@article {13744, title = {Wealth Redistribution to Extend Longevity in the US.}, journal = {JAMA Internal Medicine}, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

IMPORTANCE: The US is unique among wealthy countries in its degree of wealth inequality and its poor health outcomes. Wealth is known to be positively associated with longevity, but little is known about whether wealth redistribution might extend longevity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between wealth and longevity and estimate the changes in longevity that could occur with simulated wealth distributions that were perfectly equal, similar to that observed in Japan (among the most equitable of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] countries), generated by minimum inheritance proposals, and produced by baby bonds proposals.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This longitudinal cohort study analyzed the association between wealth and survival among participants in the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2018), a nationally representative panel study of middle-aged and older (>=50 years) community-dwelling, noninstitutionalized US adults. The data analysis was performed between November 15, 2022, and September 24, 2023.

EXPOSURE: Household wealth on study entry, calculated as the sum of all assets minus the value of debts and classified into deciles.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Weibull survival models were used to estimate the association between per-person wealth decile and survival, adjusting for age, sex, marital status, household size, and race and ethnicity. Changes in longevity that might occur under alternative wealth distributions were then estimated.

RESULTS: The sample included 35 164 participants (mean [SE] age at study entry, 59.1 [0.1] years; 50.1\% female and 49.9\% male [weighted]). The hazard of death generally decreased with increasing wealth, wherein participants in the highest wealth decile had a hazard ratio of 0.59 for death (95\% CI, 0.53-0.66) compared with those in the lowest decile, corresponding to a 13.5-year difference in survival. A simulated wealth distribution of perfect equality would increase populationwide median longevity by 2.2 years (95\% CI, 2.2-2.3 years), fully closing the mortality gap between the US and the OECD average. A simulated minimum inheritance proposal would increase populationwide median longevity by 1.7 years; a simulated wealth distribution similar to Japan{\textquoteright}s would increase populationwide median longevity by 1.2 years; and a simulated baby bonds proposal would increase populationwide median longevity by 1.0 year.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that wealth inequality in the US is associated with significant inequities in survival. Wealth redistribution policies may substantially reduce those inequities and increase population longevity.

}, keywords = {health outcomes, Longevity, reduce inequalities, Wealth Inequality}, issn = {2168-6114}, doi = {10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7975}, author = {Himmelstein, Kathryn E W and Tsai, Alexander C and Venkataramani, Atheendar S} } @article {12597, title = {The weight of childhood adversity: evidence that childhood adversity moderates the impact of genetic risk on waist circumference in adulthood.}, journal = {International Journal of Obesity }, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: The present study tested the interactive effects of childhood adversity and polygenic risk scores for waist circumference (PRS-WC) on waist circumference (WC). Consistent with a diathesis-stress model, we hypothesize that the relationship between PRS-WC and WC will be magnified by increasing levels of childhood adversity.

METHODS: Observational study of 7976 adults (6347 European Americans and 1629 African Americans) in the Health and Retirement Study with genotyped data. PRS-WC were calculated by the HRS administrative core using the weighted sum of risk alleles based on a genome-wide association study conducted by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium. Childhood adversity was operationalized using a sum score of three traumatic events that occurred before the age of 18 years.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant interaction between PRS-WC and childhood adversity for European Americans, whereby the magnitude of PRS-WC predicting WC increased as the number of adverse events increased.

CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the idea of the interactive effects of genetic risks and childhood adversity on obesity. More epidemiological studies, particularly with understudied populations, are needed to better understand the roles that genetics and childhood adversity play on the development and progression of obesity.

}, keywords = {Genetics, Risk Factors, weight}, issn = {1476-5497}, doi = {10.1038/s41366-022-01191-3}, author = {Cuevas, Adolfo G and Mann, Frank D and Krueger, Robert F} } @article {13711, title = {The Worst of Times: Depressive Symptoms Among Racialized Groups Living With Dementia and Cognitive Impairment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {Forthcoming}, pages = {8982643231223555}, abstract = {

To explore differences in depressive symptoms for older adults (Black, Latinx, and White) by cognitive status during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Health and Retirement Study identified older adults as cognitively normal, cognitively impaired without dementia (CIND), and persons living with dementia (PLWD). Multiple linear regression analyses examined associations between cognitive status and depressive symptoms among these racialized groups. Compared to the cognitively normal older adults racialized as Black, those with CIND reported higher depressive symptoms during the pandemic (overall and somatic) and PLWD had higher somatic symptoms ( < .01). Older adults racialized as White with CIND reported higher somatic ( < .01) symptoms compared to cognitively normal older adults racialized as White. The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging event among older adults racialized as Black with CIND and PLWD. Future studies should examine if these depressive symptoms persist over time.

