Juhani Ilmarinen

Aging and work

Changes of the Work Ability Index of Aging Workers related to the Participation in the Activities for Promoting Health and Work Ability: A 3-Year Program. Maintaining the Work Ability of Kitchen Workers. The Strict Agricultural Products Standard and the Difficulty of Agricultural Work for Aged Workers. A Study on the Usability of Mobile Phones for the Elderly. Health Status and Lifestyles of Elderly Japanese Workers. A Continuous Exercise Time and Psych-Physiological Reaction for a Suitable Prescriptive Exercise Program. The Effect of Aging on Lipid Metabolism and Aerobic Ability. The Study of the Work Accidents in the Fishery Industry. Renal Function Decline in Aged Workers Enhances Toxic Effect of Occupational Chemicals. Post-Polio Fatigue and Aging: A New Problem at Workplaces in Japan. Japanese Initiatives on Aging and Work: An Occupational Ergonomics Approach to Solving this Complex Problem. Occupational Gerontology: The Science Aimed at Older Employees. Promotion of Work Ability during Aging. Functional Fitness: Encouraging Human Struggle (Physical Activity) and Warning about the Cost of Technology. The Role of the Psychological Environment in Promoting the Health and Performance of Older Workers. Company Level Strategies for Promotion of Well-Being, Work Ability and Total Productivity. Developing a New Work System for Elderly Workers. Employment of the Elderly in Korea. The Theory and Practice of Work Re-Design in a Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Industry in an Aging Society. Occupational Activity and Aging. The Anthropometric Data of the Aging Workers in Taiwan. Survey of Prospects for Elderly Care Workers. Work Situation Evaluation as a Prerequisite for Productive Aging of Engineers and Innovators. Intergenerational Relations at Work in Sweden and the UK. A Work - Family Balance Approach to Research on Late Career. Work Climate and the Age-Hostile Workplace. Terminology of Aging used in Legislation and Government Policy. For Whom is a Disabled Pension a Good Solution when Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevent Work. The Management of Work-Related Stress with Regards to the Health of Older Workers. Characteristics and Perspectives of Occupational Accidents Involving Aged Workers in Korea. Development of a Work Support Tool for the Old with Work Postures as an Index. Measures for Healthy Aging: Lifestyle and Exercise. Age-conscious Personnel Policies and Productive Aging. Maintaining Work Ability of Elderly Workers. Support Systems for Elderly Workers. Part 6. Occupational Accidents and Incidents.

Changes in Physical Capacity Among Middle-Aged Municipal Employees Over 16 Years

The purpose of the present study was to identify changes in different components of physical capacity among middle-aged women and men employed in the municipal branch for 16 years. The data were obtained by laboratory measurements and postal questionnaires. The study group consisted of 45 middle-aged subjects, who were on average 51.5 years old at the beginning of the follow-up in 1981 and 67.3 years in 1997. During the 16-year follow-up period, the average physical capacity of these workers decreased by approximately 20%. The study showed that the greatest changes occurred in isometric trunk muscle strength and in the flexibility of the spine, whereas smaller changes were noted in anthropometrics. The decrease of physical capacity was greater among men (range 11.6% to 33.7%) than among women (range 3.3% to 26.7%), although women had more individual variations. On average, people without disease or who were physically active displayed better physical capacity than people with disease or who were physically passive.

Work ability in midlife as a predictor of mortality and disability in later life: a 28-year prospective follow-up study.

