Association between insomnia and absenteeism or presenteeism among Korean employees

Background: In Korea, few studies clarify insomnia and its association and absenteeism or presenteeism. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association between insomnia and absenteeism/presenteeism using the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Methods: Insomnia was evaluated by the Minimal Insomnia Symptoms Scale (MISS). Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed by asking if the employee had experienced absence or working despite being ill for the prior 12 months at the point of the survey. Multiple logistic analyses were conducted to explore insomnia and its association with absenteeism and presenteeism. Results: The odds ratios of insomnia for absenteeism and presenteeism were 3.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.76-4.39) and 3.68 (95% CI: 3.18- 4.26) in the fully adjusted model. As the MISS scores increased, absenteeism and presenteeism showed the increasing trend that odd ratios increased accordingly from the first to the fourth quartile. Conclusions: This study observed that insomnia was related to both absenteeism and presenteeism among Korean employees.