Work Ability Index and its Correlates among Police Officers in a District of South Kerala

Work ability, crucial for health and productivity, hinges on the balance between work demands and personal resources and is impacted by evolving factors. Effective occupational health practices and stress management significantly influence workforce well-being, especially in professions such as the police force. This study aimed to assess the work ability index (WAI) of police officers in a district of South Kerala and explore its correlation with the occupational stress index (OSI). The secondary objective was to find the sociodemographic factors associated with WAI and OSI. In this community-based cross-sectional study conducted from August 2018 to July 2019, 124 police officers in Kerala's Kollam district were selected via multistage cluster sampling. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on WAI and OSI and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The study involved participants with a mean age (SD) of 44.56 (5.98) years, of whom 56.5% were males. It was found that 2.4% had poor, 33.1% moderate, 37.9% good, and 26.6% had excellent WAI. The mean OSI score was 141.2 (SD: 20.8), exhibiting a significant association with the WAI. Police officers identified strenuous working conditions, role ambiguity, overload, unprofitability, and low status as major stressors. The poor WAI was also linked to multimorbidity. The study found that subjects generally exhibited good work ability based on their average WAI score, which correlated negatively with high work stress levels. It underscores the importance of training police officers in communication skills and implementing preventive measures to enhance workplace health and safety.