Jobs with high physical demands are linked to a shortened working life and more sickness absence and unemployment, Danish researchers say today.
Across Europe, increases in retirement age rest on the assumption that increasing life span includes good health for a longer time. However, healthy life expectancy is not increasing at the same rate as total life expectancy, partly due to modern medical treatments extending lifespan
So Professor Lars Andersen of the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues studied the impact of high physical work demands on “working life expectancy”.
In Denmark, the statutory retirement age is set to rise from 65.5 in 2019 to 72 by 2050.
The team analysed national registers of health outcomes for 1.6 million Danish workers, and found that people with high physical work demands had a significantly lower working life expectancy than those with low physical work demands.
The largest differences were seen among women – those with high physical work demands had three fewer years of working life expectancy, 11 months more sickness absence and 16 months more unemployment.
The figures for men were two fewer years of working life expectancy, 12 months more sickness absence and 8 months more unemployment.
In Occupational & Environmental Medicine today (13 May), the researchers write: “We showed that high physical work demands markedly reduces the working life expectancy.
“The results are important when selecting high-risk occupations, and considering the expected increase in statutory retirement age in many European countries, the findings emphasise the urgency of addressing problems in high-risk occupations.”
Pedersen, J. et al. High physical work demands and working life expectancy in Denmark. Occupational & Environmental Medicine 13 May 2020; doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106359
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