Development and validation of a fatigue assessment scale for U.S. construction workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychometrics
• Construction Safety

Background:

• Fatigue is a significant issue impacting construction worker health and safety.
• Existing assessment tools may not adequately capture the nuances of fatigue in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable and valid scale for assessing fatigue in commercial construction workers.
• To create a tool that can measure the severity of fatigue and its components.

Main Methods:

• A two-phased approach was used, involving literature review, interviews, and focus groups to identify scale items.
• A repeated-measures study with 144 construction workers assessed the scale's reliability, validity, and sensitivity.

Main Results:

• A 10-item Fatigue Assessment Scale for Construction Workers (FASCW) with two sub-scales (Lethargy, Bodily Ailment) was finalized.
• The FASCW demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha=0.91) and acceptable test-retest reliability (ICC=0.74-0.80).
• The scale showed concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity, differentiating between groups based on arthritis status and work hours.

Conclusions:

• The 10-item FASCW is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing fatigue severity in construction workers.
• This scale can aid in identifying and managing fatigue-related issues in the construction industry.