Effects of Occupational and Leisure-Time Physical Activity on the Risk of Dementia: Results From the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) decreases the risk of dementia, whereas occupational physical activity (OPA) possibly increases the risk. Yet, previous findings are mixed. We therefore aimed to investigate the effect of LTPA and OPA, respectively, on dementia among men and women. In this observational, longitudinal study, we used data from the second wave of a population-based cohort from the municipality of Copenhagen as baseline. Data were collected in 1981-1983, and 10 343 participants were followed until the end of 2016. LTPA and OPA were self-reported, and information on dementia diagnoses and redemption of dementia medication was obtained at an individual level from national health registers. We used Poisson regression to analyze the association between LTPA/OPA and dementia and adjusted for self-reported age, socioeconomic factors, stress, and cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, alcohol, body mass index, and blood pressure). A higher level of LTPA was associated with a lower dementia risk among men, but we found no clear association among women. OPA and dementia were not associated among men, but occupationally active women who reported OPA in terms of walking, lifting, and heavy work had a higher risk of dementia than women with sedentary jobs. This study supported earlier findings of a protective effect of LTPA on dementia among men. Women in physically demanding jobs possibly have a higher risk of dementia, yet this finding warrants further investigation in future studies.

Changes in physical performance according to job demands across three cohorts of older workers in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

This study set out to evaluate the association between job demands at baseline and physical performance over a six-year period across three cohorts of older Dutch workers examined 10 years apart. Data were drawn from three cohorts (1992-1999, 2002-2009 and 2012-2019) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Individuals aged 55-65 years from each cohort who worked for pay were included (n = 274, n = 416, n = 618, respectively). Physical performance was measured using gait speed and chair stand performance. A population-based job exposure matrix was used to indicate levels of exposure probability of physical (use of force and repetitive movements) and psychosocial (cognitive demands and time pressure) job demands. We found that psychosocial job demands increased and physical demands decreased across the three cohorts. No between cohort differences were found for how job demands affected changes in physical performance over follow-up. For men, faster decline in gait speed was observed when comparing higher and lower use of force at baseline (ß -0.012, 95% CI -0.021, -0.004). Greater use of force and repetitive movements were associated with faster decline in chair stand performance (ß -0.012, 95% CI -0.020, -0.004 and ß -0.009, 95% CI -0.017, -0.001, respectively). In women, no association of job demands on change in physical performance was observed. The study concluded that higher physical job demands were associated with stronger decline in physical performance across six years for men in all cohorts, while no associations were found among women.

The Implication of Physically Demanding and Hazardous Work on Retirement Timing.

The need to retain individuals longer in the workforce is acknowledged in many high-income countries. The present study therefore aimed to examine the importance of physically demanding work tasks (PDWT) and physically hazardous work environment (PHWE) in relation to retirement timing among pensionable workers (≥61 years). A particular question was whether PDWT and PHWE increased in importance with age. Six waves (2008-2018) of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) were used (n = 5201; 56% women and 44% men; mean age at first survey was 61.0 (SD 2.0) years). Discrete time-event history analysis, stratified by socioeconomic position and gender, showed that among blue-collar workers, PDWT and PHWE were associated with an increased likelihood of retiring within the next two years. With increasing age, high-level PHWE was associated with higher probability of retiring among blue-collar men, whereas heavy PDWT was associated with lower probability of retiring among blue-collar women. Among white-collar workers, having at least some PDWT compared to no PDWT was associated with a lower likelihood of retiring within the next two years. With increasing age, exposure to PHWE was associated with higher probability of retiring among white-collar women. These results suggest that to delay retirements, organizations could offer their older employees, especially blue-collar workers and the oldest white-collar women, alternatives to PDWT and PHWE.

The association between work-related physical and psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare workers: Moderating role of fear of movement.

