Are job and personal resources associated with work ability 10 years later? The mediating role of work engagement

Using a two-wave 10-year longitudinal design, this study examined the motivational process proposed by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The aim was to examine whether work engagement acts as a mediator between job resources (i.e. supervisory relations, interpersonal relations and task resources) and personal resources (self-esteem) on the one hand and future work ability (i.e. a worker's functional ability to do their job) on the other. The second aim was to investigate the mediating role of engagement between past work ability and future work ability. Structural equation modelling was used to test the mediation hypotheses among Finnish firefighters (N = 403). As hypothesized, engagement at T2 fully mediated the impact of job and personal resources at T1 on work ability at T2. In addition, the effect of work ability at T1 on work ability at T2 was partially mediated by engagement at T2. These results indicate that job and personal resources may have long-term effects on engagement, and consequently on work ability, thus expanding on the propositions of the JD-R model. The results show a dual role of work ability, as a health-related resource that may foster engagement and an outcome driven by the motivational process proposed by the JD-R model.