Gaining weight through retirement? Results from the SHARE survey

This paper estimates the causal impact of retirement on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of adults aged 50–69 years old, on the probability of being either overweight or obese and on the probability of being obese. Based on the 2004, 2006 and 2010–2011 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), our identification strategy exploits variation in European Early Retirement Ages (ERAs) and stepwise increases in ERAs in Austria and Italy between 2004 and 2011 to examine an exogenous shock to retirement behavior. Our results show that retirement induced by discontinuous incentives in early retirement schemes causes a 12-percentage point increase in the probability of being obese among men within a two- to four-year period. We find that the impact of retirement is highly non-linear and mostly affects the right-hand side of the male BMI distribution. Additional results show that this pattern is driven by men retiring from strenuous jobs and by those who were already at risk of obesity. In contrast, no significant results are found among women.     

Retirement and health: Evidence from England

This paper utilizes census records, inpatient records, comprehensive surveys, and mortality records from England to trace out the effect of reaching retirement age on retirement status and health outcomes. Applying a regression discontinuity design leveraging the pension age, I find that retirement substantially improves well-being and reported health. I find no immediate effect of retirement on behavioral outcomes and no evidence of changes to cognitive ability, utilization, or mortality. While prior literature has considered the effects of retirement on specific outcomes, this paper systematically examines the full range of health-related outcomes with administrative and survey data in a unified context.     

Routes to retirement,working conditions and quality of life in comparative perspective

An important response to the challenges of ageing populations has been reforms to decrease the economic incentives for early retirement. For individuals with poor working conditions, however, there is a risk that each additional working year may have negative consequences on their quality of life after retirement. Using data from 12 countries and 3000 individuals from the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe), this study analyses exit routes from work to retirement in a comparative perspective. Using group-based trajectory modelling, results indicated that poor late-working life working conditions was associated with exit routes with high reliance upon income from different transfer schemes. Using multilevel models, analyses then indicated that the generosity of these transfer schemes has a positive impact on post-retirement quality of life. Limitations and policy implication of the study are discussed at the end.     

Thank you for letting me be your physician

I believe this article emphasizes how emotionally valuable receiving patients' trust is to the practicing physician. It also gives new insight into understanding the emotional loss a physician may experience when leaving private practice, even if they remain active in medicine. Finally, for those entering medicine, it explains the profound personal satisfaction they can experience from long term trusting relationships with patients.     

MACVIA-LR,Reference site of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) in Languedoc Roussillon

The Région Languedoc-Roussillon is the umbrella organisation for an interconnected and integrated project on AHA covering the 3 pillars of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. All sub-activities (A1: electronic pharmaceutical file, A2: falls prevention initiative, A3: frailty, B3: chronic respiratory diseases, chronic diseases with comorbidities, oral health and hepatitis virus C chronic infection, C2 and D4 active and independent living and handicap) are included in MACVIA-LR that has a strong political commitment and includes all stakeholders (public, private, patients, policy makers). It is one of the Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing built around chronic diseases, ageing and handicap. The framework of MACVIA-LR has the vision that the prevention and management of CDs is essential for AHA promotion and for the reduction of handicap. The main objective of MACVIA-LR is to develop innovative solutions for a network of Living Labs in order to improve the care of patients affected by CDs in the Languedoc-Roussillon area and to disseminate the innovation.     

An examination of women's retirement: African American women

This paper examines the retirement of African American women with regard to their attitudes toward retirement and experiences with retirement in light of their education, family relationships and job experiences. Twenty-one older African American women were interviewed between 1991 and 1993 in their homes using a semi-structured interview format and question areas used in an earlier study of older white women's retirement experiences. We identified several patterns of why these women retired and several patterns of post-retirement reactions. In comparison to the white retirees, they shared similar reasons for retirement in that they were anticipators, resistors, and continued to work far into their aging years. They shared similar retirement experiences in that many enjoyed retirement, although some felt a loss of status. There were some significant differences, particularly in the extent to which the black women were involved with their families during their work years and following retirement, and the number of African American women who went back to work following their formal retirement. These data suggest the need to examine the meaning of retirement as it varies within genders and racial and ethnic categories.     

Retirement and cognitive decline. A longitudinal analysis using SHARE data

We show that a new measure of cognitive decline, that can be computed in longitudinal surveys where respondents perform the same recall memory tests over the years, is highly predictive of the onset of dementia. Using SHARE data, we investigate the way retirement affects cognitive decline over time controlling for age, education and other confounding factors. We find that retirement has a long-term detrimental effect on cognition for individuals who retire at the statutory eligibility age. It plays instead a protective role for those who retire on an early retirement scheme.     

Relationships of proactive behaviour with job-related affective well-being and anticipated retirement age: an exploration among older employees in Belgium

Developed countries throughout the world are challenged with the ageing of their labour force. In these societal contexts, low employment rates and early labour market exits of older employees are at stake, as well as arrangements for retirement, financial household considerations and mutual obligations between generations. Although proactive behaviour has been extensively studied, no research has addressed the proactive behaviour of older employees themselves when facing (re)hiring and retention versus early retirement. For the first time, this study tests the relationships of proactive behaviour with job-related affective well-being and anticipated retirement age in a sample of employees aged 50+ (N = 89) in Belgium. The findings are obtained by using a self-report questionnaire. Statistical analysis includes correlation and regression analysis. Major findings are that (i) proactive older employees feel energetic, enthusiastic, inspired, at ease, relaxed and satisfied; and (ii) later retirement is anticipated when experiencing positive affective well-being at study.