Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Breathlessness in Older Workers Predict Economic Inactivity. A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pulmonology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Increasing numbers of older workers aspire to remain employed.
• Chronic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), increase with age.
• Previous studies suggest COPD is linked to adverse employment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first longitudinal study on the association between COPD and employment outcomes in older workers.
• To examine the impact of breathlessness and airway obstruction on job retention.

Main Methods:

• Recruited full-time employed men and women in their 50s.
• Followed participants for 18 months, assessing employment status.
• Adjusted for potential confounders to analyze associations between baseline breathlessness, airway obstruction, and job loss.

Main Results:

• Of 1,656 respondents, 78.5% remained in full-time employment.
• 10.9% were no longer employed, and 10.6% moved to part-time work.
• Moderate/severe COPD (RR 2.89) and breathlessness (RR 3.07) independently increased the risk of job loss.

Conclusions:

• Airway obstruction and breathlessness are independently linked to premature workforce exit in older adults.
• Findings support previous cross-sectional evidence.
• Interventions to support COPD patients in the workforce require testing.