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Perceived work ability index of public service employees in relation to ageing and gender: A comparison in three European countries Cover

Perceived work ability index of public service employees in relation to ageing and gender: A comparison in three European countries

Open Access
|Oct 2019

Figures & Tables

Work ability determinates compared by ageing (n=1653)_

Work ability determinates Age groups (years)
P-value*
≤54 1287≥55 366
Work ability score groupspoor, 195 (12)178 (13.8)17 (4.6)32.552
moderate, 399 (24)321 (24.9)78 (21.3)0.001
good, 613 (37)444 (34.6)169 (46.2)
excellent, 446 (27)344 (26.7)102 (27.9)
Current work abilityfrom minimal 18 (0.6)4 (1.1)27.575
compared with lifetime best21 (0.1)0 (0.0)0.002
313 (1.0)1 (0.3)
420 (1.6)1 (0.3)
551 (3.9)12 (3.3)
659 (4.7)17 (4.6)
7152 (11.8)53 (14.5)
8312 (24.3)116 (31.7)
9296 (22.9)93 (25.4)
to maximal 10375 (29.1)69 (18.8)
Work ability in relationvery poor121 (9.5)20 (5.5)8.571
to mental demandsrather poor177 (13.7)42 (11.5)0.073
moderate243 (18.9)69 (18.8)
rather good453 (35.2)148 (40.4)
very good293 (22.7)87 (23.8)
Number of diagnosed5102 (7.9)52 (14.2)29.895
diseases448 (3.7)19 (5.2)0.001
380 (6.2)35 (9.5)
2125 (9.7)38 (10.4)
1186 (14.5)64 (17.5)
0746 (58.0)158 (43.2)
Estimated impairmentIn my opinion, I am entirely unable to work215 (16.7)23 (6.3)39.108
of health influence to workI feel I am able to do only part- time work102 (7.9)23 (6.3)0.001
I must often slow down my work pace or change102 (7.9)17 (4.6)
I must sometimes slow down my work pace or107 (8.3)30 (8.2)
change my work methods
I am able to do my job, but it causes some symptoms241 (18.7)80 (21.9)
There is no hindrance/I have no disease520 (40.5)193 (52.7)

Numerical screening data of a sample (n=1653)_

Characteristics of subjectsMean ± SDMinimumMaximum
Age (years)45.06±10.901.0072.00
Length of service (years)20.74±11.120.0051.00
Sick- leave (days)5.72±23.710.00334.00
WAI score40.08± 6.171.0049.00

Results of the multiple linear regression analyses for respondents with excellent work ability (n=446) and for respondents with poor work ability index (n=195) as dependent variables; demographic factors and work environment factors obtained (independent variables)_

Predictors of work abilityβP-value95% Confidenceinterval
Excellent work ability index
Sex0.0080.612-0.5870.995
Country-0.1850.000-5.612-2.576
Age0.0020.892-0.3700.425
Marital status-0.0190.252-0.7920.209
Educational level0.1230.0000.7782.414
Current WA compared with lifetime best0.2800.0000.9731.421
Physical demands of work-0.0840.003-0.023-0.046
Mental demands of work-0.0480.022-1.085-0.084
Health impairment influence to work-0.0620.002-0.805-0.186
Lower incidence of sick leave0.0520.0190.0910.988
Prognosis of WA in two next years´ time0.2730.0001.1821.906
Mental resources0.0630.085-0.1121.711
Poor (bad) work ability index
Sex-0.0220.472-0.4290.199
Country0.3340.0000.6591.728
Age-0.0300.413-0.2330.096
Marital status-0.0780.021-0.527- 0.043
Educational level-0.1910.001-0.771-0.201
Current WA compared with lifetime best0.3380.0000.7011.048
Physical demands of work0.4520.0010.0540.080
Mental demands of work0.1940.0000.5611.151
Health impairment influence to work0.4520.0000.0540.080
Higher incidence of sick leave0.0580.0850.0290.448
Prognosis of WA in two next years´ time0.3310.0001.0621.624
Decline of mental resources0.0970.0050.0920.510

Correlation between WAI dimensions’ and gender; and correlation between WAI dimensions’ and aging in all respondents (n=1653)_

Spearman correlation between gender and WAICorrelation factorSpearman correlation between aging and WAICorrelation factor
Current work ability compared with lifetime best0.036 (>0.05)Current work ability compared with lifetime best-0.115 (<0.001)
Mental demands of work-0.059 (<0.05)Mental demands to work0.084 (<0.001)
Health impairment influence to work-0.080 (<0.001)Health disorders influence to work0.177 (<0.001)
Sick leave during one year-0.025 (>0.05)Sick leave during one year0.043 (>0.05)
WA prognosis for two years-0.134 (<0.001)WA prognosis for two years-0.006 (>0.05)
Enjoyment of daily tasks-0.047 (>0.05)Enjoyment of daily tasks0.056 (<0.05)
Be physically and psychological active0.003 (>0.05)Be physically and psychological active0.026 (>0.05)
Optimism about the future0.000 (>0.05)Optimism about the future-0.046 (>0.05)
Decreased WAI score-0.104 (<0.001)Decreased WAI score0.076 (<0.001)

