Fatores associados à capacidade para o trabalho em servidores públicos de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior

Abstract

Introduction: Population aging is accompanied by the aging of the workforce and a growing interest in knowing the determinants of permanence in work at older ages. As the ability to work is considered the basis of well-being for everyone, the influence of factors that begin to reflect on workers from 45 years of age onwards should be known. From this, it is possible to control several of these factors through the activities themselves, such as lifestyle and work processes, conditions and environments. The Work Ability Index is the most used instrument in research involving Work Ability. Considering the greater permanence of elderly people in the fields of work, it is essential that health services are prepared and qualified to meet the demands of these workers and focus on health promotion actions in order to maintain quality of life and better health conditions for these people. Objective: To evaluate the work capacity of middle-aged and elderly workers at a public higher education institution and its associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study that selected, by stratified random sampling, middle-aged and elderly workers from a public higher education institution. In the first stage, two data collection instruments were applied, questionnaires on sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, labor factors and psychological factors of the participants and the Work Ability Index – WAI. The second stage comprised the assessment of functional capacity through the 10-meter walk test and the handgrip strength test. Data were analyzed using the Software Statistics and Data Science (STATA). Results: The sample consisted of 138 participants, 50.72% of whom were women aged between 45 and 73 years (74.29% aged 59 years or less) with a mean age of 56 years (standard deviation = ±6 .56). The results indicated 29.71% of participants with moderate or low work capacity, 39.02% for men and 60.98% for women. Among the variables analyzed, four were associated with low or moderate work ability: monthly income (OR = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.01 - 4.47) and BMI (OR = 5.70; CI 95 % = 1.95 – 16.53) in the general sample; monthly income (OR = 3.69; 95% CI = 1.34 – 10.19) and physical and mental demands at work (OR = 4.05; 95% CI = 1.11 – 14.00) for women in stratification by sex; and BMI (OR = 5.86; 95% CI = 1.69 – 20.00) and handgrip strength (OR = 3.26; 95% CI = 1.13 – 9.42) for middle age in the stratification by age. Conclusion: The study showed that the factors associated with impaired work ability comprise some social and personal determinants. However, having knowledge of work as a dynamic process, future analyzes that look for other factors associated with impaired work ability will be necessary.