Title
Associations of Work-Related Factors and Work Engagement with Mental and Physical Health: A 1-Year Follow-up Study Among Older Workers
Author
Leijten, F.R.M.
van den Heuvel, S.G.
van der Beek, A.J.
Ybema, J.F.
Robroek, S.J.W.
Burdorf, A.
Publication year
2015
Abstract
Purpose The goals of this study were to determine whether, among older employees, unfavourable physical and psychosocial work-related factors were associated with poorer mental and physical health and whether high work engagement buffered the associations between unfavourable work-related factors and poorer health. Methods A 1-year longitudinal study with employed persons aged 45–64 was conducted within the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (n = 8,837). Using an online questionnaire, work-related factors (physical: physical load; psychosocial: psychological job demands, autonomy, and support) and work engagement were measured at baseline and health at baseline and 1-year follow-up. General linear models were used to assess associations of work-related factors and work engagement with health. Tests of interaction terms assessed whether work engagement buffered the work-related factor-health associations. Results Unfavourable psychosocial work-related factors at baseline were associated with poorer mental health at follow-up. Higher physical load, higher psychological job demands, and lower autonomy at baseline were associated with poorer physical health at follow-up. Higher work engagement at baseline was related to better physical and especially better mental health during the 1-year follow-up. Work engagement had a small effect on the associations between work-related factors and health. Conclusions Among older employees, especially the promotion of a high work engagement and, to a lesser extent, favourable work-related factors can be beneficial for mental health in particular. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Subject
Life
WHC - Work, Health and Care
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Work and Employment
Workplace
Healthy Living
Effect modification
Physical
Psychosocial
Sustainable employability
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d33f620e-7b96-4ee2-9db0-db2302ffa405
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9525-6
TNO identifier
527971
ISSN
1053-0487
Source
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 25 (1), 86-95
Document type
article