The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea
Background: Rest breaks at work are reported to reduce fatigue and job stress. Apartment janitors in Korea who perform night shift work and work long hours can be exposed to various health problems (HPs). However, few studies have evaluated relationships between their rest breaks and HPs. This study...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791119305669 |
| _version_ | 1797710666646159360 |
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| author | Sungjin Park June-Hee Lee Wanhyung Lee |
| author_facet | Sungjin Park June-Hee Lee Wanhyung Lee |
| author_sort | Sungjin Park |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Rest breaks at work are reported to reduce fatigue and job stress. Apartment janitors in Korea who perform night shift work and work long hours can be exposed to various health problems (HPs). However, few studies have evaluated relationships between their rest breaks and HPs. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between long working hours, shift work, and insufficient rest breaks and HPs among Korean apartment janitors. Methods: Data on 1,212 selected male apartment janitors were obtained from the 3rd and 4th Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Demographic and occupational characteristics were collected using self-reported questionnaires. Rest breaks at work were classified as “sufficient” or “insufficient.” Long working hours were considered as working more than 60 hours per week. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was performed to investigate the effects of shift work and long working hours on HPs and the effects of rest breaks on relationships between HPs and long working hours and shift work. Results: Among those with insufficient rest breaks at work, significant associations were found between long working hours and the risk of HPs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.489; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.038–2.136] and work-related HPs (WRHPs) [OR 1.621; 95% CI = 1.156–2.272], and between shift work and HPs [OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 1.084–2.372]. These relationships became nonsignificant when sufficient rest breaks were provided. Conclusion: It is important to provide breaks at work to reduce HPs because of long working hours and shift work among aged workers such as apartment janitors. Keywords: Microbreak, Night work, Security officer, Work hours, Working condition |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:55:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df5bbc4a63824193882f290dddfc7099 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:55:32Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj.art-df5bbc4a63824193882f290dddfc70992023-09-03T00:07:04ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112019-12-01104512517The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in KoreaSungjin Park0June-Hee Lee1Wanhyung Lee2Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Cheonan Medical Center, Cheonan, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, 21, Namdong-daero 774 beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea.,Background: Rest breaks at work are reported to reduce fatigue and job stress. Apartment janitors in Korea who perform night shift work and work long hours can be exposed to various health problems (HPs). However, few studies have evaluated relationships between their rest breaks and HPs. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between long working hours, shift work, and insufficient rest breaks and HPs among Korean apartment janitors. Methods: Data on 1,212 selected male apartment janitors were obtained from the 3rd and 4th Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Demographic and occupational characteristics were collected using self-reported questionnaires. Rest breaks at work were classified as “sufficient” or “insufficient.” Long working hours were considered as working more than 60 hours per week. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was performed to investigate the effects of shift work and long working hours on HPs and the effects of rest breaks on relationships between HPs and long working hours and shift work. Results: Among those with insufficient rest breaks at work, significant associations were found between long working hours and the risk of HPs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.489; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.038–2.136] and work-related HPs (WRHPs) [OR 1.621; 95% CI = 1.156–2.272], and between shift work and HPs [OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 1.084–2.372]. These relationships became nonsignificant when sufficient rest breaks were provided. Conclusion: It is important to provide breaks at work to reduce HPs because of long working hours and shift work among aged workers such as apartment janitors. Keywords: Microbreak, Night work, Security officer, Work hours, Working conditionhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791119305669 |
| spellingShingle | Sungjin Park June-Hee Lee Wanhyung Lee The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea Safety and Health at Work |
| title | The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea |
| title_full | The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea |
| title_short | The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea |
| title_sort | effects of workplace rest breaks on health problems related to long working hours and shift work among male apartment janitors in korea |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791119305669 |
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