Generalisability of findings
The generalisability of findings from occupational cohorts is
limited by the participants, often a relatively homogeneous
group working in one field or organisation. Similarly, in this
study, all respondents were office based, white collar civil
servants at baseline screening. Civil servants made up
approximately 2% of the workforce in the UK in 1998.26 Many
civil servants are engaged in providing services to the general
public, such as paying pensions and issuing driving licences.
Others provide advice and information to ministers in support
of the development and implementation of policy, including
legal, statistical, and economic issues. In addition to specialists,
the civil service employs large numbers of administrators
and general office staff. Thus, in its structure and functions the
civil service resembles many other office settings, for example
financial services in the private sector and corporations in the
public sector. Also, by Phase 5, 29% of those in employment
were working outside the civil service, a factor likely to
increase generalisability to other white collar workforces in
mid-career to late career