}, keywords = {Cognition, COVID, Dementia, depression, Older Adults}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643231223555}, author = {Brown, Monique J and Adkins-Jackson, Paris B and Sayed, Linda and Wang, Fei and Leggett, Amanda and Ryan, Lindsay H} } @article {13752, title = {Wealth, Health, And Longevity: Exploring The Connection}, year = {2024}, publisher = {American Council on Science and Health}, keywords = {health, race and ethnicity, Wealth, Wealth Inequality}, url = {https://www.acsh.org/news/2024/02/02/wealth-health-and-longevity-exploring-connection-17616}, author = {Dinerstein, Chuck} } @article {13751, title = {What Holds Clients Back From Annuities?}, year = {2024}, publisher = {FA Magazine}, keywords = {annuities}, url = {https://www.fa-mag.com/news/what-holds-clients-back-from-annuities-famag-76287.html}, author = {Rasmussen, Eric} } @article {JOSHANLOO2024112609, title = {Within-person associations between personality traits and loneliness controlling for negative affect}, journal = {Personality and Individual Differences}, volume = {223}, year = {2024}, pages = {112609}, abstract = {Despite cross-sectional evidence of significant associations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits, elucidating the directionality of these associations requires further longitudinal investigation. To address this gap, the present study examined the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and personality traits, controlling for negative affect. Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study collected in 2012, 2016, and 2020 (N~=~9671). The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used, enabling the examination of within-person associations. Results showed that loneliness predicted subsequent declines in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Furthermore, neuroticism was found to be a positive predictor of future loneliness, whereas the other personality traits were negative predictors. In addition, negative affect had bidirectional associations with neuroticism and predicted future loneliness. Overall, these results show that these variables are unidirectionally or bidirectionally linked at the within-person level. These findings also highlight the need for multifaceted interventions that include a range of approaches, such as promoting positive personality traits, managing negative affect, and enhancing social skills.}, keywords = {Big Five, Loneliness, longitudinal, Negative affect, personality trait, RI-CLPM}, issn = {0191-8869}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112609}, author = {Mohsen Joshanloo} } @article {12980, title = {Weight Loss, Body Weight Variability Associated With Faster Cognitive Decline}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Endocrinology Advisor}, keywords = {Body Weight, Cognitive decline, Weight Loss}, url = {https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/general-endocrinology/weight-loss-body-weight-variability-associated-with-faster-cognitive-decline/}, author = {Wei, Sophie} } @article {2023, title = {Weight Loss Is a Strong Predictor of Memory Disorder Independent of Genetic Influences}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, pages = {1563}, keywords = {genetic influences, memory disorder, Weight Loss}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes14081563}, author = {Chen, Sunny and Sarasua, Sara M. and Davis, Nicole J. and DeLuca, Jane M. and Thielke, Stephen M. and Yu, Chang-En} } @article {10.1093/geronb/gbad020, title = {Well-Being as a Protective Factor Against Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, month = {02}, pages = {765-776}, abstract = {Treatments that target the biological causes of dementia remain limited, making prevention critically important. Well-being{\textemdash}defined broadly as living in accordance with one{\textquoteright}s potential and experiencing one{\textquoteright}s life as enjoyable and satisfying{\textemdash}is a promising avenue for prevention. It can be targeted by large-scale, noninvasive interventions and has been linked with better cognitive health and lower dementia risk. In the current review, we begin by summarizing empirical evidence linking well-being to cognitive functioning, cognitive decline, dementia diagnosis, and dementia-related neuropathology. Then, we highlight 3 key areas for future research.We searched the literature on wellbeing, cognitive decline, and dementia, focusing on prospective and longitidinal evidence.The research reviewed here provides consistent evidence for associations of well-being with cognitive decline, dementia risk, and cognitive resilience to neuropathology. However, several open questions remain regarding (1) causality and mechanism(s), (2) specificity versus generalizability of associations, and (3) timing.To inform potential intervention efforts, the field must address complex open questions about whether, how, when, and for whom well-being influences dementia risk. The majority of existing research on well-being and cognitive health is correlational, and few studies have tested potential mechanisms that may explain those associations. Further, relatively little is known about the generalizability of associations across different aspects of well-being and for different sociocultural groups. Finally, we do not yet understand when in the life span and on what timescale well-being might influence cognitive health. We discuss challenges and opportunities for addressing each of these open questions, including concrete recommendations for research designs and use of open science practices.}, keywords = {Cognitive decline, Dementia}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad020}, author = {Willroth, Emily C and Pfund, Gabrielle N and McGhee, Chloe and Rule, Payton} } @article {BOM2023100456, title = {What explains different rates of nursing home admissions? Comparing the United States to Denmark and the Netherlands}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, pages = {100456}, abstract = {The share of older adults residing in a nursing home is much higher in the Netherlands and Denmark than in the US, while in the US, perhaps surprisingly, individuals are much more likely to be admitted to a nursing home. We explore reasons for the higher US admission rates and aim to understand to what extent these differences are due to (i) differences in the composition of the population aged 65+ or (ii) differences in LTC system features. We use data from HRS and SHARE merged to administrative data to compare total nursing home admission rates and long-term nursing home admission rates in The Netherlands (N = 1,800) and Denmark (N = 1,859), with comparable rates from the US (N = 6,553). We use decomposition techniques to quantify the differences in determinants of nursing home admissions. We find that elders in the US are more likely to be disabled, but even after adjusting for disability, they are more likely to be admitted to a nursing home. Because nearly half of these stays in the US are for fewer than 20 days, there is a shorter average length of stay; by contrast in the Netherlands and Denmark nursing home admissions are generally much longer term. These findings indicate that nursing home admissions are not solely determined by personal characteristics; also system and cultural differences are important reasons why nursing home use varies across countries.}, keywords = {Cross-country comparison, Decomposition, Long-term Care, Nursing home admission}, issn = {2212-828X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2023.100456}, author = {Judith Bom and Pieter Bakx and Eddy Van Doorslaer and Mette G{\o}rtz and Jonathan Skinner} } @article {13485, title = {What Happened to Late Boomers{\textquoteright} Retirement Wealth?}, number = {IB$\#$23-16}, year = {2023}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Chestnut Hill, MA}, abstract = {The brief{\textquoteright}s key findings are: Late Boomers have less retirement wealth than earlier cohorts, including surprisingly low 401(k) assets. To explain this drop, the analysis explored both changing demographics and labor market experiences. The results show that part of the drop is due to a decline in the share of Late Boomers who are White, married, and have college degrees. The main factor, though, is that Late Boomers saw a weakening in the link between work and wealth due to the Great Recession. The Great Recession story is a bit of good news for younger cohorts, as some of the downward pressure on their wealth holdings should abate.}, keywords = {Great Recession, late boomers, Retirement, Wealth}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/what-happened-to-late-boomers-retirement-wealth/}, author = {Chen, Anqi and Alicia H. Munnell and Quinby, Laura D.} } @article {12883, title = {What Matters for Annuity Demand: Objective Life Expectancy or Subjective Survival Pessimism?}, number = {WP$\#$2023-2}, year = {2023}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Objective life expectancy and subjective survival pessimism (defined as the difference between objective and subjective life expectancy) may both affect the demand for annuities. The question this project answers is: how do these two explanations contribute to annuitization decisions in practice? To explore this question, the analysis estimates regression models that include objective life expectancy, subjective survival pessimism, and other characteristics that are linked to annuitization decisions. The results show that, as one would expect, individuals with higher objective life expectancy are more likely to buy an annuity. Similarly, less pessimistic individuals are also more likely to buy an annuity. A one-year rise in objective life expectancy increases the probability of buying an annuity product by 0.20 percentage points, which is nearly nine times larger than a one-year decline in pessimism.}, keywords = {Annuity, Life Expectancy, Survival expectation}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/what-matters-for-annuity-demand-objective-life-expectancy-or-subjective-survival-pessimism/}, author = {Arapakis, Karolos and Gal Wettstein} } @article {13673, title = {When Disparities and Differences in Resources Abound, Medicaid Acts as Stopgap}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Skilled Nursing News}, keywords = {Disparities, Medicaid}, url = {https://skillednursingnews.com/2023/12/when-disparities-and-differences-in-resources-abound-medicaid-acts-as-stopgap/}, author = {Stulick, Amy} } @article {13043, title = {When Living Wills go Missing: Associations With Hospice Use and Hospital Death Using National Longitudinal Data.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology}, volume = {42}, year = {2023}, pages = {1108-1112}, abstract = {

Despite documented benefits of advance care planning (ACP), understandings about the impact of advance directives (AD)-critical steps in the ACP process-remain limited. As a type of AD, living wills (LWs) are often misplaced or forgotten about. This study explores the prevalence of missing LWs among older adults in the U.S. and its association with in-hospital death and hospice care use. Analyses are based on 692 participants who responded to LW completion questions in the 2016 Core and 2018 wave of the Health and Retirement Study Nearly a fifth of American older adults age 65+ had an LW that went missing. Stepwise logistic regression results show that completed LWs confirmed by both individuals and their proxies were associated with increased hospice use and fewer hospital deaths. Individuals whose LWs went missing still had better end-of-life care than those who did not have an LW.

}, keywords = {Advance directives, Hospice Care, Hospices, Hospital Mortality, Living Wills}, issn = {1552-4523}, doi = {10.1177/07334648221146774}, author = {Zhang, Peiyuan and Cagle, John G} } @article {13541, title = {Where are the retirees? Volunteerism among retirees is shockingly low. And that hurts everyone.}, year = {2023}, publisher = {MarketWatch}, keywords = {Retirees, Volunteerism}, url = {https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-volunteer-rate-among-retirees-is-depressingly-low-heres-how-to-change-that-71a3e97d}, author = {Eisenberg, Richard} } @article {13395, title = {Where the government draws the line for Medicaid coverage leaves out many older Americans who may need help paying for medical and long-term care bills {\textendash} new research}, year = {2023}, publisher = {The Conversation}, keywords = {Long-term Care, Medicaid, medical bills}, url = {https://theconversation.com/where-the-government-draws-the-line-for-medicaid-coverage-leaves-out-many-older-americans-who-may-need-help-paying-for-medical-and-long-term-care-bills-new-research-208527}, author = {Cohen, Marc A and Tavares, Jane} } @article { WOS:001025547700001, title = {Which Grandparents? Multigenerational Education Associations by Grandparent Gender and Paternal versus Maternal Side}, journal = {SOCIUS}, volume = {9}, year = {2023}, pages = {23780231231184221}, abstract = {A growing body of research focuses on multigenerational mobility, but few studies show how grandparents{\textquoteright} gender and gender-specific lineage (paternal vs. maternal side) are differentially associated with the process of status transmissions across generations. This article uses data from the Health and Retirement Study 1992-2018 (N = 15,623) to examine gender and gender-specific lineage differences in grandparent-grandchild education associations. Grandfathers{\textquoteright} educational attainment is more strongly associated with grandchildren{\textquoteright}s education than is grandmothers{\textquoteright} education. Variation in shared lifetimes and residential proximity do not account for these differences, but shared lifetimes between grandmothers and grandchildren are positively associated with grandchildren{\textquoteright}s educational attainment.}, keywords = {education mobility, Gender Differences, grandparents{\textquoteright} effects, multigenerational family, shared lifetime}, issn = {2378-0231}, doi = {10.1177/23780231231184221}, author = {Li, Anita} } @article {13429, title = {Who Benefits From Helping? Moderators of the Association Between Informal Helping and Mortality.}, journal = {Ann Behav Med}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Aug 04}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: While informal helping has been linked to a reduced risk of mortality, it remains unclear if this association persists across different levels of key social structural moderators.

