<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0023_s_006">
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>Increasing longevity raised the prospect of a workplace for ageing workers. Previous studies reveal that work ability decreases with age, even among the healthy, and decreased significantly with age among women. The aim of the study is to examine the perception of work ability of public sector employees aged 55 years and older and gender differences in three European countries.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0023_s_007">
<h3>Methods</h3>
<p>A prospective longitudinal study design and standardized “Work Ability Index” (WAI) were used. This study analysed the relationship between ageing, gender, and perceived work ability among 1653 employees aged 45.06±10.90 years (562 men and 1091 women) from Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Monte Negro. The research was conducted in 2018.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0023_s_008">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Older employees had a better WAI than their younger colleagues (P&lt;0.001). The lowest prevalence rate 20% of excellent WAI was between 35 and 44 years of age. The reduction of WAI in Bosnia and Herzegovina was huge 68%, compared with 30% in Monte Negro (more than 2 times) and 14% in Spain (almost 5 times more).</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0023_s_009">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Gender and age was not protector and predictor of excellent or reduced work ability. Work ability did not decrease with age among women and men, public sector employees. Work ability depends of health and safety, promotion and preventive activities at the workplace.</p></sec></abstract>

Background
Increasing longevity raised the prospect of a workplace for ageing workers. Previous studies reveal that work ability decreases with age, even among the healthy, and decreased significantly with age among women. The aim of the study is to examine the perception of work ability of public sector employees aged 55 years and older and gender differences in three European countries.

Methods
A prospective longitudinal study design and standardized “Work Ability Index” (WAI) were used. This study analysed the relationship between ageing, gender, and perceived work ability among 1653 employees aged 45.06±10.90 years (562 men and 1091 women) from Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Monte Negro. The research was conducted in 2018.

Results
Older employees had a better WAI than their younger colleagues (P<0.001). The lowest prevalence rate 20% of excellent WAI was between 35 and 44 years of age. The reduction of WAI in Bosnia and Herzegovina was huge 68%, compared with 30% in Monte Negro (more than 2 times) and 14% in Spain (almost 5 times more).

Conclusion
Gender and age was not protector and predictor of excellent or reduced work ability. Work ability did not decrease with age among women and men, public sector employees. Work ability depends of health and safety, promotion and preventive activities at the workplace.

Perceived work ability index of public service employees in relation to ageing and gender: A comparison in three European countries

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Indeks zaznavanja delovne zmožnosti zaposlenih oseb v javnih službah glede na staranje in spol: Primerjava treh Evropskih držav

Background
Increasing longevity raised the prospect of a workplace for ageing workers. Previous studies reveal that work ability decreases with age, even among...

Perceived work ability index of public service employees in relation to ageing and gender: A comparison in three European countries

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 01, 2019

Page range: 179 - 188

Received: Mar 10, 2019

Accepted: Aug 22, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0023

Keywords
ageing, gender, work ability, public sector employees

© 2019 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Perceived work ability index of public service employees in relation to ageing and gender: A comparison in three European countries

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 01, 2019

Page range: 179 - 188

Received: Mar 10, 2019

Accepted: Aug 22, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0023

Keywordsageing, gender, work ability, public sector employees

© 2019 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
ageing, gender, work ability, public sector employees