Working conditions mediate the association between social class and physical function in older age in Sweden: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Global demographics are changing as societies all over the world are aging. This puts focus on maintaining functional ability and independence into older age. Individuals from lower social classes are at greater risk of developing limitations in physical function later in life. In this study, we investigated the mediating role of working conditions in the association between occupation-based social class and physical function measured as self-reported mobility limitations and objectively measured physical impairment in older age. Methods: Two Swedish surveys, linked at the individual level, were used (n = 676-814 depending on the outcome). Follow-up time was 20-24 years. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with adjustments for age, sex, level of education, mobility, and health problems at baseline. This was followed by analyses of the size of the mediating effect of working conditions. Results: Working conditions seem to mediate 35-74% of the association between social class and physical impairment in older age. The pattern of mediation was primarily driven by passive jobs, i.e., low psychological demands and low control, among blue-collar workers. Working conditions did not mediate the association between social class and self-reported mobility limitations in older age. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that working conditions are important in combating the social gradient in healthy aging, contributing to the evidence regarding the magnitude of impact exerted by both the physical and psychosocial work environment separately and in conjunction.

White matter abnormalities mediate the association between masticatory dysfunction and cognition among older adults

“…The confounding percentage was 66.6%, which represents the proportion of the total relationship (between FOS and executive functions) that was mediated by the mediating variable, that is, WM-hypo. The result show a borderline closeness to full mediation 43 (see Figure 2).…”

Trajectories in physical functioning at older age in relation to childhood and adulthood SES and social mobility: a population-based cohort study

“…The differences between that study and our findings, where upward social mobility was significantly associated with better PF, could be explained by variations in study design (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal), outcomes assessed (self-rated health vs. PF), and the method used to classify SES (based on occupational status only in the previous study) ( 35 ). Additionally, the strength of the relationship between SES and self-rated health is known to depend on the SES indicator used ( 59 ), and the results of a Swedish study suggest a strong mediation effect of working conditions on the association between social class and physical impairment in older age ( 60 ).…”

trabajo en la vejez

“…La literatura disciplinar reciente da cuenta de esta tendencia: se produce un importante volumen de trabajos sobre intervenciones sanitarias a la población de personas mayores de 60 o 65 años, con énfasis en los procesos fisiológicos asociados con el envejecimiento, el efecto de la edad en la función física, cognitiva y sensorial, así como la forma en que esto puede restringir la participación en la sociedad (Barros y Raymundo, 2021;Diaz, 2019;Espinosa y Morón, 2019;Pandey et al, 2020).…”