Access to this full-text is provided by SAGE Publications Inc.
Content available from American Journal of Men's Health
This content is subject to copyright.
American Journal of Men’s Health
6(1) 80 –88
© The Author(s) 2012
Reprints and permission:
sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/1557988311423723
http://jmh.sagepub.com
Introduction
Becoming a father is a major transition in men’s lives, yet
few researchers have measured the fatigue men experi-
ence during early fatherhood (fathers with babies,
whether first time or subsequent fathers) and nothing has
been written on the effects of fatigue on their work safety.
The prevalence of fatigue in the work place has been
difficult to measure and varies across many studies. In
1994, the prevalence rate for fatigue was reported to be
48.3% with 18.3% reporting substantial fatigue lasting 6
months or longer (Pawlikowska et al., 1994). Yet more
recently, the prevalence of fatigue has been reported to be
21.9% with 12% reporting fatigue for 1 year (Kant,
Bultmann, Schroer, & Beurskens, 2003), and another
study revealed a prevalence rate for work fatigue of
37.9% (Ricci, Chee, Lorandeau, & Berger, 2007).
One reason for the varied prevalence rates might be
that fatigue is hard to define and sometimes hard to disen-
tangle from other concepts. Some authors have defined
fatigue based on physical or mental impairment
(Grandjean, 1979), whereas others have characterized
fatigue as being task related (Hancock & Verway, 2001;
Simonson, 1971). More recently, authors have seen
fatigue as an inability to rest or recover (McQueen &
Mander, 2003; Soames & Job-Delziel, 2001). Specifically,
recovery from fatigue must take into account the rest
needed to sufficiently address the nature, length, and
intensity of effort expended during work (Gawron,
French, & Funke, 2001).
Fatigue affects a person’s alertness, vigilance, and
readiness for action (Grandjean, 1979), as well as creat-
ing a propensity to make impulsive and intuitive deci-
sions (Sicard, 2001; Slovic, 1987; Slovic, Finucane,
Peters, & MacGregor, 2004). Consequently, fatigue has
been reported to be a major factor in workplace accidents
(Swaen, Van Amelsvoort, Bultmann, & Kant, 2003) and
it can result in catastrophic consequences. For example,
fatigue was a significant contributing factor in the
Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the 1986 Challenger shut-
tle disaster (Merril et al., 1988; Moore-Ede, 1993).
Fatigue has been reported to be prominent theme in
the daily life of fathers with babies, because of their par-
ticipation in infant care and family life (Anderson, 1996;
Bielby & Bielby, 1988; Bittman, Hoffman, & Thompson,
2004; Daly, 1993; Dye, 1998; McVeigh & St. John, 2003;
423723JMHXXX10.1177/1557988311423723Mell
or and St. JohnAmerican Journal of Men’s Health
1Southern Cross University, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia
2Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Corresponding Author:
Gary Mellor, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross
University, Lakeside Campus, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, 2485,
Australia
Email: gary.mellor@scu.edu.au
Fatigue and Work Safety Behavior in Men
During Early Fatherhood
Gary Mellor, PhD,1 and Winsome St. John,PhD2
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between fatigue and work safety behavior of fathers with new babies. A total
of 241 fathers completed a questionnaire at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum with items on fatigue and safety behavior
at work. Results revealed that fathers worked long hours, reported a moderate-to-high physical intensity of work,
and experienced interrupted sleep averaging less than 6 hours. Fathers also reported moderate fatigue at both 6
and 12 weeks postbirth, which was inversely related to safety behavior. Both fatigue and sleep history made a small
but statistically significant contribution to safety behavior results at 6 and 12 weeks postbirth. Findings suggest that
working fathers with babies experience fatigue during early fatherhood and are unable to recover due to interrupted
and poor sleep patterns. Managers should consider the potential for fatigue to compromise work safety and develop
risk management strategies that target new fathers.
Keywords
occupational health, fathering, psychosocial and cultural issues, quantitative research