Mediational Occupational Risk Factors Pertaining to Work Ability According to Age, Gender and Professional Job Type

Abstract

The predictive value of work ability for several health and occupational outcomes is well known. Maintaining the ability to work of all employees has become an important topic in research although some evidence suggests that some groups of workers need greater attention than others. Healthcare workers (x¯ = 54.46 ± 5.64 years) attending routine occupational health checkups completed their work ability, occupational risk and sociodemographic measures. An analysis examined whether work ability differed according to gender, age and professional category. Mediation of these relationships by occupational risk variables, such as work–family conflict, was examined. Females and older adults had worse work ability than their counterparts. Professional group was not independently associated. Gender-related differences were mediated by current and historic ergonomic risk, psychosocial risk and work–family conflict. Age-related differences were mediated by violence/discrimination at work. All job risk variables, apart from current ergonomic risk, mediated associations between professional category and work ability. The present study identified the importance of risk variables for the work ability of health workers according to gender, age and professional job type. Perceptions of work–family conflict and violence–discrimination seem particularly important and should be considered when targeting improvements in work ability.

Work Ability and Psychosocial Factors in Healthcare Settings During COVID-19 Pandemic – Specific Focus on Ageing Workers

“…This can be because of a high percentage of sufficient WAI in our sample, a low decline of WAI with age, but a higher mean WAI among participants under 24 years old in Georgia [45 ± 2.83], and among 55 + in Estonia [40.11 ± 4.91] showing a possible healthy worker effect. There are studies that also do not present any interconnection between age and WAI (Cotrim et al, 2014;La Torre et al, 2021); however, some works show a decreased WAI with age (Cotrim et al, 2011, Mateo-Rodríguez et al, 2021b. As presented in the study by La Torre et al (2021), the WAI is the "thermometer" to evaluate the phenomenon of aging and predict the incidence of incapability to work.…”

“…Different studies show that with ageing, work ability of nurses declines (Chiu et al, 2007;Golubic et al, 2009;Cotrim et al, 2011;Abbasi et al, 2017). Studies conducted among ageing HCWs demonstrate the high prevalence of poor and moderate WAI (Monteiro et al, 2006;Mateo-Rodríguez et al, 2021b). While exposure to physical hazards is a common contributor to HCWs' poor health and decreased work ability (Cotrim et al, 2011;Ou et al, 2021), research illustrates that psychosocial workrelated factors are also influential (Francisco et al, 2012;Rongen et al, 2014;Freimann & Merisalu, 2015;Mokarami et al, 2020).…”

Emerging Issues in Occupational Health Psychology

“…Finally, from a stressor–stress–strain perspective, several studies have explored the association of diverse work-related factors with key outcome variables in OHP. Mateo-Rodríguez et al [ 22 ] focused on occupational risk factors for work ability depending on sociodemographic information, which is crucial for identifying exposure risk groups and therefore implementing more accurate and/or tailored measures. Miriam Benítez et al [ 23 ] conceived intragroup conflict as an interpersonal stressor that can negatively affect well-being at the team level and, in turn, decrease the quality of service the unit provides (reported by customers).…”