Bridge Employment or Encore Career? Examining Predictors That Distinguish Later-Life Career Transitions.

OBJECTIVES: Bridge employment and encore careers are 2 prevalent retirement pathways that have different goals and outcomes. Yet, "changing jobs in later life" is the shared prequel that blurs the distinction between them in empirical studies. This study proposes a set of criteria-voluntariness of career transition and the duration of work in the posttransition job-to distinguish various retirement pathways and investigates the predictors that distinguish the workers' choice of these pathways. METHODS: I conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine the predictors that distinguish between bridge employment, encore career, and direct workforce exit using the longitudinal sample of respondents with full-time career jobs in the Health and Retirement Study 1992-2020 (HRS, N = 2,038). To examine the predictors that distinguish between bridge employment and encore careers, I conducted logistic regression on the subsample of respondents who chose either bridge employment or encore careers (n = 927). RESULTS: The results show that the accumulated human capital from career jobs, physical and mental health conditions before leaving career jobs, and self-identified retirement status when transitioning to new jobs distinguish the workers' choices of taking on different retirement pathways. DISCUSSION: Maintaining the labor force participation of older workers is an important human resource agenda for policymakers. This study suggests that increasing the number of quality jobs for older workers would promote bridge employment and encore careers by raising the benefits of making career transitions as well as improving older workers' health.

Retirements of professional tennis players in second- and third-tier tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours.

The demands of professional tennis, including physical and psychological aspects, contribute to the frequency of retirements at elite levels of the sport. The aim of this study was to analyze epidemiological patterns and risk factors associated with retirements in previous ATP and WTA Tour tournaments. A retrospective cohort study was conducted. This study focused on previous ATP and WTA Tour tournaments. The ATP database encompassed 584,806 matches, while the WTA database included 267,380 matches. To assess retirements, potential risk factors such as playing surface, tournament category, match round, and player age were analyzed. Incidence rates were calculated for the period between 1978-2019 for men and 1994-2018 for women. The overall incidence rate was 1.56 (95%CI: 1.54, 1.59) and 1.36 (95%CI: 1.33, 1.39) retirements per 1000 games played in male and female competitions, respectively. Retirements increased over the years. Higher incidence rates were observed on hard (1.59 [95%CI: 1.56, 1.63] and 1.39 [95%CI: 1.34, 1.44]) and clay (1.60 [95%CI: 1.57, 1.63] and 1.36 [95%CI: 1.32, 1.41]) compared to grass courts (0.79 [95%CI: 0.65, 0.94] and 1.06 [95%CI: 0.88, 1.27]). Risk factors differed by gender, with tournament category significant in males (IRR: 1.23 [95%CI: 1.19, 1.28] in ITF vs ATP) and match round in females (IRR: 0.92 [95%CI: 0.88, 0.98] in preliminary vs final). This study provides valuable insights for coaches, players, support teams, and epidemiologists regarding retirements and associated risk factors in previous ATP and WTA Tour tournaments, contributing to injury prevention strategies.

The impact of basic pension for urban and rural residents on the subjective well-being of the older adult in Chinese rural areas.

Introduction: As an important component of the social security system, basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents is expected to improve the quality of life of rural older adult people and make their lives better and happier. This article mainly studies the relationship between the basic pension for urban and rural residents and the subjective well-being of older adult people in rural China. Methods: This paper uses data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) for the years 2018 and 2020. It selected samples of rural older adult people aged 60 and above, ultimately obtaining 9,310 samples. The impact of the basic pension for urban and rural residents on the subjective well-being of rural older adult people was estimated by constructing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation methods and ordered logistic regression models. The robustness of the results was verified by changing the regression methods, and the samples were divided into different groups for heterogeneity analysis according to three different standards. Results: The results show that the basic pension for urban and rural residents significantly improves the life satisfaction of rural older adult, reduces their degrees of depression, and thereby enhances their subjective well-being. The impact of the basic pension for urban and rural residents is more significant for older adult individuals in areas with a higher gender ratio, those suffering from chronic diseases, and those in the eastern regions of the country. Further verification indicates that the basic pension for urban and rural residents enhances the subjective well-being of the rural older adult by improving their health status and reducing their labor supply. Discussion: Most of the existing research on basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents and subjective well-being has been conducted from the perspective of whether individuals are enrolled in the pension scheme or whether they received a pension. However, there are few studies analyzing from the perspective of the amount of pension benefits received by residents. The results of this study help to enrich the research perspective on the basic pension insurance system for urban and rural residents in China and expand the understanding of the impact and value of the basic pension for urban and rural residents.

