Towards an active and happy retirement? Changes in leisure activity and depressive symptoms during the retirement transition

Recruitment and Retention Issues in a Technology-Based Intervention Among Korean American Midlife Women With Depressive Symptoms

The number of health technology-based intervention studies has grown significantly. However, issues in the recruitment and retention for such studies, especially of Asian Americans, have rarely been discussed. The purpose of this paper was to discuss issues in the recruitment and retention of a specific group of Asian Americans-Korean American midlife women with depressive symptoms-into a technology-based intervention study using computers and mobile devices with a measurement device and to provide directions for future participant recruitment and retention in technology-based intervention studies. The written memos of research team members and the written records of research team meetings were analyzed using a content analysis. The issues in the recruitment and retention process included (1) low recruitment and retention rates; (2) the perceived long intervention period; (3) strict inclusion/exclusion criteria; (4) concerns related to the use of a measurement device; and (5) the perceived adequacy of monetary incentives. Based on the issues identified in the study, several suggestions are made for future recruitment and retention of racial/ethnic minorities in technology-based intervention studies (eg, appropriate intervention period, innovative and creative motivation strategies, acceptable measurement scales and devices, and adequate monetary reimbursement).

Depressive symptoms across the retirement transition in men and women: associations with emotion regulation, adjustment difficulties and work centrality

BACKGROUND

Retirement is a major life event and factors driving depression in the retirement transition might differ in men and women. The aim was to prospectively study depressive symptoms across the retirement transition in men and women and to test associations with emotion regulation strategies (suppression and reappraisal), adjustment difficulties, and work centrality.

METHODS

The sample included 527 individuals from the population-based Health, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study who were working at baseline and retired during one of the following four annual measurement waves. Participants contributed with a total of 2635 observations across five measurement waves. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); total score was modelled as a function of time to and from retirement. Changes over the retirement transition were analyzed with multilevel growth curve models. Gender differences in associations with emotion regulation, adjustment difficulties and work centrality were examined by including interaction effects with sex.

RESULTS

We observed a general reduction of depressive symptoms in the early years of retirement in both men and women. Higher suppression was related to higher depression scores while higher cognitive reappraisal was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Women more often used cognitive reappraisal, and men more often suppression, but no significant gender interaction in associations with depressive symptoms could be shown. Retirement adjustment difficulties and greater importance of work for self-esteem were related to higher depression scores. Greater meaning of work, on the other hand, was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms, and this association was stronger in men.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a general reduction of depression scores in the early years of retirement in both women and men. Findings suggest that basing one's self-esteem on workplace performance was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms after retirement, while perceiving one's job as important and meaningful may facilitate better adjustment in terms of lower depression symptom levels, especially in men.

'Who tells me when to stay active or to leave?' age differences in and predictors of endorsement of prescriptive views of aging

OBJECTIVES

Prescriptive views of aging (PVoA) are normative age-based expectations about age-appropriate behavior for older adults, e.g. that they should stay fit/active (active aging norms) but also behave altruistically toward younger generations (altruistic disengagement norms). We aimed at examining age differences in endorsement of active aging and altruistic disengagement and investigated predictors of endorsement.

METHOD

In the AGEISM Germany survey, a representative sample of N = 1,915 German participants was recruited, covering a wide age range (Mage=56.57 years, 16-96 years). Cross-sectional data was collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews.

RESULTS

Active aging was more strongly endorsed than altruistic disengagement. Endorsement of both PVoA was higher in older age groups - even more pronounced for altruistic disengagement. Endorsement of both norms was positively associated with positive age stereotypes. Furthermore, active aging was predicted by age centrality whereas altruistic disengagement was predicted by negative age stereotypes. Age was still a robust predictor of PVoA even after entering additional predictors.

CONCLUSION

Although associated, prescriptive age norms (i.e. beliefs how older people should behave) and descriptive age norms (i.e. beliefs about how older adults and the aging process are like) represent partly independent belief systems, highlighting the importance to assess & further investigate predictors and consequences of PVoA, which become more prevalent with age.

Between- and Within-Couple Concordance for Health Behaviors Among Japanese Older Married Couples: Examining the Moderating Role of Working Time

BACKGROUND

Although previous studies report spousal concordance for health behaviors at between-couple levels, concordance at within-couple levels remains unconfirmed. To clarify the behavioral mechanisms of spousal concordance for health behaviors among older couples at both levels, it is necessary to examine the moderators (effect modifiers) of spousal concordance. This study examined (1) whether spousal concordance for dietary variety, exercise behavior, and TV viewing behavior was observed at both the between-couple and the within-couple levels and (2) whether this spousal concordance was moderated by working time among older Japanese couples.

