Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39032930›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2024

Slow walking speed and health-related exit from employment among older workers over 5 years of follow-up: evidence from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) cohort study.

Holly E Syddall, G Ntani, Gregorio Bevilacqua, Elena Zaballa, Stefania D'Angelo, Karen Walker-Bone

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

6 authors.

Holly E SyddallMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
G NtaniMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Gregorio BevilacquaMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Elena ZaballaMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Stefania D'AngeloMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7267-1837
Karen Walker-BoneMRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK karen.walker-bone@monash.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-5992-1459

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWith demographic changes, there is increasing demand for individuals and governments to lengthen working lives. Jobs that are very physically demanding are likely to be more difficult to sustain at older ages. If workers at risk of mismatch of demand and capability could be identified early, there would be opportunities for intervention for health or lifestyle and/or re-training or redeployment.

objectiveTo investigate whether self-reported walking speed (a good measure of function in elderly people) predicted health-related job loss (HRJL) longitudinally over 5 years of follow-up among middle-aged workers.

designData came from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) prospective cohort study of middle-aged people (aged 50-64 years) in UK.

settingGeneral population survey (sampling frame was 24 General Practice registers).

participantsThe cohort included 8134 people recruited in 2013-2014. For the current analyses, 5217 people who ever worked and completed at least one follow-up questionnaire were eligible. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Exit from employment mainly or partly for health reasons (HRJL).

resultsAt baseline, very slow walking speed was associated with: obesity, physical inactivity, smoking (men), financial hardship, lower educational attainment and not being in professional occupations. In total, 527 people (10%) reported at least one HRJL during follow-up. After adjustment, the HR for HRJL among men with very slow walking-speed was 4.32, 95% CI 2.72 to 6.87 and among women was 4.47, 95% CI 3.04 to 6.57. After further adjustment for 'difficulty coping with physical demands at work', hazards remained doubled in men and women.

conclusionsSelf-reported walking speed could help identify older workers who are at increased risk of HRJL. This could provide opportunities for intervention through optimising health and lifestyle, restricting physical workload, retraining or redeployment. Early appropriate intervention could enable longer working lives and promote healthier, more equal ageing.

Indexed as

EmploymentWalking SpeedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth StatusHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSelf ReportUnemploymentUnited KingdomAgingEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIESPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID39032930
PMCPMC11288146

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.