A New Path to Address Multimorbidity? Longitudinal Analyses of Retirement Sequences and Chronic Diseases in Old Age

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Esteban Calvo - , Columbia University, Universidad Mayor (Author)
  • Ariel Azar - , Universidad Mayor, The University of Chicago (Author)
  • Robin Shura - , Kent State University (Author)
  • Ursula M. Staudinger - , Technische Universität Dresden, Columbia University (Author)

Abstract

Chronic disease and multimorbidity are growing health challenges for aging populations, often coinciding with retirement. We examine late-life predictors of multimorbidity, focusing on the association between retirement sequences and number of chronic diseases. We modeled the number of chronic diseases as a function of six types of previously identified 10-year retirement sequences using Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data for 7,880 Americans observed between ages 60 to 61 and 70 to 71. Our results show that at baseline, the adjusted prevalence of multimorbidity was lowest in sequences characterized by late retirement from full-time work and highest in sequences characterized by early labor-force disengagement. Age increases in multimorbidity varied across retirement sequences, though overall differences in prevalence persisted at age 70 to 71. Earlier life disadvantages did not moderate these associations. Findings suggest further investigation of policies that target health limitations affecting work, promote continued beneficial employment opportunities, and ultimately leverage retirement sequences as a novel path to influence multimorbidity in old age.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)952-961
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of applied gerontology / Southern Gerontological Society
Volume41
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jul 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 34271835
unpaywall 10.1177/07334648211031038
Mendeley f6e33cb1-4a8c-3a88-8adf-c7654bcc2214

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • career, labor force, noncommunicable disease, trajectory, work

Library keywords