workers, aged 16-64, who are either currently working or had worked within the past year. Subjects were encouraged to respond to a 13-item questionnaire on the awareness, attitude, and impact of depression. RESULTS: According to the results, 7.4% of the subjects responded that they had ever been diagnosed as having depression from medical professionals. One third of workers with depression who had taken time off from work did not provide the actual reason to their employers, and the mean number of days off work was 9.8 days. The most common symptoms were depressed mood (76.7%), loss of interests (71.5%), sleep problem (69.8%), and cognitive dysfunction (47.0%). Cognitive symptoms (72.2%) were prominent among the workers who continued to work under the influence of depression. CONCLUSION: Korean workers reported a low rate of depression. Those who have been diagnosed with depression reported shorter number of days taken off from work compared to other countries. These results suggest that depression is poorly recognized and disclosed to employers in the Korean workplace. Presenteeism rather than absenteeism may be a major loss of productivity in Korea. An employee assistance program for depressed workers and new therapeutic strategies for treatment of cognitive symptoms of depression should be provided in Korea.
Absenteeism ; Depression* ; Depressive Disorder ; Efficiency ; Korea ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between job strains and absenteeism from work. METHODS: The study design was cross-sectional, and the study subjects consisted of 1,166 workers who were employed in the small-sized industries. A self administered questionnaire was used to measure the general characteristics, job characteristics(job demand, job control), and social support(coworker support, supervisor support) at work. The Job Content Questionnaire(JCQ) was used to assess job demand(2 items) and decision lattitude(10 items). Social support at work (10 items) was measured using JCQ. Sick absence was collected using self-report and were rechecked by the attendance record of their company. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between job strain and sick absence were estimated. The modifying effect of social support was evaluated by stratification. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between job strain and sick absence. RESULTS: In the bivariate analysis, the variables related to sick absence were age, marital status, occupation, job demand. Four distinctly different kinds of level of job strain were generated by the combination of job demand and job control: low strain group, high strain group, active group, and passive group. The crude odds ratio of high job strain was 1.78(95% CI: 1.26-2.53), and those of active group and passive group were 1.33(95% CI: 1.07-1.66) and 1.13 (95% CI: 0.88-1.47), respectively. The odds ratio of high job strain after adjusting for age and occupation were still significant. The odds ratio of high job strain in low social support was 5.96(95% CI: 2.45-14.51), but that in high social support was 0.73(95% CI: 0.26-2.01). CONCLUSIONS: Job strain was associated with increased risk of absenteeism from work, and social support at work modified the association between job strain and sick absence.
Absenteeism* ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of presenteeism and absenteeism among railroad workers as well as to investigate whether or not job stress level and psychosocial well-being status are associated with presenteeism and absenteeism. METHODS: As the cross-sectional design, a self-reported questionnaire using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale(KOSS), Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI), and Work Productivity and Impairment-General Health(WPAI-GH) was administered to railroad workers. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the association between job stress, psychosocial well-being status and presenteeism, absenteeism in 1,099 subjects. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, 52.0% and 22.0% experiened presenteeism and absenteeism, respectively. Job stress level in railroad workers was higher than that in general workers. Multivariate logistic regression with presenteeism as the dependent variable showed an elevated odds ratio of 3.56(95% CI 1.48-8.54) in the highest job stress group, and an odds ratio of 3.20(95% CI 1.94-5.26) in the high-risk psychosocial stress group. There was no significant association between job stress level and absenteeism, whereas weak association between psychosocial stress and absenteeism was found. CONCLUSIONS: Since railroad workers have a high level of job stress and elevated experience of presenteeism, a management strategy is required to control presenteeism and absenteeism in order to promote railroad workers' health and safety.
Absenteeism ; Efficiency ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires ; Railroads ; Sick Leave

OBJECTIVES: Absenteeism due to musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) of workers is an important index of occupational health. Since research on its causes is rare in Korea, the risk factors for absenteeism due to MSDs should be studied. METHODS: Using the 2nd Korean working condition survey data, we investigated the prevalence of absenteeism due to MSDs. We also analyzed the risk factors for absenteeism by multiple logistic regression analysis in Korean employees. RESULTS: Prevalence of absenteeism due to MSDs was 0.7% in all employees, 0.5% in men, and 0.9% in women. In logistic regression analysis, gender, age, presence of a representative worker organization, working on tight deadlines, and pace of work dependent on automated equipment/machine were risk factors of absenteeism due to MSDs for both sexes. For males, working time, working at a very high speed were additional risk factors. For females, pace of work dependent on numerical production, performance, and targets were additional risk factors. Although not included in the multiple logistic regression analysis, handling heavy loads in both sexes and average monthly income for women were risk factors in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: For absenteeism due to MSDs, the presence of a representative worker organization, along with work pace and its determinants were important risk factors.
Absenteeism ; Female ; Handling (Psychology) ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupational Health ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors