Work-related risk factors of sleep apnea: evidence from the Korean work, sleep, and health study.

IF 2.4 3区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1007/s00420-025-02173-4

Heejoo Ko, Seong-Sik Cho, Hye-Eun Lee, Jeehee Min, Mo-Yeol Kang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: Occupational exposures are hypothesized to contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk, yet evidence from large, population-based studies remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate the association between a wide range of work-related factors and sleep apnea risk among Korean workers.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean Work, Sleep, and Health Study (KWSHS), a nationwide longitudinal panel survey conducted between 2022 and 2024. Work-related exposures included long working hours, shift work, occupational stress, emotional labor, physical or chemical hazards, and ergonomic factors. Sleep apnea risk was assessed using the Berlin Questionnaire. To account for repeated measurements within individuals, generalized estimating equation models were applied to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for age, sex, and occupation. Subgroup analyses were performed according to obesity status.

Results: Among 8,976 workers, long working hours (> 52 h per week; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43), high occupational stress (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.76-2.12), high emotional labor (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.50-2.02), physical or chemical exposures (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.25-1.50), and ergonomic strains (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.25-1.48) were significantly associated with increased odds of high sleep apnea risk. Shift work was not significantly associated with OSA risk, which may be partially explained by the healthy worker effect or adaptation among long-term shift workers. Associations with physical and chemical exposures were stronger among non-obese participants.

Conclusions: Work-related psychosocial and environmental factors contribute meaningfully to sleep apnea risk. Addressing workplace conditions may represent an important strategy for sleep apnea prevention.

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睡眠呼吸暂停的工作相关危险因素：来自韩国工作、睡眠和健康研究的证据。

目的：假设职业暴露与阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）风险有关，但来自大型人群研究的证据仍然很少。本研究旨在调查韩国工人中与工作有关的各种因素与睡眠呼吸暂停风险之间的关系。方法：我们分析了韩国工作、睡眠和健康研究（KWSHS）的数据，这是一项在2022年至2024年间进行的全国性纵向面板调查。与工作相关的暴露包括长时间工作、轮班工作、职业压力、情绪劳动、物理或化学危害以及人体工程学因素。使用柏林问卷评估睡眠呼吸暂停风险。为了解释个体内的重复测量，应用广义估计方程模型来估计调整后的优势比（ORs）和95%置信区间（ci），调整了年龄、性别和职业。根据肥胖状况进行亚组分析。结果：在8,976名工人中，长时间工作（每周50- 52小时；OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43）、高职业压力（OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.76-2.12）、高情绪劳动（OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.50-2.02）、物理或化学暴露（OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.25-1.50）和人体工程学菌株（OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.25-1.48）与高睡眠呼吸暂停风险增加的几率显著相关。轮班工作与OSA风险无显著相关，这可能部分归因于健康工作者效应或长期轮班工作者的适应。在非肥胖的参与者中，物理和化学暴露的关联更强。结论：与工作相关的社会心理和环境因素对睡眠呼吸暂停风险有重要影响。解决工作环境问题可能是预防睡眠呼吸暂停的重要策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

6.70%

发文量

127

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health publishes Editorials, Review Articles, Original Articles, and Letters to the Editor. It welcomes any manuscripts dealing with occupational or ambient environmental problems, with a special interest in research at the interface of occupational health and clinical medicine. The scope ranges from Biological Monitoring to Dermatology, from Fibers and Dust to Human Toxicology, from Nanomaterials and Ultra-fine Dust to Night- and Shift Work, from Psycho-mental Distress and Burnout to Vibrations. A complete list of topics can be found on the right-hand side under For authors and editors. In addition, all papers should be based on present-day standards and relate to: -Clinical and epidemiological studies on morbidity and mortality -Clinical epidemiological studies on the parameters relevant to the estimation of health risks -Human experimental studies on environmental health effects. Animal experiments are only acceptable if relevant to pathogenic aspects. -Methods for studying the topics mentioned above.