Pathways through which health influences early retirement: a qualitative study

BMC Public Health

Allard J van der Beek¹  Paulien M Bongers¹  Alex Burdorf³  Jan Fekke Ybema²  Marjan J Westerman⁴  Kerstin G Reeuwijk⁴  Goedele A Geuskens²  Astrid de Wind¹ 

[1] Body@Work, Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;Department of Work, Health & Care, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands;Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;Department of Methodology and Statistics, Institute of Health Sciences and the EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

关键词: Dialogue;    Qualitative study;    Health;    Early retirement;   

Others  :  1162388
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-13-292

 received in 2012-09-07, accepted in 2013-03-21,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Due to the aeging of the population, there is a societal need for workers to prolong their working lives. In the Netherlands, many employees still leave the workforce before the official retirement age of 65. Previous quantitative research showed that poor self-perceived health is a risk factor of (non-disability) early retirement. However, little is known on how poor health may lead to early retirement, and why poor health leads to early retirement in some employees, but not in others. Therefore, the present qualitative study aims to identify in which ways health influences early retirement.

Methods

Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 employees (60–64 years) who retired before the official retirement age of 65. Participants were selected from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, a summary was made including a timeline, and the interviews were open coded.

Results

In 15 of the 30 persons, health played a role in early retirement. Both poor and good health influenced early retirement. For poor health, four pathways were identified. First, employees felt unable to work at all due to health problems. Second, health problems resulted in a self-perceived (future) decline in the ability to work, and employees chose to retire early. Third, employees with health problems were afraid of a further decline in health, and chose to retire early. Fourth, employees with poor health retired early because they felt pushed out by their employer, although they themselves did not experience a reduced work ability. A good health influenced early retirement, since persons wanted to enjoy life while their health still allowed to do so. The financial opportunity to retire sometimes triggered the influence of poor health on early retirement, and often triggered the influence of good health. Employees and employers barely discussed opportunities to prolong working life.

Conclusions

Poor and good health influence early retirement via several different pathways. To prolong working life, a dialogue between employers and employees and tailored work-related interventions may be helpful.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 de Wind et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Eurostat: Europe in figure: Eurostat yearbook 2008. Luxembourg: Eurostat European Commission; 2008.
• [2]From work to retirement; persons 55 years or older. [http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?VW=T&DM=SLNL&PA=80396NED&D1=1,9&D2=0&D3=0&D4=0&D5=1&D6=0-1,3-6,9-12,14,17-20&D7=0&D8=3,6-11&HD=120111-1606&HDR=G4,G3,G2,G1,G6,T,G7&STB=G5 webcite]
• [3]Karpansalo M, Kauhanen J, Lakka TA, Manninen P, Kaplan GA, Salonen JT: Depression and early retirement: Prospective population based study in middle aged men. J Epidemiol Community Health 2005, 59(1):70-74.
• [4]Geuskens GA, Burdorf A, Hazes JMW: Consequences of rheumatoid arthritis for performance of social roles - A literature review. J Rheumatol 2007, 34(6):1248-1260.
• [5]Vijan S, Hayward RA, Langa KM: The impact of diabetes on workforce participation: Results from a national household sample. Health Serv Res 2004, 39(6 I):1653-1669.
• [6]De Boer AGEM, Taskila T, Ojajärvi A, Van Dijk FJH, Verbeek JHAM: Cancer survivors and unemployment a meta-analysis and meta-regression. JAMA 2009, 301(7):753-762.
• [7]Van Den Berg TIJ, Elders LAM, Burdorf A: Influence of health and work on early retirement. J Occup Environ Med 2010, 52(6):576-583.
• [8]Schuring M, Robroek SJ, Otten FW, Arts CH, Burdorf A: The effect of ill health and socioeconomic status on labor force exit and re-employment: a prospective study with ten years follow-up in the Netherlands. Scand J Work Environ Health 2013, 39(2):134-143.
• [9]Van Den Berg T, Schuring M, Avendano M, Mackenbach J, Burdorf A: The impact of ill health on exit from paid employment in Europe among older workers. Occup Environ Med 2010, 67(12):845-852.
• [10]Ybema JF, Geuskens GA, Van den Heuvel S: Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM). Methodologie en eerste resultaten. TNO: Hoofddorp; 2011.
• [11]Patton MQ: Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. 3rd edition. Edited by Anonymous. Newbury Park, California: Sage; 2002:230-243.
• [12]Wang M: Profiling retirees in the retirement transition and adjustment process: Examining the longitudinal change patterns of retirees’ psychological well-being. J Appl Psychol 2007, 92(2):455-474.
• [13]Damman M, Henkens K, Kalmijn M: The impact of midlife educational, work, health, and family experiences on men’s early retirement. J Gerontol Ser B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2011, 66 B(5):617-627.
• [14]Herrbach O, Mignonac K, Vandenberghe C, Negrini A: Perceived HRM practices, organizational commitment, and voluntary early retirement among late-career managers. Hum Resour Manage 2009, 48(6):895-915.
• [15]Lund T, Iversen L, Poulsen KB: Work environment factors, health, lifestyle and marital status as predictors of job change and early retirement in physically heavy occupations. Am J Ind Med 2001, 40(2):161-169.
• [16]Fischer JAV, Sousa-Poza A: The institutional determinants of early retirement in Europe. St. Gallen, Switzerland: University of St. Gallen, Department of Economics; 2006.
• [17]Van Solinge H, Henkens K: Living longer, working longer? the impact of subjective life expectancy on retirement intentions and behaviour. Eur J Public Health 2010, 20(1):47-51.
• [18]Henkens K, Van Dalen H, Van Solinge H: De vervagende grens tussen werk en pensioen. Over doorwerken, doorstarten en herintreders. Den Haag, The Netherlands: NIDI; 2009.
• [19]De Vroom B: The shift from early to late exit: Changing institutional conditions and individual preferences. The case of the Netherlands. In Ageing and the transtion to retirement. A comparative analysis of European welfare states. Edited by Maltby T, De Vroom B, Mirabile ML, Overbye E. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate; 2004:120-154.
• [20]Edward J: Person-Job fit: A conceptual integration, literature review and methodological critique. In International review of industrial and organizational psychology. Edited by Cooper CL, Robinson IT. New York: Wiley; 1991:283-357.
• [21]Edward J: The relationship between Person-Environment Fit and outcomes: An integrative theoretical framework. In Perspectives on organizational fit. Edited by Ostroff C, Judge TA. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2007:209-258.
• [22]Proper KI, Deeg DJH, van der Beek A: Challenges at work and financial rewards to stimulate longer workforce participation. Hum Resour Heal 2009., 7 BioMed Central Full Text
• [23]Siegrist J, Wahrendorf M, Von Dem Knesebeck O, Jürges H, Börsch-Supan A: Quality of work, well-being, and intended early retirement of older employees - Baseline results from the SHARE Study. Eur J Public Health 2007, 17(1):62-68.
• [24]Nilsson K, Hydbom AR, Rylander L: Factors influencing the decision to extend working life or retire. Scand J Work Environ Health 2011, 37(6):473-480.
• [25]Pope C, Ziebland S, Mays N: Analysing qualitative data. Br Med J 2000, 320(7227):114-116.