Background Poor work ability correlates with increased morbidity and early retirement from the workforce, but the association in old age is not known. We investigated work ability in midlife among white-collar and blue-collar employees as a predictor of mortality and disability 28 years later. Methods A total of 5971 occupationally active people aged 44–58 years participated in the Finnish Longitudinal Study of Municipal Employees (FLAME) in 1981. Perceived work ability relative to lifetime best was categorized as excellent, moderate or poor. In 2009, the ability to perform activities of daily living was assessed among 2879 respondents (71.0% of the survivors). Mortality data were available up to July 2009. Results At the 28-year follow-up, 1918 of the 5971 participants had died and 1403 had some form of disability. Rates of death per 1000 person-years among white-collar men were 7.7 for those with excellent work ability, 14.7 for those with moderate work ability and 23.5 for those with poor work ability. Among blue-collar men, the corresponding rates were 15.5, 20.2 and 25.3. In women, rates ranged between 6.3 and 10.6 per 1000 person-years. The age-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality were two to three times higher among blue-collar male employees with lower work ability than among white-collar male employees with excellent work ability in midlife (i.e., the reference group). The odds of death or disability at follow-up compared with white-collar workers with excellent work ability were highest among blue-collar employees with poor work ability in midlife (odds ratio [OR] 4.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.82–7.37 for men; OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.28–4.98 for women). Among the survivors, similar but slightly lower risks of disability 28 years later were found. Interpretation Perceived poor work ability in midlife was associated with accelerated deterioration in health and functioning and remains evident after 28 years of follow-up.

Work Ability of Workers in Different Age Groups in a Public Health Institution in Brazil

Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between demographics, work, lifestyle, housework, and the work ability of workers. Methods. Employees between the ages of 20 and 69 (N = 651), employed at a Brazilian public institution, responded to a questionnaire on demographics, work, lifestyle characteristics, and work ability. Results. Work ability decreased significantly with age among the women. The younger group had higher scores on the work ability index than the older age groups, except for mental resources. The logistic regression analysis showed that higher age, lower education, and long work history at the institution were significantly associated with reduced work ability. Conclusions. The progressive aging, the low level of education, and the long duration work in the studied institution were related to a reduction in work ability, which increases the risk of work disability or early retirement.

Physical Requirements Associated With the Work of Aging Workers in the European Union

Physical requirements of work should decline with advancing age because the dimensions of physical work capacity of individuals decline with age, too. The Second European Survey on Working Conditions in 1995/1996 was used to study the prevalences (%) of poor work postures, handling heavy loads, and repetitive work in the representative sample of employed people in the 15 European Union member states. Exposure to physical requirements was still common in the European Union. Nearly 50% of older workers (age 45 years or more) were exposed to repetitive work, about 30% had poor work postures and 15% to 20% were handling heavy loads at least half of the working time. The physical requirements were as common for older and younger (less than 45 years of age) workers. The physical requirements were most common in Mediterranean countries and least common in the northern part of Europe. The differences in prevalence rates of exposures between the countries were large, from three- to fivefold. Favorable differences between older and younger workers were more notable for older men than for older women in poor work postures and repetitive work. However, older women had less handling of heavy loads than older men. The results showed that the need for better adjustments of physical requirements with age is still very relevant in the European Union and demands urgently appropriate measures in working life.

Job strain among blue-collar and white-collar employees as a determinant of total mortality: A 28-year population-based follow-up

Objectives To investigate the effect of job demand, job control and job strain on total mortality among white-collar and blue-collar employees working in the public sector. Design 28-year prospective population-based follow-up. Setting Several municipals in Finland. Participants 5731 public sector employees from the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Municipal Employees Study aged 44–58 years at baseline. Outcomes Total mortality from 1981 to 2009 among individuals with complete data on job strain in midlife, categorised according to job demand and job control: high job strain (high job demands and low job control), active job (high job demand and high job control), passive job (low job demand and low job control) and low job strain (low job demand and high job control). Results 1836 persons died during the follow-up. Low job control among men increased (age-adjusted HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.42) and high job demand among women decreased the risk for total mortality HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.95). Adjustment for occupational group, lifestyle and health factors attenuated the association for men. In the analyses stratified by occupational group, high job strain increased the risk of mortality among white-collar men (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.13) and passive job among blue-collar men (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.47) compared with men with low job strain. Adjustment for lifestyle and health factors attenuated the risks. Among white-collar women having an active job decreased the risk for mortality (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.00). Conclusion The impact of job strain on mortality was different according to gender and occupational group among middle-aged public sector employees.

