Workload and Rehabilitation Needs of Older Workers with and without Migrant Background
Results of the lidA Cohort Study
Background:
The need for rehabilitation measures will increase in the future due to increasing retirement age and demographic changes. In addition, the need for rehabilitation measures is determined, among other things, by the strenuousness of work. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether employees with a migrant background (EmM) are exposed to strenuous work more often and have a higher need for rehabilitation than employees without a migrant background (EoM).
Material and Methods:
The lidA study is a nationwide, prospective cohort study focusing on work, age, health and labour force participation. Study subjects (2443 female, 2281 male) were socially secured employees, born in 1959 or 1965. They were personally interviewed with computer assistance. Data from the first study wave (2011) were used. Multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for socio-demographic factors (age, gender, education and household equivalent income) were carried out to estimate the influence of migrant background, nationality and high workloads on the need for rehabilitation.
Results:
First generation EmMs were particularly affected by high workloads compared to EoM. The subjectively experienced workloads of EoM and EmM of the second generation were on a comparable level. In contrast, there were no differences between EmM with German and foreign citizenship. After adjustment for sociodemographic and workload-related factors, a higher need for rehabilitation was shown for the first-generation EmM (not significant) in comparison with the second-generation EoM and EmM, but not for EmM with foreign citizenship in comparison with EmM with German citizenship.
Discussion:
First-generation EmMs are exposed to strenuous work significantly more often and have a higher need for rehabilitation. However, the migrant background itself is not a determinant for increased rehabilitation needs. The significantly higher need for rehabilitation can rather be explained by the strenuousness of work and socio-demographic characteristics that are more frequent in first-generation EmM. Differentiated considerations of the subgroups of EmM are important to identify special needs and to avoid undersupply (exempli gratia due to access barriers).