Effects of mobile Internet use on the health of middle-aged and older adults: evidences from China health and retirement longitudinal study.

The rapid development of digital technology has radically changed people's lives. Simultaneously, as the population is rapidly aging, academic research is focusing on the use of Internet technology to improve middle-aged and older people's health, particularly owing to the popularity of mobile networks, which has further increased the population's accessibility to the Internet. However, related studies have not yet reached a consensus. Herein, empirical analysis of the influence of mobile Internet use on the subjective health and chronic disease status of individuals in their Middle Ages and above was conducted utilizing ordered logit, propensity score matching (PSM), and ordered probit models with data from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The study aimed to provide a theoretical basis and reference for exploring technological advances to empower the development of a healthy Chinese population and to advance the process of healthy aging. The health of middle-aged and older adults mobile Internet users was greatly improved, according to our findings. Further, the use of mobile Internet by these persons resulted in improvements to both their self-assessed health and the state of their chronic diseases. As per the findings of the heterogeneity analysis, the impact of mobile Internet use was shown to be more pronounced on the well-being of middle-aged persons aged 45-60 years compared to those aged ≥ 60 years. Further, the endogeneity test revealed that the PSM model could better eliminate bias in sample selection. The results suggest that the estimates are more robust after eliminating endogeneity, and that failure to disentangle sample selectivity bias would overestimate not only the facilitating effect of mobile Internet use on the self-assessed health impacts of middle-aged and older adults, but also the ameliorating effect of mobile Internet use on the chronic diseases of middle-aged and older adults. The results of the mechanistic analysis suggest that social engagement is an important mediating mechanism between mobile Internet use and the health of middle-aged and older adults. This implies that mobile Internet use increases opportunities for social participation among middle-aged and older adults, thereby improving their health.

Associations between peak expiratory flow and frailty in olderly individuals: findings from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

Purpose: Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes in older adults; however, the relationship between PEF and frailty remains uncertain, and this study investigated the relationship between PEF and frailty within an olderly Asian demographic. Methods: Data were sourced from the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Individuals in the study, all 60 years or older, underwent baseline PEF assessments quantified as standardized residual (SR) percentile values. The evaluation of frailty was conducted based on the criteria established by Fried. Participants without frailty at the outset were tracked over a four-year period, during which the relationships between PEF and frailty were examined through logistic regression and discrete-time Cox regression analyses. Results: Among 5,060 participants, cross-sectional analysis revealed that the prevalence of frailty was 2-3 times higher in the lower 10-49th and < 10th SR percentile groups compared to the 80-100th SR percentile group. The longitudinal study corroborated these results, showing an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.01 (95% CI, 1.15-3.51) for PEF SR percentiles below the 10th, in contrast to those between the 80th and 100th percentiles. Conclusion: PEF independently predicts and determines frailty in older adults. Declines in PEF greater than expected are associated with the development of frailty. Subsequent studies are encouraged to delve deeper into the connection between respiratory function and frailty in diverse contexts.

The impact of retirement on blood pressure: evidence from a nationwide survey in China.

