Assessment of Perceived Work Ability and Its Determinants among Healthcare Providers

Introduction: Healthcare providers are at high risk of occupational stress, burnout,
health hazards and job dissatisfaction which can have harmful consequences on their
health, work ability and professional efficiency. Therefore, it is important to adopt
strategies for the promotion of healthy working conditions and improvement of their
work ability. Aim of work: To assess the perceived work ability and its dimensions
among the healthcare providers at Minia city, Egypt and identifies its relationship < br />with socio-demographics, work-related factors and chronic diseases. Materials and
methods: In a cross-sectional study among 233 healthcare providers, data about sociodemographics,
history of chronic diseases, work-related factors and the Work Ability
Index (WAI) questionnaire were collected during an interview with the participants.
Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the determinants
of WAI. Results: The study included 145 (62.2%) nurses, 46 (19.8%) physicians and
42 (18%) technicians. The mean WAI score was 40.6 (± 4.6) and the participants
were categorized based on their work ability into poor (14.1%), suboptimal (58.4%)
and optimal (27.5%). There were significant differences in the WAI scores and most
dimensions of work ability between different age groups. In the final multivariable
analysis: age, sex, work category and chronic disorders (including musculoskeletal,
cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal) were the significant predictors of work
ability among the studied healthcare providers. Conclusion: Low work ability among
health care providers was significantly associated with age, sex, work category, and
chronic disease conditions. Therefore, promoting health, managing and preventing
chronic diseases particularly at old age is essential in designing effective interventions
to maintain and improve the work ability of healthcare providers.