Work ability of Chinese migrant workers: the influence of migration characteristics

Abstract

BackgroundMigrant workers have become a vital labor supply to China’s economy. Their migration process and work conditions may influence their health and work ability. The work ability of migrant workers in China and the influence of the migration process on work ability have not been explored extensively in previous studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association of migration characteristics and work-related factors with work ability among migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey, the study population consisted of 907 migrant workers from ten factories in the Pearl River Delta who were exposed to organic solvents during work. The primary dependent variable of the study was work ability, measured by the Work Ability Index (WAI). The independent variables were individual characteristics, migration characteristics, and work-related factors. Logistic regression models were used to determine the influence of different factors on work ability and three dimensions of WAI.ResultsThe result shows that among migration characteristics, social support was significantly associated with all three dimensions of the work ability index. Permanent migration intention and longer length of migration were negatively associated with the mental resource dimension of WAI. WAI was also influenced by individual and work-related factors.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that expanding migrants’ social networks and social support systems in their work place or living community, (i.e. expanding the functions of labor unions) would be an effective way to improve migrant workers’ work ability. Improving of migrant workers’ physical and psychosocial related work environments would also increase their work ability.

The relationship between work stress and work ability among power supply workers in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study

“…The WAI consists of 7-parts items: (1) current work ability compared with the lifetime best, (2) work ability in relation to the demands of the job, (3) number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician, (4) estimated work impairment due to diseases, (5) sick leave during the past year, (6) own prognosis of work ability 2 years from now and (7) mental resources. According to previous studies [ 27 ], we combined the 7 items into 3 domains based on the purpose of WAI: 1) perceived work ability, including items 1, 2 and 6 of WAI; 2) worker’s health status, including items 3, 4 and 5; and 3) mental resources, including item 7.…”

Migrant Workers and Psychological Health: A Systematic Review

“…Longer length of migration and poor social support were significantly associated with poor Work Ability Index. Han found that age, marital status, and better social support were associated with higher WAI grade; worse social support, younger age, worse physical environment, lack of work control, and high work pressure were all significantly related to weak perceived work ability [106]. Increased isolation and poor social integration may especially be seen in workers who undergo major life changes, such as transferring from a rural to an urban zone and moving away from family members.…”

Work ability index in Slovenian hospital nurses aged over fifty years

“…A variety of studies have looked into associations between WAI and sick leave, disease (14-16), lifestyle (14,(17)(18), physical activity/exercise (19)(20), quality of life (3,(21)(22), age (23)(24)(25)(26), education (27), work-related stress (27)(28)(29)(30)(31), musculoskeletal disorders (32)(33)(34)(35), work-family conflicts (35), changing employer or leaving the profession (36)(37)(38), night and shift work (22,39), fatigue (40), current work ability (41)(42)(43), menopause (44), migration (45), ethnicity (46), physical work capacity (47), psychosocial hazard (48), successful aging strategies (26,(49)(50)(51), individual factors (4, 52-54), work-related factors, working conditions and workload (4,14,52,54), work injury (52), and job ...…”