INTRODUCTION: The health impact of retirement is controversial. Most previous studies have been based on self-reported health indicators or the endpoints of some chronic diseases (e.g., morbidity or mortality), but objective physiological indicators (e.g., blood pressure) have rarely been used. The objective of this study is to elucidate the health effects of retirement on blood pressure, thereby offering empirical evidence to facilitate the health of retirees and to optimize retirement policies. METHODS: From 2012 to 2015, 84,696 participants of the Chinese Hypertension Survey (CHS) were included in this study. We applied the fuzzy regression discontinuity design (FRDD) to identify retirement's causal effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and pulse pressure. We also explored the heterogeneity in the effects of retirement across different sex and education level groups. RESULTS: Based on the fully adjusted model, we estimated that retirement increased SBP by 5.047 mm Hg (95% CI: -2.628-12.723, P value: 0.197), DBP by 0.614 mm Hg (95% CI: -3.879-5.108, P value: 0.789) and pulse pressure by 4.433 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.985-9.851, P value: 0.109). We found that retirement led to a significant increase in male participants' SBP and pulse pressure as well as a possible decrease in female participants' blood pressure. Additionally, the blood pressure levels of low-educated participants were more vulnerable to the shock of retirement. CONCLUSION: Retirement is associated with an increase in blood pressure level. There is a causal relationship between the increase in blood pressure levels of men and retirement. Policy-makers should pay extra attention to the health status of men and less educated people when adjusting retirement policies in the future.

Mental health status and influencing factors of retired teachers.

Introduction: The wellbeing of retired teachers is often easily overlooked. This study aims to explore the mental health status and influencing factors of retired teachers. Method: From October to December 2022, a convenient sampling survey was conducted on retired teachers using the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), mainly using the χ2-test and logistic regression analysis. Results: A sampling survey was conducted on 353 retired teachers, with an overall positive detection rate of 16.1%. The five factors with the highest positive detection rate were found to be obsessive-compulsive disorder (30.3%), interpersonal sensitivity (21.5%), paranoia (20.1%), anxiety (19.3%), and others (19.3%). The detection rates for the five factors, namely psychosis, depression, hostility, terror, and somatization, are all below 19%. The data on sex (χ2 = 4.626, P = 0.043), professional title (χ2 = 17.670, P = 0.003), income (χ2 = 9.960, P = 0.041), life satisfaction (χ2 = 27.348, P = 0.000), family relationships (χ2 = 51.451, P = 0.000), and physical health status (χ2 = 50.361, P = 0.000) show that the difference in mental health among retired teachers is statistically significant. The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that family relationships, life satisfaction, and physical health were important factors leading to mental health problems among retired teachers. Discussion: Retired teachers should cultivate a wide range of interests and hobbies, engage in regular physical exercise, develop healthy living habits, foster a positive family atmosphere, establish harmonious family relationships, promote community cultural construction, strengthen psychological intervention, and prevent psychological diseases.

Retirement Makes You Old? Causal Effect of Retirement on Biological Age.

Retirement is a critical life event for older people. Health scholars have scrutinized the health effects of retirement, but its consequences on age-related diseases and mortality are unclear. We extend this body of research by integrating measurements of biological age, representing the physiological decline preceding disease onset. Using data from the UK Biobank and a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we estimated the effects of retirement on two biomarker-based biological age measures. Results showed that retirement significantly increases biological age for those induced to retire by the State Pension eligibility by 0.871-2.503 years, depending on sex and specific biological age measurement. Given the emerging scientific discussion about direct interventions to biological age to achieve additional improvements in population health, the positive effect of retirement on biological age has important implications for an increase in the State Pension eligibility age and its potential consequences on population health, public health care policy, and older people's labor force participation. Overall, this study provides novel empirical evidence contributing to the question of what social factors make people old.

The mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the association between childhood friendship and physical function in middle-aged and older adults: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).

