Regression model for predicting low work ability among sedentary agng workers

BACKGROUND: Work ability is the physical and psychological capacity of workers to meet the demands of a job; it declines with age, and the effect is multiplied in a sedentary job. Early detection of workers at risk would help to improve their functional capacity and work efficiency. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors and develop a prediction model for low work ability among sedentary aging office workers. METHODS: In this case-control study, work ability among sedentary aging workers was evaluated using a Work Ability Questionnaire (WAQ). The worker’s age, gender, BMI, marital status, years at work, diabetes, hypertension, diagnosed medical condition, musculoskeletal problems, medicine intake, menopause, physical activity, sedentary work behaviour and six job-related tasks were recorded. Multiple logistic regression was performed, and the odds ratio was calculated for the variables assessed. RESULTS: 157 sedentary aging workers were assessed for 19 independent factors. BMI and years at work in the demographic domain, diagnosed medical condition and intake of medicine in the health-related domain and handgrip strength in the task domain were found to have a statistically significant odds ratio for poor work ability. CONCLUSIONS: The study identified factors influencing work ability among sedentary aging workers and a prediction model was developed.

Daily Physical Activity Patterns and Their Association With Health-Related Physical Fitness Among Aging Workers

This study aimed to identify accelerometer measured daily physical activity patterns and to examine how they associate with health-related physical fitness among 258 participants (mean age 62.4 years, SD 1.0) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study. Wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer was used and health-related physical fitness measures included body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular fitness. Based on latent class trajectory analysis, six different patterns of daily physical activity was identified on workdays and two on days off. Having low activity throughout the workday was associated with poorest health-related physical fitness, whereas a combination of low or moderate activity during working hours and increase of activity level in the evening was associated with most favorable body composition and better physical fitness compared to the other trajectories. In conclusion, a large variation in the workday physical activity patterns and health-related physical fitness was observed among aging workers.

Daily Physical Activity Patterns and Their Association With Health-Related Physical Fitness Among Aging Workers—The Finnish Retirement and Aging Study

Background This study aimed to identify accelerometer-measured daily physical activity patterns, and to examine how they associate with health-related physical fitness among aging workers. Methods The study population consisted of 263 participants (mean age 62.4 years, SD 1.0) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study, who used wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer for at least 1 week including both workdays and days off. Health-related physical fitness measures included body composition (waist circumference, bioimpedance), cardiorespiratory fitness (bicycle ergometer test), and muscular fitness (push-up and chair rise tests). Results Based on the latent class trajectory analysis, 6 trajectories were identified for workdays showing variation in activity level on working hours and on evening hours. Moderate activity during working hours and increase of activity level in the evening was associated with the most favorable health-related fitness in comparison to low activity throughout the workday: waist circumference 90.0 cm (95% confidence interval [CI] 85.5–94.5) versus 99.5 cm (95% CI 96.8–102.3), fat mass 13.9 kg (9.3–18.5) versus 23.8 kg (20.2–27.4), cardiorespiratory fitness 33.4 mL/kg/min (95% CI 31.4–35.3) versus 29.1 mL/kg/min (95% CI 27.8–30.3) (adjusted for age, sex, days off activity, smoking, and alcohol). For the days off, 2 different trajectories were identified, but they differed only in terms of level and not by timing of physical activity. Conclusions A large variation in the workday physical activity patterns was observed among aging workers. Independent of worktime activity, people who were more active in the evenings had more favorable health-related physical fitness than those who were less active throughout the day.

Effect of Discrimination on Presenteeism among Aging Workers in the United States: Moderated Mediation Effect of Positive and Negative Affect

This study aimed to examine how perceived everyday discrimination influences presenteeism and how conscientiousness moderates the relationship between discrimination and positive affect among older workers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the mediating effect. The moderated mediation model was examined by PROCESS. The results of the final SEM model showed that discrimination was directly positively associated with presenteeism. Furthermore, positive affect was significantly inversely correlated with discrimination and presenteeism. In addition, negative affect was significantly positively correlated with discrimination and presenteeism. The significant indirect effect between perceived everyday discrimination and positive affect was significantly mediated by positive and negative affect. In addition, the results of the moderated mediation model indicate that positive affect was more likely to be influenced by perceived everyday discrimination among older workers with less conscientiousness, as compared with those with greater conscientiousness. To enhance work outcomes of aging workers in the United States, managers should foster highly conscientious aging workers, award those who are hardworking and goal-oriented, and combine personal goals and organizational goals through bonuses, holidays, and benefits. Policymakers should be mindful of the negative impact of discrimination on presenteeism and should target lowly conscientious older workers.

An in-depth survey of the factors causing dissatisfaction within the group of elderly workers in South Transdanubia

The currently still active age group (aged 50–64) faces a number of difficulties with the approaching retirement age, as their ability to work and adapt quickly to changing situations are constantly losing their effectiveness. With this, of course, we do not claim that an older worker will carry out his or her work less effectively than a younger worker, as the experience gained in a particular job can balance out the performance differences stemming from age. However, as we approach the retirement age, losing your job at an older age would pose serious challenges for those who would want to return to the group of economically active workers. It is unlikely that they will find a job that matches their qualifications, as their knowledge is less up-to-date and employers would prefer young people who could be relied on in the longer term, as opposed to those who need to be replaced within a few years. These potential difficulties are revealed by the widely distributed questionnaire, which seeks to identify the motivations and preparedness of different social strata for the changing challenges of a precarious age, based on the current economic situation and living conditions of the workers. Results: Through the questionnaire survey, we were able to gain insight into how aging workers are preparing for their approaching retirement years and what steps they can take to preserve their current labour market position, as well as what opportunities they might have for returning to the labour market after losing their jobs as a result of possible redundancies. Conclusion: Due to the aging national age structure, the situation of the aging workers is becoming an increasingly widespread problem, which, if we are not able to remedy in time, then will have to count on the degradation of the employability for the examined group in the near future. This will be mainly due to the constantly deteriorating health status of the individuals and the overwhelmed health care system that needs to provide for all age groups.

The relation of work-related factors with ambulatory blood pressure and nocturnal blood pressure dipping among aging workers

Objectives Individuals with reduced nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to persons with normal BP dipping. Although the relation of work-related factors and BP has been studied extensively, very little is known of the association between work-related factors and 24-h BP patterns in aging workers. We examined the cross-sectional relation of work-related risk factors, including occupational status, work-time mode, job demands and job control, with ambulatory BP in aging workers, focusing on nocturnal BP dipping. Methods 208 workers (mean age 62 ± 3 years; 75% women) from two Finnish population-based cohort studies underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. Work-related factors were inquired using a questionnaire. Nocturnal BP dipping was calculated as [1 − (asleep BP/awake BP)] × 100. Results Shift workers demonstrated a higher nocturnal diastolic BP dipping than regular day workers (19% vs. 17%, p = 0.03) and had a significantly higher systolic awake BP than regular day workers (136.5 mmHg vs. 132.5 mmHg, p = 0.03). Participants with high job demands demonstrated a smaller nocturnal systolic BP dipping than participants with low job demands (14% vs. 16%, p = 0.04). We did not observe significant differences in nocturnal systolic or diastolic BP dipping between groups categorized by occupational status or job control. Conclusions Although shift workers have a higher daytime BP than regular daytime workers, they exhibit greater nighttime BP dipping. Participants with high job demand had smaller nighttime BP dipping than participants with low job demand. Job control or occupation did not affect the 24-h ambulatory BP profile of aging workers.