Dynamics of retirement, family and health

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 12301013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: OBIRIN UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: SHIBATA Hiroshi Obirin University, College of Humanities, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (30154248)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SUGIHARA Yoko Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Senior Researcher, 福祉振興財団・東京都老人総合研究所, 研究員 (80311405) ; SUGISAWA Hidehiro Obirin University Graduate School, Professor, 大学院・国際学研究科, 教授 (60201571) ; AKUNE Hideaki Obirin University, College of Humanities, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50167863)
• Project Period (FY): 2000 – 2002
• Keywords: Adaptation / Job Characteristics / Middle-age / Work / Retirement / Older Adults

Research Abstract

1) Objectives :
The aims of this study were (1) to examine potentially negative or positive effects of mandatory retirement on mental and social well-being of Japanese men, (2) to examine the influences of productive activities (paid work ; unpaid work at home, and unpaid work outside the home) on the occurrence of lifestyle-related diseases in Japanese middle-aged adults by gender, and to examine the mechanisms through which activities affect on health, (3) to examine effects of knowledge for aging on successful aging, (4)to examine representativeness of our panel survey.
2) Data :
Data were obtained from a two-year follow-up survey conducted with a nationally representative Japanese sample (4, 000 males and 2, 000 females) aged 55 to 64.
3) Results
(1) Mandatory retirement had little impact on the mental health of Japanese men in this national sample. However, retirement had a positive effect on social health. The frequency of face-to-face contacts with others increased after retirement e ven adjusted for covariates. Results suggest that mandatory retirement might not be as stressful for Japanese men as had previously been thought. (2) Paid work and unpaid work outside the home were independently associated with the lower risk of lifestyle-related diseases in both middle-aged men and women even after age, marital status, socioeconomic status, health status, health behavior, and psychological well-being were controlled for. The results suggest that productive activities outside the home may contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases in late middle age. (3) Knowledge for aging had a positive impact on successful aging after several confounding factors were controlled for. Results offer important suggestions for intervention for successful aging. (4) Drop-out from the panel did not happen randomly. Both male and female subjects living in urban areas were more likely to dropout than ones living in rural area. Only female subjects with low activities of daily living or low frequency of contacts with friends were likely to drop-out. Our panel might have a little problems on representativeness.