Background Most of the few studies that exist on the longitudinal
associations between health behaviors and work ability
target to single health behaviors.
Purpose To investigate how lifetime clusters of unhealthy behaviors
associate with perceived work ability in early midlife.
Methods The study population consisted of 46-year-old men
and women (n=3107) born in Northern Finland in 1966. Their
current perceived work ability compared to lifetime best, and
their unhealthy behaviors (physical inactivity, smoking, and
alcohol consumption) were assessed by questionnaires. We
determined clusters of unhealthy behaviors at the ages of 14,
31, and 46 and created lifetime development trajectories of
health behaviors. We also assessed stress-related eating and
drinking at the ages of 31 and 46.
Cross-tabulations and multivariate logistic regression
models were used to investigate the associations between clusters
of health behaviors, stress-related eating and drinking, and
work ability at 46 years. The analyses were controlled for
basic education and physical strenuousness of work, psychosocial
job characteristics, perceived work ability, and BMI
(kg/m2
) at 31 years.
Results Four health behavior trajectories emerged: always
healthy, moderate (reference group), deteriorated. and always
unhealthy. Among men, always unhealthy behaviors [OR
(95 % confidence interval) 2.81 (1.35, 5.86)], and among
women, deteriorated health behaviors [1.67 (1.07, 2.58)] associated
with poor perceived work ability at 46 years. In addition,
stress-related eating and drinking associated independently
with poor perceived work ability at 46 years [men 2.58
(1.62, 4.12) and women 2.48 (1.70, 3.61)].
Conclusion Long-lasting and stress-related unhealthy behaviors
increase the risk of poor work ability in midlife.