How Is the Self-Perceived Work Ability Affected by the Duration of Unemployment, Heart Rate Variability and the Amount of Physical Activity in Older Long-Term Unemployed Persons?

Anke Bumann, Daniel Niederer, Constanze Santarossa, Winfried Banzer and Lutz Vogt
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Anke Bumann: Department of Sports Therapy and Exercise Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
Daniel Niederer: Department of Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60487 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Constanze Santarossa: Department of Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60487 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Winfried Banzer: Institute for Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Lutz Vogt: Department of Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60487 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-9

Abstract: Background: This study investigated whether work ability is associated with the duration of unemployment, heart rate variability (HRV), and the level of physical activity. Methods: Thirty-four unemployed persons (mean 55.7 ± standard deviation 33.3 years, 22 female, 12 male, unemployed: range 1–22.5 years) participated in the cross-sectional study. The Work Ability Index (WAI) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were applied. Short-term (five minutes) resting HRV (Low Frequency (LF), High Frequency (HF), Total Power (TP)) was collected. Results: Work ability was positively associated with the HRV: LF (r = 0.383; p = 0.025), HF (r = 0.412; p = 0.015) and TP (r = 0.361; p = 0.036). The WAI showed a positive linear correlation with the amount of total physical activity (r = 0.461; p = 0.006) as well as with the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (r = 0.413; p = 0.015). No association between the WAI and the duration of unemployment occurred. Conclusions: the relation between self-perceived work ability, health-associated parameters, the HRV and the level of physical activity points out the relevance of health-care exercise and the need of stress-reducing interventions to improve perceived work ability. Our results point out the need for the further and more holistic development of healthcare for the unemployed.

Keywords: quality of life; activities of daily life; healthcare workers; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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