BACKGROUND: This study examines the extent to which depressive symptoms mediate the link between childhood friendship (CF) and physical function among middle-aged and older adults in China. METHODS: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data were used; specifically, CHARLS life history survey (conducted from June 1-December 31, 2014) and follow-up health survey (conducted from July 1-September 30, 2015) data were used. The Sobel test, Bootstrap test and multivariable logistic regression were performed to examine the mediating role of depressive symptoms (measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) in the association between CF (measured by a standardized retrospective questionnaire) and physical function, which was measured by basic activities of daily living (BADL) disability, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability, and grip strength. RESULTS: A total of 12,170 participants aged 45 years or older were included in this cross-sectional study. After controlling for covariates, low-quality CF was associated with an increased prevalence of BADL disability (OR = 1.18; 95 % CI = 1.05-1.32), IADL disability (OR = 1.25; 95 % CI = 1.12-1.40), and low grip strength (OR = 1.21; 95 % CI = 1.09-1.34). The proportion of the mediating effect of depressive symptoms was 48 % for CF and BADL, 40 % for CF and IADL, and 11 % for CF and grip strength. Depressive symptoms and worse CF have a joint effect on BADL disability (OR = 3.30; 95 % CI = 2.82-3.85), IADL disability (OR = 3.52; 95 % CI = 3.03-4.09), and low grip strength (OR = 1.65; 95 % CI = 1.43-1.92). LIMITATIONS: Not all potential confounding factors (such as childhood behavioural problems, genetic factors, and memory function) were measured in the analysis, and there may have been recall bias in the retrospective collection of CF data. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with high-quality CF were more likely to have a decreased prevalence of impaired physical function in later life. Depressive symptoms acted as a mediator associated with the development of CF.

The longitudinal association between physical health and depressive symptoms over eight years: Evidence from the health and retirement study.

BACKGROUND: The bidirectional relationship between physical health (PH) and depressive symptoms (DS) remains unclear. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States. PH was measured with a composite of chronic diseases, functional limitations and difficulties in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and DS with a modified Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression. Latent growth curve models (LGCM) were employed to examine how the change in PH or DS affected their mutual trajectories in later life. In addition, multilevel models were utilized. RESULTS: There were 6144 participants included, with an average age of 69.82 ± 6.85 years at baseline, of whom 3686 (59.99 %) were women. PH scores increased from 5.65 in 2010 to 7.72 in 2018, while depression scores increased from 1.14 to 1.31. LGCM results showed that the initial levels of PH and DS were associated (ß = 0.558, P < .001), and the initial level of PH could predict the trajectory of DS (ß = 0.089, P < .001). Likewise, the initial level of DS was also related to initial PH (ß = -0.563, P < .001) but couldn't predict the trajectory of PH. Furthermore, the slopes of PH and DS were predicted bidirectionally by each other. Two-level logistic models further demonstrated the bidirectional association between PH and DS. CONCLUSION: There was a bidirectional association between physical health and depressive symptoms, which highlights the necessity of comprehensive health management for older adults with poor physical health or depression symptoms.

Work and Retirement Among Women: The Health and Employment After Fifty Study.

BACKGROUND: Women increasingly work beyond age 50+ but their occupational health is under-researched. AIMS: To investigate what jobs older contemporary women do, when they exit their jobs and what factors predict job exit. METHODS: Data came from the Health and Employment After Fifty cohort, which recruited women aged 50-64 at baseline in 2013-14 and has followed them up annually collecting: demographic, lifestyle and work information. Exits from employment were mapped longitudinally over five follow-ups. Time-to-first event Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for job exit. RESULTS: At baseline, 4436 women participated, 64% of whom were working. The proportions of women working at 50-54, 55-60 and over 60 years were 86%, 79% and 38%, respectively. Amongst all women, after adjustment for age, managing comfortably financially and not coping with the mental demands of the job were associated with exit. Risk factors for job exit differed in the age bands: 50-54; 55-59 and >60 years, reflecting socio-economic status, markers of health (musculoskeletal pain and poor self-rated health) and work factors (under-appreciation, job dissatisfaction, temporary/permanent contracts, coping with work's physical demands). CONCLUSIONS: Factors contributing to exit from work among older women differ by age group, after controlling for perceived financial position, age and mental demands of the job. A number of work characteristics predict job exit and suggest that employers can play an important role in supporting women to continue working until older ages. Identification and treatment of musculoskeletal pain could also enable work amongst older women.

Trajectory of intrinsic capacity among community-dwelling older adults in China: The China health and retirement longitudinal study.

BACKGROUNDS: Intrinsic capacity (IC), the sum of individual mental and physical capabilities, as well as living environment and behavior, jointly determine the functional ability of older adults, shifting the focus from disease to function. At the population level, IC in older adults is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as disability, falls, and death. At the individual level, IC changes dynamically. However, studies on the longitudinal IC trajectory and the factors influencing IC deterioration are limited. We aimed to analyze the IC trajectory and explore the risk factors for IC deterioration in Chinese older adults. METHODS: Data were obtained from the baseline (2011-2012) and 4-year follow-up (2015) CHARLS surveys, including 1906 people aged 60 years and older. IC comprises six dimensions: locomotion, vitality, hearing, vision, cognition, and psychology. IC trajectory was categorized into three groups: improved, maintained, and deteriorated. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors influencing the trajectory of IC deterioration. RESULTS: After 4 years, 32.1 % had deteriorated, 38.5 % remained stable, and 29.4 % had improved. Age, low level of education, widowed were independently associated with IC deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic IC monitoring supports the development of individualized intervention policies to delay or prevent IC deterioration.

Association of the Type of Public Pension With Mental Health Among South Korean Older Adults: Longitudinal Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: As income and health are closely related, retirement is considered undesirable for health. Many studies have shown the association between pension and health, but no research has considered the association between contribution-based public pensions or their types and health. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between the type of contributory public pension and depressive symptoms among older adults. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 4541 older adults who participated in the South Korea Welfare Panel Study (2014-2020). Depressive symptoms were measured using the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Public pensions in South Korea are classified into specific corporate pensions and national pensions. For subgroup analyses, pensioners were categorized according to the amount of pension received and the proportion of public pension over gross income. Analyses using generalized estimating equations were conducted for longitudinal data. RESULTS: Individuals receiving public pension, regardless of the pension type, demonstrated significantly decreased depressive symptoms (national pension: ß=-.734; P<.001; specific corporate pension: ß=-.775; P=.02). For both pension types, the higher the amount of benefits, the lower were the depression scores. However, this association was absent for those who received the smaller amount among the specific corporate pensioners. In low-income households, the decrease in the depressive symptoms based on the amount of public pension benefits was greater (fourth quartile of national pension: ß=-1.472; P<.001; second and third quartiles of specific corporate pension: ß=-3.646; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that contributory public pension is significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms, and this association is prominent in low-income households. Thus, contributory public pensions may be good income sources for improving the mental health of older adults after retirement.

Prevalence of Parkinson's disease among adults aged 45 years and older in China: a cross-sectional study based on the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, China has experienced a rapid increase in the number of elderly individuals and life expectancy, as well as industrialization, which is associated with an increased prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, inconsistent results have recently been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution characteristics of PD among individuals aged 45 years and older. METHODS: Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we attempted to estimate the prevalence of PD and its distribution characteristics among 19,034 individuals aged 45 years and older residing in 446 communities/villages within 27 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in mainland China. Cases were established based on a doctor's previous diagnosis. Crude and age-adjusted prevalence rates were calculated and stratified by age, sex, area of residence, education level, marital status, and geographic region. Logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with PD. RESULTS: We identified 178 patients with PD among 19,034 residents aged 45 years and older. The crude prevalence was 0.94%, and the age-adjusted prevalence was 0.82% for individuals aged 45 years and older. The prevalence of PD increased with age (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in terms of sex, area of residence, or education level. Stratified by geographic region, the prevalence of PD was greater in North and Northwest China and lower in southern China (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses showed that age was a significant risk factor for PD. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PD increased with age in the Chinese population.

Mortgage Borrowing and Chronic Disease Outcomes in Older Age: Evidence From Biomarker Data in the Health and Retirement Study.

