Do Sleep Problems Explain the Association Between Work Stress and the Trajectories of Work Ability From Midlife to Pensionable Age?

The findings from this study will help employers, health professionals, and employees themselves notice that work ability in the last years of work before pensionable age could be supported by paying more attention to employees who have work stress or sleep problems in mid-life. Objective: This study examined whether mid-life work stress, defined as job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI), predicts work ability trajectories observed 12 years preceding the individual pensionable age. In addition, the role of sleep problems as a mediator in these associations was examined. Methods: Survey data were collected from 2707 Finnish municipal employees. Results: Identified work ability trajectories were "stable excellent," "stable good," "moderate," and "low decreasing." Baseline job strain and ERI were associated with a greater likelihood of belonging to impaired work ability trajectories when compared with "stable good" trajectory. Baseline sleep problems explained the association of job strain by 38% and of ERI by 54%. Conclusions: Mid-life work stress is associated with work ability in the last years preceding pensionable age. Sleep problems might be a potential mediator in these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]