Work Ability Index (WAI)Evidence based method for assessment of human resources related to work

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 2

Work AbilityWork Ability

ValuesAttitudes Motivation

CompetenceKnowledge Skills

HealthFunctional Capacities

Work

Family

Society

Relatives,friends

Environment Content and DemandsCommunity and Organisation Management and Leadership

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 3

Work Ability Index7 Items

Current work ability compared with thelifetime best

Work ability in relation to the demands ofthe job

Number of current diseases diagnosed byphysician

Estimated workimpairment due to diseases

Sick leave during the past year (12 months)

Own prognosis of work ability two yearsfrom now

Mental resourses

Lea KatajarinneFinnish Institute of Occupational Health

ICOH 2003

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 4

1. Current work ability compared with the life time best

Assume that your work ability at its best has a value of 10 points. How many points would you give to yourcurrent work ability?(0 means that you cannot currently work at all)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

completely unableto work

work abilityat its best

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 5

Number of current diseases diagnosed bya physician

In the following list, mark your diseases or injuries. Also indicatewhether a physician has diagnosed or treated these diseases. For each disease, therefore, there can be 2, 1 or no alternatives circled.

Musculoskeletal disease05 disorder of the upper back or cervical

spine, repeated instances of pain06 disorder of the lower back, repeated

instances of pain07 (sciatica) pain radiating from back into

the leg08 musculoskeletal disorder affecting the

limbs (hands, feet), repeated instancesof pain

09 rheumatoid arthritis10 other musculoskeletal disorder, what?

yesown physician'sopinion diagnosis

.................

......................................

....................................................

.....................................................

...........

2 1

2 1

2 1

2 1

2 1

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 6

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

Average Work Ability Index by age

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 7

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

15 25 35 45 55 65

Carrot project 1998, N=729

49

43

36

27

7

sehr gut

gut

mig

schlecht

Alter

Arbeitsbewltigungs-Index (ABI)

ABI-KategorieABI-Werte

WAI in Mittleren und Kleinbetrieben

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 8

WAI(7-49)

34

36

38

40

42

44

16+ 30+ 45+

age group

physicianregistered nursenursing aidprotestant priestcatholic priestother academicadministration, lowadministration, med.Firemenadministration, highKindergarten teachersocial workermanual workerteacherleaders, engineersothers

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 9

37 38 39 40 41 42

Farming

Wood industry

Metal industry

Transport

Social services

Building industry

Civil service

Other industry

Other services

Trade

Education

Health services

Electronics industry

Telecommunication

Financing, insurance

Average Work Ability Index by industrial branch. Adjusted bygender and age, (n=3704)

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 10

0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 %

Farming

Wood industry

Electronics industry

Metal industry

Building industry

Other industry

Trade

Transport

Telecommunication

Financing, insurance

Education

Health services

Social services

Civil service

Other services

PoorModerateGoodExcellent

Work Ability Index classes by industrial branch, (n=3704)

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 11

Work ability index (7-49) among working men and women by older agegroupsGould and Polvinen, 2006

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

50-54 55-59 60-64

menwomen

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 12

Work ability compared with lifetime best (0-10) by life phase, 55-64 yearsGould and Polvinen, 2006

0123456789

Work P-pension

Unempl WD-pens

Otherpens

AllLow educDisease

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 13

Correlations between Work Ability Index items in two age groups (r2 > 0.30)

0.410.450.327. Mental resources

0.520.520.516. Own prognosis of work ability two years from now

0.510.310.395. Sick leave during the pastyear

0.320.530.600.314. Work impairment due todiseases

0.323. Number of currentdiseases

0.600.412. Work ability in relation tojob demands

4.3.2.1.1.WAI item

55-6418-29Age

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 14

Translations of WAI in 2006

Finnish *** Swedish *** English *** German *** Dutch ** Portuguese *** Danish * Chinese ** Estonian ** Russian * Hebrew ** Italian ** French **

Japanese ** Polish ** Latvian * Spanish ** Norwegian ** Serbian ** Hungary ** Slovenia ** Thai * Korean * Taiwanese (*) Vietnamese (*)

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health / Prof. Dr. Juhani Ilmarinen 15

Next International Symposium on WorkAbility

3rd International Symposium on WorkAbility, October 22-24, 2007; Hanoi, Vietnam ( malo-j-l@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp )