Self-Reported Poor Work Ability--An Indicator of Need for Rehabilitation? A Cross-Sectional Study of a Sample of German Employees.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess associations of self-reported work ability as measured by the Work Ability Index (WAI) with modifiable behavioral and occupational health risks, health service utilization, and intended rehabilitation and pension requests.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study of a random sample of German employees aged 40-54 yrs on sickness benefits in 2012 (trial registration: DRKS00004824).

Results: In total, 1312 male and 1502 female employees were included in the analyses.