Study on work-related fatigue and stress of life insurance agents

• Main Authors: Sin-Kan Teng, 丁倩勤
• Other Authors: I-Fang Mao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/78803605146647368705

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 環境衛生研究所 === 94 === As a result of the rapid development of life insurance industry in Taiwan, there is a growth of approximated 80,000 full time life insurance agents in 2004. High responsibility and unstable working hours are typical for life insurance agents and can lead to a variety of adverse consequence, including fatigue and stress. In addition, agents’ working hours are not capped by the Labor Standards Law, which further augments work-related problems. In this study, 186 agents from six major life insurance companies in Taipei were selected randomly. 66.1% were women and 64.5% were married. The questionnaires included socio-demographic characteristic, subjective fatigue symptoms, work stress and working time required, and urinary 17-OHCS concentration was measured. The aim of this study is to explore working hours, subjective fatigue and work related stress about life insurance agents. The results showed that 29% participants are overweight, 62.9% did not have regular exercise. The prevalence of stomach and intestinal disease was 10.2% which is the highest prevalence of all diseases. 60.2% graduated from high school, 65.6% had annual salaries over 600,000 NT, 6.5% participants smoked, lower than suggested by the research of National Workplace Smoking Survey about Finance and Insurance Industry (11.5%). The results for fatigue indicated that the mean score of the three dimensions Fatigue (Fatigue I-drowsiness and dullness, Fatigue II-difficulty in concentration, Fatigue III-projection of disintegration) complaints after work were 21.2%, 14.1%, 11.3%, respectively. The incidence of subjective fatigue symptoms for the life insurance agents was much lower than the air traffic controllers and real estate agents, which is mental work type also. Compared with the workers who perform physical labor, such as telecommunication workers, postal industry and precision related work, life insurance agents had lower fatigue, but higher than high-elevation operation, housekeeping service and road pavers. Of all of the subjective fatigue symptoms, the prevalence of eye fatigue was the highest before and after work. And the significant predictors of fatigue after work were “fatigue recovery after sleep”, ”coffee drinking habit”, “numbers of disease” and “skill discretion”. Regarding work-related stress, results showed that life insurance agents who have a high decision latitude, low psychological demands and high social support when compared with the other results from literatures, and were more able to reduce work stress. The work time analysis showed that the average daily working hours of life insurance agents was 7.29±0.16 hours, and mean weekly working hours was 38.28±1.02 hours, which was similar to the occupation with flexible working hours. The mean concentration of 17-OHCS was 5.19±2.53mg/g cr., compared with the previous study of bus drivers, company’s safety guard, part time working students and air traffic controllers, the 17-OHCS concentration were 4.36±2.22 mg/g cr., 3.84±1.06mg/g.cr., 3.61±2.19 mg/g cr., 2.00±1.00 mg/g cr., respectively. The 17-OHCS concentration in our study population was the highest. This hints that the work stress of life insurance agents may higher than those listed above. The suggestion of this study proclaimed that the government and employers should develop a worksite health promotion campaign, focus on activities that reduce eye fatigue. Suggested that they should sleep over 7 hours a day and holding creative management courses could also help to enhance the skill discretion and reduce fatigue. Therefore, this study provides some useful information on life insurance agents working hours, work-related fatigue and work stress, and also provides the measurement methods for the authorities to help to support healthy lifestyle in the future.