Characteristics of a sample per gender (n=1653)_

Characteristics of subjects No (%)
P-value
Man 562 (34)Women 1091 (66)
CountryB&H, 590 (36)174 (31.0)416 (38.1)21.275
Monte Negro, 266 (16)73 (13.0)193 (17.7)0.001
Spain, 797 (48)315 (56.0)482 (44.2)
Age-groups (years)18-34, 330 (20)105 (18.7)225 (20.6)96.706
35-44, 416 (25)126 (22.4)290 (26.6)0.001
45-54, 537 (33)172 (30.6)365 (33.5)
55-64, 336 (20)136 (24.2)200 (18.3)
65 or more than 65, 34 ( 2)23 (4.1)11 (1.0)
Occupations in public sectorHealth care providers, 563 (34)106 (18.9)457 (41.9)27.911
Children and youth teachers, 865 (52)381 (67.8)484 (44.4)0.001
Others administrative officers, 225 (14)75 (13.3)150 (13.7)
Marital statusmarried, 1109 (67)387 (68.9)722 (66.2)11.432
single131 (23.3)232 (21.3)0.043
divorced30 (5.3)95 (8.7)
widowed25 (4.4)42 (3.8)
Educational levellow, 60 (3)24 (4.3)36 (3.3)20.649
medium, 724 (44)230 (40.9)494 (45.3)0.001
high, 869 (53)308 (54.8)561 (51.4)

Work ability determinates
Work ability score groupspoor, 195 (12)53 (9.4)142 (13.0)18.442
moderate, 399 (24)112 (19.9)287 (26.3)0.000
good, 613 (37)218 (38.8)395 (36.2)
excellent, 446 (27)179 (31.9)267 (24.5)
Current work abilityfrom minimal 13 (0.5)9 (0.9)22.173
compared with20 (0.0)1 (0.1)0.014
lifetime best32 (0.4)12 (1.1)
46 (1.1)15 (1.4)
527 (4.8)36 (3.3)
618 (3.2)58 (5.3)
783 (14.7)122 (11.2)
8163 (29.0)265 (24.3)
9117 (20.8)272 (24.9)
to maximal 10143 (25.5)301 (27.5)
Work ability in relationvery poor39 (6.9)109 (9.9)8.367
to mental demandsrather poor75 (13.4)144 (13.0)0.079
moderate92 (16.4)220 (20.1)
rather good212 (37.7)389 (35.5)
very good144 (25.6)236 (21.5)

Number of diagnosed0298 (52.9)606 (55.6)6.124
diseases199 (17.6)151 (13.8)0.294
260 (10.7)103 (9.5)
338 (6.8)77 (7.0)
424 (4.2)43 (3.9)
543 (7.7)111 (10.2)
Estimated impairmentIn my opinion, I am entirely unable to work76 (13.5)162 (14.9)18.937
of health influence to workI feel I am able to do only part- time work40 (7.1)85 (7.8)0.004
I must often slow down my work pace or change33 (5.9)86 (7.9)
I must sometimes slow down my work39 (6.9)98 (8.9)
pace or change my work methods
I am able to do my job, but it causes some symptoms93 (16.6)228 (20.9)4.432
There is no hindrance/ I have no disease281 (50.0)432 (39.6)0.489
Sick leave during100-365 days15 (2.7)26 (2.4)
the past year25-99 days13 (2.3)43 (3.9)
10-24 days30 (5.4)69 (6.3)
≤ 9 days133 (23.6)256 (23.5)
0 days371 (66.0)697 (63.9)
Own forecast of work abilityunlikely12 (2.1)31 (2.8)31.560
for the next two yearsnot certain65 (11.6)247 (22.6)0.001
relative certain485 (86.3)813 (74.5)
Enjoy your regular dailyoften198 (35.0)362 (34.0)11.401
activities (mental resource)rather often204 (36.0)362 (34.0)0.044
sometimes123 (22.0)253 (22.0)
rather seldom35 (6.0)113 (10.0)
never2 (1.0)1 (0.0)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0023 | Journal eISSN: 1854-2476 | Journal ISSN: 0351-0026
Language: English
Page range: 179 - 188
Submitted on: Mar 10, 2019
Accepted on: Aug 22, 2019
Published on: Oct 1, 2019
Published by: National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2019 Nurka Pranjic, Juan Manuel Garcia Gonzales, Ljiljana Cvejanov-Kezunović, published by National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.