OBJECTIVES: The medical diagnosis of a disease is common in older age and can carry significant financial costs. For many older adults, equity in a home is their primary component of wealth; however, housing wealth is illiquid. We analyze the relationship between the liquidation of housing wealth through mortgage borrowing on older homeowners' ability to successfully control a disease. METHODS: We use data on homeowners aged 65 and older from the 1998-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 3,457). We use biomarkers and physical health indicators to measure disease control following a medical diagnosis of diabetes, heart condition, high blood pressure, lung disease, or cancer. Random effects linear probability and instrumental variable regressions estimate the associations of housing wealth, new mortgage borrowing, and disease control. RESULTS: Descriptively, 28% of older homeowners who borrow against home equity are not controlled on their disease, compared to 33% of non-borrowers. Panel data instrumental variable regressions show that each $10,000 borrowed from home equity after diagnosis is associated with a 17-percentage-point reduction in the probability of the disease not being controlled. DISCUSSION: Many older adults are not able or willing to liquidate housing wealth, and the ability to borrow also depends on changes in home values. Thus, housing wealth is not a uniform social determinant of health but is shaped by older adults' participation in financial markets.

An Analysis of American Urological Association Census Trends: Earlier Planned Retirement and Practice Pattern Changes May Exacerbate the Urology Workforce Shortage.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how changes in planned retirement age, practice setting, and physician productivity may impact the workforce shortage in urology. METHODS: We compared data between the 2015 and 2022 American Urological Association census, a specialty-wide annual survey which collects data on demographics, practice patterns, and procedures from a representative sample of U.S. urologists. Workforce productivity was measured by the self-reported number of hours worked per week and patients seen per week. A novel formula was developed to demonstrate how planned retirement age and productivity impact the workforce's production capacity. RESULTS: The total number of practicing urologists increased during the period from 2015 to 2022 (11,990 to 13,976), while the mean age of practicing urologists decreased slightly (55.0 to 54.5years; P < .002). During this period, the mean planned age of retirement for all urologists decreased from 68.9years to 67.7 (P < .001). Urologists in solo practice had a significantly higher planned age of retirement at 71.9years (P < .001) as compared to all other practice models. The number of patients seen per week for all urologists decreased from 78.7 to 72.9 (P < .001). The amount of hours worked per week remained relatively constant between the study periods. The maximum possible number of patients seen by the workforce prior to retirement increased by only 2.4% during the study interval. CONCLUSION: Though the U.S. urology workforce is growing and the mean age is decreasing, decreases in planned retirement age and productivity may offset these gains and intensify the physician shortage for U.S. urologists.

The effect of retirement on physical and mental health in China: a nonparametric fuzzy regression discontinuity study.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid aging of the domestic population, China has a strong incentive to increase the statutory retirement age. How retirement affects the health of the elderly is crucial to this policymaking. The health consequences of retirement have been debated greatly. This study aims to investigate the effects of retirement on physical and mental health among Chinese elderly people. METHODS: The data we use in this study comes from four waves (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018) of the Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (Harmonized CHARLS), a prospective cohort. We use the nonparametric fuzzy regression discontinuity design to estimate the effects of retirement on physical and mental health. We test the robustness of our results with respect to different bandwidths, kernel functions, and polynomial orders. We also explore the heterogeneity across gender and education. RESULTS: Results show that retirement has an insignificant effect on a series of physical and mental health outcomes, with and without adjusting several sociodemographic variables. Heterogeneity exists regarding gender and education. Although stratified analyses indicate that the transition from working to retirement leaves minimal effects on males and females, the effects go in the opposite direction. This finding holds for low-educated and high-educated groups for health outcomes including depression and cognitive function. Most of the results are stable with respect to different bandwidths, kernel functions, and polynomial orders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that it is possible to delay the statutory retirement age in China as retirement has insignificant effects on physical and mental health. However, further research is needed to assess the long-term effect of retirement on health.

