Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 1992 Oct;46(5):506–511. doi: 10.1136/jech.46.5.506

Physical diability after retirement and occupational risk factors during working life: a cross sectional epidemiological study in the Paris area.

B Cassou 1, F Derriennic 1, Y Iwatsubo 1, M Amphoux 1
PMCID: PMC1059641  PMID: 1479320

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to examine the relationship between exposure to occupational risk factors during working life and physical disability after retirement. DESIGN--The study was a cross sectional epidemiological survey of a representative sample of retired subjects belonging to a supplementary pension fund in the Paris area. SETTING--The study took place in the general community. PATIENTS--307 men and 320 women (63.1% of those approached) answered a questionnaire during home interviews. Their average age was 69 (SD4) years at the beginning of the survey. Whether or not subjects had been exposed to occupational risks was determined from their statements concerning the presence or absence of eight harmful environmental conditions while at work. Physical disability was defined as difficulty in carrying out seven basic activities of daily life. MAIN RESULTS--The results of univariate analyses showed significant relationships between exposure during working life to occupational risks including noise, heat, dust, carrying heavy loads, and awkward postures on the one hand, and the presence of a physical disability after retirement on the other. Multivariate analysis based on logistic regression models that took account of age, sex, and health impairments revealed a specific link between exposure to carrying heavy loads and physical disability after retirement. CONCLUSIONS--These results suggest that occupational risk factors might be important in determining such disability in retired people.

Full text

PDF
506

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Benfante R., Reed D., Brody J. Biological and social predictors of health in an aging cohort. J Chronic Dis. 1985;38(5):385–395. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(85)90134-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bourbonnais R., Meyer F., Theriault G. Validity of self reported work history. Br J Ind Med. 1988 Jan;45(1):29–32. doi: 10.1136/oem.45.1.29. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Branch L. G. Health practices and incident disability among the elderly. Am J Public Health. 1985 Dec;75(12):1436–1439. doi: 10.2105/ajph.75.12.1436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Branch L. G., Katz S., Kniepmann K., Papsidero J. A. A prospective study of functional status among community elders. Am J Public Health. 1984 Mar;74(3):266–268. doi: 10.2105/ajph.74.3.266. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brisson C., Loomis D., Pearce N. Is social class standardisation appropriate in occupational studies? J Epidemiol Community Health. 1987 Dec;41(4):290–294. doi: 10.1136/jech.41.4.290. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brisson C., Vinet A., Vézina M., Gingras S. Effect of duration of employment in piecework on severe disability among female garment workers. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1989 Oct;15(5):329–334. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.1842. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Coughlin S. S. Recall bias in epidemiologic studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 1990;43(1):87–91. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(90)90060-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Feinstein A. R., Josephy B. R., Wells C. K. Scientific and clinical problems in indexes of functional disability. Ann Intern Med. 1986 Sep;105(3):413–420. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-105-3-413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Guralnik J. M., Kaplan G. A. Predictors of healthy aging: prospective evidence from the Alameda County study. Am J Public Health. 1989 Jun;79(6):703–708. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.6.703. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Harris T., Kovar M. G., Suzman R., Kleinman J. C., Feldman J. J. Longitudinal study of physical ability in the oldest-old. Am J Public Health. 1989 Jun;79(6):698–702. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.6.698. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Iwatsubo Y., Derriennic F., Cassou B. Relation between job mobility during working life and health state after retirement: a cross sectional study of 627 subjects living in the Paris area. Br J Ind Med. 1991 Nov;48(11):721–728. doi: 10.1136/oem.48.11.721. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jette A. M., Branch L. G. Impairment and disability in the aged. J Chronic Dis. 1985;38(1):59–65. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(85)90008-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jette A. M., Branch L. G. The Framingham Disability Study: II. Physical disability among the aging. Am J Public Health. 1981 Nov;71(11):1211–1216. doi: 10.2105/ajph.71.11.1211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. KATZ S., FORD A. B., MOSKOWITZ R. W., JACKSON B. A., JAFFE M. W. STUDIES OF ILLNESS IN THE AGED. THE INDEX OF ADL: A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTION. JAMA. 1963 Sep 21;185:914–919. doi: 10.1001/jama.1963.03060120024016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Keil J. E., Gazes P. C., Sutherland S. E., Rust P. F., Branch L. G., Tyroler H. A. Predictors of physical disability in elderly blacks and whites of the Charleston Heart Study. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989;42(6):521–529. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(89)90148-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kelsey J. L., O'Brien L. A., Grisso J. A., Hoffman S. Issues in carrying out epidemiologic research in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol. 1989 Nov;130(5):857–866. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115418. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Manton K. G. A longitudinal study of functional change and mortality in the United States. J Gerontol. 1988 Sep;43(5):S153–S161. doi: 10.1093/geronj/43.5.s153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Manton K. G. Past and future life expectancy increases at later ages: their implications for the linkage of chronic morbidity, disability, and mortality. J Gerontol. 1986 Sep;41(5):672–681. doi: 10.1093/geronj/41.5.672. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Markides K. S., Machalek R. Selective survival, aging and society. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 1984 Oct;3(3):207–222. doi: 10.1016/0167-4943(84)90022-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mor V., Murphy J., Masterson-Allen S., Willey C., Razmpour A., Jackson M. E., Greer D., Katz S. Risk of functional decline among well elders. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989;42(9):895–904. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(89)90103-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Palmore E. B., Nowlin J. B., Wang H. S. Predictors of function among the old-old: a 10-year follow-up. J Gerontol. 1985 Mar;40(2):244–250. doi: 10.1093/geronj/40.2.244. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pinsky J. L., Branch L. G., Jette A. M., Haynes S. G., Feinleib M., Cornoni-Huntley J. C., Bailey K. R. Framingham Disability Study: relationship of disability to cardiovascular risk factors among persons free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Oct;122(4):644–656. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rosow I., Breslau N. A Guttman health scale for the aged. J Gerontol. 1966 Oct;21(4):556–559. doi: 10.1093/geronj/21.4.556. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Roupe S., Svanborg A. Previous job and health at the age of 70. Scand J Soc Med. 1981;9(1):25–31. doi: 10.1177/140349488100900104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Victor C. R. Inequalities in health in later life. Age Ageing. 1989 Nov;18(6):387–391. doi: 10.1093/ageing/18.6.387. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES