Impact of Chronic Diseases on Work Ability in Ageing Firefighters

Impact of Chronic Diseases on Work Ability in Ageing Firefighters: Marie-Christine J PLAT, et al. Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, The Netherlands-Objectives: The aim of this study was to study the impact of chronic diseases on work ability in different age groups of Dutch firefighters. Methods: Firefighters filled out a questionnaire about the presence of nine types of chronic diseases and rated their current work ability (0 unable to 10 best ever). The differences in work ability in firefighters in total and in four age groups with and without chronic diseases were calculated with a Fisher's exact test. Results: Of 276 firefighters 23% reported having a chronic disease, with the rate varying among the age groups between 18 and 41%. Median work ability was 8, varying between 7 and 8 in the age groups. No significant difference was found in work ability for firefighters with and without chronic diseases, independent of the age groups. Conclusions: Having a chronic disease is not associated with a significantly lower self-reported work ability estimate in firefighters. (J Occup Health 2012; 54: 158-163)