MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.
BMJ Open. 2024 Jul 20;14(7):e081509. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081509.
With demographic changes, there is increasing demand for individuals and governments to lengthen working lives. Jobs that are very physically demanding are likely to be more difficult to sustain at older ages. If workers at risk of mismatch of demand and capability could be identified early, there would be opportunities for intervention for health or lifestyle and/or re-training or redeployment.
To investigate whether self-reported walking speed (a good measure of function in elderly people) predicted health-related job loss (HRJL) longitudinally over 5 years of follow-up among middle-aged workers.
Data came from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) prospective cohort study of middle-aged people (aged 50-64 years) in UK.
General population survey (sampling frame was 24 General Practice registers).
The cohort included 8134 people recruited in 2013-2014. For the current analyses, 5217 people who ever worked and completed at least one follow-up questionnaire were eligible.
Exit from employment mainly or partly for health reasons (HRJL).
At baseline, very slow walking speed was associated with: obesity, physical inactivity, smoking (men), financial hardship, lower educational attainment and not being in professional occupations. In total, 527 people (10%) reported at least one HRJL during follow-up. After adjustment, the HR for HRJL among men with very slow walking-speed was 4.32, 95% CI 2.72 to 6.87 and among women was 4.47, 95% CI 3.04 to 6.57. After further adjustment for 'difficulty coping with physical demands at work', hazards remained doubled in men and women.
Self-reported walking speed could help identify older workers who are at increased risk of HRJL. This could provide opportunities for intervention through optimising health and lifestyle, restricting physical workload, retraining or redeployment. Early appropriate intervention could enable longer working lives and promote healthier, more equal ageing.
随着人口结构的变化，人们对个人和政府延长工作寿命的需求不断增加。非常体力要求的工作可能在年龄较大时更难以维持。如果能够及早发现有需求和能力不匹配风险的工人，就有机会进行健康或生活方式干预，以及/或再培训或重新部署。
调查中年工人自我报告的步行速度（衡量老年人功能的良好指标）是否能在 5 年的随访中预测与健康相关的工作损失（HRJL）。
数据来自英国中年人的健康与 50 岁后就业（HEAF）前瞻性队列研究。
一般人群调查（抽样框架是 24 个一般实践登记册）。
该队列包括 2013-2014 年招募的 8134 人。对于当前的分析，有 5217 名曾经工作过并完成至少一次随访问卷的人符合条件。
主要或部分因健康原因退出就业（HRJL）。
在基线时，非常缓慢的步行速度与肥胖、身体不活动、吸烟（男性）、经济困难、教育程度较低和不在专业职业有关。在随访期间，总共有 527 人（10%）报告至少有一次 HRJL。调整后，男性步行速度非常缓慢的 HRJL 风险为 4.32，95%CI 为 2.72 至 6.87，女性为 4.47，95%CI 为 3.04 至 6.57。进一步调整“工作中难以应对身体需求”后，男性和女性的危险仍然增加一倍。
自我报告的步行速度可以帮助识别有更高 HRJL 风险的老年工人。这可以通过优化健康和生活方式、限制体力工作量、再培训或重新部署来提供干预机会。早期采取适当的干预措施可以使工作寿命延长，并促进更健康、更平等的老龄化。
