Body Mass Index (BMI) and Work Ability in Older Workers: Results from the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

This study explores associations between BMI and prolonged sickness absence; cutting down at work; and health-related job loss (HRJL) over two years of follow-up among workers aged ≥50 years. A cohort of 2299 men and 2425 women (aged 50–64 years) self-reported height and weight at baseline and provided information about work ability at 12 and 24 months for the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) Study. Associations between BMI and work ability were assessed by logistic regression and HRJL by multiple-record Cox’s proportional hazards models, with adjustment for other risk factors. The prevalence of obesity/severe obesity was 22.6%/1.2% amongst men and 21.4%/2.6% amongst women, respectively. In men and women, obesity and severe obesity predicted having to cut down at work for health over two years. In women, severe obesity predicted prolonged sickness absence, and also HRJL even after adjustment for age, proximity to retirement, financial difficulties, and lifestyle factors (hazard ratio [HR] 2.93, 95% CI 1.38, 6.23), and additional adjustment for health conditions (HR 2.52, 95% CI 1.12, 5.67). Obesity, and particularly severe obesity, negatively impacts work ability amongst people aged 50–64 years, with greatest effects in women. Obesity can be expected to hinder attempts to encourage work to older ages.

Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Correlates of Body Weight Categories Among South African Women of Reproductive Age: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Similarly, existing evidence from previous studies shows that South Africa has the highest proportion of people who were overweight and obese among Coloured (26%) and Black/African population groups (20%), with the majority being women (14,35,43). Hence, the advancement of social change, urbanisation, and ageing could be the possible reasons for the key drivers of the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Black/African women in South Africa.…”

“…In view of this, binary outcomes with two possible values were constructed as the dependent variable for this study based on underweight vs. normal weight and overweight/obese vs. normal weight, respectively, based on the WHO standard BMI cut-offs ( 33 , 34 ). Thus, women who were underweight or overweight/obese were coded “1,” and those with normal weight were coded “0.” This categorisation was done to ensure large sample sizes for analyses and to obtain more robust binary logistic regression estimates ( 35 – 37 ). Women with BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 were described as underweight, while those with BMI of 18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 were described as having normal body weight, those with BMI of ≥25 kg/m 2 were overweight, and those with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 were obese.…”

“…Thus, women who were underweight or overweight/obese were coded "1, " and those with normal weight were coded "0." This categorisation was done to ensure large sample sizes for analyses and to obtain more robust binary logistic regression estimates (35)(36)(37). Women with BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 were described as underweight, while those with BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 were described as having normal body weight, those with BMI of ≥25 kg/m 2 were overweight, and those with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 were obese.…”

Does Nutrition Really Matter for the Productivity of Smallholder Farmers?

“…An increase of one unit of health status decreases the productivity of -0.1045 for Column (2). The result is reaffirming (Goettler et al, Azra Tilai, Rayenda Khresna Brahmana and Hui Wei You 2017;Linaker et al, 2020;Marliyati et al, 2018) research, whereby the studies found that overweight and obesity to be associated with decreasing levels of productivity.…”

“…Farmers suffering from central obesity have a higher number of absent days due to health reasons than farmers not suffering from central obesity (Marliyati et al, 2018). According to Linaker et al (2020), people from lower socioeconomic positions are more likely to have physically demanding occupations. The implication is that obesity, yet another consequence of low social-economic position increases the risk of premature loss of personal economic productivity.…”