Abnormal liver function and central obesity associate with work-related fatigue among the Taiwanese workers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations between objective health indicators and high need for recovery (NFR) after work, one of the subjective presentations of work related-fatigue, among apparently healthy workers in modern workplaces.


METHODS
From October to December, 2007, an annual health examination was performed for the workers from an electronics manufacturing factory in Taiwan. Health records of 1216 workers with a relatively homogeneous socioeconomic status were used for analysis. The health checkups included personal and NFR scale questionnaires, physical examinations, blood tests for biochemistry and hematology. The workers within the top tertile NFR score were defined as high-NFR workers.


RESULTS
After adjusted for potential confounders, the workers with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and central obesity had a significantly higher NFR after work, with increased risks of 1.4-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-2.0] and 1.8-fold (95% CI = 1.2-2.7), respectively. Shiftworkers had a 2.0-fold (95% CI = 1.5-2.6) increased risk for high-NFR. The associations between high-NFR and lipid profiles, blood sugar, hematology indexes or blood pressure were insignificant after controlling for confounders.


CONCLUSIONS
For apparently healthy workers, high NFR after work is not simply a subjective experience. Objective health measures, such as elevated ALT and increased waist circumference, should be carefully evaluated for the apparently healthy workers having a higher NFR after work.
Lin
Yu-Cheng
YC
Department of Occupational Medicine, Tao-Yuan General Hospital, 14F, No. 1492, Jaung-Shan Road, Tao-Yuan 330, Taiwan, China. gphinx@gmail.com
Chen
Jong-Dar
JD
Chen
Chao-Jen
CJ
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004581:Electronics; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
D000410:Alanine Transaminase