Work ability among elderly agriculturists in Thailand

We aimed to assess work ability (WA) and identify the factors affecting it among elderly agriculturists in Thailand. In a cross-sectional survey, 170 elderly agriculturists completed a questionnaire with two sections: work-related data and the Work Ability Index (WAI). The result showed that the most common WAI level was moderate. Univariate correlation analysis showed that WAI level and WAI score were associated with demographic characteristics and health behaviors. Multivariate correlation analysis showed that WAI level was significantly associated with exercise behavior and sleep duration. Moreover, WAI score was significantly associated with body height. Our findings represented that elderly agriculturists had moderate WAI. WAI is influenced by demographic characteristics and health behaviors. This study outcome suggests that enhancing elderly workers’ health behaviors would restore or increase their work ability.