Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Dugan, Alicia G.
• Laguerre, Rick A.
• Barnes-Farrell, Janet L.
• Cavallari, Jennifer M.
• Garza, Jennifer L.
• Graham, Lindsey A.
• Petery, Gretchen A.
• Warren, Nicholas
• Cherniack, Martin G.

Titel

Musculoskeletal Health and Perceived Work Ability in a Manufacturing Workforce

Ist Teil von

• Occupational health science, 2022-03, Vol.6 (1), p.73-110

Ort / Verlag

Cham: Springer International Publishing

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Aging workers in manufacturing are at greater risk of workforce departure than in other sectors. Workers in manufacturing have a variety of job types. Some jobs require traditional kinds of intensive manual labor, but new technology now requires many workers to operate automated machines from computer workstations, resulting in different physical demands from traditional production jobs that can nonetheless contribute to musculoskeletal strain and decreased functional capacity. Musculoskeletal health (MSH) and perceived work ability (PWA) are relevant to departure decisions, yet studies rarely model these constructs simultaneously. We used the job demands-resources model to evaluate job/personal demands and resources as antecedents of MSH and PWA, and examine both as mediators of departure. Workers from six U.S. manufacturers completed surveys ( N  = 758). Most were white, male, married, and middle-aged ( M  = 47.2 years). Hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling. MSH and PWA were modeled as latent variables, and all others as observed variables. MSH and PWA were impacted by different demands and resources. Job demands (computer-based) and personal resources (sleep quality, leisure-time walking) predicted MSH, and job resources (supervisor support) and personal resources (sleep surplus) predicted PWA. MSH mediated relations of computer-based job demands, sleep quality, and leisure-time walking with PWA. MSH and PWA were unrelated to departure, likely due to sampling limitations. Identifying upstream causes of MSH and PWA provides primary preventative points of intervention – such as reducing job demands and offering needed resources – that may improve the health and functioning of aging workers.