Metabolic syndrome and poor self-rated health as risk factors for premature employment exit: a longitudinal study among 55 016 middle-aged and older workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Poor self-rated health (SRH) is a well-established risk factor for premature employment exit through unemployment, work disability, and early retirement. However, it is unclear whether the premature employment exit risk associated with underlying cardio-metabolic health conditions is fully captured by poor SRH. This study examines the metabolic syndrome (MetS), an early-stage risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes mellitus, as a risk factor for premature employment exit while controlling for poor SRH. METHODS: We analyzed data from N = 55 016 Dutch workers (40-64 years) from five waves of the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank. MetS components were based on physical measures, blood markers, and medication use. SRH and employment states were self-reported. The associations between MetS, SRH, and premature employment exit types were analyzed using competing risk regression analysis. RESULTS: During 4.3 years of follow-up, MetS remained an independent risk factor for unemployment [adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR): 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.25] and work disability (adjusted SHR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.58) when adjusted for poor SRH, common chronic diseases related to labor market participation (i.e., cancer, musculoskeletal-, pulmonary-, and psychiatric diseases), and sociodemographic factors. MetS was not associated with early retirement. CONCLUSIONS: Poor SRH did not fully capture the risk for unemployment and work disability associated with MetS. More awareness about MetS as a 'hidden' cardio-metabolic risk factor for premature employment exit is needed among workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. Regular health check-ups including MetS assessment and MetS prevention might help to prolong healthy working lives.

Does Phased Retirement Increase Vitality in Older Workers? Findings from a 3­Year Follow­Up Panel Study.

This study investigates the effects of phased retirement on vitality and how this effect differs for workers dealing with work, family and health strain and low levels of baseline vitality. We used two waves of the NIDI Pension Panel Survey, conducted in 2015 and 2018, in the Netherlands. Data from 1,247 older workers, of whom 10% opted for phased retirement, were analyzed. Vitality is assessed in three ways: a composite measure of vitality, and its subcomponents energy and fatigue. Conditional change regression models demonstrated that transitioning into phased retirement improved vitality and energy levels and reduced fatigue. Older workers with low energy levels at baseline showed greater improvements in energy after using phased retirement: this result was not evident for those with low vitality and high fatigue at baseline. Phased retirement improved vitality for workers with high work strain. Vitality for workers with family or health strain was not improved. Interestingly, the positive effects of phased retirement were equally visible among workers with and without adverse health conditions and caregiving responsibilities. Our study provides evidence on the benefits of phased retirement as a method to sustainably ensure healthy aging of not only vulnerable but all older workers.

When is fertility too low or too high? Population policy preferences of demographers around the world.

When does fertility in a country become so low or so high that a government needs to intervene? This paper sheds light on this population policy question, based on a worldwide survey among demographers. We examine how professionals' policy preferences regarding fertility levels are affected by their views on the impacts of population growth/decline and by fertility in their country of residence. The median respondent suggests intervention once fertility goes below 1.4 children or above 3.0. Three results stand out: first, demographers who are concerned about the carrying capacity of the earth are more willing to intervene than those who are less concerned. Second, the context of decision-making matters: experts living in high-fertility countries are more set on intervention than those living in low-fertility countries, but their threshold fertility level is also higher. Third, political orientation matters: right-leaning demographers are more set on government intervention than left-leaning demographers.

Why do older workers with chronic health conditions prefer to retire early?

BACKGROUND: older workers experiencing chronic health conditions (CHCs) are more likely to retire early. The different pathways through which CHCs stimulate retirement preferences, however, remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE: we present a more comprehensive model in which we test the different pathways through which four specific CHCs-arthritis, cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders and psychological disorders-influence early retirement preferences. We hypothesize that the association between CHCs and early retirement preferences is differentially mediated by subjective life expectancy (SLE), perceived health-related work limitations (HRWL) and vitality. METHODS: we collected data from 5,696 wage-employed older workers (60 to 64 years) in the Netherlands in 2015. Regression models were estimated to examine the associations between CHCs and early retirement preferences. Mediation analysis with the Karlson, Holm and Breen method was used to examine potential mediation pathways. RESULTS: SLE, HRWL and vitality mediated the association between CHCs and older workers' early retirement preferences. The dominant mediator differed depending on the CHC. Severe HRWL predominantly guided the retirement preferences of older workers with arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Lower vitality mainly mediated retirement preferences of older workers with sleep and psychological disorders. Lower SLE was a significant mediation pathway for older workers with cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: HRWL and vitality play a major role in determining retirement preferences of older workers experiencing CHCs. Since both mediators are modifiable, targeted interventions may not only extend older workers' working lives, but also improve the quality of their working lives.

