Retirement age does not modify the association of prior working conditions with self-rated health and mortality in retirees: results from a prospective study of retired French workers

Abstract

Objective: It is unclear whether retirement age can modify the association of working conditions with health and mortality in retirees who are no longer exposed to these conditions.

Methods: The present study investigated this issue in a cohort of 13,378 French workers in whom self-rated health and mortality were measured over 15 years after statutory retirement. The analyses were also performed in homogenous clusters of workers differentiated on the basis of working conditions, social position, birth and retirement years.

Results: Bad working conditions before retirement, which were assessed using a global score combining 25 different occupational exposures, were associated with higher rates of suboptimum self-rated health and mortality in retirees after adjusting for retirement age, social position, demographics and health status before retirement. These rates were also substantially higher in the cluster of workers characterized by bad working conditions in comparison to other clusters. In contrast, retirement age was not associated with self-rated health or mortality after adjusting for working conditions, social position, demographics and health status before retirement. Likewise, no association of retirement age with self-rated health or mortality was found in any cluster of workers and no interactions were observed with any of these clusters.

Conclusion: These results suggest that bad working conditions before retirement have long-term detrimental effects on health and mortality in retirees and that retirement age does not modulate these effects. Improving work environment rather than modifying retirement age should be prioritized to promote health and reduce mortality not only in workers but also in retirees.

Keywords: Mortality; Retirement age; Self-rated health; Working conditions.

Fig. 1

Kaplan–Meier survival curves for mortality and suboptimum self-rated health in retirees by retirement age (n=13,378). Log-rank tests p values correspond to the comparisons earlier vs. medium retirement age, earlier vs. later retirement age, and medium vs. later retirement age, respectively. Significance was considered met when p value <0.01.

Fig. 2

Kaplan–Meier survival curves for mortality and suboptimum self-rated health in retirees by cluster of workers. Cluster 1 younger workers who retired between 2001 and 2003, Cluster 2 older workers with bad working conditions who retired between 1991 and 1998, Cluster 3 younger retired workers with high social position, Cluster 4 older retired workers with high social position, Cluster 5 older retired workers with middle social position, Cluster 6 younger retired workers with middle social position, Cluster 7 retired workers with low social position, Cluster 8 younger workers who retired between 1999 and 2000

Fig. 3

Kaplan–Meier survival curves examining the influence of retirement age on mortality in retirees by cluster of workers. Log-rank tests p values correspond to the comparisons earlier vs. medium retirement age, earlier vs. later retirement age, and medium vs. later retirement age, respectively. Significance was considered met when p value <0.01

Fig. 4

Kaplan–Meier survival curves examining the influence of retirement age on suboptimum self-rated health in retirees by cluster of workers. Log-rank tests p values correspond to the comparisons earlier vs. medium retirement age, earlier vs. later retirement age, and medium vs. later retirement age, respectively. Significance was considered met when p value <0.01