PURPOSE: To examine whether the longitudinal association between informal helping and all-cause mortality differs by specific social structural moderators (including age, gender, race/ethnicity, wealth, income, and education) in a large, prospective, national, and diverse sample of older U.S. adults.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, a national sample of U.S. adults aged >50 (N = 9,662). Using multivariable Poisson regression, we assessed effect modification by six social structural moderators (age, gender, race/ethnicity, wealth, income, and education) for the informal helping (2006/2008) to mortality (2010-2016/2012-2018) association on the additive and multiplicative scales.

RESULTS: Participants who reported >=100 hr/year of informal helping (vs. 0 hr/year), had a lower mortality risk. Those who engaged in 1-49 hr/year most consistently displayed lower mortality risk across moderators, while those who engaged in 50-99 and >=100 hr/year only showed decreased mortality risk across some moderators. When formally testing effect modification, there was evidence that the informal helping-mortality associations were stronger among women and the wealthiest.

CONCLUSIONS: Informal helping is associated with decreased mortality. Yet, there appear to be key differences in who benefits from higher amounts of informal helping across social structural moderators. Further research is needed to evaluate how the associations between informal helping and health and well-being are patterned across key social structural moderators.

}, keywords = {informal helping, Mortality}, issn = {1532-4796}, doi = {10.1093/abm/kaad042}, author = {Nakamura, Julia S and Shiba, Koichiro and Jensen, Sofie M and VanderWeele, Tyler J and Kim, Eric S} } @article {12882, title = {Whose Life Expectancy Views Drive Annuity Sales?}, year = {2023}, publisher = {ThinkAdvisor}, keywords = {Annuity, consumer spending, Life Expectancy}, url = {https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2023/01/30/how-life-expectancy-perceptions-impact-annuity-purchases/}, author = {Bell, Allison} } @article {13483, title = {Wildfire smoke linked to increased risk of dementia, study says}, year = {2023}, publisher = {The Washington Post}, keywords = {Air Pollution, Dementia, smoke, wildfires}, url = {https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/08/22/wildfire-smoke-dementia-risk-increase/}, author = {Yarber, Aara{\textquoteright}L} } @article {13488, title = {Wills, Wealth, and Race}, number = {IB$\#$23-17}, year = {2023}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Chestnut Hill, MA}, abstract = {The brief{\textquoteright}s key findings are: The analysis explores how receiving an inheritance, having a will, and planning and realizing a bequest are interrelated and vary by race. Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely to get an inheritance, have a will, and plan to leave a bequest. Among those who do plan to leave a bequest, Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely to realize their bequest target. However, having a will increases the chances of achieving one{\textquoteright}s bequest target, offering a potential way to improve the situation.}, keywords = {inheritances, Racial Disparities, Retirement}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/wills-wealth-and-race/}, author = {Aubry, Jean-Pierre and Alicia H. Munnell and Gal Wettstein} } @article {13392, title = {With paid leave, older adults care for parents instead of grandchildren}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Michigan News, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {Caregivers, grandchildren, paid leave, Parents}, url = {https://news.umich.edu/with-paid-leave-older-adults-care-for-parents-instead-of-grandchildren/$\#$:~:text=Now\%2C\%20a\%20University\%20of\%20Michigan,time\%20looking\%20after\%20their\%20parents.}, author = {Sherburne, Morgan} } @article {12604, title = {Within-Person Dynamics of Objective and Subjective Social Isolation in Midlife and Later Life.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {2023}, abstract = {

ObjectivesTo investigate the within-person dynamics of objective and subjective social isolation among U.S. middle-aged and older adults and to explore gender differences in this relationship. Four waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2006-2018, = 5437) and the multiple group random intercept cross-lagged panel model were used. Within-person deviation in expected subjective isolation predicted deviation in expected objective isolation years later. No corresponding cross-lagged effect of objective isolation on subjective isolation was found. Gender differences were detected: the within-person cross-lagged positive effect of subjective isolation on objective isolation was significant for men but not for women. This study provides evidence for a unidirectional relationship between subjective and objective isolation at the within-person level: higher than expected increase in subjective isolation predicts higher than expected increase in subsequent objective isolation. This within-person process is more salient in men than in women.

}, keywords = {Loneliness, social disconnectedness, social network, Social Relationships}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643221118449}, author = {Luo, Mengsha and Li, Lydia W} } @mastersthesis {13776, title = {Word is Bond! Exploration Into Organizational Culture and Community Cultural Wealth Values, Observations of Financial Literacy and Economic Equity of Blacks }, volume = {Doctor in Education in Career and Technical Education Degree}, year = {2023}, school = {University of Wisconsin-Stout}, address = {Menomonie, WI}, abstract = {Community cultural wealth has value in the workforce. The individual{\textquoteright}s cultural capital and financial literacy values are not a separate experience to the organization culture. The dominant culture within the organization has a role of understanding and accepting the whole of Black American workers. This study will explore organizational culture and community cultural wealth values through observations of the financial literacy and economic equity of Blacks. The study includes findings from eight generations of Black workers and entrepreneurs from three data sets and interviews. Few studies examine how Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) factors into the survival and empowerment of cultural capital values throughout the lifespan of Blacks in the workforce. It is not enough to know that Blacks acquire less wealth{\textemdash}inquiries into financial literacy, illiteracy, and decisions made in an organizational culture context are insightful. A key component could be how Blacks view themselves in their communities, Blackness in the workforce, or are they viewed as breathing bitcoins. The study discussed conclusions such as workforce oppression that is not to be labeled as workplace conflict, diversity initiatives are not cultural capital assessments, Black English, and a seventh form of cultural capital drawn from the research and introduced recommendations for workforce training development stakeholders, academia, and policymakers. The study can be replicated by institutions or organizations with an interest in expanding cultural values and economic equity models.}, keywords = {Black English, Black workers, capitalism, community cultural wealth, cultural capital, economic equity, entrepreneur, Financial literacy, organizational culture, slavery/enslavement, spiritual capital, training and development, worker management, Workforce}, url = {https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/84878}, author = {Turner-Washington, L. Sherea} } @article {BERKMAN2023100438, title = {Working longer and population aging in the U.S.: Why delayed retirement isn{\textquoteright}t a practical solution for many}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, volume = {24}, year = {2023}, pages = {100438}, abstract = {We argue that if the United States wants to make delayed retirement a healthy reality in the future, policymakers must level the social and economic playing field for young and middle-aged workers. As it stands, precarious working conditions, family caregiving responsibilities, poor health, and age discrimination make it difficult or impossible for manytowork into their late 60s and beyond. Investments in better jobs today could lead to more secure retirements tomorrow. At the same time, we need a renovation of America{\textquoteright}s retirement and disability systems to provide financial security for all Americans as they age. Our findings suggest that working longer is set in motion long before one{\textquoteright}s 60s; it is structured by a life course history of working steadily through one{\textquoteright}s 50s. We argue that policies affecting work and policies affecting retirement are two sides of the same coin and must be considered together.}, keywords = {Delayed retirement, Economic inequalities, population aging, retirement security, Working Longer}, issn = {2212-828X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2022.100438}, author = {Lisa F. Berkman and Beth C. Truesdale} } @article {13252, title = {Working, Low Income, and Cancer Caregiving: Financial and Mental Health Impacts.}, journal = {J Clin Oncol}, volume = {41}, year = {2023}, pages = {2939-2948}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Approximately 6 million people provide caregiving to people diagnosed with cancer. Many must remain employed to support their household and to have access to health insurance. It is unknown if caregiving for a spouse diagnosed with cancer is associated with greater financial and mental stress relative to providing care for a spouse with different conditions.