Partners' adjustment to older workers' retirement: testing the role of preretirement expectations in a 10-year panel study.

Objectives: Retirement is not only an important later-life transition for the retiring individual, but also for his or her life partner. This study aims to improve our understanding of the partner's adjustment to the retirement of the older worker, by paying attention to the multidimensional nature of adjustment, and by examining to what extent preretirement expectations are predictive of postretirement experiences. Well-established adjustment predictors - i.e. preretirement resources and characteristics of the work and retirement context - are also taken into account. Method: Analyses are based on Dutch three-wave multi-actor panel data, collected between 2001 and 2011 among 724 partners of older workers who transitioned into retirement during the course of the study. Results: Only a minority of the partners reported adjustment difficulties to the retirement of the employee. About 20 percent reported at least some financial problems, 8 percent reported relationship problems, and 10 percent reported problems with shared leisure time. Expected problems in all three domains were predictive of experienced problems in the same domain. For expected financial problems, a cross-over effect was observed: expected financial problems were also predictive of experienced adjustment difficulties with regards to shared leisure activities. Conclusion: Not only the older worker, but also the partner develops expectations on different dimensions about the shared postretirement future, and these expectations are related to postretirement experiences. Retirement counseling may therefore not only be relevant for older workers, but also for their partners, and needs to take the multidimensional character of retirement processes into account.

When is quitting an escape? How different job demands affect physical and mental health outcomes of retirement.

Background: The demographic aging of societies and the need to adapt to this trend makes it important to gain insight into the way retirement affects different forms of health, and factors that influence this relationship. Pre-retirement job characteristics have only rarely been included in this type of research. Methods: The regressor variable method is applied to two waves (4 and 5) of data from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe, a multi-national prospective cohort study. The final sample consists of 9092 people aged 50-70 at wave 4, of whom 1257 retired voluntarily. Health is assessed through the presence of physical health problems, general self-rated health and the EURO-D scale for depressive symptoms. Results: The findings indicate that retirement from jobs with high physical demands leads to a relative improvement in general self-rated health compared with those who remain at work. Retirement from a psychologically demanding job is associated with less depressive symptoms. No effects are found for health measured as the presence of physical health problems. Conclusion: Different types of measures for health yield different results for outcomes of retirement; pre-retirement job demands play an important role in how retirement affects health; physical demands seem primarily related to physical health benefits, psychological demands seem primarily related to mental health benefits.

[Symposium The future of informal care]. / Symposium De toekomst van de informele zorg.

Due to the reform of long term care in 2015, there is growing concern about whether groups at risk receive the care they need. People in need of care have to rely more on help from their social network. The increased need for informal care requires resilience and organizational skills of families, but also of volunteers, professionals and employers. What does this mean for the provision of informal care in the next decennia? The symposium 'The future of informal care', organized on January 26 2017 by the National Institute for Social Research and the Institute for Societal Resilience of the Vrije Universiteit, addressed possible answers to this question. In her inaugural speech Alice de Boer discussed social inequality as possible determinant and outcome of informal care. Some conclusions:Until 2050 the absolute number of 75-plus doubled to about 3 million persons, but the number of informal caregivers will decrease. In addition to the importance of social and economic resources (the 'have & have-nots'), the ability to arrange care (the 'can & can-nots') gains importance.Almost half of the older employers provides informal care just before retirement. Flexibility in working hours and work location facilitates combining work and care, but about half of the employers indicates that partial retirement and working at home are no options.Informal caregivers and professionals often provide care from comparable perspectives and identities. Addressing similarities rather than differences improves their chances for collaboration.The number of adult children providing household care to older parents increased between 2002 and 2014. This suggests an increase in family solidarity, but current reform policies may increase the gender inequality in caregiving families.Spouses and children remain primary caregivers in the future, preferably supported by many different types of caregivers. Not everybody has the capabilities to organize and direct such a large care network.Providing informal care increases the risk for overburden and absence at work or education. Informal caregivers at risk remain, also in the future, women, spouses, migrants, and younger carers.

Explaining emigration intentions and behaviour in the Netherlands, 2005-10.