METHOD

This study analyzed data obtained from a questionnaire-based, three-wave longitudinal survey (baseline, 1-year follow-up, 3-year follow-up) among 210 Japanese older couples. Each spouse's dietary variety, exercise time, TV viewing time, the couple's working time, and demographic factors were investigated by multi-level analyses.

RESULTS

One spouse's dietary variety and TV viewing time, but not exercise time, were significantly associated with the other spouse's corresponding behaviors at both levels. The regressions of the wife's TV viewing time on the husband's TV viewing time were moderated by working time at the within-couple level; the regressive effects of wife's TV viewing time on husband's TV viewing time were more relevant as working time was lower.

CONCLUSION

This study found that spousal concordance for dietary variety and TV viewing was observed at within-couple and between-couple levels among older Japanese couples. In addition, shorter working time partly moderates the wife's influence on the husband's TV viewing among older couples at the within-couple level.

Personalization Characteristics and Evaluation of Gamified Exercise for Middle-Aged and Older People: A Scoping Review

Many studies have shown that personalized exergames have a positive effect on promoting regular and proper exercise. However, there is no consensus on the design characteristics and evaluation of exergames. This systematic review of published research literature aimed to explore the general characteristics, personalization characteristics, and evaluation of personalized exergames for middle-aged and older people. We screened published studies in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ACM, and IEEE Xplore databases, extracted data, and performed a thematic analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Three main themes and nine subthemes were generated from 24 included papers. Moreover, a personalization model (FACTS) and evaluation system (PMSS) of exergames were developed. Personalized exergames had potential positive effects on motivating middle-aged and older people to exercise and improve their health, particularly physical, mental, and social health. However, more fine-grained studies on personalized exergames are necessary in the future.

The longitudinal relationship between leisure activities and depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults: an autoregressive cross-lagged analysis approach

BACKGROUND

Existing studies have shown a correlation between leisure activities and depressive symptoms in older adults, but the direction of the longitudinal relationship is inconsistent. This study used an autoregressive cross-lagged model to examine the longitudinal relationship between leisure activity participation and geriatric depression.

METHODS

A total of 7,138 participants aged 60 years or older from the 2nd to the 4th wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analysed.

RESULTS

First, present depressive symptoms were significantly associated with future depressive symptoms (β2013-2015 = .893, p < .001; β2015-2018 = .946, p < .001), and the same rule applied to leisure activities (β2013-2015 = .402, p < .001; β2015-2018 = .404, p < .001). Second, current depressive symptoms negatively predicted future leisure activities (β2013-2015 = -.071, p < .001; β2015-2018 = -.085, p < .001), but the inverse relationship was not statistically significant (β2013-2015 = -.003, p > .05; β2015-2018 = -.003, p > .05).

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the importance of interventions targeting depressive symptoms to potentially enhance engagement in leisure activities among older adults. The results contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics between mental health and lifestyle choices in older populations, highlighting the potential of proactive mental health interventions to improve overall well-being.

A Life of Leisure? Investigating the Differential Impact of Retirement on Leisure Activity

OBJECTIVES

Remaining active in older adulthood is widely endorsed by governments and policy-makers as a way of promoting public health and curbing welfare spending. Despite links between greater leisure activity in older adulthood and better health, cognitive function, and subjective well-being, there is a dearth of research investigating the impact of retirement on leisure activity engagement. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to address this knowledge gap and investigate the impact of retirement on leisure activity engagement.

METHODS

Using panel data from 2 waves of a large-scale longitudinal survey of Dutch older workers (N = 4,927), we investigated the impact of retirement on hours spent engaging in physical, social, and self-development activities. We further investigated the differential impact of retirement on leisure activity in retirement based on various sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Although leisure activity increased across all 3 activity domains, conditional change ordinal least square regression models revealed that retirement resulted in significantly greater increases in activity relative to nonretirees. Additional analyses including interaction terms revealed that the impact of retirement on self-development and social activity differed significantly based on gender and education.