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge is lacking on the interaction between fear of movement (FOM) and work-related physical and psychosocial factors in the development and persistence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 305 healthcare workers from several Belgian hospitals filled out a questionnaire including sociodemographic factors, work-related factors (social support, autonomy at work, workload, and physical job demands), FOM, and MSDs for different body regions during the past year. Path analysis was performed to investigate (1) the association between the work-related factors, FOM and MSDs, and (2) the moderating role of FOM on the association between the work-related factors and MSDs among healthcare workers. RESULTS: Complaints were most frequently located at the neck-shoulder region (79.5%) and lower back (72.4%). Physical job demands (odds ratio [OR] 2.38 and 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-3.74), autonomy at work (OR 1.64 CI [1.07-2.49]) and FOM (OR 1.07 CI [1.01-1.14] and OR 1.12 CI [1.06-1.19]) were positively associated with MSDs. Healthcare workers who experienced high social support at work (OR 0.61 CI [0.39-0.94]) were less likely to have MSDs. Fear of movement interacted negatively with workload (OR 0.92 CI [0.87-0.97]) and autonomy at work (OR 0.94 CI [0.88-1.00]) on MSDs. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related physical and psychosocial factors as well as FOM are related to MSDs in healthcare workers. FOM is an important moderator of this relationship and should be assessed in healthcare workers in addition to work-related physical and psychosocial factors to prevent or address MSDs.

The physical activity paradox: a longitudinal study of the implications for burnout.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the independent and interactive associations of physical job demands and three types of off-job physical activity (during transportation, household, and recreation) with burnout. We use a recently proposed new conceptualization and assessment of burnout including core and secondary burnout symptoms. We predicted that physical job demands would be positively and the three types of off-job physical activity would be negatively related to burnout. Further, we hypothesized that the negative relations between the three types of off-job physical activity and burnout would be stronger for employees with low (vs. high) physical job demands. METHODS: To test our hypotheses, we conducted a two-wave survey study among a heterogeneous sample of full-time workers (N = 355), using a longitudinal design with a half-year time lag. We tested cross-sectional, prospective and longitudinal relations. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses partly confirmed our predictions. Cross-sectionally and prospectively, it was shown that physical job demands were positively related to burnout symptoms. In addition, off-job physical activity was negatively related to primary and secondary burnout symptoms among employees with low physical job demands and positively related to burnout symptoms among employees with high physical job demands. However, these relationships disappeared when investigated longitudinally. CONCLUSION: Together, these findings suggest that not all off-job physical activities can prevent burnout, and that potential positive effects of physical activity during off-job time may depend on employees' physical activity level at work.

Psychological and physical job demands, decision latitude, and work-related social support among Iranian waste collectors.

Waste collection is known as a stressful and physically demanding job in low/middle income countries. This study aimed to assess the psychological and physical job demands, decision latitude, and work-related social support among Iranian waste collectors. In this cross-sectional study, field observation, video capture, and unstructured interviews were performed to understand the process of waste collection. Data were collected from 200 waste collectors of Shiraz city using a demographic/work characteristics questionnaire and a job content questionnaire (JCQ). Logistic regression analysis was used for the prediction of independent variables affecting job content dimensions. A p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results show that the rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in Shiraz city was 0.576 kg/capita/day, which translates into about 1076 tons of waste per day per the current population of 1,869,001. The total amount of MSW produced in Shiraz over a four-year period from 2014 to 2017 were 346,093, 363,505, 392,869, and 400,863 tons, respectively. About half of the waste collectors reported high levels of psychological and physical job demands. More than half were concerned with the low level of decision latitude and social support in the workplace. Night-workers (OR = 3.29) and smokers (OR = 2.75) reported higher psychological job demands than day-workers and non-smokers, respectively. Decision latitude and social support were inversely associated with the level of education (OR = 1.90), and daily working time (OR = 2.46), respectively. Based on the Demand-Control-Support Model, waste collectors were exposed to relatively high levels of job stress associated with occupational risk factors.

Long-term exposure to heavy physical work, disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders and all-cause mortality: 20-year follow-up-introducing Helsinki Health Study job exposure matrix.

