Work ability and work functioning: measuring change in individuals recently returned to work.

A van Schaaijk, K Nieuwenhuijsen, M H W Frings-Dresen, J K Sluiter

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in International archives of occupational and environmental health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

5citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

Work Ability and Vitality in Coach Drivers: An RCT to Study the Effectiveness of a Self-Management Intervention during the Peak Season.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019
Trial
Assessment of Work Ability in People with Musculoskeletal Disorders in Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review of Self-Reported Tools.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2025
Article
Development of a standard set of key work-related outcomes for use in practice for patients with cardiovascular disease: a modified Delphi study.Journal of patient-reported outcomes · 2024
Article
Measurement Properties of the Work Ability Score in Sick-Listed Workers with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2022
Article
Do work ability and life satisfaction matter for return to work? Predictive ability of the work ability index and life satisfaction questionnaire among women with long-term musculoskeletal pain.BMC public health · 2021
Article

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

A van SchaaijkCoronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, PO Box 22660, 1100 DE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.vanschaaijk@amc.uva.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5900-3279

K NieuwenhuijsenCoronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, PO Box 22660, 1100 DE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

M H W Frings-DresenCoronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, PO Box 22660, 1100 DE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

J K SluiterCoronel Institute of Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, PO Box 22660, 1100 DE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo assess: (1) whether work ability and work-functioning instruments can detect relevant changes in their respective parameters following a return to work (RTW) and (2) what proportion of those returning to work show changes in their work ability and work functioning.

methodsA total of 1073 workers who returned to work after at least 2 weeks of sick leave were invited to fill out three questionnaires in the first 8 weeks after RTW. These consisted of an appraisal of general, physical, and mental/emotional work ability (scores 0-10) and a work-functioning questionnaire (scores 0-100). Minimal Important Change (MIC) was defined to determine the proportion of people, whose scores had changed at weeks 5 and 8 following RTW. The Smallest Detectable Change (SDC) was determined to put the MIC in perspective of measurement error.

resultsOf all participants, 235 were eligible for the analysis. All MIC values were below the SDC and thus not suitable for use. The SDC for work ability was 2.2 and 19.9 for work functioning. In the first 5 weeks after RTW, 10-15% showed a relevant, measurable improvement in work ability, and work functioning based on the SDC margins.

conclusionsBoth instruments were unable to identify change after RTW adequately. We can conclude that 10-15% of individuals showed improvement in work ability and work functioning in the first 5 weeks after RTW when SDC is used.

Indexed as

Work Capacity EvaluationAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsParental LeaveReturn to WorkSick LeaveSurveys and QuestionnairesTime FactorsMinimally clinical important differenceOccupational physicianReturn to workSmallest detectable changeWork Ability Score

Identifiers

PMID30656402

DOI10.1007/s00420-019-01400-z

PMCPMC6420615

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LicenceCC BY

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.