We examined the emigration intentions of native-born Dutch residents and their subsequent emigration behaviour from 2005 to 2010. Data were collected from two surveys on emigration intentions, one conducted locally and one nationally. A number of novel results stand out. First, intentions were good predictors of future emigration: 34 per cent of those who had stated an intention to emigrate actually emigrated within the 5-year follow-up period. Second, the personality of potential migrants and their discontent with the quality of the public domain in the Netherlands (e.g., crowded space and inadequate access to unspoilt nature, pollution, crime level, mentality of people) were the strongest contributors to the motivation to move abroad. Third, the main difference between movers and those who stated intentions to emigrate but had not (yet) followed through was their state of health: healthy people were more likely to follow through with their migration intentions than those in poorer health.

A Life of Leisure? Investigating the Differential Impact of Retirement on Leisure Activity.

OBJECTIVES: Remaining active in older adulthood is widely endorsed by governments and policy-makers as a way of promoting public health and curbing welfare spending. Despite links between greater leisure activity in older adulthood and better health, cognitive function, and subjective well-being, there is a dearth of research investigating the impact of retirement on leisure activity engagement. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to address this knowledge gap and investigate the impact of retirement on leisure activity engagement. METHODS: Using panel data from 2 waves of a large-scale longitudinal survey of Dutch older workers (N = 4,927), we investigated the impact of retirement on hours spent engaging in physical, social, and self-development activities. We further investigated the differential impact of retirement on leisure activity in retirement based on various sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Although leisure activity increased across all 3 activity domains, conditional change ordinal least square regression models revealed that retirement resulted in significantly greater increases in activity relative to nonretirees. Additional analyses including interaction terms revealed that the impact of retirement on self-development and social activity differed significantly based on gender and education. DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates that while time in leisure activity largely increases in response to retirement the nature and magnitude of the impact of retirement on leisure activity is not uniform. From a policy perspective, findings that certain groups, namely men and lower--educated individuals, may be at greater risk of lower activity levels may help guide interventions promoting active aging and retirement.

Retaining retirement-eligible older workers through training participation: The joint implications of individual growth need and organizational climates.

As the workforce ages, organizations are increasing their efforts to retain retirement-eligible workers to avoid human capital shortages and preserve knowledge reservoirs. Nevertheless, the potential factors and underlying mechanisms relating to the retention of retirement-eligible workers have rarely been examined. The current research investigates how retirement-eligible workers may be retained by the organization through human capital development activities. Specifically, we draw upon the motivated choice framework to investigate the joint implications of individual (i.e., individual growth need) and organizational factors (i.e., climate for developing older workers and age-inclusive climate) for retirement-eligible workers' training participation and thereby retention. We tested our hypotheses with two samples in the Netherlands. Study 1 utilized the two-wave, multilevel survey data (2015-2018) from the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute Pension Panel Study (N = 3,200 older workers from 409 organizations). We found that individual growth need and climate for developing older workers had positive associations with training participation, which in turn was positively related to older workers' decision to stay (vs. retire) despite retirement eligibility. In addition, age-inclusive climate amplified the positive relationship between individual growth need and training participation. Study 2 utilized the two-wave Longitudinal Internet studies for the Social Sciences panel data (N = 301 older workers). We replicated result patterns from Study 1 and found that person-organization fit and needs-supplies fit mediated the relationship between training participation and retirement-eligible workers' intention to stay. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Motivational Drivers of Temporal Dynamics in Postretirement Work.

OBJECTIVES: Many retirees continue to work in retirement, but the temporal dynamics of this process are not well understood. This article examined the extent to which retirees increase, decrease, and exit their work engagement over time. We hypothesized that different motives for postretirement work-financial, social, personal, and organizational-have differential affects on changes in work extent. METHODS: We analyzed 7 waves of the HEalth, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden study (n = 3,123). Postretirement work was defined as working for pay while receiving pension benefits. Changes in work extent were estimated with multistate models and examined in relation to the 4 motives. RESULTS: Results showed a gradual decrease in work extent following retirement. Financial motives increased the likelihood to take up more work and decreased the likelihood to reduce work hours. Social motives increased the likelihood to reduce and exit work, while personal motives decreased the likelihood for those same pathways. Organizational (demand-driven) motives increased the likelihood to stop working. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that financial motives constitute an important driver for taking up more work in retirement, while motives related to the personal meaning of work explain why retirees maintain their level of engagement over time. The social function of work, on the other hand, may be gradually replaced by social activities outside of work, resulting in a gradual disengagement from work. Finally, demand-driven motives appear insufficient to remain in the labor force, highlighting the need to acknowledge the diversity of motives for continuing to work.