Daytime napping and its effects on alertness and short-term memory performance in shiftworkers

SummaryDaytime napping and its effects on 145 female shiftworkers were studied by comparing the individual characteristics, alertness, and short-term memory performance of subjects who took or did not take naps. Of the subjects 56% (n = 82) took a nap before a night shift and 21% (n = 30) after a morning shift. After a morning shift, napping was more frequent among evening types and subjects living alone (not married). Before a night shift, daytime napping was not connected to individual characteristics, but the total sleep time of nappers during the preceding night was shorter than that of non-nappers. At 10.00 and at 04.00–08.00, at the end of the night shift, nappers were significantly more alert than subjects who had not taken naps. The length and timing of the daytime nap did not correlate to either alertness or performance during the following night. In a questionnaire, nappers before a night shift had less sleep disturbances than non-nappers.

The applicability of the Edholm scale for activity studies in industry

Abstract The recording of occupational activities with a standardized diary method according to Edholm was carried out on 120 men in six branches of industry. Heart rate and activities were recorded continually over the shift, heart rate being used as a control for the strain in single activity categories. The result showed that the changes in activities were overestimated in branch-specific and position-specific groups without particular physical work. The overestimation of activity changes was found both in cases where the diary was kept by the subject and where trained observers were used. It is concluded that the classification of occupational activities should be carefully controlled with parallel recording of heart rate. To improve the applicability of diary methods limiting values of heart rate and relative load for single activity categories are suggested.

Perceived Stress Symptoms in Midlife Predict Disability in Old Age: A 28-Year Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND Stress has damaging effects on individuals health. However, information about the long-term consequences of mental stress is scarce. METHODS This 28-year prospective cohort study examined on the associations between midlife stress and old age disability among 2,994 Finnish municipal professionals aged 44-58 years at baseline. Self-reported stress symptoms were assessed at baseline in 1981 and 4 years later in 1985 and perceived disability in 2009. For the baseline data, principal component analysis was used for differentiation into stress symptom profiles. The regression coefficient estimates for self-care disability (activities of daily living) and instrumental activities of daily living disability were estimated using left-censored regression. The odds ratios for mobility limitation were estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS Four midlife stress profiles were identified: negative reactions to work and depressiveness, perceived decrease in cognition, sleep disturbances, and somatic symptoms. We saw a clear gradient of increasing disability severity in old age for increasing intensity of midlife stress symptoms. In comparison with the participants with no stress symptoms, the extensively adjusted left-censored and logistic regression models showed that in old age, disability scores were almost 2-4 units higher and risk for mobility limitation was 2-3 times higher for those with constant stress symptoms in midlife. CONCLUSIONS Among occupationally active 44- to 58-year-old men and women, perceived stress symptoms in midlife correlated with disability 28 years later. Stress symptoms may be the first signs of decompensation of individual functioning relative to environmental demands, which may later manifest in disabilities.

Comparison of three field methods for measuring oxygen consumption

The Oxylog (OX) and the Kofranyi-Michaelis ( KM) field methods for measuring oxygen consumption ( [Vdot]O2) were compared with the conventional Douglas Bag (DB) technique in standardized walking and lifting work in the laboratory. Subjects comprised six men. According to the mean differences in [Vdot]O2 the OX underestimated ( 41% and 6.4% ) and the KM overestimated (3.8% and 0.8% ) [Vdot]O2in walking and lifting work, respectively. The linear regression equations between the DB and the OX as well as between the DB and the KM revealed a good agreement (r= 0.91-0.99) of the [Vdot]O2values. The OX and the KM are accurate for reliable [Vdot]O2measurements under field conditions. Some practical improvements for the OX use, based on several field studies, are recommended.