METHODS: Health and Retirement Study (2002-2020) data were used to compare employed caregivers, younger than age 65 years, caring for a spouse diagnosed with cancer (n = 103) and a matched control group caring for a spouse with other conditions (n = 515). We used logistic regression to examine a decrease in household income, increase in household debt, stopping work, and a new report of a mental health condition over a 4-year period, adjusting for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and health insurance status. Subanalyses stratified estimations by median household income.

RESULTS: Around a third of cancer caregivers reported they stopped working (35\%) and had an increase in household debt (30\%). Cancer caregivers in households below the median household income were more likely to report decreased income (13.4 percentage points [pp]; < .10), increased household debt (14.5 pp; < .10), and stopping work (18.8 pp; < .05) than similar noncancer caregivers. Mixed results were found for a change in mental health domains. The results were robust to multiple sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION: Cancer caregivers from low-income households were more likely to increase debt and incur work loss compared with noncancer caregivers in similar households. Policies such as paid sick leave and family leave are needed for this strained and important population who have financial and employment responsibilities in addition to caregiving.

}, keywords = {Aged, Caregivers, Employment, Humans, Income, Insurance, Health, Mental Health, Neoplasms}, issn = {1527-7755}, doi = {10.1200/JCO.22.02537}, author = {Bradley, Cathy J and Kitchen, Sara and Owsley, Kelsey M} } @mastersthesis {12698, title = {Weight Maintenance, a Prognostic Factor That Mediates the Incidence of Dementia: From Genetics to Etiologies}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2022}, school = {Clemson University}, address = {Clemson, SC}, abstract = {Objectives: Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease-related dementia is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people. The goal of this work is to investigate biological mechanisms such as weight loss and mitochondrial function that can serve as prognostic factors for dementia, healthy aging, and longevity. Methodologies: This work consists of two separate systematic literature reviews, and an investigational study. The first review examined existing studies on weight trends in dementia. The second review investigated the role of mitochondria and its associated gene TOMM40 in aging. The third paper included a nested case control analysis of weight change patterns before and after diagnosis with dementia while controlling for genetic risk factors. Results: The first literature review revealed that weight loss can be detected at least a decade prior to a diagnosis of dementia, and weight loss continued after diagnosis. The second review on genetic variants in the TOMM40 gene found associations with longevity, cognitive function, and body mass index. A statistical analysis of 11,000 participants from the Health and Retirement Study revealed that people who lost weight in middle to late age had a two-fold increased risk of developing dementia even after adjusting for APOE gene variants, and genetic predictors for longevity and body mass index. Conclusions: Although the review suggested that polymorphisms in genes APOE and TOMM40 are associated with changes in cognition, BMI, and longevity; the analysis suggested that weight loss in dementia is an independent biological process. Pre-dementia weight loss may be useful for predicting future incidence of cognitive decline.}, keywords = {Dementia, weight management}, url = {https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/3085}, author = {Chen, Sunny} } @article {12964, title = {The Weight of Debt: Relationships of Debt with Employee Experiences}, journal = {Journals of Business and Psychology}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Connections of workers{\textquoteright} financial situations with their well-being and work-related attitudes have received limited attention in organizational psychology research. Furthermore, the potential impacts of personal debt on workers{\textquoteright} work-related outcomes remain largely unexamined. In two studies, we examined relationships between debt, financial strain, work-family conflicts, and work-related attitudes. Debt was assessed in terms of amount (i.e., monthly amount paid to debt in Study 1; total amount of debt owed in Study 2) and complexity, assessed as the number of sources of debt. In Study 1, 458 workers recruited through Amazon{\textquoteright}s Mechanical Turk responded to a survey regarding their financial situation at Time 1 and measures of well-being and work-related attitudes at Time 2 (2 months later). Debt complexity and monthly amount were both positively associated with financial strain and exhibited indirect relationships with several job attitudes and conflict between work and family via financial strain. Complexity exhibited stronger relationships than amount. Study 2 used publicly available data from the Health and Retirement Study to test similar relationships among a working sample over three time points, each separated by 2 years. Total debt amount and debt complexity were positively related to financial strain, but only debt amount exhibited indirect relationships with job-related attitudes and work-family conflict via financial strain. These results suggest that personal debt is meaningful to consider in organizational research, given the potential indirect relationships with outcomes of interest to organizations. Implications of the findings for practical interventions and future directions for research are discussed.}, keywords = {Debt, economic stress, Financial strain, Job attitudes, Occupational Health, Personal debt, Work Engagement, Work-family conflict}, doi = {10.1007/s10869-022-09867-3}, author = {Kristen Jennings Black and Sinclair, Robert R and Baylor A. Graham and Sawhney, Gargi and Munc, Alec} } @article {MILLER202215, title = {The welfare cost of late-life depression}, journal = {Journal of Economic Behavior \& Organization}, volume = {204}, year = {2022}, pages = {15-36}, abstract = {We quantify the welfare cost of depression among older Americans by estimating a panel VAR model of mental and physical health, labor supply, and consumption using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We use the estimated model and age sixty joint distribution of outcomes to simulate life-cycle paths with and without prevalence of depressive symptoms after age sixty. We estimate that the prevalence of late-life depressive symptoms costs an average of between 0.85 and 2.1 years in quality-adjusted life expectancy per person. Moreover, depression may result in an average loss of labor supply of up to 1.1 months and lifetime consumption of up to $16,000. Combining into a single compensating variation welfare metric, we estimate a bound on the average welfare cost of depression of 8{\textendash}15\% of annual consumption after age sixty. On aggregate, this amounts to roughly $180{\textendash}360 billion annually. We also project that while the average welfare cost of late-life depression is declining slightly over birth cohorts, the welfare burden is becoming significantly more unequal.}, keywords = {consumption, Cost-utility analysis, depression, Mental Health, Retirement}, issn = {0167-2681}, doi = {10.1016/j.jebo.2022.10.001}, author = {Ray Miller and Sayorn Chin and Ashish Kumar Sedai} } @article {12265, title = {What happens when the kids leave home?}, journal = {Retirement Weekly}, year = {2022}, publisher = {MarketWatch}, keywords = {consumption, financial plan, Retirement, Spending}, url = {https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-happens-when-the-kids-leave-home-11648229013} } @article {NAKAMURA2022101235, title = {What makes life purposeful? Identifying the antecedents of a sense of purpose in life using a lagged exposure-wide approach}, journal = {SSM - Population Health}, volume = {19}, year = {2022}, pages = {101235}, abstract = {Prior research documents strong associations between an increased sense of purpose in life and improved health and well-being outcomes. However, less is known about candidate antecedents that lead to more purpose among older adults. Methods We used data from 13,771 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) {\textemdash} a diverse, national panel study of adults aged >50 in the United States, to evaluate a large number of candidate predictors of purpose. Specifically, using linear regression with a lagged exposure-wide approach, we evaluated if changes in 61 predictors spanning physical health, health behaviors, and psychosocial well-being (between t0;2006/2008 and t1;2010/2012) were associated with purpose four years later (t2;2014/2016) after adjustment for a rich set of baseline covariates. Results Some health behaviors (e.g., physical activity >=1x/week [β = 0.14, 95\% CI: 0.09, 0.19]), physical health conditions (e.g., stroke [β = -0.25, 95\% CI: -0.40, -0.10]), and psychosocial factors (e.g., depression [β = -0.21, 95\% CI: -0.27, -0.15]) were associated with subsequent purpose four years later. However, there was little evidence that other health behaviors, physical health conditions, and psychosocial factors such as smoking, drinking, or financial strain, were associated with subsequent purpose. Conclusions Several of our candidate predictors such as volunteering, time with friends, and physical activity may be important targets for interventions and policies aiming to increase purpose among older adults. However, some effect sizes were modest and contrast with prior work on younger populations, suggesting purpose may be more easily formed earlier in life.