The influence of health perception on the work ability index among municipal workers in 2015 and 2017

Abstract

The ability to work is a complex structure affected by a set of different interactions between biological aging, health, skills, organizational context, social context and work activity demands. In the current context of demographic aging, it becomes important to understand how health perception may be related to the reduction of work ability over the years. In order to characterize the work ability, according to health perception, a prospective study was designed. In 2015 the sample included 885 participants and, in 2017, 1167 participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic questions, integrating the Work Ability Index (WAI), an adaptation of the Nordic questionnaire for evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms and the scales of the Portuguese medium version of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II) related to health perception. The results found that the mean WAI was lower in 2017, indicating a slight reduction in the ability to work, also WAI correlated negatively with the age. The female workers presented the lowest average WAI. Work ability was influenced by self-reported musculoskeletal symptomatology and the perception of health-related variables. The results indicate that is necessary to implement specific strategies for health promotion, thus contributing to the maintenance of the work ability over the years.