title: Job demand and control in mid-life and physical and mental functioning in early old age: do childhood factors explain these associations in a British birth cohort?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adverse work-related exposures have been linked with decreased physical and mental functioning in later life, however, whether childhood factors explain the associations between work exposures and functioning is unknown. Our aim was to investigate if job demand and control in mid-life were related to self-reported physical and mental functioning in early old age and whether childhood factors explained these associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  England, Scotland and Wales.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data come from the UK Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, a cohort with follow-up since birth in 1946. 1485 occupationally active study members had data available on job demand and control in mid-life and on physical and mental functioning assessed using the Short Form-36 questionnaire at 60-64 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those with higher job control in mid-life had better physical functioning than those who reported lower job control (β 0.51, 95% CI 0.02 to 1.01, p=0.04 adjusted for adult confounders). Those with higher job demand in mid-life had poorer mental functioning (β -0.82, 95% CI -1.14 to -0.51, p<0.001). Associations between job control and mental functioning were similar but less pronounced. Adjustment for childhood factors (father's and mother's educational attainment, parents' interest in school at age 7 and cognitive ability at age 8) partially explained the association between job control and physical functioning, but did not explain the association between job demand and mental functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Job demand and control in mid-life are differentially associated with mental and physical functioning in early old age and some of these associations may be partially explained by childhood factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Gerontology Research Center and University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Mikaela B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: von Bonsdorff
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuh
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; SPORTS MEDICINE