DISCUSSION

Our study demonstrates that while time in leisure activity largely increases in response to retirement the nature and magnitude of the impact of retirement on leisure activity is not uniform. From a policy perspective, findings that certain groups, namely men and lower--educated individuals, may be at greater risk of lower activity levels may help guide interventions promoting active aging and retirement.

Physical activity and self-rated health during retirement transition: a multitrajectory analysis of concurrent changes among public sector employees

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate concurrent changes in physical activity and self-rated health during retirement transition over 4 years by multivariate trajectory analysis and to examine whether sociodemographic and lifestyle factors predict the probability of being classified to a certain subgroup of observed changes.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Public sector employees.

PARTICIPANTS

3550 participants of the Finnish Retirement and Aging study.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Participants estimated on a yearly questionnaire their weekly hours of different types of activities converted to metabolic equivalent of task-hour/week. Self-rated health was assessed on a 5-point Likert-like scale from poor to excellent and dichotomised as suboptimal and optimal. Multivariate trajectory analysis was used to distinguish different subgroups of trajectories. Multinomial regression analysis was used to describe the associations between covariates and the probability of being classified to a certain trajectory group.

RESULTS

Three trajectory groups were identified, all displaying increasing activity during retirement with a simultaneous decrease in perceived suboptimal health. Physical activity peaked at 18 months after retirement and then slightly decreased, except for initially highly physically active participants (9%) with good self-rated health, who demonstrated a constant high level of physical activity. Male gender, professional occupation, being married or cohabiting, body mass index <30 kg/m2, not smoking and using alcohol below risk levels were associated with higher physical activity and better self-rated health.

CONCLUSION

Changes in physical activity and perceived health during retirement transition were interconnected. Both were improved during retirement transition, but the change was temporary. Longer follow-up studies are required to assess the changes over a longer period after retirement.

Mental health around retirement: evidence of Ashenfelter's dip

BACKGROUND

Mental health issues among retirees have become increasingly concerning because the aging population presents a significant challenge globally, particularly in Western countries. Previous studies on this issue are plagued with bias owing to lacking panel data and estimation strategies. This study investigated the depression levels of European adults around the time of retirement.

METHODS

We used data obtained from Waves 1-7 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to create panel data covering the 2004-2017 period. Wave 3 (SHARELIFE) was excluded from the sample because it provided mismatched information. Fixed-effects (FE) and fixed-effects instrumental variables (FE-IV) models with multiple imputations were employed to examine the impacts of retirement on mental health before and after retirement, where being over pension age (normal and early) was used as the instrument variable.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that retirement based on aspirational motivations (β =  - 0.115, p < 0.001) and positive circumstances (β =  - 0.038, p < 0.001) significantly reduced depression, whereas retiring under negative circumstances could deteriorate one's mental health (β = 0.087, p < 0.001). FE and FE-IV models indicated that overall, retiring reduced retirees' depression (β =  - 0.096, p < 0.001 and β =  - 0.261, p < 0.001, respectively). The results of FE-IV models showed that adults planning to retire in the next two years experienced less depression compared with others in the workforce (λ =  - 0.313, p < 0.01). These adults must have adjusted their lifestyles in response to their impending retirement, thereby evincing Ashenfelter's dip. Two years after retirement, when the "honeymoon" phase was over, retirees may have completely adapted to their new lives and the effect of retirement was no longer important.

CONCLUSIONS

Retirement improves mental health before it happens, but not after. Increasing the pension eligibility age may postpone the beneficial effects of retirement on health. However, policy implications should be tailored according to the unique situations of each country, job sector, and population. Providing flexible schemes regarding retirement timing decisions would be better than a generalized retirement policy.

Can Post-Retirement Work Always Prevent Depression?

Given the rising popularity of post-retirement work and its potential benefits for older adults' mental health, this study examined older adults' adaptation ability as a conditional factor for the impact of post-retirement work on depression. Quantitative data from 1433 working older adults and 1433 non-working older adults were analyzed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS to test a moderated regression model with adaptation ability as the moderator. Results showed that older adults with lower adaptation ability demonstrated significantly lower depression if they worked (vs. did not work). Older adults with higher adaptation ability exhibited significantly higher depression if they worked (vs. did not work). These findings were subsequently verified with a robustness check. Overall, post-retirement work did not prevent depression for the entire sample; working only alleviated depression among older adults with limited adaptation ability. Older adults with stronger adaptation ability could better maintain their mental health by staying retired. This study fills a knowledge gap regarding the relationship between post-retirement work and mental health. Implications for aging societies are also discussed.

