Janet L Barnes-Farrell | PubMed Health

PubMedDate not supplied

Is worker age a simple demographic variable?

Birth-date-based chronological age is often used as a measure of worker ability. In the near future, employers will be required to improve their ability to assess the impact of aging on workers. The literature suggests a number of ways one might do this. Personal perceived age and work ability assessment are two promising alternative ways to assess worker age changes. In support of these alternatives and as a preface to the other papers presented in this journal, this paper suggests that personal perceived age reports differ from chronological age, are reliable, and appear to be worthy of further consideration.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

How do concepts of age relate to work and off-the-job stresses and strains? A field study of health care workers in five nations.

Health care workers from five nations (Brazil, Croatia, Poland, Ukraine, U.S.A.) completed the Survey of Health Care Professionals, which includes measures of on-the-job and off-the-job conditions/concerns, as well as ratings of work-related strains, self-ratings of work performance and work ability, and measures of chronological and psychological age. Consistent with previous research, workers generally reported that they felt, looked, acted, and preferred to be younger than their chronological age. In addition, feeling old relative to one's chronological age was positively associated with several indicators of job-related strain for several nations, replicating findings reported earlier in a U.S. manufacturing sample. Significant differences were observed among nations on all of the psychological age variables measured in this study. Differences among nations were also observed for levels of concern with work conditions and off-the-job conditions. Furthermore, examination of relationships of age variables with work/off-the-job stressors and work strains/outcomes revealed different patterns of relationships among the five nations participating in the study. Findings point to the need for additional attention to psychological age variables in studies of work and aging, with particular emphasis on cultural and socioeconomic conditions that may influence their interplay.

Activities of Daily Living↗