Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort

Objectives Psychosocial work demands and physical workload are important causes of ill health. The dramatic demographic changes in society make it important to understand if such factors change with ageing, but this is presently not known. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether...

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Main Authors: Hugo Westerlund, Torbjörn Åkerstedt, Andrea Discacciati, Henrike Häbel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-09-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e030918.full
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author Hugo Westerlund
Torbjörn Åkerstedt
Andrea Discacciati
Henrike Häbel
author_facet Hugo Westerlund
Torbjörn Åkerstedt
Andrea Discacciati
Henrike Häbel
author_sort Hugo Westerlund
collection DOAJ
description Objectives Psychosocial work demands and physical workload are important causes of ill health. The dramatic demographic changes in society make it important to understand if such factors change with ageing, but this is presently not known. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether psychosocial work demands and physical workload change across 8 years of ageing, whether occupational groups show different trajectories of change and if such trajectories are reflected in sleep or fatigue.Methods A cohort of 5377 participants (mean age: 47.6±11.6 (SD) years, 43.2% males, 40.2% blue-collar workers) was measured through self-report in five biannual waves across 8 years. Mixed model regression analyses was used to investigate change across ageing.Results Psychosocial work demands decreased significantly across 8 years (Coeff: −0.016±0.001), with the strongest decrease in the high white-collar group (Coeff=−0.031±0.003) and the oldest group. Physical workload also decreased significantly (Coeff=−0.032±0.002), particularly in the blue-collar group (Coeff=−0.050±0.004) and in the oldest group. Fatigue decreased, and sleep problems increased with ageing, but with similar slopes in the occupational groups. All effect sizes were small, but extrapolation suggests substantial decreases across a working life career.Conclusions The decrease in psychosocial work demands and physical workload suggests that the burden of work becomes somewhat lighter over 8 years. The mechanism could be ‘pure’ ageing and/or increased experience or related factors. The gradual improvement in the work situation should be considered in the discussion of the place of older individuals in the labour market, and of a suitable age for retirement. The results also mean that prospective studies of work and health need to consider the improvement in working life with ageing.
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spelling doaj-art-04da12e1b97d41aaabe51e7da4b79b3b2024-11-28T08:55:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-09-019910.1136/bmjopen-2019-030918Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohortHugo Westerlund0Torbjörn Åkerstedt1Andrea Discacciati2Henrike Häbel31 Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden1 Stress Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden3 Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden3 Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, SwedenObjectives Psychosocial work demands and physical workload are important causes of ill health. The dramatic demographic changes in society make it important to understand if such factors change with ageing, but this is presently not known. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether psychosocial work demands and physical workload change across 8 years of ageing, whether occupational groups show different trajectories of change and if such trajectories are reflected in sleep or fatigue.Methods A cohort of 5377 participants (mean age: 47.6±11.6 (SD) years, 43.2% males, 40.2% blue-collar workers) was measured through self-report in five biannual waves across 8 years. Mixed model regression analyses was used to investigate change across ageing.Results Psychosocial work demands decreased significantly across 8 years (Coeff: −0.016±0.001), with the strongest decrease in the high white-collar group (Coeff=−0.031±0.003) and the oldest group. Physical workload also decreased significantly (Coeff=−0.032±0.002), particularly in the blue-collar group (Coeff=−0.050±0.004) and in the oldest group. Fatigue decreased, and sleep problems increased with ageing, but with similar slopes in the occupational groups. All effect sizes were small, but extrapolation suggests substantial decreases across a working life career.Conclusions The decrease in psychosocial work demands and physical workload suggests that the burden of work becomes somewhat lighter over 8 years. The mechanism could be ‘pure’ ageing and/or increased experience or related factors. The gradual improvement in the work situation should be considered in the discussion of the place of older individuals in the labour market, and of a suitable age for retirement. The results also mean that prospective studies of work and health need to consider the improvement in working life with ageing.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e030918.full
spellingShingle Hugo Westerlund
Torbjörn Åkerstedt
Andrea Discacciati
Henrike Häbel
Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
BMJ Open
title Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
title_full Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
title_fullStr Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
title_full_unstemmed Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
title_short Psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue-collar and white-collar workers: a prospective study based on the SLOSH cohort
title_sort psychosocial work demands and physical workload decrease with ageing in blue collar and white collar workers a prospective study based on the slosh cohort
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e030918.full
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