Do the various leisure forms have equal effects on mental health? A longitudinal analysis of self-selected leisure activities

The deteriorating trends of unbalanced income, progressive age-related health problems, and loss of traditional ties necessitate ever-flexible interventions that are helpful to overcome a decline in Chinese adults' mental health. This study aimed to test whether engagement in different domains of leisure is associated with a composite index of mental health, both concurrently and subsequently. Longitudinal data including 10,968 participants (females = 5,804) with a mean age of 46.01 years in the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with a logit link. The results showed that face-to-face experiences, such as sports with all ORs of < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 and meeting with all ORs of < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 except daily in-person meeting frequency, are important for protecting mental health owing to the increasing social support by building close ties. The results also indicate that online leisure with all ORs < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.01 has positive effects on lowering the odds of depression. In addition, receptive cognitive leisure, such as watching television or movies with all ORs < 1 at the significance level of α = 0.05 level, was not consistently associated with depression. However, active cognitive leisure, such as reading with all ORs of < 1 at a significance level of α = 0.01, was associated with lower odds of depression.

The functions of leisure in later life: bridging individual- and community-level perspectives

Leisure participation in older age has principally been researched from individual-level theoretical perspectives that view leisure as reflecting adaptations to ageing-related losses and change. Recent orientations to later-life leisure participation, such as innovation theory, emphasise positive developmental aspects and uses of older individuals' leisure pursuits, driven by personal agency. Moreover, the potential of later-life leisure activities to contribute to community is conceptualised in social capital theory perspectives that bridge individual- and community-level functions of leisure participation. This paper presents findings from qualitative thematic analysis of oral histories on leisure conducted with 58 persons aged 60 and over in rural south-west England, to examine the personal uses and functions of their leisure occupations in older age, and the role that these activities play in connecting older individuals to their communities. While participants described lifetime patterns of leisure characterised by a core set of activities and interests, later life was a period of leisure transitions in which they actively used new and continuing pastimes to adapt to changing personal circumstances, abilities and aspirations. The findings also demonstrate how participants' leisure activities – ranging from avidly pursued hobbies to formal volunteering – served individual adaptive and developmental purposes, and were a means of fostering social connectivity and contributing to rural community life. Implications of these findings are discussed in regard to leisure theory, policy and practice. This paper adds to the literature on ageing and leisure by identifying the benefits of examining older persons' leisure participation from a combined conceptual perspective that can elucidate its functions at both the micro- and meso-levels of society.

Retirement and Sexual Satisfaction

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although interest in sexuality in older age has increased over the last decades, few studies have focused on longitudinal change in sexual satisfaction around retirement age. In the present study, we studied change in sexual satisfaction across retirement in a sample of Swedish older adults with a partner.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Our analyses were based on n = 759 participants (359 male, 400 female) from the longitudinal Health, Aging, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden study. For this study, we used 5 waves spanning over a period of 4 years.

RESULTS

On average, sexual satisfaction did not change significantly before retirement, but decreased after retirement. Interestingly, women showed higher sexual satisfaction than men, as well as a more positive development of both pre- and postretirement sexual satisfaction. Individuals with higher relationship satisfaction had a higher sexual satisfaction until retirement, but their sexual satisfaction also decreased faster after retirement, whereas those with lower relationship satisfaction showed a stable but lower sexual satisfaction.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Sexual satisfaction can change in the retirement transition in several important ways and further studies on the impact of retirement and other late-life stage transitions are warranted.

The Impact of Digital Coaching Intervention for Improving Healthy Ageing Dimensions among Older Adults during Their Transition from Work to Retirement

Retirement is a critical step in older adults' lives, so it is important to motivate them to stay physically active, mentally healthy, and socially connected in the transition from work to retirement, including through digital health coaching programs. This study aims to: evaluate the impact of a digital coaching intervention to enhance three healthy ageing dimensions, i.e., physical activity, mental well-being, and socialization of a group of adults near retirement; understand the users' experience; and identify the system strengths and weaknesses. This longitudinal mixed-methods study, carried out in 2021 in Italy and the Netherlands, enrolled 62 individuals. In the first 5 weeks of the trial, participants used a digital coach with the support of human coaches, and then they continued autonomously for another 5 weeks. The use of the digital coach improved the participants' physical activity, mental well-being and self-efficacy during the first period and only the physical activity in the second. An effective coaching system should be flexible and attractive. High levels of personalization remain the golden key to aligning the health program to the physical, cognitive and social status of the intended target, thus increasing the user-system interaction, usability, and acceptability, as well as enhancing adherence to the intervention.

