Work-related biomechanical exposure and job strain in midlife separately and jointly predict disability after 28 years: a Finnish longitudinal study

Objectives We investigated whether the extent of biomechanical exposures and job strain in midlife separately and jointly predict disability in old age. Methods Participants of the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Aging Municipal Employees (FLAME) in 1981 (aged 44–58 years) responded to disability questionnaires in 2009 (1850 women and 1082 men). Difficulties in performing five activities of daily living (ADL) and seven instrumental ADL (IADL) were used to assess severity of disability (score range: 0–12, 0=no disability). Information on biomechanical exposures and job strain was collected by questionnaire at baseline. Adjusted prevalence proportion ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95…