Saf Health Work.  2021 Dec;12(4):517-521. 10.1016/j.shaw.2021.07.005.

The Association Between Long Working Hours and Infertility

• Ahn J
• Lee SH
• Park MY
• Oh SH
• Lee W

• KMID: 2523626
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2021.07.005

Abstract

Background
This study aimed to investigate whether working long hours was related to infertility among female Korean workers, while taking age into consideration.
Methods
We used data from the 2018 National Survey on Fertility and Family Health and Welfare in Korea that is a cross-sectional, nationally representative, and population-based survey. Infertility was defined as women who were not pregnant after regular unprotected intercourse for a year. Working long hours was classified as ≥52 hours, and subgroups as per age were classified on the basis of being younger or older than 40 years of age. Differences in infertility risk between the long working hour group and none were estimated in crude and fully adjusted logistic regression models with age-group stratification.
Results
Of 5,909 Korean female workers, the crude and adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of infertility for working long hours were 1.295 (0.948–1.737) and 1.303 (0.921–1.809), respectively. In the subgroup of patients below 40 years of age, the crude and adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.957 (1.216–3.039) and 1.921 (1.144–3.120), whereas those aged 40 years or older had 0.994 (0.647–1.471) and 0.939 (0.560–1.501), respectively. The weighted prevalence of infertility increased as weekly working hours increased only for the younger than 40-year subgroup.
Conclusions
Infertility is associated with working long hours, especially in young-aged workers. Thus, the working schedule must be structured to better suit young female workers.

Keyword

Infertility; Women, working; Republic of Korea; Women