Physical activity and psychological adjustment among retirees: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Health-related behaviors may change after retirement and induce changes in the mental health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the nature of changes in physical activity and leisure activities, as well as the relationship between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment among retirees.

METHODS

Search of papers was done in three electronic databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus without constraints on time, geographical regions, or languages in February 2022. The papers that had examined the relationship between physical activity and adjustment among retirees using observational design (cross-sectional or longitudinal) were included in the present study. To evaluate the methodological quality of cross-sectional studies, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, and for longitudinal studies, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used.

RESULTS

The search results identified 1458 records. Twenty-six papers were included in this review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings of most of these studies indicated a significant positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment in retirees. Retirees were mostly engaged in passive leisure activities such as reading, watching TV and movies, and less engaged in physical activities, sport, or physical exercise. General organized assessment of the total physical activity among retirees was not possible.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the study findings, it can be stated that there is a positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and the retirees' adjustment. Usage of the same and valid measurement method specific to old age and retirement period can be useful in more precise assessment of physical activity and its association with adjustment among retirees.

The associations between cognitive function and depressive symptoms among older Chinese population: A cohort study

With the rapid development of society, population aging has emerged as a significant global challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline cognitive performance, current cognitive function, and cognitive decline on subsequent depressive symptoms. Data were obtained from participants aged 65 years and older in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), Wave 2014-2018. Of the 7,192 participants in Wave 2014, 1,627 were included in the analysis. Multivariate regressions were conducted to estimate the associations between cognitive measures and depressive symptoms. Our results indicated that baseline cognitive function was not associated with subsequent depressive symptoms, but current cognitive function was. Furthermore, participants who experienced significant cognitive decline were more likely to develop depressive symptoms. Covariates, including marital status, economic status, physical activity, and recreational activity, were also associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that slowing cognitive decline is an effective strategy for preventing depressive symptoms in older adults, promoting their health and wellbeing.

Autonomy and loneliness - longitudinal within- and between-person associations among Swedish older adults

OBJECTIVES

Loneliness is an important risk factor for mental and physical health over the life span. Little is known about psychosocial predictors and consequences of loneliness apart from social network characteristics. One important factor that may both prevent from, but also be affected by loneliness, is perceived autonomy.

METHOD

In the present study, we investigated the longitudinal association of loneliness and autonomy over four years among participants of the Swedish Health, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study (n = 5718, age 60-66 at baseline). We used a latent curve model with structured residuals, which distinguishes within- and between-person associations and includes cross-lagged parameters.

RESULTS

Higher levels of autonomy at baseline were associated with lower levels of loneliness, and increases in autonomy were associated with decreases in loneliness. When individuals felt more autonomous than usual, they also reported less loneliness. However, the cross-lagged paths were not significant, which means that autonomy did not predict loneliness over time on the within-person level, and loneliness did not predict autonomy over time.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that higher autonomy was related to lower loneliness on different analytical levels, but the direction of effects is unclear. More research is needed to understand the development of this association over the life span.

Changes in life satisfaction during the transition to retirement: findings from the FIREA cohort study

Life satisfaction is an essential construct of well-being that is tied to behavioral, emotional, social and psychological outcomes. This study aimed to examine changes in total and domain-specific life satisfaction during the retirement transition and additionally examine whether those changes differ by gender, occupation, health and spousal working status. Aging public sector employees (n = 3543) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study cohort study were followed up annually before and after retirement. Total life satisfaction score (range 4-20) was computed by summing up the responses in four domains (interestingness, happiness, easiness and togetherness). The mean and mean change estimates and their 95% CI were calculated by using the linear regression models with generalized estimating equations, adjusted for age, gender, occupation, health and marital status. Total life satisfaction score improved among the entire study population during the retirement transition and remained stable thereafter. The improvement was greater among women versus men (gender * time interaction p = 0.004), among those with suboptimal health before retirement vs. those who had good (health * time p < 0.0001) and those who had no spouse vs. those who had a retired or working spouse (spousal-status * time p < 0.0001). In case of domain-specific life satisfaction scores, the greatest improvement was observed in the easiness domain. Life satisfaction improves during the retirement transition period, especially among women, those with suboptimal health and those living without a spouse. The improvement was considerably greater in the easiness domain than any other domains. Life satisfaction remained improved and stable during the post-retirement period.

