Workplace characteristics and work disability onset for men and women

Summary

Objectives: This paper investigates the association between job characteristics and work disability among men and women in older working ages in the United States. We examine whether the association persists when controlling for major chronic disease experience. We also address whether job characteristics are ultimately associated with the receipt of disability benefits.

Methods: Data are from the Health and Retirement Survey and are nationally representative of noninstitutionalized persons 51–61 in 1992. Disability onset is estimated using a hazard modeling approach for those working at wave 1 (N=5999). A logistic regression analysis of disability benefits is based on a risk set of 525 persons who become work-disabled before the second interview.

Results: Women’s disability onset and health problems appear less related to job characteristics than men’s. For men, work disability is associated with stressful jobs, lack of job control, and environmentally hazardous conditions but is not associated with physical demands. Participation in disability benefit programs among those with work disability is unrelated to most job characteristics or health conditions.

Conclusions: Understanding of the differing process to work disability for men and women and the relationship between work and health by gender is important for current policy development.