Findings

The HEAF dataset is improving every day as we process more questionnaires. We have recently moved to a position where we have prepared data from some of our follow-up questionnaires. This will allow us to conduct much more detailed levels of research and analysis which will enable us to answer even more study questions.

To date we have been able to publish scientific papers in diverse areas from sleep disturbances to job satisfaction.

Please find below a summary and links to our latest publications.

  • A third of women reported problems coping with work because of menopausal symptoms. Risk factors for difficulties coping at work included: financial deprivation, poorer self-rated health, depression, and adverse psychosocial occupational factors but not physical demands.
  • People who were working from home during lockdown or lost their job since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic saw their health decline.
  • People in poorer health as well as women and those who had friends or family affected by COVID-19, were more likely to refrain from accessing healthcare during lockdown.
  • Exiting the workforce was not associated with increased risk of loneliness, however, poor quality work may lead to future loneliness.
  • Inflammatory arthritis, sleep disorders, common mental health conditions and musculoskeletal pain can lead to job loss on health grounds.

Some of our initial findings are published in the papers below. The journal references are hyperlinked so you can read the papers if you wish.

  1. Older working adults in the HEAF study are more likely to report loneliness after two years of follow-up if they have negative perceptions of their work quality. Bevilacqua G, D’Angelo S, Ntani G, Syddall, H. E, Harris, E. C, Linaker, C, Stevens, M, Cooper, C, Walker-Bone. BMC Public Health 2021; 21: 574. 2021/03/25. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10610-5.
  2. How does job dissatisfaction interact with self-rated health in determining the risk of health-related job loss? Prospective findings from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) study. Dā€™Angelo S, Syddall H, Ntani G, Harris EC, Linaker C, Cooper C, Stevens M, Walker-Bone K. Occup Environ Med July 2020  (hyperlink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2020-106600)
  3. Work participation and risk factors for health-related job loss among older workers in the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) study: Evidence from a 2-year follow-up period. Syddall HE, Dā€™Angelo S, Ntani G, Stevens M, Harris EC, et al. (2020) PLOS ONE 15(9): e0239383. (hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239383)
  4. Poor health, physical workload and occupational social class as determinants of health-related job loss: results from a prospective cohort study in the UK. Sewdas R, van der Beek AJ, Boot CRL, Dā€™Angelo S, Syddall H, Palmer KT, Walker-Bone K. BMJ Open 2019;9:e026423. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-02642 (hyperlink: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/7/e026423 )
  5. Relationships between informal caregiving, health and work in the Health and Employment After Fifty study, England Harris EC, Dā€™Angelo S, Syddall HE, Linaker C, Cooper C, Walker-Bone K.. European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 4, August 2020, Pages 799ā€“806, (hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa078)
  6. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Work Ability in Older Workers: Results from the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) Prospective Cohort Study. Linaker CH, Dā€™Angelo S, Syddall HE, Harris EC, Cooper C, Walker-Bone K, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17:1647 (hyperlink: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7084316/)
  7. Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF): a new prospective cohort study. Keith T Palmer KT, Walker-Bone K, Harris EC, Linaker C, Dā€™Angelo S, Aihie Sayer A, Gale CR, Evandrou M, van Staa T, Cooper C, Coggon D. BMC Public Health 2015;15:1071
  8. Job dissatisfaction and the older worker: baseline findings from the Health and Employment After Fifty study Dā€™Angelo S, Walker-Bone K, Harris EC, Linaker C, Aihie Sayer A, Gale C, Evandrou M, van Staa T, Cooper C, Coggon D, Palmer KT.. Occup Environ Med 2016;73:512-519
  9. Sleep disturbance and the older worker: findings from the Health and Employment After Fifty study Palmer KT, Dā€™Angelo S, Harris EC, Linaker C, Aihie Sayer A, Gale C, Evandrou M, van Staa T, Cooper C, Coggon D, Walker-Bone K.. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 2017;43:136-145
  10. Frailty, pre-frailty and employment outcomes in the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) study. Palmer KT, Dā€™Angelo S, Harris EC, Linaker C, Gale C, Evandrou M, van Staa T, Cooper C, Aihie Sayer A, Coggon D, Syddall HE, Walker-Bone K. Occup Environ Med 2017;74:476-482