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Occupational Medicine Advance Access published online on August 21, 2009
Occupational Medicine, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp122
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Short Report

Muscle performance, work ability and physical functioning in middle-aged men

Juhani Smolander1, Lars Sörensen2, Mika Pekkonen3 and Markku Alén4

1 ORTON Orthopaedic Hospital, Tenholantie 10, FIN-00280 Helsinki, Finland
2 Laukaan Terveyspalvelut Oy, Tyvelänkuja 10, FIN-41340 Laukaa, Finland
3 Peurunka—Medical Rehabilitation Center, Peurungantie 85, FIN-41340 Laukaa, Finland
4 Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Oulu University Hospital and Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Box 25, FIN-90029 Oulu, Finland

Background Limited data exist on the associations between muscle performance and work ability measures in working age adults.

Aims To evaluate how the results of simple muscle performance tests correlate with self-reported work ability and physical functioning in middle-aged men.

Methods Muscle performance was measured with handgrip, sit-up, arch-up, squatting and lifting tests. The Physical Functioning scale and the Role Limitations due to Physical Health Problems scale of the RAND-36 health questionnaire were used to assess functioning and the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire to assess perceived work ability in a subgroup of 51 subjects.

Results A total of 104 men aged 45–55 years employed in physically active work participated. Muscle performance was weakly associated with WAI and functioning measures, accounting for 10% of the variance at most. Dynamic lifting test results for both arms correlated with WAI scores (right: r = 0.31, left: r = 0.34). Scores of the dynamic lifting test for both arms correlated with the Physical Functioning scores (right: r = 0.23, left: r = 0.28) and with the Role Limitations due to Physical Health Problems scores (right: r = 0.25, left: r = 0.28). Results of the squatting test were associated with the Physical Functioning scores (r = 0.24).

Conclusions The study failed to provide support for the use of muscle performance tests in work-related fitness evaluations in middle-aged men employed in physical jobs.

Keywords      Muscle performance tests; physical functioning; work ability index

Correspondence to: Juhani Smolander, ORTON Orthopaedic Hospital, Tenholantie 10, FIN-00280 Helsinki, Finland. e-mail: juhani.smolander{at}orton.fi


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