Abstract:
Introduction: Work ability is a subjective construct and is related to the physical, mental
and social demands of the worker. It may have suffered negative impacts from the social
and economic exacerbations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as changes in
working conditions and increased unemployment. Although there is a broad discussion
about the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, there is a gap in studies on the ability
to work in already fragile contexts. Identifying the factors that contribute to inadequate
work capacity in vulnerable and crisis contexts can guide policies and interventions to
improve the working and living conditions of these groups, aiming to reduce inequality.
Objectives: Analyze the factors associated with work ability, in a context of social
vulnerability, during the COVID-19 pandemic, describe the labor scenario in relation to
the effects of the pandemic, which included unemployment, decreased wages and lack of
income, and investigate a possible association of sociodemographic, occupational and
health-related factors with work ability.
Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the neighborhood of Alto das Pombas,
Salvador-BA, which included 504 participants aged 16 or over, 292 of whom were
workers. Sociodemographic, health and labor data were collected and the Work
Capability Index (WAI) was calculated using questions that make up the WAI scale/score.
Collection took place from February to June 2022. Multivariate analyzes and a
hierarchical model were used to investigate factors associated with inadequate WAI, with
a 95% Confidence Interval.
Results: The study revealed that adequate work ability (84.6%) was predominant. In
multivariate analyses, adjusting for sex and age, it was observed that inadequate work
ability was more frequent among women (PR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.02 - 3.48), among those
with self-rated moderate health (PR: 5.91; 95% CI: 1.45 - 24.05) or poor/very poor (PR:
21.62; 95% CI: 5.14 - 90.91) and among those who reported diabetes (PR: 2.1; 95% CI:
1.13 - 3.9). Working more than 40 hours per week (PR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.28 – 0.96) was
identified as a protective factor against inadequate work ability.
Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of adequate work capacity, raising
questions about whether the pandemic selected workers with better skills or whether the
economic context of crisis positively affected ICT. The results highlight the complexity
of the relationship between work ability, employment, income and socioeconomic
factors, requiring more in-depth analysis for a complete understanding.