What will you do with all that time? Changes in leisure activities after retirement are determined by age-related self-views and preparation

Retirement is a normative life transition that liberates the individual from the external obligations of employment, being a catalyzer of leisure activity engagement. However, the individual's motivations to engage in leisure activities in the time that is gained after retirement may depend on their future self-views (i.e., views of their own ageing) as well as on their levels of preparation for age-related changes. In this study, therefore, we aim to examine longitudinal changes in levels of engagement in leisure activities that occur around the age of retirement as being influenced by views on ageing and preparation for old age. The sample consisted of 451 persons aged 50-65 years at baseline who participated in the Ageing as Future study at two time points 5 years apart. Participants were split in three age-matched groups: recently retired (in between baseline and follow-up), already retired (at baseline), and individuals who were still working (at follow-up). Findings indicated that changes in levels of leisure differed between groups. Compared to both already retired and still working participants, recently retired participants increased their levels of engagement in leisure activities. Positive views on ageing in the leisure domain (at baseline) predicted subsequent increases in activity levels but group and levels of preparation qualified this effect. A combination of positive views on ageing and preparation for age-related changes is needed for one to make use of the time that is gained with retirement, highlighting their role as determinants of behavior in response to normative life events in later life.

Socioeconomic Differences in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior During the Retirement Transition: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

BACKGROUND

The retirement transition constitutes both a risk and an opportunity for changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). The present systematic review aims to summarize the current evidence regarding the differences between socioeconomic status (SES) groups in changes in PA and SB across the retirement transition.

METHODS

The authors searched 5 databases. Inclusion criteria were: investigating statutory retirement, measuring PA and/or SB at least once before and once after retirement, and reporting information on SES differences. Results are reported by means of a narrative synthesis, combined with harvest plots based on direction of effect.

RESULTS

We included 24 papers from 19 studies. Sixteen papers focused on PA, 3 on SB, and 5 investigated both. For total PA, occupational PA, and total sedentary time, nearly all publications reported more favorable changes for high SES groups. For recreational PA, active transport, and screen time, there seemed to be a tendency toward more favorable changes for high SES groups. Changes in household/caregiving PA did not appear to differ between SES groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in movement behavior during the retirement transition are potentially more favorable for high SES adults. Nonetheless, the differences between SES groups seem to depend on the domain of movement behavior.

Spotlight on the Challenges of Depression following Retirement and Opportunities for Interventions

As a major life transition characterized by changes in social, behavioral, and psychological domains, retirement is associated with numerous risk factors that can contribute to the development of depression in later life. Understanding how these risk factors intersect with overall health and functioning can inform opportunities for mental health promotion during this transition. The objective of this review is to summarize the literature on risk and protective factors for depression during retirement transitions, discuss challenges related to appropriate management of depression in later life, and describe opportunities for prevention and intervention for depression relating to retirement transitions, both within and beyond the health care system. Key implications from this review are that 1) the relationship between depression and retirement is multifaceted; 2) while depression is a common health condition among older adults, this syndrome should not be considered a normative part of aging or of retirement specifically; 3) the existing mental health specialty workforce is insufficient to meet the depression management needs of the aging population, and 4) therefore, there is a need for interprofessional and multidisciplinary intervention efforts for preventing and managing depression among older adults. In sum, both healthcare providers, public health practitioners, and community organizations have meaningful opportunities for promoting the mental health of older adults during such major life transitions.

Social Citizenship Through Out-of-Home Participation Among Older Adults With and Without Dementia

There is limited empirical knowledge about how older adults living with dementia enact their social citizenship through out-of-home participation. This study aimed: (a) to investigate out-of-home participation among older adults with and without dementia in four countries and (b) to compare aspects of stability or change in out-of-home participation. Using a cross-sectional design, older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia and without dementia, aged 55 years and over, were interviewed using the Participation in ACTivities and Places OUTside the Home questionnaire in Canada (n = 58), Sweden (n = 69), Switzerland (n = 70), and the United Kingdom (n = 128). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a two-way analysis of variance. After adjustment for age, diagnosis of dementia and country of residence had significant effects on total out-of-home participation (p < .01). The results contribute to policies and development of programs to facilitate social citizenship by targeting specific activities and places.

