Work Ability Index (WAI) values in a sample of the working population in Poland

Ability to work is most often defined as a relationship between a person's resources and requirements specific to a particular type of work. It is the result of interaction between job requirements in terms of physical and mental strain, capabilities and skills of the employee, as well as his/her health condition and own evaluation of functioning in a given organizational and social situation.

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the current value of the Work Ability Index (WAI) in a sample of employees in Poland.

The study sample was selected purposefully from 422,000 employees covered by the largest occupational health provider in Poland. The standard WAI questionnaire provided by CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) methodology was voluntary and completed anonymously by 688 employees within 12 months (0.16% response rate). The results were statistically analyzed using the Pearson's chi-squared test and correlation coefficient, independent-sample T test and one-way analysis of variance (p<0.05).

It was found that the average value of WAI was 37.5 ± 7.7, and 37% of the participants represented low to moderate ability to work. The results showed no significant correlation between the WAI value and its 7 compounds and demographic variables. Nonetheless, a dependency between WAI level and industrial branch was observed.

Subjects with moderate and low WAI (1/3 of the study population) had particular indications to implement prophylactic actions, especially for the health care employees and civil servants, whose ability to work may be subject to accelerated deterioration.