Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

  • Volume 34
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  • Pages.2.1-2.14
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  • 2022
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  • 1225-3618(pISSN)
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  • 2052-4374(eISSN)
The Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회)
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Poor worker's long working hours paradox: evidence from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2018

  • Min Young Park (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Jaeyoung Park (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Jun-Pyo Myong (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Hyoung-Ryoul Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Dong-Wook Lee (Public Health Center, Seoul National University Hospital) ;
  • Mo-Yeol Kang (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • Received : 2021.08.21
  • Accepted : 2022.01.25
  • Published : 2022.12.31
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Abstract

Background: Because income and working hours are closely related, the health impact of working hours can vary according to economic status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health according to household income level. Methods: We used the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI and VII. The information on working hours and self-rated health was obtained from the questionnaire. After stratifying by household income level, the risk of poor self-rated health for long working hour group (≥ 52 hours a week), compared to the 35-51 working hour group as a reference, were calculated using multiple logistic regression. Results: Long working hours increased the risk of poor self-rated health in the group with the highest income, but not in the group with the lowest income. On the other hand, the overall weighted prevalence of poor self-rated health was higher in the low-income group. Conclusions: The relationship between long working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health varied by household income level. This phenomenon, in which the health effects of long working hours appear to diminish in low-income households can be referred to as the 'poor worker's long working hours paradox'. Our findings suggest that the recent working hour restriction policy implemented by the Korean government should be promoted, together with a basic wage preservation to improve workers' general health and well-being.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We thank the team of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) for providing the original KNHANES data. The authors are solely responsible for the contents of the present study, and they do not necessarily represent the official views of the KCDC.

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