title: A physical fitness programme during paid working hours - impact on health and work ability among women working in the social service sector: a three year follow up study.
abstract: In order to study the influence of a physical fitness programme on work ability among women employed in the social sector an intervention was offered to 205 women working in the social care sector in a municipality in Sweden. The reference group comprised 165 women from the same sector working in another municipality. All participants were employed and answered questionnaires at baseline and after 36 months. For women younger than 45 years, work ability and general health improved significantly while for women, 45 years or older, future work expectations improved. For women with less musculoskeletal pain, improvements were observed regarding future work expectations, as well as work ability and general health while for women with more musculoskeletal pain, improvements were observed for general health and future work expectations. Well-structured physical fitness programmes at the worksite can be useful in contributing to individual's experiences of improvements in their own capacity as well as increased health and wellbeing.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital, SE- 75185 Uppsala, Sweden. eva.vingard@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vingård
authors.forename: Vanja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blomkvist
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblad
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alfredsson
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Josephson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases; D016272:Occupational Health; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012947:Social Work; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D017132:Workplace