The WAge Index: An Age-Inclusive Tool for Assessing Physical and Psychosocial Work Environments
- 1SINTEF Digital ., Oslo, Norway
Abstract
Background: Ageing workforces across Europe demand workplace health strategies that account for how physical and psychosocial factors interact across the lifespan. While links between work demands, resources, and health outcomes are well established, integrated approaches combining physical and psychosocial dimensions in an age-sensitive manner remain scarce. WAge (Horizon Europe) addresses this gap through the WAge Index, an age-inclusive tool for integrated assessment of working environments.
Methods: WAge collected observational, sensor-based, and self-reported physical exposure data alongside psychosocial instruments from workers in manufacturing and service organisations across Portugal, Spain, and Poland. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the psychosocial model structure, followed by stepwise integration of physical factors (ergonomic risk, perceived physical load, musculoskeletal symptoms) into a unified framework. A condensed instrument set derived from cross-sectional findings is undergoing follow-up validation, including test-retest reliability and user testing with workers and organisational stakeholders.
Results: Preliminary findings confirm the multidimensional structure of the integrated model, showing that combined physical and psychosocial exposures are associated with health outcomes. The condensed instrument retains core constructs while reducing assessment burden. Cross-country invariance testing and usability assessment are ongoing. The WAge Index is being developed to help organisations identify risk profiles, generate age-sensitive recommendations, and support evidence-based interventions.
Conclusions: The WAge Index bridges occupational health research and organisational practice. The proposed approach integrates physical and psychosocial dimensions in an age-inclusive framework, and it aims to support healthier, more sustainable working lives, contributing to public health goals on workforce participation and healthy ageing.
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BibTeX
@article{azalde2026wage,
title = {{The WAge Index: An Age-Inclusive Tool for Assessing Physical and Psychosocial Work Environments}},
author = {G Azalde},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.657},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.657},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The WAge Index: An Age-Inclusive Tool for Assessing Physical and Psychosocial Work Environments
AU - G Azalde
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.657
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.657
AB - Background: Ageing workforces across Europe demand workplace health strategies that account for how physical and psychosocial factors interact across the lifespan. While links between work demands, resources, and health outcomes are well established, integrated approaches combining physical and psychosocial dimensions in an age-sensitive manner remain scarce. WAge (Horizon Europe) addresses this gap through the WAge Index, an age-inclusive tool for integrated assessment of working environments. Methods: WAge collected observational, sensor-based, and self-reported physical exposure data alongside psychosocial instruments from workers in manufacturing and service organisations across Portugal, Spain, and Poland. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the psychosocial model structure, followed by stepwise integration of physical factors (ergonomic risk, perceived physical load, musculoskeletal symptoms) into a unified framework. A condensed instrument set derived from cross-sectional findings is undergoing follow-up validation, including test-retest reliability and user testing with workers and organisational stakeholders. Results: Preliminary findings confirm the multidimensional structure of the integrated model, showing that combined physical and psychosocial exposures are associated with health outcomes. The condensed instrument retains core constructs while reducing assessment burden. Cross-country invariance testing and usability assessment are ongoing. The WAge Index is being developed to help organisations identify risk profiles, generate age-sensitive recommendations, and support evidence-based interventions. Conclusions: The WAge Index bridges occupational health research and organisational practice. The proposed approach integrates physical and psychosocial dimensions in an age-inclusive framework, and it aims to support healthier, more sustainable working lives, contributing to public health goals on workforce participation and healthy ageing.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -