Work characteristics and health in older workers: Educational inequalities

Abstract

To be able to extend working lives, maintaining good health in older workers is important. The aim of the present study was to identify which work characteristics are associated with physical and mental health outcomes in older workers in the Netherlands, and particularly whether there are educational differences in these associations. We used longitudinal tobit and ordered logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between physical demands, psychosocial demands, variation in tasks, autonomy, and job strain and self-rated health (SRH), functional limitations, and depressive symptoms. We included interaction terms between the work characteristics and education to examine effect modification by education. We found that high physical demands, low variation in tasks, low autonomy, and high job strain were associated with poorer physical and mental health. We found evidence for educational differences in the exposure to these work characteristics, as well as in the strengths of their associations with health, with lower educated workers being disadvantaged. The associations between physical demands (SRH: OR = 3.70 (95%CI:1.92;7.11); functional limitations: B = 1.27 (95%CI:.47;2.07)), autonomy (SRH: OR = .42(95%CI:.26;.69)), and job strain (active job; SRH: OR = .25 (95%CI:.09;.69); functional limitations: B = -1.51 (95%CI:-2.68;-.34), and health were strongest in the lower educated workers. In order to maintain good health in older workers and reduce health inequalities, it is recommended to implement workplace interventions to improve working conditions, especially among the lower educated workers.

Do overweight/obesity and low levels of leisure-time vigorous physical activity moderate the effect of occupational physical activity on self-rated health of construction workers?

“…Our findings that demanding OPA, obesity and low levels of LTVPA were significantly associated with poor self-rated health are in line with previous studies (de Breij et al 2020 ; Proper et al 2020 ; van Oostrom et al 2021 ). Using the same dataset of construction workers, Proper et al also found significant associations for high OPA and unhealthy behaviors with poor self-rated health (Proper et al 2020 ).…”

“…Another recent study, among lower educated workers from various economic sectors, also confirmed that those with obesity or being physically inactive in leisure time were more likely to report poor health (van Oostrom et al 2021 ). In addition, in a study to identify work characteristics associated with health outcomes in older workers, it was found that exposure to high OPA was significantly associated with poorer self-rated health, especially in lower educated workers (de Breij et al 2020 ). Thus, based on our and earlier research, there seems to be no debate about the adverse effects of OPA, obesity and low levels of LTVPA on poor self-rated health.…”

Sex and gender differences in depressive symptoms in older workers: the role of working conditions

“…The several indicators of our gender index mutually reinforce one another, and it is the composite score on the six indicators that together represents gender roles relevant to the labour market. Moreover, the social position of both women and men is at stake, and the implications regarding improvement of working conditions to extend working lives run in the same vein [40].…”

The association between sociodemographic characteristics and the event of undergoing first-time, simple lumbar discectomy: A case-control study

“…Workability can be regarded as a proxy for the balance between functional capacity and physical work demands, and individuals with low educational levels and more physically demanding work are likely to be less able to adapt to functional disabilities, e.g. when afflicted by LDH [ 39 , 40 ]. This may negatively affect workability.…”