}, keywords = {Health behaviors, Physical Health, Psychosocial factors, Public Health, Purpose in life}, issn = {2352-8273}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101235}, author = {Julia S. Nakamura and Ying Chen and Tyler J. VanderWeele and Eric S. Kim} } @article {12161, title = {When people{\textquoteright}s attitudes about aging improve, better health may follow}, journal = {Art \& Humanities}, year = {2022}, publisher = {The University of British Columbia}, keywords = {Aging, aging satisfaction, health, Wellbeing}, url = {https://news.ubc.ca/2022/02/09/when-peoples-attitudes-about-aging-improve-better-health-may-follow/}, author = {Rolfsen, Erik} } @article {12554, title = {When saving for retirement, seniors overestimate market volatility and underestimate life expectancy}, year = {2022}, publisher = {CNBC}, keywords = {Life Expectancy, Retirement, Saving}, url = {https://www.cnbc.com/select/seniors-overestimate-market-volatility-when-saving-for-retirement/}, author = {Paul, Trina} } @article {12801, title = {When will we care as much about Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s as we did about COVID-19?}, year = {2022}, publisher = {MarketWatch}, keywords = {Alzheimer, Dementia}, url = {https://www.marketwatch.com/story/when-will-we-care-as-much-about-alzheimers-as-we-did-about-covid-19-11666801372?mod=mw_latestnews}, author = {Arends, Brett} } @article {12887, title = {Where Food Security May Make a Difference Seniors Who Use Food Benefits Experience Slower Memory Decline}, year = {2022}, publisher = {NeurologyToday }, keywords = {Cognition, SNAP program}, url = {https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/Fulltext/2022/12150/Where_Food_Security_May_Make_a_Difference__Seniors.6.aspx}, author = {Shaw, Gina} } @article {13027, title = {WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD FEATURES MATTER MOST FOR MUSCLE STRENGTH? FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, pages = {254{\textendash}255}, abstract = {Linking data from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA) to the 2006-2018 Health and Retirement Study (N=22,245), we fit linear mixed models to assess which of 22 built and social neighborhood environment variables predicted grip strength, a measure of total-body muscle strength. Among 22,245 respondents (mean age=63 years, SD=9.2) with up to 4 grip strength measures, neighborhood physical disorder (B= -0.25 kg, 95\% CI= -0.37,-0.13), number of parks (B= 0.05 kg, 95\% CI= 0.01, 0.10), number of gyms/fitness centers (B=-0.44 kg, 95\% CI= -0.82, -0.07), proportion of highly developed land (B=-2.06 kg, 95\% CI=-4.06, -0.07), and \% urban (B=-0.66 kg, 95\% CI=-1.27, -0.05) were associated with grip strength level after adjustment. No social neighborhood variables were associated with grip strength. Although preliminary, findings suggest that highly developed urbanized land may be a barrier to maintaining muscle strength in later life, but resources such as parks are associated with better outcomes.}, keywords = {Grip strength, Muscle Strength, Neighborhood characteristics}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igac059.1010}, author = {Kate A Duchowny and L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez and W John Boscardin and Peggy Cawthon and Maria Glymour and Scarlett Lin Gomez} } @article {11756, title = {Who Decides? Financial Decision-Making Among Older Couples}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {43}, year = {2022}, pages = {310{\textendash}337}, abstract = {Using a sample of 2621 respondents from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study identifies factors associated with who makes complex financial decisions among older couples. Our results show that the bargaining power of wives has a positive association with their decision-making about savings, investments, and health insurance, while the power of husbands is negatively associated with wives being more responsible for decisions about health insurance and tax filing. Moreover, while the husband{\textquoteright}s sense of control, risk tolerance, and cognitive ability are associated with decisions for all financial decisions, the wife{\textquoteright}s sense of control, risk tolerance, and cognitive ability are related to some financial decisions only. Our results show some moderating roles of the perceived spousal social support, household income, and mother{\textquoteright}s education on the association between the four explanatory variables (bargaining power, sense of control, risk tolerance, and cognitive ability) and who makes the financial decisions. The findings provide potential benefits for older couples who consult financial professionals about financial management.}, keywords = {Bargaining power, Cognitive Ability, Constraints on self-control, Couples, Financial decisions, Risk tolerance}, isbn = {1573-3475}, doi = {10.1007/s10834-021-09775-3}, author = {Lim, HanNa and Su Hyun Shin and Wilmarth, Melissa J. and Park, Narang} } @article {12831, title = {Who Will Care for {\textquoteleft}Kinless{\textquoteright} Seniors?}, year = {2022}, publisher = {The New York Times}, keywords = {Caregiving, kinless}, url = {https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/03/health/elderly-living-alone.html}, author = {Paula Span} } @article {12466, title = {Why Do Mental Illnesses{\textemdash}From Depression to Schizophrenia{\textemdash}Raise the Risk of Dementia?}, year = {2022}, publisher = {Scientific America}, keywords = {Dementia, depression, Mental Illness, Schizophrenia}, url = {https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-mental-illnesses-from-depression-to-schizophrenia-raise-the-risk-of-dementia/}, author = {Wallis, Claudia} } @article {12803, title = {Why You Might Spend Less On Travel In Retirement Than You Thought}, year = {2022}, publisher = {Forbes}, keywords = {Retirement, Spending, Travel}, url = {https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2022/10/30/why-you-might-spend-less-on-travel-in-retirement-than-you-thought/?sh=1d6c28e92c9e}, author = {Ledsom, Alex} } @article {12467, title = {Why You Should Keep Working After Retirement}, year = {2022}, publisher = {AARP}, keywords = {Retirement, Savings, Sense of purpose, working}, url = {https://www.aarp.org/work/careers/working-after-retirement/?intcmp=AE-HP-TTN-R2-POS2-REALPOSS-TODAY}, author = {Lankford, Kimberly} } @article {12655, title = {Will Survivors of the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic Have Lower Mortality?}, number = {WP$\#$2022-10}, year = {2022}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Newton, MA}, abstract = {The mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly heavy among older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, and those with underlying health conditions. These groups are known to have higher mortality rates than others even in the absence of COVID. Using data from the 2019 American Community Survey, the 2018 Health and Retirement Study, and the 2020 National Vital Statistics System, this paper estimates how much lower the overall mortality rate will be for those who lived through the acute phase of the early pandemic after accounting for this selection effect of those who died from COVID. Such selection may have implications for life insurance and annuity premiums, as well as assessments of the financial standing of Social Security {\textendash} if the selection is large enough to substantially alter projected survivor mortality. The paper found that: 10-year mortality rates, absent direct COVID deaths and long COVID, will likely be lower in 2021 than anticipated in 2019.However, these differences are small, ranging from a decline of 0.4 percentage points for people in their 60s to 1 percentage point for those in their 90s.The small difference is in spite of the fact that COVID mortality was, indeed, very selective, with mortality declines exceeding half the maximum possible declines, holding total COVID deaths constant, for every age group. The policy implications of the findings are: That declines in mortality due to COVID selection likely will not impact overall population mortality substantially enough to affect Social Security cost projections.Any impact of selection effects on Social Security costs will likely be swamped by ongoing mortality increases directly attributable to acute and long COVID.}, keywords = {COVID-19, Mortality}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/will-survivors-of-the-first-year-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-have-lower-mortality/}, author = {Gal Wettstein and Gok, Nilufer and Anqi Chen and Alicia H. Munnell} } @article {11612, title = {Within-Person Associations of Self-Reports of Memory Impairment and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: Moderation of Relationships Over Time by Personality.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {300-311}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The current study examined within-person associations of self-reports of impaired current memory functioning and perceived decline with depressive symptoms in older adults without cognitive impairment, and whether these associations were moderated by individuals{\textquoteright} levels of neuroticism, conscientiousness, and extraversion.

