Monitoring Work Ability Index During a Two-Year Period Among Portuguese Municipality Workers

Teresa Patrone Cotrim, Camila Ribeiro, Júlia Teles, Vítor Reis, Maria João Guerreiro, Ana Sofia Janicas, Susana Candeias and Margarida Costa
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Teresa Patrone Cotrim: Ergonomics Laboratory, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Camila Ribeiro: Ergonomics Laboratory, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Júlia Teles: Ergonomics Laboratory, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Vítor Reis: Health and Safety Department, Municipality of Sintra, 2710-437 Sintra, Portugal
Maria João Guerreiro: Health and Safety Department, Municipality of Sintra, 2710-437 Sintra, Portugal
Ana Sofia Janicas: Health and Safety Department, Municipality of Sintra, 2710-437 Sintra, Portugal
Susana Candeias: Health and Safety Department, Municipality of Sintra, 2710-437 Sintra, Portugal
Margarida Costa: Health and Safety Department, Municipality of Sintra, 2710-437 Sintra, Portugal

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: In Portugal, little is known about the work ability profiles of municipal workers and their changes during working life. In order to characterize and understand the changes in work ability among municipal workers, a prospective study was designed to begin in 2015 in the municipality of Sintra, in the surroundings of Lisbon, and to collect data every two years. The present paper aims at characterizing the changes in the work ability of those workers between 2015 and 2017 and to identify the main predictors. Data collection was based on a questionnaire that encompassed socio-demographic data, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II (COPSOQ II), the Nordic questionnaire adapted, and the Work Ability Index (WAI). In this two-year period, the work ability of municipal workers decreased and the main predictive factors were age, lower-back pain, negative health perception, the presence of burnout, and making manual efforts. Still, there were factors that act as positive predictors of an excellent work ability, such as having training in the previous two years, a good sense of community at work, and a favorable meaning of work. In summary, the intervention strategies in the work field should take into consideration the main predictors of work ability that are relevant for each organization.

Keywords: WAI; municipal workers; prospective study; COPSOQ II; predictive factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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