UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Physical and cognitive capability in mid-adulthood as determinants of retirement and extended working life in a British cohort study

Stafford, M; Cooper, R; Cadar, D; Carr, E; Murray, E; Richards, M; Stansfeld, S; ... Kuh, D; + view all (2017) Physical and cognitive capability in mid-adulthood as determinants of retirement and extended working life in a British cohort study. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health , 43 (1) pp. 15-23. 10.5271/sjweh.3589. Green open access

[thumbnail of 15_23_stafford.pdf]
Preview
Text
15_23_stafford.pdf

Download (248kB) | Preview

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Policy in many industrialized countries increasingly emphasizes extended working life. We examined associations between physical and cognitive capability in mid-adulthood and work in late adulthood. METHODS: Using self-reported physical limitations and performance-based physical and cognitive capability at age 53, assessed by trained nurses from the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development, we examined prospective associations with extended working (captured by age at and reason for retirement from main occupation, bridge employment in paid work after retirement from the main occupation, and voluntary work participation) up to age 68 among >2000 men and women. RESULTS: Number of reported physical limitations at age 53 was associated with higher likelihood of retiring for negative reasons and lower likelihood of participating in bridge employment, adjusted for occupational class, education, partner's employment, work disability at age 53, and gender. Better performance on physical and cognitive tests was associated with greater likelihood of participating in bridge or voluntary work. Cognitive capability in the top 10% compared with the middle 80% of the distribution was associated with an odds ratio of bridge employment of 1.71 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.21-2.42]. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility for an extending working life is less likely to be realized by those with poorer midlife physical or cognitive capability, independently of education, and social class. Interventions to promote capability, starting in mid-adulthood or earlier, could have long-term consequences for extending working.

Type: Article
Title: Physical and cognitive capability in mid-adulthood as determinants of retirement and extended working life in a British cohort study
Location: Finland
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3589
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3589
Language: English
Additional information: © Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Keywords: Ageing; bridge employment; Britain; cognitive capability; cognitive performance; cohort study; early retirement; extended working life; older worker; physical capability; physical performance; retirement; self-reported health; United Kingdom; working life
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science > Population Science and Experimental Medicine
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Cardiovascular Science > Population Science and Experimental Medicine > MRC Unit for Lifelong Hlth and Ageing
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1514416
Downloads since deposit
197Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item