PURPOSE: We developed a job exposure matrix (JEM) to study the association between long-term exposure to heavy physical effort or heavy lifting and carrying at work with disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders and premature all-cause mortality. METHODS: Exposure to heavy physical effort at work during 1996-2005 was estimated with JEM developed for this study population, where the exposure was based on occupational titles of the participants. We included all employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, who had annual data of exposure for 8-10 years (1996-2005, n = 18387). The outcome variables were register-based, and the follow-up was from 2006 until 2015. The risk estimates were evaluated using competing risk survival analysis. RESULTS: There were 530 (3%) disability pension events due to musculoskeletal disorders during the 10-year follow-up. After adjustment for sex, age, education and chronic diseases, employees in the second (SHR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.05-2.05), third (SHR = 2.73, 95% CI 2.00-2.29), and the highest exposure quartile (SHR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.88-3.50) had a higher risk of musculoskeletal disability pension than employees in the lowest quartile. A total of 110 (4%) men and 266 (2%) women died during the follow-up. Men in the third quartile (SHR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.23-4.24), and women in the highest exposure quartile (SHR = 1.54, 95% CI 0.99-2.41) had a higher risk of premature mortality than those in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS: Eight to ten years of exposure to heavy physical effort at work is strongly associated with disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders. This exposure also increases the risk of premature mortality, particularly among men.

Is Occupational Complexity Associated with Cognitive Performance or Decline? Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

BACKGROUND: Long-term protective associations proposed between previous complex occupational tasks and cognitive functioning in later life point to work roles contributing to cognitive reserve. OBJECTIVE: To examine occupational complexity involving data, people, and things in relation to the level of, and rate of change in, cognitive functioning. METHODS: Participants were 1,290 members of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing and initially aged 65-102 years (mean = 79). Information about main lifetime occupation was collected retrospectively. Cognition was assessed 4 times over a 13-year interval. RESULTS: In multilevel models adjusted for demographics, medical conditions, and depressive symptoms, higher complexity involving data was associated with faster speed (ß = 0.73, p < 0.001), better memory (ß = 0.32, p < 0.05), and mental status (ß = 0.40, p < 0.001) at baseline. These associations remained statistically reliable after adjusting for complexity with people and things, sedentary and heavy physical work, retirement age, and leisure activity. Complexity with things was associated with slower speed (ß = -0.50, p < 0.001) and poorer mental status (ß = -0.26, p < 0.01) and was not explained by other variables. There were no associations of occupational complexity with rates of cognitive decline over time. CONCLUSION: Older individuals retired from occupations characterized by higher complexity with data maintain their cognitive advantage over those with lower complexity into older adulthood, although without additional moderation of this advantage in terms of less postretirement cognitive decline. Complexity of work with things confers a negative relation to cognition whilst also not affecting postretirement cognitive change. Although the relative contributions of occupation or other early life influences for cognition remain to be established, it nevertheless may be beneficial to promote workplace design strategies and interventions that incorporate complex activities, particularly tasks involving data.

The Impact of an Ergonomics Intervention on Psychosocial Factors and Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Thai Hospital Orderlies.

(1) BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders have a multifactorial etiology that is not only associated with physical risk factors, but also psychosocial risk factors; (2) OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk factors; (3) MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study took a participatory ergonomic (PE) approach with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted at tertiary care hospitals during July to December 2014. A group of hospital orderlies in Thailand were randomly selected for examination. Fifty orderlies were placed in a case group and another 50 orderlies were placed in the control group. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) were used for data collection before and after the intervention program; (4) RESULTS: The most commonly reported problem among hospital orderlies was found to be lower back symptoms (82%). The study found significant differences in prevalence rates of reported musculoskeletal conditions in the arm, upper back, and lower back regions before and after intervention. Findings showed that psychosocial risk factors were affected by the intervention. COPSOQ psychosocial risk factors were significantly different pre/post intervention. These variables included: work pace, influence at work, meaning of work, predictability, rewards, role conflicts, and social support from supervisors. No other psychosocial risk factors were found to be significant; (5) CONCLUSIONS: Positive results were observed following the intervention in the work environment, particularly in terms of reducing physical work environment risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and increasing promotion factors of the psychosocial work environment.