ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to assess the work ability of Korean workers in the shipbuilding industry. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is a kind of survey method developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) in 1998 to estimate the work capacity of aged workers. This study surveyed 2,709 persons working in shipbuilding industries in Korea. The average WAI score for all workers was 40.0, denoting a Good level. Current work ability, sick leave during the past year, work ability two years from now, and mental resources were positively correlated with age, but the number of current diseases was negatively correlated with age. Also, workers in the shipbuilding industry had lower work abilities when compared to workers in other industries (housing management 43.6; mechanical industry 41.7; construction industry 41.4). The WAI was analyzed for different age groups (≤ 29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; ≥ 55). The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that a significant difference was identified due to the effects of aging (p < 0.05). The mean WAI score of older workers was higher than that of younger workers.