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for premature employment exit: A longitudinal study among 60 427 middle-aged and older workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether (i) metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk for premature employment exit and (ii) a dose-response relationship exists between an increasing number of MetS components and premature employment exit among middle-aged and older workers. METHODS: A sample of N=60 427 Dutch workers (40-64 years old) from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank were examined using data from five measurement waves during a total median follow-up time of 4.2 years. MetS components were based on physical measures, blood markers, and medication use. Premature employment exit types (ie, unemployment, work disability, and early retirement) were determined using questionnaires. MetS and number of MetS components were examined as risk factors for premature employment exit using competing risk regression analysis. RESULTS: MetS significantly increased the risk for work disability [adjusted sub distribution hazard ratio (SHR) 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54-2.05] and unemployment (adjusted SHR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.26). A clear dose-response relationship was found for an increasing number of MetS components and work disability. No associations were found between MetS (components) and early retirement after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: MetS was identified as a modifiable early-stage cardio-metabolic risk factor especially for work disability and, to a lesser extent, for unemployment. Further, a clear dose-response relationship was found between an increasing number of MetS components and work disability. MetS interventions and prevention might help to prolong working lives. More awareness is needed among employers and occupational health professionals about the premature employment exit risk faced by middle-aged and older workers with MetS.

Effects of Prevalent and Newly Diagnosed Arthritis on Changes in Perceived Physical Demands and Work Stress Among Older Workers: Results of a 3 Year Panel Study.

OBJECTIVES: Examine the effects of prevalent and newly diagnosed arthritis on changes in perceived physical demands and general work stress. METHODS: Conditional change logistic regression models examined the strength of association between arthritis and perceived (1) work stress and (2) physical demands, using data from the NIDI Pension Panel Study (n = 2099). RESULTS: Prevalent and newly diagnosed arthritis were associated with increased odds of perceived work stress and high physical demands. Manual workers with newly diagnosed arthritis exhibited a 6.73-fold (95% CI = 2.87-15.77) increased odds of physical demands. Arthritis in three body extremities was differentially associated with increased odds of work stress and physical demands in manual and non-manual workers. DISCUSSION: Prevalent and incident arthritis were associated with changes in work stress and physical demands in older workers. Policies and workplace interventions to reduce stress and physical demands and improve workability in older workers with arthritis are needed.

Children of the Revolution: The Impact of 1960s and 1970s Cultural Identification on Baby Boomers' Views on Retirement.

There is widespread speculation that baby boomers will make significant changes to the retirement landscape. Some attribute these changes, at least in part, to countercultural movements this generation pioneered during the sixties and seventies. However, empirical investigation into the long-term impact of countercultural identification in youth is scarce. To address this, our study examines associations between baby boomers' retirement views and identification with counterculture. Using data from 6024 pre-retired Dutch older workers, we investigate whether greater identification with counterculture is associated with more active retirement views. Our results show that greater identification with counterculture is associated with more active retirement views, even when controlling for potential confounders. Beyond highlighting the diversity of the baby boom generation, these findings support the idea that (counter)cultural identity in youth has an impact across the life course and may therefore have implications for other key questions of life's third age beyond retirement.

How Do Newly Diagnosed Chronic Health Conditions Affect Older Workers' Vitality and Worries About Functional Ability?

With increasing retirement ages, older workers are working longer while being newly diagnosed with chronic health conditions (CHCs). Our knowledge on how newly diagnosed CHCs influence older workers' vitality and worries is limited. We examine how four newly diagnosed CHCs affect older workers' vitality and worries about physical and mental functional ability. We used data from a Dutch pension panel survey. A sample of 1,894 older workers (60-62 years) was analyzed using conditional change OLS regression models. Having CHCs decreased vitality and increased worries. This effect was worse for older workers newly diagnosed with CHCs. Being newly diagnosed with physically disabling conditions increased worries about physical functioning, while being newly diagnosed with mentally disabling conditions increased worries about mental functioning. These findings aid the identification of vulnerable groups of older workers, thereby informing interventions that could improve quality of life, while promoting healthy aging at work.

Does Retirement Change What Individuals Value in Life? Results From a 3-Year Panel Study.

