Workplace Psychosocial Factors Associated with Work-Related Injury Absence: A Study from a Nationally Representative Sample of Korean Workers

Abstract

Background Little is known about the association between psychosocial factors and injury absence in the workplace. Purpose This study aims to assess the association of comprehensive workplace psychosocial factors with work-related injury absence among Korean workers. Methods The data (n=7,856) were derived from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006 with a representative sample (n=10,043) of the Korean working population. The survey instrument contained questions about hours of work, physical risk factors, work organization, and the effect of work on health/injury. Work-related injury absence was indicated by a dichotomous variable with at least 1 day absence during the preceding 12 months. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratio and confidence interval (CI). Incremental adjustments for sociodemographic, health behavior, and occupational confounding variables were employed in the models. Results The overall 1-year prevalence of work-related injury absence in this study was 1.37 % (95 % CI, 1.11–1.63 %). Those who experienced violence at work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 7.05 (95 % CI, 2.69–18.5)), threat of violence at work (aOR, 4.25 (95 % CI, 1.32–13.64)), low job autonomy (aOR, 1.79 (95 % CI, 1.17–2.74)), and high job strain (aOR, 2.38 (95 % CI, 1.29–4.42) had an increased risk of injury absence, compared with their respective counterparts (p<0.05). Among all job types, skilled workers in Korea were at a near fourfold risk of work absence due to occupational injuries, compared with managers in low-risk jobs. Conclusion Workplace violence and increased job strain were two key workplace psychosocial factors associated with work-related injury absence.

Workplace Violence in Mental Health: A Victorian Mental Health Workforce Survey

“…Fujishiro et al (2011) reported that victims of physical assault were more likely to have missed more than 2 workdays in the past 12 months compared to non-victims. Other research has confirmed a link between workplace violence and absenteeism and employee attrition (Franz et al 2010;Jackson et al 2002;Johnson, 2009;Lu et al 2014), which suggests that exposure to violence may result in staff changing specialties or even terminating employment altogether (Jackson et al 2002). Gerberich's (2004) research into workplace violence showed the negative impact of violence in the health sector on recruitment and retention of healthcare workers.…”

Low Back Pain Prevalence and Related Workplace Psychosocial Risk Factors: A Study Using Data From the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

“…35,92 There has been an increasing body of research linking hostile work environment to sickness absence, coronary heart diseases, depression, work related injuries, sleeping problem and musculoskeletal disorders. 80,93–96 Although the underlying mechanism for low back pain due to the exposure to hostile work environment is not well understood, it is likely involved increased psychosocial strain. 80,97,98 An increase in psychosocial strain has been hypothesized to affect both biomechanical and physiological processes as well as perception of pain.…”

Long Working Hours and Shift Work as Risk Factors for Occupational Injury

“…In 26 Korean companies (n=4,127 workers), the accident rate in 2-shifting system was 1.7 times higher than 3-shifting system (p<0.01) and 4 times higher than non-shift system (p<0.01) [42]. Based on the Korean Working Condition Survey of 2006 (n=7,075), it was shown that shift workers had two times more often occupational injuries than non-shift workers (OR = 2.40) [43] or in the later analysis (OR = 1.89, p= 0.026) [44].…”