• Mingzong Zhang, Emily H Sparer, Lauren A Murphy, Jack T Dennerlein, Dongping Fang, Jeffrey N Katz, and Alberto J Caban-Martinez.
• Department of Construction Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Am. J. Ind. Med. 2015 Feb 1; 58 (2): 220-8.

ObjectiveTo develop a fatigue assessment scale and test its reliability and validity for commercial construction workers.MethodsUsing a two-phased approach, we first identified items (first phase) for the development of a Fatigue Assessment Scale for Construction Workers (FASCW) through review of existing scales in the scientific literature, key informant interviews (n = 11) and focus groups (three groups with six workers each) with construction workers. The second phase included assessment for the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the new scale using a repeated-measures study design with a convenience sample of construction workers (n = 144).ResultsPhase one resulted in a 16-item preliminary scale that after factor analysis yielded a final 10-item scale with two sub-scales ("Lethargy" and "Bodily Ailment"). During phase two, the FASCW and its subscales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (alpha coefficients were FASCW [0.91], Lethargy [0.86] and Bodily Ailment [0.84]) and acceptable test-retest reliability (Pearson Correlations Coefficients: 0.59-0.68; Intraclass Correlation Coefficients: 0.74-0.80). Correlation analysis substantiated concurrent and convergent validity. A discriminant analysis demonstrated that the FASCW differentiated between groups with arthritis status and different work hours.ConclusionsThe 10-item FASCW with good reliability and validity is an effective tool for assessing the severity of fatigue among construction workers.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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