Work ability among older workers in an agricultural community in Nan province, Thailand: a cross-sectional study

Authors

Jate Ratanachina, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn UniversityFollow
Wilawan Mormoon, Nan Hospital, Ministry of Public HealthFollow

Abstract

Background: There is a global challenge regarding demographic change together with theaging population. Research on work ability among older workers in an agricultural area remains crucial, particularly in Thailand, an aged society country with thirty percent of its working population in the agricultural sector.

Objective: To estimate work ability among older workers in an agricultural community and to determine the relationship between work ability and its associations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of adults aged 40 to 65 was conducted in an agricultural community in Nan province, Thailand, between May and August 2019. The study participants consisted of 345 villagers and 82 civil servants in Tan Chum subdistrict, Nan province. All participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics and the work ability index (WAI). The work ability level and its associated variables were examined using descriptive and logistic regression analyses.

Results: The response rate was 93.7%. The average WAI score was 40.4 (SD = 5.4). Seventy-eight percent of participants had a high work ability level. The multiple logistic regression showed that the work ability level was significantly associated with age (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.84 – 0.94), abnormal BMI (OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.26 – 0.87) and education at the university level (OR = 6.49, 95% CI 1.27 – 33.17). Weekly working hours, working years, living on a farm, a longest-held job and participant recruitment were not significantly associated with the work ability level.

Conclusion: Older workers in the study agricultural community in Nan province, Thailand generally had high work ability. High work ability was positively associated with education at the university level but was inversely associated with increasing age and abnormal BMI.

DOI

10.56808/2673-060X.1022

Recommended Citation

Ratanachina, Jate and Mormoon, Wilawan (2024) "Work ability among older workers in an agricultural community in Nan province, Thailand: a cross-sectional study," Chulalongkorn Medical Journal: Vol. 67: Iss. 2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56808/2673-060X.1022
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/clmjournal/vol67/iss2/1