Assessment of the Work Ability Index among Iranian Employees: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction and purpose: The ability to work is one of the important factors in predicting the working conditions, well-being, and health status of employees. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is one of the most reliable tools used widely to assess the work ability in employees. This study aimed to review the WAI score among Iranian employees. Methods: In this study, Persian and English articles published within 2005-2020 were extracted by searching Magiran, SID, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. The WAI and its relationship with individual and demographic factors, including age, work experience, gender, and education level, were examined. Results: A total of 42 articles that reported the mean and standard deviation of the WAI were selected. The review of the articles showed that a total of 11,231 subjects were investigated and the mean WAI was 38.35±5.88. Moreover, among job and demographic factors, WAI showed the most significant relationship with age and work experience. Conclusion: Based on the WAI classification, the score of employees was at a good level. However, in some occupations, it was observed that the work ability was at a moderate level, highlighting the adoption of control measures to improve the working environment.

Keywords

• occupational safety
• work ability
• work ability index
• workers' health