Physical Activity during the Retirement Transition of Men and Women: A Qualitative Longitudinal Study

The retirement transition is a major life change affecting people's lifestyles and behaviors, including those in relation to physical activity (PA), which is a key component of active ageing. Previous research analyzing the effect of retirement on PA levels has shown mixed results, and few studies investigated this issue in a gender perspective, thus, highlighting a need of knowledge in this respect. Aims of this study focused on the experience of PA during the retirement transition were to understand typologies of PA and possible changes in these typologies, to identify behavioural types relative to PA practice and levels, and to distinguish the main drivers and barriers for practicing PA associated with the different behavioural types. A further goal of the study was to investigate the abovementioned aims considering differences between women and men. Analyses were carried out within a three-year qualitative longitudinal study (2014-2016), which explored the individual experience of PA during the transition from work to retirement of 24 women and 16 men in Italy, with interviews carried out one year before and one and two years after retirement. Results show that preferred PA for both women and men was walking, along the transition to retirement. Over time, several participants replaced physically demanding activities with lighter ones. Six behavioural types were identified, describing individuals who incremented, started, or maintained the same level of PA, people who decreased PA levels or stopped it, and individuals who had a fluctuant behavior towards PA, or who had never practiced it. In general, poor health represented the main barrier to PA. For men, the main driver to PA was its effects on body shape, while for women, socialization/networking. In order to stimulate a more effective promotion of PA during the retirement transition, policy implications were discussed in light of the results obtained.

Learning as an Important Privilege: A Life Span Perspective with Implications for Successful Aging

Research has demonstrated the cognitive and mental health benefits of learning new skills and content across the life span, enhancing knowledge as well as cognitive performance. We argue that the importance of this learning – which is not available equally to all – goes beyond the cognitive and mental health benefits. Learning is important for not only the maintenance, but also enhancement of functional independence in a dynamic environment, such as changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and technological advances. Learning difficult skills and content is a privilege because the opportunities for learning are neither guaranteed nor universal, and it requires personal and social engagement, time, motivation, and societal support. This paper highlights the importance of considering learning new skills and content as an <i>important privilege</i> across the life span and argues that this privilege becomes increasingly exclusionary as individuals age, when social and infrastructural support for learning decreases. We highlight research on the potential positive and negative impacts of retirement, when accessibility to learning opportunities may vary, and research on learning barriers due to low expectations and limited resources from poverty. We conclude that addressing barriers to lifelong learning would advance theories on life span cognitive development and raise the bar for successful aging. In doing so, our society might imagine and achieve previously unrealized gains in life span cognitive development, through late adulthood.

Retirement or no Retirement? The Decision's Effects on Cognitive Functioning, Well-Being, and Quality of Life

This study addressed the psychological effects on personal well-being and reported quality of life of staying professionally active in late adulthood, and to what extent years of professional inactivity modulates cognitive abilities. Design and Methods: We collected data on 262 elderly adults, 129 of whom were professionally active elderly adults (who voluntarily maintained their professional activity after the age of retirement) and 133 of whom were retired adults, in a set of experimental tasks to measure basic cognitive resources. The study took place during the first quarter of 2020. Results: Active elderly people performed better on cognitive tasks that assessed attention, memory, and solving abilities and also reported more satisfaction with life and their current work. Multiple linear regressions analyses revealed that years of inactivity were associated with lower cognitive performance. Mentally demanding jobs were significantly associated with memory performance, but not with attention and planning. Conclusions: An involuntary separation from professional activity in the beginning of late adulthood may cause a deeper decline of cognitive functions, poorer adaptive adjustment to the aging process, and higher dissatisfaction with the period of life the individual is going through.

Basic psychological need satisfaction across the retirement transition: Changes and longitudinal associations with depressive symptoms

Drawing on self-determination theory, the present study examined how satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) changes across the retirement transition and how need satisfaction was related to depressive symptoms across the retirement transition. Participants (N = 2655) were drawn from the HEalth, Ageing and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study. Latent growth curve modeling showed that autonomy need satisfaction increased across the retirement transition, whereas competence and relatedness remained relatively stable. Higher need satisfaction was related to less depressive symptoms at baseline, however, pre-retirement need satisfaction was not a statistically significant predictor of subsequent changes in depressive symptoms (or vice versa) across the retirement transition. At the within-person level, higher than usual need satisfaction at a specific time point was related to less than usual depressive symptoms. Need satisfaction may be an important factor to consider across the retirement transition and need satisfying activities prior, during, and after the transition may ease peoples’ adjustment to retirement.

