Jump into the void? Factors related to a preferred retirement age: gender, social interests, and leisure activities

Leisure Time Satisfaction and Activity Preferences Among Ethnically Diverse Aging Parents in Metro Vancouver

It is well established that family and work-retirement transitions are increasingly becoming more complicated, extended, and reversible among aging parents. Combined with improved life expectancy, older parents are now confronted with new opportunities and challenges including their access to leisure activities. However, a paucity of research exists with regard to the extent to which older-aged parents are satisfied with their amount of leisure time as well as their ideal leisure preferences. Drawing upon socio-cultural life course theory, this paper examines how socio-demographic and ethnocultural variables (i.e., gender, ethnic identity), family-related factors (e.g., presence of children in the household), and socio-economic and work contexts (i.e., income satisfaction and retirement status) shape leisure time satisfaction and activity preferences. Data are drawn from the "Families and Retirement Project," a sample of 588 diverse (British-, Chinese-, Iranian/Persian-, South-Asian Canadians) aged 50 + (mean age = 59.6) residing in Metro Vancouver with at least one young adult child aged 19-35. Quantitative analyses reveal that leisure time satisfaction is higher among: those reporting lower levels of parental stress, the fully retired, those with less education, and among Chinese parents (compared to British). Moreover, strong variations by ethnic background are shown in preferred leisure activity, based on a thematic analysis of data. Results are discussed in terms of contributions to a socio-cultural family life course activity theory. Implications for community service provision (e.g., culturally sensitive and relevant recreational programs and services) are also highlighted, given the salience of participation in enjoyable leisure activities to healthy aging.

Elderly retirement postponement factors: an integrative literature review

This study aimed to search for scientific evidence published in analytical studies which address elderly workers' retirement postponement factors. An integrative literature review was performed searching for papers in Virtual Health Library (BVS) and SciELO databases from January 2009 to March 2018. Twelve papers were selected following consensus by independent reviewers, generating two categories: National Literature and International Literature. We chose this subject because the phenomenon of population aging entails different social and economic impacts between developed and developing nations, such as Brazil. In the analysis of the results, we found that elderly retirement decision involves a variety of personal, organizational and other factors (legislative, cultural, socio-political, technological). In conclusion, we note scarcity of studies on the subject, with exclusive samples of older adults in both categories, as well as that the greater or lesser relevance of a given factor will depend on the life context of each worker. Moreover, since retirement decision is a dynamic process, there is a shortage of longitudinal studies that need to be met with more robust national surveys of the elderly population.

Work participation and risk factors for health-related job loss among older workers in the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) study: Evidence from a 2-year follow-up period

INTRODUCTION

Rapidly increasing population old age dependency ratios create a growing economic imperative for people to work to older ages. However, rates of older worker employment are only increasing slowly. Amongst a cohort of contemporary older workers, we investigated risk factors for health-related job loss (HRJL) over 2 years of follow-up.

METHODS

HEAF is a population based cohort study of adults in England (aged 50-64 years at baseline) who provided information about socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and work at baseline and annual follow-ups. Exits from paid work were mapped and risk factors for HRJL explored in a multiple-record survival dataset by Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

2475 (75%) men and 2668 (66%) women were employed; 115 (4.6%) men and 182 (6.8%) women reported HRJL. Employment as road transport drivers/in vehicle trades (men), or as teaching/education/nursing/midwifery professionals or in caring personal services (women), was more frequent among people exiting work for health-related versus non-health-related reasons. Principal socio-demographic and lifestyle risk factors for HRJL were: struggling financially (men and women); low physical activity (men); being overweight or obese, and current smoking (women). Mutually adjusted work-related risk factors for HRJL were job dissatisfaction, and not coping with the physical (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: men 5.34[3.40,8.39]; women 3.73[2.48,5.60]) or mental demands (women only, 2.02[1.38,2.96]) of work.

CONCLUSIONS

Employment characteristics of contemporary older workers differ by sex. Job satisfaction and perceived ability to cope with the physical and mental demands of work are key determinants of HRJL which employers could potentially influence to enable work to older ages.

Risk of cognitive declines with retirement: Who declines and why?

Retiring is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline (e.g., Bonsang, Adam, & Perelman, 2012; Wickrama, O'Neal, Kwag, & Lee, 2013). However, little is known about the moderating role of motivational and demographic factors that are implicated in adaptive development and the retirement transition process. We used data from the Midlife in the United States Study (n = 732, Mage = 57, SD = 5.76, 50% female) to examine whether the association between retirement and cognitive decline depended on a key motivation factor (goal disengagement) in propensity score matched samples of older retirees and employees. We explored whether these effects were further moderated by gender. Results showed that those who retired (vs. remained employed) experienced steeper 9-year declines in episodic memory (b = -.41, p = .001) only if they were high in goal disengagement and female. Findings are consistent with theories of lifespan development and cognitive aging and provide initial evidence that retirement may be associated with increased cognitive declines for only certain individuals prone to disengage from highly challenging activities and goal pursuits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Barriers and facilitators to extended working lives in Europe: a gender focus

BACKGROUND

There is a global imperative to respond to the challenge of a growing 'old-age dependency ratio' by ensuring the workforce is healthy enough to remain in work for longer. Currently more than half of older workers leave before the default retirement age, and in some countries (e.g. the UK), the time spent in retirement is increasing. At the same time across Europe, there is a gender employment gap, with 14.5% fewer female workers between 55-64 years old, and a large variation in the participation of older women in the workforce (ranging from 30-75%). As older women are under-represented in the workforce, increasing employment in this group has the propensity to go some way towards reducing the old-age dependency ratio to ensure continued economic growth.

OBJECTIVES

This review explores the barriers and facilitators to extended working lives in Europe, particularly those that impact on women.

