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Prädiktoren der Arbeitsfähigkeit bei vorwiegend psychisch belasteten Berufsgruppen*

Objective: This study aimed to identify predictors of working ability in women in professional groups with predominantly psychological strain; to this end personal and workrelated factors, especially state of health (vitality), were compared in teachers and office workers and the correlation of these factors with working ability was examined. Methods: Working ability and its modifying factors were analyzed for 100 female teachers and 60 female office workers aged between 25 and 61 years. The working ability was evaluated by means of the work ability index questionnaire. The occupational school-related situation, work demands, decision latitude at work and effort-reward-ratio were taken into account as work-related factors, inability to relax, lifestyle habits and the health situation (vitality, diseases, complaints, burnout risk) as personal factors. Predictors of working ability were determined by a CHAID analysis. Results: Although the majority of both professional groups reported a good health status, teachers had a lower working ability than office workers, higher work demands, greater effort-reward imbalance, poorer hearing, and more self-reported psychological complaints, higher burnout risk, higher inability to relax, but less cardiac risk factors, higher mental ability, and a younger vital functional age. Healthrelated factors represent the best predictors of working ability: in both professional groups poor working ability is associated with physical risk factors (many physical symptoms, less fitness of the cardiovascular system, unfavourable body fat distribution). In contrast, excellent working ability in teachers is associated with psychological resources (low level of psychological symptoms, no burnout risk) and in office workers with younger vital functional age. Discussion and Conclusions: The results reflect the positive effect of a high educational level and a sophisticated job on the preservation of good working ability. They draw attention to the psychological and psychosocial strain of teachers. Teachers tend to feel overstrained more frequently, that probably causes a higher retirement rate due to illness.