Is working in later life good for your health? A systematic review of health outcomes resulting from extended working lives

Background Work, rather than unemployment, is recognised as being good for health, but there may be an age when the benefits are outweighed by adverse impacts. As countries around the world increase their typical retirement age, the potential effect on population health and health inequalities requi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC public health 2021-07, Vol.21 (1), p.1-1356, Article 1356
Main Authors: Baxter, Susan, Blank, Lindsay, Cantrell, Anna, Goyder, Elizabeth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Citation management software
Developed countries
Employment
Extending working
Female employees
Health
Health aspects
Industrialized nations
Inequalities
Life expectancy
Life span, Productive
Literature reviews
Males
Market exit
Mental health
Occupational health
Older workers
Quality of life
Quality of work life
Reinforcement
Retirement
Retirement age
Systematic review
Working hours
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Summary:Background Work, rather than unemployment, is recognised as being good for health, but there may be an age when the benefits are outweighed by adverse impacts. As countries around the world increase their typical retirement age, the potential effect on population health and health inequalities requires scrutiny. Methods We carried out a systematic review of literature published since 2011 from developed countries on the health effects of employment in those over 64 years of age. We completed a narrative synthesis and used harvest plots to map the direction and volume of evidence for the outcomes reported. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) checklist in our methods and reporting. Results We identified seventeen relevant studies, which were of cohort or cross-sectional design. The results indicate evidence of beneficial or neutral effects from extended working on overall health status and physical health for many employees, and mixed effects on mental health. The benefits reported however, are most likely to be for males, those working part-time or reducing to part-time, and employees in jobs which are not low quality or low reward. Conclusions Extending working life (particularly part time) may have benefits or a neutral effect for some, but adverse effects for others in high demand or low reward jobs. There is the potential for widening health inequalities between those who can choose to reduce their working hours, and those who need to continue working full time for financial reasons. There is a lack of evidence for effects on quality of life, and a dearth of interventions enabling older workers to extend their healthy working life. Keywords: Extending working, Retirement, Health, Systematic review, Employment, Older workers
ISSN:1471-2458
1471-2458
DOI:10.1186/s12889-021-11423-2