Behavioral-Social Rhythms and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Retired Night Shift Workers and Retired Day Workers.

OBJECTIVE: Stability in the timing of key daily routine behaviors such as working/doing housework, sleeping, eating, and engaging in social interactions (i.e., behavioral-social rhythms) contributes to health. This study examined whether behavioral-social rhythms were associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in retired night shift workers and retired day workers and explored whether past night shift work exposure moderated this association. METHODS: A total of 154 retired older adults participated in this study. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine associations between behavioral-social rhythms and CVD risk factors. Independent variables included Social Rhythm Metric (SRM)-5 score and actigraphy rest-activity rhythm intradaily variability (IV) and interdaily stability (IS). Dependent variables were metabolic syndrome prevalence and its five individual components. RESULTS: More regular behavioral-social rhythms were associated with lower odds of prevalent metabolic syndrome (SRM: odds ratio [OR] = 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35-0.88; IV: OR = 4.00, 95% CI = 1.86-8.58; IS: OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24-0.73) and two of its individual components: body mass index (SRM: OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.37-0.85; IV: OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.59-5.07; IS: OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.26-0.68) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SRM: OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.30-0.80; IV: OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.25-4.96; IS: OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.19-0.66). Past shift work history did not moderate the association between behavioral-social rhythms and metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral-social rhythms were related to CVD risk factors in retired adults regardless of prior night shift work exposure. Older retired workers may benefit from education and interventions aiming to increase behavioral-social rhythm regularity.

Pathways to retirement in West Germany: Does divorce matter?

The aim of this paper is to explore how divorce is linked to pathways to retirement in West Germany and to understand whether and how patterns are gendered. Using German pension insurance data, I employ sequence and cluster analysis to map and group pathways to retirement of women and men who retired in 2018. Pathways to retirement are defined based on monthly pension insurance histories from age 50 to 65. I find nine distinct pathways to retirement, ranging from unemployment to stable low to high income pathways and to an early retirement pathway through the reduced-earnings-capacity pension, the latter representing 9.3% of the sample. Based on multinomial logistic regression models, I analyse how marital status, distinguishing between divorced and (re)married, was related to different pathways to retirement. The results show that divorced people were more likely than married people to retire through indirect and unstable pathways to retirement characterised by early exit from the labour market and receipt of reduced-earnings-capacity pensions and/or unemployment benefits. Whereas the relationship between divorce and pathways to retirement seemed to be overall unfavourable for men, the results for women are more ambiguous. Divorced women were also more likely to retire through a stable high-income pathway than married women. Nevertheless, the results suggest that divorce is associated with an early retirement pathway through the reduced-earnings-capacity pension for both women and men.

Associations of muscle mass and strength with new-onset diabetes among middle-aged and older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS).

BACKGROUND: The associations of muscle mass and strength with new-onset Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain controversial. We aimed to longitudinally evaluate muscle mass and strength in predicting T2DM among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: We enrolled 6033 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a cohort survey, between 2011 and 2012. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass (normalized by weight, ASM/BW%), relative hand grip strength (normalized by weight, HGS/BW), and five-repetition chair stand test (5CST). were all categorized into tertiles (lowest, middle, and highest groups) at baseline, respectively. Individuals were followed up until the occurrence of diabetes or the end of CHARLS 2018, whichever happened first. Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and mediation analysis were used. RESULTS: During follow-up, 815 (13.5%) participants developed T2DM. After adjusting for covariates, lower ASW/BW% was not associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Compared with individuals in the highest tertile of HGS/BW, those in the lowest tertile had 1.296 (95%CI 1.073-1.567) higher risk of diabetes. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of 5CST, those in the highest tertile had 1.329 times (95%CI 1.106-1.596) higher risk of diabetes. By subgroup, both the lowest HGS/BW and highest 5CST were risk factors for diabetes among obesity. The mediation analysis revealed that the effect of HGS/BW on the risk of diabetes is mainly mediated by insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Lower muscle strength is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, especially in obese populations.