A person’s own assessment of their ability to work has proven to be surprisingly reliable and also helps in predicting retirement, says the research professor at THL.
Quarter of Finns of working age do not believe that they will be able to work until retirement age. The situation is particularly bad in Kymenlaakso, where every third person aged 20-64 believes they will leave their job before retirement age.
The deterioration of Finns’ ability to work and function is now worrying officials and decision-makers. The joint position of the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) and Kela is that the deterioration of Finns’ ability to work and function must be stopped.
They were published for government program negotiations welfare reviewaccording to which cardiovascular diseases, mental health problems, obesity, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking and substance use impair work and functional capacity.
Research professor at THL Seppo Koskinen says that when viewed by all performance indicators, the population’s performance improved until the beginning of the 2010s, after which the development has not continued. In particular, the proportion of women aged 20–64 who rate their work ability as impaired has increased.
Of working age own assessment of surviving until retirement age was obtained from the most recent extensive study, Finsote, conducted in 2020. There are research results both by welfare area and from the largest municipalities in terms of population.
In some municipalities, even a third of working-age people believe they will leave their jobs before retirement age. This can be influenced by the occupational structure of the regions.
“If it’s heavy industrial work or agricultural and forestry work, then maybe it’s more sensitive and justified to feel that you don’t believe that the brave enough to perform decently at work until retirement age.”
Koskinen sees the age groups approaching retirement age as a large labor reserve, but this requires modifying the work to suit the employee.
“Not in the way that we raise the retirement age to the ceiling and require that people act in their seventies in the same way as in their thirties.”
According to Koskinen, ability to function is maintained by well-organized work that is suitable for the employee.
His ability to work the proportion of those who feel impaired varies greatly in different professions.
Almost 38 percent of the 20-74-year-olds belonging to the lowest education group experienced a year 2020 in the study as impaired. In the highest education group, the share was about 24 percent.
This tells both about the differences in the requirements of the professions and about the health of people who have attended little school, says Koskinen.
“By almost all standards, it is clearly worse than those who have completed higher education. Of course, poor health is reflected in the ability to work.”
According to Koskinen, a person’s own assessment of their ability to work has proven to be surprisingly reliable and also helps in predicting retirement.
Mobility According to Koskinen, is often the first area of functional ability where problems arise. Over time, it is also reflected in other functional abilities.
In January, THL examined health in Hatanpää Hospital in Tampere. THL’s research professor Seppo Koskinen in the sit-up test, which examines the ability to sit up, the starting point of which is that the subject sits on a 45-centimeter-high chair with his hands at his sides.
“That’s where the development now looks bad. If we look at walking difficulties, for example, in the second half of the 2010s the situation worsened in the light of several materials.”
Many parties have recently taken a position on the movement of Finns. President Sauli Niinistö presented at the opening of the Diet his worries that Finns don’t move enough. After that, the labor market organizations published a joint position statementin which they presented that increasing movement and thus improving functional capacity in all age groups must be elevated to the top projects of the government program.
The results of THL’s most recent extensive survey are stark: almost 18 percent of those over 65 felt in 2020 that walking half a kilometer would cause great difficulties.
According to Koskinen, the question used in research about walking 500 meters is functional from an everyday point of view. If walking a distance causes difficulties or is even impossible, it ultimately significantly affects everyday life and ability to function.
“Within half a kilometer, there is usually a bus stop and a shop in the vicinity of most people, and also acquaintances whom you can visit.”
Koskinen does not consider the ability to run 100 meters to be as significant from a daily life perspective as the ability to walk half a kilometer.
“Even if you’re late for one bus, if you can’t run, there’s often still a next bus that you can use.”
Walking speed is also measured in health check-ups of the elderly population.
“The majority of people in their 80s start to worry if they can get through the traffic lights when they turn green, even if they set off just as they turn green.”
Also According to Koskinen, the long time series measuring the fitness of those who have started conscript service tell uncomfortably about how endurance and muscle condition have deteriorated.
For conscripts of conscript age, this does not really affect the normal movement of everyday life. However, it predicts an earlier loss of mobility, unless something is done about it.
“After all, we have a lot of research evidence that the physical performance of very old people, even people in their nineties, can be improved by training that suits them.”
For elderly people, crossing the road during green lights can be tough. Photo of Ratina in Tampere from last October.
Obesity According to Koskinen, preventive measures are a key factor in improving functional capacity.
“Health taxes were in a very strong tailwind in the eyes of almost all parties before the elections, but now we can see how they will be implemented.”
According to Koskinen, obesity increases the risk of many diseases. Illnesses, on the other hand, tend to weaken the ability to function and work. Increasing exercise not only reduces obesity but also improves functional capacity.
“If it’s difficult to move, then social contacts are easily reduced and it can drag down the mood. As a result, cognitive, psychological and social functioning can be impaired.”
In the Terve Suomi project, hearing is examined with an innovative noise hearing test corresponding to the situation of everyday life. Seppo Koskinen to be measured.
Presently an extensive Terve Suomi study is underway. At the end of last year, 66,000 people received a questionnaire, and 10,000 of them have been invited for a health check-up. Inspections will continue until mid-June.
“Last fall, we will have more detailed information in the light of quite a few indicators, how the mobility, perceived work ability and other functional ability of Finnish people of different ages has changed,” says Koskinen.
According to him, extensive health inspection examinations have been done three times in the 21st century. They cost millions of euros, but offer reliable information on things like blood pressure, mental health, and physical and cognitive functioning. Similar information could not be obtained through surveys.
“Otherwise, we would have to plan and implement social policy that affects health and functional capacity with blindfolds.”
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