The impact of occupational experience on cognitive and physical functional status among older adults in a representative sample of Korean subjects

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the impact of occupation on cognitive and physical function within an occupational window of the past 15 years using a nationally representative sample in Korea. METHODS: A total of 4,408 subjects aged 60 and older were selected from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Functional health was evaluated using the Korean versions of the Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL), and Activities of Daily Living (K-ADL) measures. RESULTS: The prevalence of lower function was higher among women than among men, and employed persons had better cognitive and physical function compared with the retired and unemployed. Longer work duration during the past 15 years significantly and positively affected all measures of function in men, whereas it only improved physical function in women. Manual laborers exhibited improved functional capacity with longer work durations over the past 15 years, although they presented lower functional scores compared with non-manual laborers. There was a curvilinear relationship of work duration with cognitive and physical function among men and manual laborers. CONCLUSION: In our population, longer work duration, especially for men and for manual laborers, appears to be a significant contributor to the cognitive and physical function of older people.