METHODS: Samples were drawn from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP), Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), with over 8,000 participants (65+ years) included across datasets. In a series of coordinated analyses, multilevel linear models tested within-person relationships over periods of up to 22 years.

RESULTS: Across HRS and NHATS samples, self-reports of impaired current memory functioning covaried with depressive symptoms over time. This association was moderated by neuroticism, such that the association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of neuroticism. Across all samples, perceived memory decline covaried with depressive symptoms over time. This association was moderated by neuroticism in MAP/MARS, HRS, and NHATS, such that the association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of neuroticism.

DISCUSSION: Self-reports of impaired current memory functioning and perceived memory decline are important determinants of older adults{\textquoteright} psychological well-being. In our results, at times when older adults perceive poorer memory functioning or decline, they also tend to report more depressive symptoms. Further, results from two larger datasets suggest that individuals{\textquoteright} level of neuroticism may determine the extent to which self-reports of memory impairment and depressive symptoms covary over time.

}, keywords = {coordinated analyses, multilevel linear modeling, within-person associations}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab080}, author = {Mogle, Jacqueline and Nikki L Hill and Bratlee-Whitaker, Emily and Bhargava, Sakshi} } @article {12559, title = {Without pensions, future retirees face financial trouble. Where{\textquoteright}s Washington?}, year = {2022}, publisher = {The Washington Post}, keywords = {Pensions, Retirement}, url = {https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/26/retirement-savings-without-pension-trouble/}, author = {Helaine Olen} } @article {NOSS2022100465, title = {Women with lower systemic inflammation demonstrate steeper cognitive decline with age: Results from a large prospective, longitudinal sample}, journal = {Brain, Behavior, \& Immunity - Health}, volume = {22}, year = {2022}, pages = {100465}, abstract = {Men and women experience large disparities in prevalence, detection, and clinical course of neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, yet there is a paucity of literature documenting sex differences in this phenomenon in prospective, longitudinal studies. Methods Participants were 4217 non-smoking individuals (62.2\% female; aged 46{\textendash}91 at enrollment) enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study who provided dried blood spots and completed a standardized assessment of cognitive function 3 times across 8 years. Inflammation was indexed using C-reactive protein (CRP). Results Higher CRP was associated with lower concurrent cognitive function}, keywords = {C-reactive protein, Cognitive decline, CRP, Neurodegeneration, sex-related disparities, Women{\textquoteright}s Health}, issn = {2666-3546}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100465}, author = {Melody Moloci Noss and Summer N. Millwood and Kate R. Kuhlman} } @article {13201, title = {Work and Retirement of Older Black and Hispanic Adults}, year = {2022}, institution = {Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, abstract = {Growing U.S. income inequality and the aging of Black and Hispanic populations point to greater risks of financial insecurity for older populations in coming years. Research on retirement determinants for Blacks and Hispanics is limited. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we analyze retirement determinants for Blacks and Hispanics. We link this data to the Working Trajectories file and restricted SSA individual-level files to determine Social Security wealth by race and ethnic origin. Using sociodemographic, health, and economic covariates, we construct a conditional probit model that identifies the probability a given individual will retire from the workforce over time. We find that Hispanics, Blacks, and non-Hispanic whites respond similarly to Social Security, private pension incentives, and other institutional (e.g., health insurance) influences on retirement. In their retirement decisions, non-Hispanic Blacks are not responsive to some sociodemographic characteristics (male, couple, and number of household members), but they are responsive to physical and mental health problems. Hispanics are less responsive than non-Hispanic whites to most sociodemographic characteristics (male, education, and couple) and mental health problems in their retirement decisions. Our findings for non-Hispanic whites are consistent with previous literature. Our research can inform programs and policies to improve the quality of life for older adults, especially those isolated by cultural, economic, educational, or other barriers.}, keywords = {adults, black, Hispanic, Older, Retirement, Work}, url = {https://mrdrc.isr.umich.edu/publications/papers/pdf/wp452.pdf}, author = {Emma Aguila and Zeewan Lee} } @article {abrams_clarke_mehta_2020, title = {Work at age 62: expectations and realisations among recent cohorts of Americans}, journal = {Ageing and Society}, volume = {42}, year = {2022}, pages = {1213-1233}, abstract = {Much remains unknown about how the 2008 Great Recession, coupled with the ageing baby-boomer cohort, have shaped retirement expectations and realised retirement timing across diverse groups of older Americans. Using the Health and Retirement Study (1992{\textendash}2016), we compared expectations about full-time work at age 62 (reported at ages 51{\textendash}61) with realised labour force status at age 62. Of the 12,049 respondents, 34 per cent reported no chance of working full time at 62 (zero probability) and 21 per cent reported it was very likely (90{\textendash}100 probability). Among those reporting no chance of working, there was a 0.111 probability of unmet expectations; among those with high expectations of working, there was a 0.430 probability of unmet expectations. Black and Hispanic Americans were more likely than white Americans to have unmet expectations of both types. Educational attainment was associated with higher probability of unexpectedly working and lower probability of unexpectedly not working. Baby-boomers experienced fewer unmet expectations than prior cohorts but more uncertainty about work status at 62. Our findings highlight the unpredictability of retirement timing for significant segments of the US population and the role of the Great Recession in contributing to uncertainty. Given the individual and societal benefits of long work lives, special attention should be paid to the high rates of unexpectedly not working at age 62.}, keywords = {birth cohorts, Education, race, retirement timing, unmet expectations, Work}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X20001531}, author = {Leah R. Abrams and Philippa J Clarke and Neil K Mehta} } @article {12591, title = {Work expectations, depressive symptoms, and passive suicidal ideation among older adults: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {The Gerontologist}, volume = {62}, year = {2022}, pages = {1477-1485}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Employment and work transitions (e.g., retirement) influence mental health. However, how psychosocial contexts such as anticipation and uncertainty about work transitions, irrespective of the transitions themselves, relate to mental health is unclear. This study examined the relationships of work expectations with depressive symptoms, major depression episodes (MDE), and passive suicidal ideation over a 10-year period among the "Baby Boom" cohort of the Health and Retirement Study.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Analysis was limited to 13,247 respondents aged 53 - 70 observed from 2008 to 2018. Past-year depressive symptoms, MDE, and passive suicidal ideation were indexed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form. Expectations regarding working full-time after age 62 were assessed using a probability scale (zero to 100\%). Mixed effect logistic regressions with time-varying covariates were used to assess the relationship of work expectations with mental health, accounting for demographics, health status, and functioning, and stratified by baseline employment status.

