Does affective organizational commitment and experience of meaning at work predict risk of disability pensioning? An analysis of register-based outcomes using pooled data on 40,554 observations in four occupational groups

Working conditions as risk factors for early exit from work-in a cohort of 2351 employees in Germany

Objectives

We would assess the possible impact of a range of physical and psychosocial working conditions on early exit from paid employment (i.e., before retirement age) in a representative employee population in Germany.

Methods

We analysed a cohort from the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) with a baseline of 2351 employees in 2011/12, sampled randomly from the register of integrated employment biographies (IEB) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). Follow-up ended mid-2015. Early Exit comprised episodes of either pensioning, long-term sickness absence or unemployment ≥ 18 months. Total follow-up years were 8.422. Working conditions were partly assessed by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Through Cox regressions, associations of baseline working conditions with time to event of exit were estimated—adjusting for baseline age, gender, poverty, fixed-term contract and socioeconomic position.

Results

In multiple regressions, awkward body postures (HR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.07–1.44), heavy lifting (1.17; 1.00–1.37) and high work pace (1.41; 1.16–1.72) were associated with exit. The estimated attributable fraction of exit for being exposed to less than optimal work environment was 25%. Regarding specific exit routes, repetitive movements (1.25; 1.03–1.53) increased the risk for the long-term sickness absence; work pace (1.86; 1.22–2.86) and role clarity (0.55; 0.31–1.00) were associated to unemployment; and control over working time (0.72; 0.56–0.95) decreased the risk of the early retirement.

Conclusions

Work environment seems to be important for subsequent early exit from work. Physical and psychosocial demands seem to be associated to exit to a stronger extent than resources at work.

Influence of physical and psychosocial working conditions for the risk of disability pension among healthy female eldercare workers: Prospective cohort

Aim: To investigate the influence of physical and psychosocial working conditions on the risk of disability pension among eldercare workers. Methods: After responding to a questionnaire in 2005, 4699 healthy female eldercare workers – free from chronic musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms and long-term sickness absence – were followed for 11 years in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization. Time-to-event analyses estimated the hazard ratio (HR) for disability pension from physical exertion during work, emotional demands, influence at work, role conflicts, and quality of leadership. Analyses were mutually adjusted for these work environmental factors as well as for age, education, smoking, leisure physical activity and body mass index. Results: During follow-up, 7.6% received disability pension. Physical exertion and emotional demands were associated with risk of disability pension, and both interacted with age. In age-stratified analyses, older eldercare workers (mean age 53 years at baseline) with moderate and high physical exertion (reference: low) were at increased risk with HRs of 1.51, 95% CI [1.06–2.15] and 2.54, 95% CI [1.34–4.83], respectively. Younger eldercare workers (mean age 36 years at baseline) with moderate emotional demands (reference: low) were at decreased risk with an HR of 0.57, 95% CI [0.37–0.85]. Conclusions: While a higher level of physical exertion is a risk factor for disability pension among older female eldercare workers, a moderate level of emotional demands is associated with lower risk among the younger workers. The age of the worker may be an important factor when providing recommendations for promoting a long and healthy working life.

Personal meaning of work and perceived work ability among middle-aged workers with physically strenuous work: a Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between personal meaning of work and perceived work ability among middle-aged workers with physically strenuous or light work. We evaluated the course of perceived work ability from 31 to 46 years and examined the possible differences in the association between personal meaning of work and perceived work ability at the age of 46 depending on physical workload.

METHODS

The study population consisted of participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 4420). Data were collected through questionnaires at 31 and 46 years. The main outcome was perceived work ability (0-7 = poor, 8-10 = good) and the main explanatory measures were physically strenuous work and personal meaning of work. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were adjusted for unhealthy habits, number of diseases, job strain, social support at work, employment history and gender. They were also stratified for the strenuousness of work.

RESULTS

Perceived work ability decreased during the 15-year follow-up in both the strenuous and light work groups, and was lowest among workers with strenuous work. Perceived work ability remained poor or decreased in 22% of men and 21% of women in the strenuous work group vs. 14% and 13% in the light work group, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, the participants in both groups who reported low personal meaning of work were at approximately a twofold risk of having poor perceived work ability at 46 years compared to the participants who reported high personal meaning of work.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived work ability was significantly lower and deteriorated more during the follow-up among participants with strenuous work. High personal meaning of work was important for good work ability, irrespective of the strenuousness of work.

The contribution from psychological, social, and organizational work factors to risk of disability retirement: a systematic review with meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

Previous studies indicate that psychological, social, and organizational factors at work contribute to health, motivation, absence from work, and functional ability. The objective of the study was to assess the current state of knowledge of the contribution of psychological, social, and organizational factors to disability retirement by a systematic review and meta-analyses.

METHODS

Data sources: A systematic literature search for studies of retirement due to disability in Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO was performed. Reference lists of relevant articles were hand-searched for additional studies.

DATA EXTRACTION

Internal validity was assessed independently by two referees with a detailed checklist for sources of bias. Conclusions were drawn based on studies with acceptable quality.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We calculated combined effect estimates by means of averaged associations (Risk ratios) across samples, weighting observed associations by the study's sample size. Thirty-nine studies of accepted quality were found, 37 of which from the Nordic countries.

RESULTS

There was moderate evidence for the role of low control (supported by weighted average RR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.21-1.61) and moderate evidence for the combination of high demands and low control (although weighted average was RR = 1.45; 95% CI = 0.96-2.19) as predictors of disability retirement. There were no major systematic differences in findings between the highest rated and the lowest rated studies that passed the criterion for adequate quality. There was limited evidence for downsizing, organizational change, lack of employee development and supplementary training, repetitive work tasks, effort-reward imbalance to increase risk of disability pension. Very limited evidence was found for job demands, evening or night work, and low social support from ones superior.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychological and organizational factors at work contribute to disability retirement with the most robust evidence for the role of work control. We recommend the measurement of specific exposure factors in future studies.