The impact of life events and transitions on physical activity: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is a fluctuating behavior and prone to change across the life course. Changes in PA may be particularly due to the experience of life events and transitions. For well-timed and successful PA interventions, it is important to understand when and why individuals take up or terminate PA.

OBJECTIVES

This scoping review aims to examine the extent, range, and nature of research on the impact of life events and transitions on PA and to summarize key findings.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Articles were included if they had been published in peer-reviewed journals between 1998 and 2020 and assessed the impact of at least one life event or transition on PA.

RESULTS

107 studies that assessed 72 distinct life events and transitions were included and summarized in ten categories. Events and transitions that are primarily associated with decreases in PA were starting cohabitation, getting married, pregnancy, evolving parenthood, and the transitions from kindergarten to primary school, from primary to secondary school, and from high school to college or into the labor market. Retirement was associated with increases in PA; yet, long-term trajectories across retirement indicated a subsequent drop in activity levels. Divorce was associated with no changes in PA. No trends could be identified for changing work conditions, quitting or losing a job, starting a new relationship, widowhood, moving, and diagnosis of illness.

CONCLUSION

Life events and transitions can be conceptualized as natural interventions that occur across the life course and that are oftentimes associated with changes in PA behavior. Our study indicates that, despite some emerging trends, similar events do not necessarily have similar impacts on PA across individuals. It also shows that the research landscape is characterized by a lack of conceptual clarity and by disparate methodologies, making it difficult to synthesize results across studies.

Feeling too old? Consequences for subjective well-being. Longitudinal findings from the German Ageing Survey

OBJECTIVES

A lack of longitudinal studies exists where the difference between chronological age and perceived age (feeling older/feeling younger) and its association with subjective well-being (SWB) is examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether these differences are associated with SWB.

METHOD

Longitudinal data (year 2002-2017; n = 18,373 observations in the analytical sample) were taken from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey. To capture SWB comprehensively, positive and negative affect as well as life satisfaction was considered. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used to assess positive and negative affect. Life satisfaction was quantified using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The difference between chronological age and perceived age was used to quantify our main independent variable. More specifically, asymmetric effects were used, i.e. we tested whether changes in negative (chronological age was lower than perceived age, "feeling older") and positive age comparisons (otherwise, "feeling younger") are associated with changes in SWB differently.

RESULTS

Fixed effects regressions showed that feeling younger was associated with a slight increase in life satisfaction (β = .15, p < .001) and positive affect (β = .15, p < .001). Moreover, feeling younger was associated with a slight decrease in negative affect (β=-.07, p < .05). Feeling older was associated with a considerable decrease in life satisfaction (β=-.65, p < .01) and positive affect (β=-.45, p < .01), was well as a considerable increase in negative affect (β = .49, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the importance of negative age comparisons (feeling older) for SWB. Strategies to shift age perceptions may be beneficial for SWB in older individuals.

Depressive Symptomatology in Early Retirees Associated With Reason for Retirement-Results From the Population-Based LIFE-Adult-Study

BACKGROUND

Transition from employment to retirement is regarded a crucial event. However, there is mixed evidence on associations between retirement and mental health, especially regarding early retirement. In Germany, cases of early retirement due to ill health-particularly, mental ill health-are increasing. Therefore, we investigated the association between early retirement and depressive symptoms, including information on different types of early retirement.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 4,808 participants of the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study (age: 40-65 years, 654 retired, 4,154 employed), controlling for sociodemographic information, social network, pre-existing health conditions, and duration of retirement. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Regression analysis using entropy balancing was applied to achieve covariate balance between retired and employed subjects.

RESULTS

We found no overall-differences in depressive symptoms between employed and retired persons (men: b = -.52; p = 0.431; women: b = .05; p = .950). When looking at different types of early retirement, ill-health retirement was linked to increased depressive symptoms in women (b = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.71; 7.65), while voluntary retirement was associated with reduced depressive symptoms in men (b= -1.83, 95% CI = -3.22; -.43) even after controlling for covariates. For women, statutory retirement was linked to lower depressive symptomatology (b = -2.00, 95% CI = -3.99; -.02).

CONCLUSION

Depressive symptomatology among early retirees depends on reason for retirement: For women, ill-health retirement is linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Women who retire early due to ill-health constitute a risk group for depressive symptoms that needs specific attention in the health care and social security system.