RESULTS: At baseline, higher work expectations were inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Longitudinally, higher expectations were associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.93, 95\% CI: 0.91, 0.94). This association was more pronounced among respondents not working at baseline (ORNot working=0.93 vs. ORWorking=0.96). Greater uncertainty (i.e., expectations near 50\%) was also inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Results were similar for past-year MDE and passive suicidal ideation.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Expectations (overall likelihood and uncertainty), as indicators of psychosocial context, provide insight into the processes that link work transitions with depression risk.

}, keywords = {depression, Employment}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnac110}, author = {Mezuk, Briana and Dang, Linh and Jurgens, David and Jacqui Smith} } @article {10.1093/geroni/igac059.1391, title = {WORKING MEMORY MODERATES DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AFTER PARTNER MORTALITY: HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {12}, pages = {351-352}, abstract = {Grief is conceptualized as a process after which the individual becomes better adapted to changed living conditions after a loss. The Selection, Optimization, and Compensation with Emotion Regulation (SOC-ER) model posits that working memory may be necessary for mitigation and resolution of grief. This study examined the hypothesis that working memory facilitates successful grieving following the loss of an intimate partner. Participants include 3,599 respondents of the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who experienced spousal mortality between 1994 and 2014. Working memory was measured assessed using Serial 7{\textquoteright}s, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the 8-question CES-D. Latent-growth models were used to estimate rate of change in depressive symptoms up to loss-of-spouse (baseline event), and then subsequent to that loss. Missing data were handled using full-information maximum likelihood. Sample participants had an average age 78.04 (SD = 7.32) at the time of their spouse{\textquoteright}s death and were disproportionately female (69.10\%), White/Caucasian (82.30\%), non-Hispanic (92.37\%), and completed an average of 11.61 (SD = 3.42) years of education. The hypothesized level 2 model fit the data very well: χ2(56)=61.323, p=.29 RMSEA=0.005 [0.000 0.012]; CFI=0.998, SRMR=0.028. Initial depressive symptom endorsement was significantly related to working memory ability. Working memory also moderated the relationship between depressive symptom endorsement and time, where individuals with better working memory tended to report lower depressive symptoms and demonstrated a lesser increase in depressive symptoms. In conclusion, working memory may be one determinant of successful bereavement. Findings support application of the SOC-ER model to the study of grief.}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Memory, partner mortality}, issn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igac059.1391}, author = {Brush, David and Paulson, Daniel and Dvorak, Robert} } @article {12363, title = {Work-Related Stress, Psychosocial Resources, and Insomnia Symptoms Among Older Black Workers.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, pages = {424-434}, abstract = {

: To examine the association between work-related stress (job lock and job stress appraisal) and insomnia symptoms among older Black workers, as well as the extent to which psychosocial resources (mastery, social support, and religious involvement) mediate or moderate this association. : This study uses Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis and data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) on Black workers aged 51 and older ( = 924). : Job lock due to financial reasons and job stress appraisal are associated with increased insomnia symptoms among older Black workers. Religious attendance buffers the harmful effects of financial job lock on sleep quality, while religiosity exacerbates the effects of job stress on insomnia symptoms. Taken together, findings underscore the utility of the Stress Process Model for understanding diverse stress and sleep experiences in later life. Furthermore, findings have the potential to inform efficacious policies for reducing work-related stress and mitigating its harmful consequences.

}, keywords = {Aging, Black adults, Sleep, Stress, Work}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643221085899}, author = {Frazier, Cleothia and Brown, Tyson H} } @article {12257, title = {Would It Kill You to Retire? Testing Short/Long Term/Recurrent Effects of Retirement on All-Cause Mortality Risk.}, journal = {Research on Aging}, volume = {44}, year = {2022}, pages = {619-638}, abstract = {

This study traced all-cause mortality risk over the course of retirement and tested whether re-retirement impacts mortality risk differently than the first time. The study differentiated retirement on whether prompted by health (health retirement) or not (non-health retirement). Based on data from 1992 to 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the sample consists of 7747 women and 7958 men who were working at the baseline. Adjusting for physical health before/after retirement, the discrete-time logit model found increased mortality risk within the first year of non-health retirement only for men, regardless of physical health changes. Re-retirement did not raise mortality risk further. Furthermore, health retirement increased mortality for men and women but substantially less after their surviving the first year. The findings urge future study to explore non-physical pathways of an immediate mortality increase for men in retirement, as well as the monitoring of population trends in health retirement and its antecedents.

}, keywords = {health, mortality risk, Retirement}, issn = {1552-7573}, doi = {10.1177/01640275211068151}, author = {Oi, Katsuya} } @article {11900, title = {{\textquoteleft}We need people to know the ABC of finance{\textquoteright}: facing up to the financial literacy crisis}, journal = {Financial Times}, year = {2021}, address = {London}, keywords = {Education, Financial literacy}, url = {https://www.ft.com/content/b6a8107c-99f4-4a43-8adc-9686e6bd603e}, author = {Johnson, Miles} } @article {11536, title = {Wealth and the utilization of long-term care services: evidence from the United States.}, journal = {International Journal of Health Economics and Management}, volume = {21}, year = {2021}, pages = {345-366}, abstract = {

Long-term care (LTC) provision and financing has become a major challenge for policymakers in the United States and worldwide. To inform associated policies and more efficiently allocate LTC resources, it is important to understand how demand for different types of LTC services responds to increased wealth. We use data from the United States Health and Retirement Study to examine the use of LTC services following plausibly exogenous positive shocks to wealth. We further account for time-invariant household-level characteristics, including the expectation of a wealth shock at an unknown future time, by employing household fixed effects. We find that large positive wealth shocks lead to a greater probability of purchase of paid home care but not of nursing home care. Our results imply that expanding home and community-based services and insurance coverage of home care for people without sufficient wealth is likely to be efficient and welfare improving and should be considered by policymakers.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 4 Given name: [R. Tamara] Last name: [Konetzka]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.confirmedPlease confirm the city are correct and amend if necessary in Affiliations 1, 2, 3, 4.confirmed.

