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Background Knowledge about determinants of workability is crucial for designing interventions to increase the participation of older employees in the workforce and maintain or increase their productivity levels at work. Aims This study explored the impact of health conditions and job characteristics on poor work ability. Methods This study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2014 to 2020, which is a nationally representative population-based panel study of Korean citizens aged ≥45 years. The KLoSA survey assessed subjective work ability using work ability score. The participants were asked if they had been diagnosed with any underlying diseases by a physician. The job characteristics were assessed in terms of working conditions and satisfaction. Generalized estimating equations were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for workers' health-related variables and job characteristics associated with poor work ability. Results The results showed that workers' health-related factors were associated with poor work ability; poor vision (OR = 1.52) and bad hearing ability (OR = 2.37); low gripping strength (OR = 2.29); poor self-rated health (OR = 3.77) and various diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, liver disease, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, mental illness, arthritis, prostate disease, gastrointestinal disease and disc disease. Additionally, high physical work demands (OR = 1.51) and low job satisfaction (OR = 4.23) were highly correlated with poor work ability. Conclusions The findings addressing poor work abilities caused by individuals' health- and job-related factors can help prioritize worker health management and the development of more effective human capital investment strategies at the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined self-reported reasons for activity limitations among Korean community-dwelling stroke survivors, focusing on age and sex differences. Data from 1547 stroke survivors who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analysed. The study outcomes were the self-reported reasons for activity limitations, encompassing general medical factors and stroke-related problems. These reasons were compared by age (<65 vs. ≥65 years) and sex using a complex-sample chi-square test. Stroke survivors reported different musculoskeletal, medical, and neurological problems as reasons for activity limitations, which differed by age and sex. Older stroke survivors reported more problems related to dementia, memory loss, auditory problems, back or neck problems, arthritis, or leg pain than younger survivors. Women reported more psychiatric problems, headaches or dizziness, back or neck problems, arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, and dental or oral problems than men. Older and female stroke survivors reported a higher mean number of reasons for activity limitations compared to younger and male survivors. Thus, a tailored approach considering age and sex is necessary to help stroke survivors with activity limitations in the Korean community. This study highlights the importance of considering demographic factors when designing interventions to improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the health beliefs, exercise self-efficacy, and health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention in middle-aged women with and without depression. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional, correlational design using a structured questionnaire. The study participants were 180 middle-aged women aged between 40 and 64 years. The survey was conducted from August to December 2020 in G metropolitan city. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and Pearson correlation coefficients with the SPSS for Windows version 27.0. Results: Among the study participants, 70 (38.9%) were depressed and 110 (61.1%) were not depressed. A statistically significant difference was found in health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention, with a score of 2.21 in the depressed group and 2.40 in the non-depressed group (F=5.46, p=.021). Health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention was positively correlated with exercise self-efficacy (r=.51, p<.001) in the depressed group and wih health beliefs (r=.49, p<.001) and exercise self-efficacy (r=.42, p<.001) in the non-depressed group. Conclusion: It is necessary to consider the degree of depression in middle-aged women and to prepare strategies to increase exercise self-efficacy while considering health beliefs to promote healthy behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Neck circumference is associated with a distinctive fat storage process that confers additional metabolic risk. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between baseline neck circumference and the incidence of cerebrovascular disease using a prospective community-based sample of Korean adults over 12 years of follow-up, after controlling for selected covariates. Methods: Participants with non-cerebrovascular disease were divided into 4 groups (Q1–Q4) based on their baseline neck circumference. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the relationship between neck circumference and cerebrovascular disease incidence over a 12-year period. Results: Among this study’s 3,662 participants, 128 (3.50%) developed cerebrovascular disease. The incidence of cerebrovascular disease increased from 2.2% in Q1 to 4.3% in Q2, 2.5% in Q3, and 5.0% in Q4. When compared to Q1, the relative risks of cerebrovascular disease development were 0.57 (95% CI, 0.25–1.31), 0.86 (95% CI, 0.38–1.96), and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.30–2.07) in man and 1.86 (95% CI, 0.66–5.20), 3.50 (95% CI, 1.25–9.86), and 4.71 (95% CI, 1.50–14.77) in woman in Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively, after adjusting for most risk factors related to cerebrovascular disease. Conclusion: The relationship between neck circumference and cerebrovascular disease was stronger in woman than in man, indicating potential differences between the sexes. These results are meaningful for evaluating and surveilling neck circumference as a promising tool for identifying subgroups of vulnerable and at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]