Work Ability, Work-Related Health, and Effort–Reward Imbalance: A Cross-Sectional Study among University Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, university policies and public health measures resulted in university staff facing hazardous work environments and psychological health problems. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association between sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, work-related health, effort and reward imbalance (ERI), and work ability among university staff in southern Thailand. Data were collected using stratified random sampling of 381 participants between April and September 2022. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between the variables. The majority of the participants were female (63.5%) and aged below 45 years old (52%). Nearly 70% of the participants reported the absence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), while half of them were overweight, and 54.9% had an effort–reward ratio (ERR) greater than one. Most participants reported good-to-excellent work ability (82.4%). The probability of having poor-to-moderate work ability was higher among staff working from home (adj. OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 4.6), those with NCDs (adj. OR = 3.5; 95% CI: 2.0, 6.4), those who followed poor health behaviors (adj. OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4, 4.9), and those who had an ERR greater than one (adj. OR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.5, 5.6). In conclusion, the majority of university staff in southern Thailand had good-to-excellent work ability. Work ability was associated with the presence of NCDs, poor health behavior, working from home, and ERI. Therefore, universities should create suitable occupational health programs and resources to mitigate the negative effects of work conditions, including ERI, and promote healthy behaviors for their staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and future disasters.