The Relationship Between Longest-Held Occupation and Hand Function in Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Health
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• Hand function is crucial for daily activities and declines with age.
• The impact of occupation on age-related hand function decline is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between occupation type and hand function in older adults.
• To determine if blue-collar or white-collar occupations are linked to higher rates of hand impairment.

Main Methods:

• An online cross-sectional survey was administered to adults aged 65 and older.
• Participants completed questionnaires on hand function, occupation, and demographics.
• Occupations were categorized as blue-collar or white-collar based on longest employment.

Main Results:

• Hand impairments were reported by 51.5% of blue-collar workers versus 28.9% of white-collar workers.
• Blue-collar workers were 2.71 times more likely to experience hand impairments in older adulthood.
• A statistically significant association (P < 0.05) was found between occupation type and hand impairment.

Conclusions:

• Occupation type is strongly associated with hand function in older adults.
• Preventative workplace measures tailored to hand health are important, especially for blue-collar roles.
• Occupation should be considered a significant risk factor during clinical assessments for hand impairments.