Does physical exposure throughout working life influence chair-rise performance in midlife? A retrospective cohort study of associations between work and physical function in Denmark. Issue 11 (4th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Møller, Anne; Reventlow, Susanne; Hansen, Åse Marie; Andersen, Lars L; Siersma, Volkert; Lund, Rikke; Avlund, Kirsten; Andersen, Johan Hviid; Mortensen, Ole Steen
• Is Part Of: BMJ open. Volume 5:Issue 11(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-11-04
• Subjects: EPIDEMIOLOGY -- OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE -- PUBLIC HEALTH; Medicine -- Research -- Periodicals; 610.72
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009873
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-6055

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: Our aim was to study associations between physical exposures throughout working life and physical function measured as chair-rise performance in midlife. Methods: The Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) provided data about employment and measures of physical function. Individual job histories were assigned exposures from a job exposure matrix. Exposures were standardised to ton-years (lifting 1000 kg each day in 1 year), stand-years (standing/walking for 6 h each day in 1 year) and kneel-years (kneeling for 1 h each day in 1 year). The associations between exposure-years and chair-rise performance (number of chair-rises in 30 s) were analysed in multivariate linear and non-linear regression models adjusted for covariates. Results: Mean age among the 5095 participants was 59 years in both genders, and, on average, men achieved 21.58 (SD=5.60) and women 20.38 (SD=5.33) chair-rises in 30 s. Physical exposures were associated with poorer chair-rise performance in both men and women, however, only associations between lifting and standing/walking and chair-rise remained statistically significant among men in the final model. Spline regression analyses showed non-linear associations and confirmed the findings. Conclusions: Higher physical exposure throughout working life is associated with slightly poorer chair-rise performance. The associations between exposure and outcome were non-linear.