Aging and work ability of workers of a university hospital's cleaning and hygiene service

Abstract

This study was conducted with the cleaning personnel of a university hospital in the city of Campinas, State of São Paulo. These are public employees whose work is mainly physical: cleaning is a job that requires heavy physical work; in addition, workers are also exposed to chemical products. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the work ability of cleaners from different age groups, for which was used the Work Ability Index, an instrument developed by Finnish researchers. The sample was comprised of 69 workers who answered the questionnaire: 21.7% have excellent work ability; 31.9% good; 31.9% moderate; and 14.5% poor. The most frequently reported diseases with medical diagnosis were: lesion due to accidents, musculoskeletal disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The members of the older group ranked lower in the Work Ability Index and reported a larger number of diseases, which therefore affected their work ability.