New dimensions of work ability
Introduction
The actuality of work ability has steadily grown due to the demographic changes in societies, to the increasing demands of work life, and due to the needs to lengthen the working of older workers. The proportion of 50- to 64-year-old people in the European Union will increase steadily and reach the level of 35% of the whole work force in several countries already before 2015. The older worker population will be about twice the size of the youngest age group of 15–24 years old. The possibility to have a better and longer working life is strongly dependent on the work ability of the individuals. Today only 38,5% of the 55- to 64-year-old people are working in European Union. The target is to increase the employment rate up to 50% in year 2010 [1].
The conceptual background of the work ability is based on the stress-strain concept and balance model, where the human resources correspond to the work demands in a healthy and safety way [2]. A method called Work Ability Index (WAI) was developed and tested and its guidelines were published for research and practice [3]. The results and experiences from the 1990s have indicated that, beside the health resources, also competence as well as values, attitudes and motivation can play an important role on work ability. From the factors of work, the supervisors and ergonomics have significant influences on an individual's work ability [4].
The role of different dimensions of work ability is important to know in aiming to maintain and promote the work ability during aging.
Section snippets
Material and methods
The study material is a part of Health 2000 Study [5] which was carried out in Finland in 2000–2001. The nationally representative sample included over 8000 persons aged 30 or over. About half (47%) of the sample were occupationally active and these 3774 persons form the sample of this study.
Results
The results of linear regression models for different dimensions of work ability among 30- to 64-year-old population are shown in Fig. 2. For all dimensions studied, the R2 was 0.49. Health and functional capacity indicated the highest explanation rate (R2=0.39) followed by the factors of work (R2=0.33). From health resources, the symptoms were more pronounced than the functional capacity. From the dimensions of work, mental strain and physical demands of work explained best the level of Work
Discussion
The results confirmed that work ability has a complex structure including the human resources, characteristic of work as well as factors outside the working life. The constructive model of work ability, described as a house of four floors and the surrounding gives a new inside for work ability paradigm. In the new model, the basic floor (health resources) and the fourth floor (factors of working life) indicated the most significant connections with work ability. The result does not mean,
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Past, present and future of work ability
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