title: Estimation of work capacity and work ability among plantation workers in South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Work capacity is the ability to perform real physical work, and work ability is a result of interaction of worker to his or her work that is how good a worker is at present, in near future, and how able is he or she to do his or her work with respect to work demands and health and mental resources.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the work capacity and work ability and to study the factors associated with work capacity and work ability of workers at a tea plantation in South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tea plantation in Annamalai, South India, from March to May 2015. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule comprising of three parts as follows: sociodemographic data, work ability questionnaire, and work capacity assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 199 subjects participated in the study, majority [90 (45.3%)] were in the age group of 46-55 years, and 128 (64.3%) were females. Of the 199 workers, 12.6% had poor aerobic capacity (by Harvard Step test), 88.4% had an endurance of more than 1 h, 70.9% had better work productivity and energetic efficiency, and the voluntary activity workers spent most time on household chores. Of the 199 workers assessed, only 9.6% had good work ability. There is negative correlation between work ability and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study found 12.6% workers with poor aerobic capacity and 9.6% of workers with good work ability. Periodic health examinations and other screening procedures should be made as routine in workplace to improve work ability and capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Suguna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anbazhagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Surekha
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Farah N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Fathima
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.lastname: Melina
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.lastname: Anjali
keywords: Plantation workers; South India; work ability; work capacity