Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Health-related productivity loss (HRPL) is a comprehensive measure of labor productivity lost because of health problems. This study examined the distribution of HRPL and its associations with a broad range of health conditions and occupational characteristics in a nationally representative sample of Korean workers and quantified the population-level productivity burden associated with each condition.
METHODS
This cross-sectional analysis included 12,554 workers from the 26th wave (2023) of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study. HRPL was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire–General Health version. Differences in HRPL were evaluated across sociodemographic, health-behavioral, and occupational characteristics. Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and occupation were used to estimate mean differences in HRPL associated with 34 self-reported health conditions. The condition-specific burden was calculated as condition prevalence multiplied by the adjusted mean difference in HRPL.
RESULTS
The overall mean HRPL was 19.0% and predominantly reflected presenteeism rather than absenteeism. Higher HRPL was observed among older workers and those with lower educational attainment, sleep duration outside the recommended range, lower leisure-time physical activity, higher occupational physical activity, and non-standard employment. The largest adjusted mean differences in HRPL were associated with infertility treatment (52.18 percentage points), anxiety (23.83), depression (20.43), cancer (20.23), and gastroenteritis (18.36). The greatest population-level burdens were associated with low back pain (109.2 burden units), neck or shoulder pain (85.0), upper- or lower-limb joint pain or dysfunction (73.5), and fatigue (61.5).
CONCLUSIONS
HRPL is substantial among Korean workers and is associated with occupational characteristics and common health conditions.

• Keywords: Work productivity; Presenteeism; Absenteeism; Precarious employment; Work environment; Health condition