A Study on the Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome and the Number of Work Hours Based on Data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015)
There are an increasing number of reports that job related factors are associated with hypertension, sleep deprivation, obesity and diabetes. This study analyzed the relationship of working type, working hours and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The study’s subjects were 2,777 employees (1,446 males and 1,331 females) over 19 years old and their data was from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (2015). The type of work was divided into day work and shift work. The working hours were divided into less than 40 hours, 40 to 49 hours, 50 to 59 hours and 60 hours or more per week. As a result of this study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 26.4% of the males and 19.1% of the females. Generally there was no relationship between metabolic syndrome and type of work (day work and shift work). As a result of analysis of working hours and metabolic syndrome, the workers who worked 40-49 hr were associated with a decreased prevalence of metabolic syndrome as compared to that of workers who worked less than 40 hr (odds ratio: 0.47, 95% confidence interval: 0.24-0.95, p<0.05). Further, positive relationships were found between the number of work hours and the prevalence metabolic syndrome for specific females who worked over 40 hr/wk. It can be concluded from the results that it is important to help workers avoid metabolic syndrome through setting appropriate work hours.