The Association Between Work Ability and Body Composition Among Thai Farm Workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sports Science
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Farm work demands high physical exertion, increasing risks of musculoskeletal disorders.
• Body composition, specifically skeletal muscle and fat percentages, significantly influences work ability (WA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between body composition and work ability in Thai farm workers.
• To identify key body composition factors that enhance or impede physical performance in agricultural labor.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 126 Thai corn farm workers.
• Data collection included questionnaires for demographics, health behaviors, and Work Ability Index (WAI).
• Body composition analysis measured body mass index, body fat percentage (BFP), subcutaneous fat percentage (SFP), and skeletal muscle percentage (SMP).

Main Results:

• A significant positive association was observed between WA and skeletal muscle percentage (SMP) across the whole body and its segments (p < 0.001).
• Work ability (WA) showed a significant negative association with subcutaneous fat percentage (SFP) in the trunk and legs (p < 0.01), and overall body fat percentage (BFP) (p < 0.001).
• 42.9% of participants demonstrated good WA, with an average WAI score of 37.3.

Conclusions:

• Higher skeletal muscle percentage is crucial for improving farm workers' work ability.
• Reducing body fat percentage, particularly subcutaneous fat, enhances physical performance and work capacity.
• Promoting healthy body composition is essential for optimizing the physical capabilities of the agricultural workforce.