How May Working Hours and Occupations Affect Arthritis? Results from a Nationally Representative Dataset

Objective: Even though many studies have focused on the relationship between osteoarthritis and occupation, few studies have examined the relationship between arthritis and working hours; this paper seeks to fill this gap in the literature. Methods: We used a Cox regression method for the sample from Health and Retirement Survey. Results: We found that working more hours reduces the probability of arthritis among older workers in the United States. We also showed which occupations put workers at greater risk for developing arthritis. Conclusion: It is important to understand the risk of arthritis in an elderly workforce because of its policy implications on ideas such as restricting weekly working hours. Therefore, this study’s findings may raise questions about the need for initiatives in the European Union and other countries that regulate the permitted length of work schedules.