OBJECTIVES: In previous research on retirement, what individuals value in life is often assumed to remain stable after the transition into retirement. However, retirement exposes individuals to new social settings and might thus prompt them to reevaluate their life orientations. Quantitative empirical knowledge about this process is limited, though. This study examines the impact of retirement on changes in the perceived importance of self-development, social status, societal contribution, and generativity in older adults' lives. We draw on the life-course framework to develop hypotheses about which life orientations are more likely to change after retirement and how. METHODS: We analyzed data collected in 2015 and 2018 among 5,034 Dutch individuals aged 60-65 and employed at baseline. Around half had fully retired at follow-up (either voluntarily or involuntarily), and 10% worked after retirement. RESULTS: Conditional change models reveal that voluntary full retirement was linked to statistically significant-but (very) small-decreases in the importance of self-development, social status, societal contribution, and generativity compared to continuous career work. Differences in changes of life orientations between retirement processes (i.e., postretirement work, involuntary full retirement) were also small. DISCUSSION: The findings point to relatively high levels of continuity during the transition from career employment to retirement, given the small effect sizes observed. The notion that after retirement, individuals will reevaluate what they value in life-as expected in light of the exposure-based mechanism from the life-course literature-seems to be less pronounced than initially expected.

Trust and Distrust in Pension Providers in Times of Decline and Reform: Analysis of Survey Data 2004-2021.

Trust in pension providers by participants is essential because pension providers try to fulfill their pension promises in a fundamentally uncertain world. Reforms and crises are therefore the ultimate testing ground for pension trust. In this paper we estimate with repeated cross-sectional survey data how trust and distrust in Dutch pension funds and the government have evolved over the period 2004-2021 and what the impact of financial stability on trust in these two institutions has been. Financial stability of pension funds, measured by their funding ratio, is shown to affect trust positively, but it does not decrease distrust significantly. Based on the estimation results, achieving a situation where the majority of the adult population trusts pension funds is likely to be attained at funding ratios of 115 or higher. Financial stability of government (measured by government debt/GDP ratio) does not affect either trust or distrust levels. Underlying drivers of distrust and trust such as personal characteristics are also notable: self-employed are more prone to distrust pension funds than employees. Women are more than men likely to take a neutral position.

Transitioning out of work and metabolic syndrome incidence: a longitudinal study among 13 303 older workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates (1) whether different employment transition types (ie, unemployment, work disability, early retirement and regular retirement) are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence among older workers (50-64 years) and (2) whether occupational group moderates the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence. METHODS: A sample of 13 303 older Dutch workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank was examined using longitudinal data from two comprehensive measurement waves with a mean follow-up time of 3.7 years. MetS components were based on physical measures, blood markers and medication use. Employment transitions were determined using questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence. RESULTS: Older workers who transitioned from employment to unemployment (adjusted OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.82) or work disability (adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.10) had a significantly higher MetS incidence than the working control group. No association between early retirement or regular retirement with MetS incidence was found after adjusting for sociodemographic, educational and occupational factors. Occupational group did not moderate the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that older workers who transition from employment to unemployment or work disability are at risk for developing MetS. More awareness among occupational physicians and general practitioners about MetS incidence in late working life is needed in general and more specific among older workers who transition into unemployment or work disability.

Are employers changing their behavior toward older workers? An analysis of employers' surveys 2000-2009.

This article addresses possible changes in Dutch employers' behavior regarding the recruitment and retention of older workers during the last decade. The authors analyze surveys administered to Dutch employers in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2009. The results show that efforts to recruit older workers are changing, congruous with the economic climate, while retention behavior shows a clear and rather gradual time effect. The authors conclude that the position of older workers has improved between 2000 and 2008 and has done so in comparison with other underrepresented groups in the labor market. During the recession, recruitment of older workers declined substantially, while efforts to retain older workers are in both absolute and relative terms higher than in 2000. With respect to organizational policies, the authors conclude that throughout the period under observation these policies are dominated by measures that "spare" older workers.

Participation in training at older ages: A European perspective on path dependency in life course trajectories.

Investments in lifelong learning may create unsatisfactory results, and this could potentially contribute to the reproduction of inequalities. We argue that the process is related to the accumulation of opportunities and barriers for participation in training, which can lock individuals in disadvantageous path-dependent trajectories. We take a longitudinal approach to analyse whether participation in training in older age is path-dependent, and whether this path dependency is related to institutional contexts. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we trace individual training trajectories in the population aged 50+ in twelve European countries between 2010 and 2015 (27 370 respondents). Hierarchical Bayesian logit models serve to assess the probability of training during the sixth wave, with a lagged dependent variable as a predictor. Results suggest that training participation is path-dependent and participation in training is limited for people who have not trained previously. It is also related to macrostructural context: path dependency is lower in countries with stronger knowledge economies, stronger emphasis on education, and a proactive ageing climate. Recognising path dependency can help to improve access to training and design policies that address problems of cohesion, active ageing and adult learning.