METHODS

A systematic mapping review process was undertaken using four electronic databases, MEDLINE, PsychoINFO, PsychEXTRA via Ovid and AgeLine via EBSCO, using the terms, 'work', 'ageing', 'retirement', 'pension', 'old', 'barrier', 'extended working life', 'gender' and 'health and well-being'. Hand searching was also carried out in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development and the International Journal of Aging and Society.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 15 English language studies published from 1st January 2005 to the current date that met the inclusion criteria.

KEY FINDINGS

The key factors that influenced decisions to retire or extend working lives in Europe were health, social factors, workplace factors, and financial security and pension arrangements.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE KEY FINDINGS

Health was found to be the most commonly cited barrier to extended working lives in Europe, and a number of social inequalities to work exist by gender. Structural factors exist, such as the gender pay gap, which disadvantages women, while the nature of work itself differs by gender and can have a negative impact on health. Currently, women tend to exit the labour market earlier than men; however, changes in the state pension age are resulting in women being required to work for as long as men, in most countries. For women to remain healthy at work, workplaces need to consider a range of interventions, including flexible arrangements to both work and retirement to enable women to balance the demands of work with domestic and caring responsibilities that particularly impact on them.

The Moderating Influences of Retirement Transition, Age, and Gender on Daily Stressors and Psychological Distress

This study investigated the influences of retirement transition, age, and gender on aspects of daily experiences in adults (aged 50-75 years) who stayed working ( n = 138) and who transitioned into retirement ( n = 72). Data derived from the first and second waves of the Daily Diary Study of the National Survey of Midlife in the United States. Participants completed telephone interviews about their experiences across eight consecutive days. Findings showed a significant interaction effect of retirement transition and age on daily stressors. Gender did not significantly moderate the associations between retirement transition and daily experiences. These findings suggest that retirement transition must be considered in the context of life course influences, especially age, to better determine the quality of daily experiences of midlife and older adults, and these life course influences should be considered in programs and services aimed to help adults navigate the retirement experiences.

The Influences of Employment Status and Daily Stressors on Physiological Functioning in a Sample of Midlife and Older Adults

This study examines the influences of employment status and the moderating role of daily stressors on cortisol levels and responsivity in 182 workers and 253 retirees between 55 and 75 years old from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS-II). As a part of the Daily Diary Study, participants completed telephone interviews about their daily experiences across eight evenings and provided saliva samples across 4 days. Multilevel models showed that workers who experienced greater number of non–work related daily stressors significantly exhibited higher cortisol level at 30 min post awakening ( b = 0.252, SE = 0.109, p < .05) and greater cortisol awakening response ( b = 3.769, SE = 1.898, p < .05) the following morning as compared with retirees who experienced similar amount of daily stressors. Findings demonstrate the important consideration of daily stressors in identifying the ways in which social roles influence physiological functioning in midlife and late adulthood.

Relative prospects of children as they age: Canadians and Americans in midlife in the great recession frame future generations

Studies of intergenerational relations in aging and changing families often focus on the present, how generations interact, relate or depend on each other in families. Less often is the focus on the prospective, on projected perceptions of life course prospects for future generations as they age. In this paper, part of a large multi-method project, we adopt this focus. We rely on interviews conducted in 2013 with midlife respondents in two socioeconomic classes in comparable cities in the United States and Canada, We specifically explore whether and how Canadians and Americans in midlife discuss life course prospects for their children (or younger relatives) in ways that map onto wider discursive frames of aging. Through a combined discourse and frame analysis of our interview data, we find that frames of "The Dream" and "Intergenerational Contract" construct and reflect competing models of intergenerational shifts in life course spaces as well as suggest intergenerational changes in mobility and opportunities.

The Influences of Daily Stressors on Morning Cortisol Levels in Midlife and Older Retirees: The Moderating Roles of Age and Gender

Objectives: This study extends the field of retirement and health by examining the impacts of daily stressors on morning cortisol levels in 253 retirees between 55 and 75 years of age ( M = 66.80, SD = 4.96) and the moderating roles of age and gender. Method: Participants derived from the second wave of the Daily Diary Study portion of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS-II). Across eight consecutive evenings, participants completed telephone interviews about their daily experiences and provided saliva samples across 4 days. Results: Findings from the multilevel models showed that in the context of navigating the day-to-day responsibilities, older retirees were at a greater risk for subsequent hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) dysregulation than younger retirees. Discussion: Together, better identification of the associations between daily stressors and physiological functioning will help contribute to the knowledge on ways to promote greater quality of life in retirement.

Retirement Policies and Support for Emergency Service Personnel: The Transition to Retirement

L’objectif principal de cette étude a été d’examiner les politiques et les procédures pour soutenir les employés prenant leur retraite de leur travail aux services d’urgence. On a mené des entrevues avec les participants qui connaissaient bien les politiques et les procédures actuelles d’un grand ambulance (n = 8) et le service d’incendie (n = 6) en Irlande. Quatre thèmes principaux ont été révelés: (1) «Je ne pense pas que ce soit un bon travail d’etre ambulancier d’urgence quand on a 65 ans»; (2) “ils se sentent véritablement un tout petit peu isolé”; (3) l’amélioration du «choc culturel»; et (4) «Je continue a m’avancer en espérant que tout aille pour le mieux. » Les conclusions indiquent que la retraite est un changement majeur de la vie, et mettent en évidence la nécessité pour une préparation de pré-retraite plus structurée et efficace. Les éléments uniques au personnel des services d’urgence comprennent: le stress physique et émotionnel intense impliqué dans les services d’urgence; une forte identification avec ce service; et un manque de clarté sur les règles et les droits, exigeant meilleure renseignements et préparation pour prendre sa retraite.