}, keywords = {home care, Long-term care financing, nursing home, Wealth effect}, issn = {2199-9031}, doi = {10.1007/s10754-021-09299-1}, author = {Dong, Jing and Daifeng He and John A. Nyman and R. Tamara Konetzka} } @article {11356, title = {Wealth Trajectories Across Key Milestones: Longitudinal Evidence from Life-Course Transitions}, number = {28329}, year = {2021}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {Wealth varies considerably across the population and changes significantly over the lifecycle. In this paper, we trace out trajectories of wealth across several key life milestones, including marriage, homeownership, childbirth, divorce, disability, health shocks, retirement and widowhood using multiple decades of longitudinal panel data. We estimate both changes over the ten-year period before and after each milestone and assess whether those changes occur gradually or sharply after the milestone. We find evidence of significant long-run increases in wealth associated with homeownership and retirement, and significant long-run reductions in wealth associated with divorce, health shocks, and disability. In general, these changes appear to occur gradually rather than immediately after the milestone. Our results also indicate a large degree of heterogeneity across demographics, socioeconomic status and risk protection from insurance. In particular, those with lower levels of socioeconomic status and those without access to risk protection experience smaller wealth gains (or larger wealth losses) following life-course transitions. These results identify populations and life stages where individuals are most vulnerable to large reductions in wealth.}, keywords = {childbirth, Disability, Divorce, health shock, Homeownership, Marriage, Retirement, Wealth, Widowhood}, doi = {10.3386/w28329}, author = {Gopi Shah Goda and Streeter, Jialu L.} } @article {11391, title = {Wealth Trajectories Across Key Milestones: Longitudinal Evidence from Life-Course Transitions}, number = {28329}, year = {2021}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {Wealth varies considerably across the population and changes significantly over the lifecycle. In this paper, we trace out trajectories of wealth across several key life milestones, including marriage, homeownership, childbirth, divorce, disability, health shocks, retirement and widowhood using multiple decades of longitudinal panel data. We estimate both changes over the ten-year period before and after each milestone and assess whether those changes occur gradually or sharply after the milestone. We find evidence of significant long-run increases in wealth associated with homeownership and retirement, and significant long-run reductions in wealth associated with divorce, health shocks, and disability. In general, these changes appear to occur gradually rather than immediately after the milestone. Our results also indicate a large degree of heterogeneity across demographics, socioeconomic status and risk protection from insurance. In particular, those with lower levels of socioeconomic status and those without access to risk protection experience smaller wealth gains (or larger wealth losses) following life-course transitions. These results identify populations and life stages where individuals are most vulnerable to large reductions in wealth.}, keywords = {Disability, Divorce, Health Shocks, Homeownership, Marriage, Retirement, wealth trajectory, Widowhood}, doi = {10.3386/w28329}, author = {Gopi Shah Goda and Streeter, Jialu L.} } @article {12043, title = {Wealthier, Healthier Households Keep Spending In Retirement, Study Says}, journal = {FA Online}, year = {2021}, publisher = {Financial Advisor}, keywords = {health, Retirement, Spending, Wealth}, url = {https://www.fa-mag.com/news/wealthier-and-healthier-households-keep-spending-in-retirement-65306.html}, author = {Rasmussen, Eric} } @article {11588, title = {What Explains Low Old-Age Income? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, number = {28721}, year = {2021}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {We examine respondents in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to observe how their financial situations unfolded as they aged. We focus on low income older adults and follow them over time to identify the factors associated with having low income at baseline and thereafter. We find that (a) real income remained relatively stable as individuals approach and enter retirement, and progress through their retirement years, and (b) labor force participation declined and thus earnings became less important with age, while Social Security and retirement savings rose as a proportion of annual income.}, keywords = {Income, retirement savings, Social Security}, doi = {10.3386/w28721}, author = {Olivia S. Mitchell and Clark, Robert L. and Annamaria Lusardi} } @article {11702, title = {What Level of Long-Term Services and Supports Do Retirees Need?}, number = {IB$\#$21-10}, year = {2021}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Chestnut Hill, MA}, abstract = {The brief{\textquoteright}s key findings are: Many retirees are concerned about the risk of requiring substantial long-term care as they age, but the likelihood is unclear. This analysis, using two decades of data from the Health and Retirement Study, classifies the severity of care needs, accounting for both intensity and duration. The results suggest about one-fifth of retirees will need no support at all and about one-quarter will have severe needs, with the rest facing low to moderate needs. The demographic patterns are as expected: those who are married, better educated, white, or in better health have more manageable needs. Subsequent briefs will explore the resources available to meet care needs and the types of people most at risk of facing unmet needs.}, keywords = {Long-term services and supports}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/what-level-of-long-term-services-and-supports-do-retirees-need/}, author = {Belbase, Anek and Anqi Chen and Alicia H. Munnell} } @article {VELASQUEZ2021100927, title = {What predicts how safe people feel in their neighborhoods and does it depend on functional status?}, journal = {SSM - Population Health}, volume = {16}, year = {2021}, pages = {100927}, abstract = {Feeling unsafe in one{\textquoteright}s neighborhood is related to poor health. Features of the neighborhood environment have been suggested to inform perceptions of neighborhood safety. Yet, the relative contribution of these features (e.g., uneven sidewalks, crime, perceived neighborhood physical disorder) on perceived neighborhood safety, particularly among people with disabilities who may view themselves as more vulnerable, is not well understood. We examined whether sidewalk quality assessed by third party raters, county-level crime rates, and perceived neighborhood disorder would relate to neighborhood safety concerns, and whether functional limitations would exacerbate these links. Using data from the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 10,653, mean age = 66 years), a national sample of older US adults, we demonstrate that those with and without functional limitations felt less safe in areas with more crime and perceived as more disordered. When considered simultaneously, however, only perceived disorder statistically significantly predicted safety concerns. Living in neighborhoods with better sidewalk quality was statistically significantly related to feeling less safe, but only among those with functional limitations. Sidewalk quality was not statistically significantly related to safety reports among those without functional limitations. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine multiple features of the neighborhood environment simultaneously in relation to perceived neighborhood safety. Our findings highlight the relative importance of perceived physical disorder, and that these perceptions relate to safety concerns. Replication of this research is needed to determine the robustness of these patterns, including rich data on pedestrian use and sidewalk proximity to roadways. Community-level interventions that simultaneously target the multifaceted features of the neighborhood environment that shape people{\textquoteright}s safety reports may be needed to reduce burden of health.}, keywords = {Crime, Functional limitations, Neighborhood safety, Physical disorder, Sidewalks}, issn = {2352-8273}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100927}, author = {Alfredo J. Velasquez and Jason A. Douglas and Fangqi Guo and Jennifer W Robinette} } @article {11208, title = {What role for the {\textquoteleft}long arm of childhood{\textquoteright} in social gradients? An international comparison of high-income contexts}, journal = {Longitudinal and Life Course Studies}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, pages = {147-171(25)}, abstract = {Social gradients in health have been a focus of research for decades. Two important lines of social gradient research have examined (1) international variation in their magnitude and (2) their life course / developmental antecedents. The present study brings these two strands together to explore the developmental origins of educational gradients in health. We leverage data spanning 14 high-income contexts from the Health and Retirement Study and its sisters in Europe. We find that early-life health and socio-economic status consistently attenuate educational gradients in multimorbidity and functional limitation. However, the relative contribution of early-life factors to gradients varies substantially across contexts. The results suggest that research on social gradients, and population health broadly, would benefit from the unique insights available from a conceptual and empirical approach that integrates comparative and life course perspectives.}, keywords = {ELSA, SHARE, social gradiant, TILDA}, doi = {10.1332/175795920X16025975665508}, author = {Steven A Haas and Zhou, Zhangjun and Oi, Katsuya} } @article {11957, title = {What{\textquoteright}s Retirement Happiness?}, journal = {Financial Advisor}, year = {2021}, abstract = {More money doesn{\textquoteright}t hurt, but health and relationships with peers matter just as much to retirees. If you{\textquoteright}re looking for happiness in retirement for your clients, you can forget relationships with adult children, buying a slick car to cruise the cul-de-sac or lounging at a beach cabin in Mazatl{\'a}n, Mexico. Instead, there are only three categories that lead to satisfaction{\textemdash}when you have enough money, when you have relationships with your peers and community, and when you have your health. These three things might seem different, but they have one critical thing in common: They all require investment before retirement.}, keywords = {investment, Retirement}, url = {https://www.fa-mag.com/news/what-s-retirement-happiness-64605.html?section=47}, author = {Jennifer Lea Reed} } @article {11725, title = {Why Are Older Workers Moving Less While Working Longer?}, year = {2021}, institution = {Mortgage Bankers Association}, address = {Washington, D.C.}, abstract = {Older workers{\textquoteright} labor force participation (LFP) and migration across state lines have been trending in opposite directions, counter to conventional economic wisdom. This paper investigates what might explain this puzzle using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Descriptive analysis identifies several factors that may explain the decline in migration, including greater housing price dispersion, fewer opportunities for wage arbitrage, and greater geographical sorting. I employ a series of empirical tests to examine how older workers{\textquoteright} LFP, retirement, and migration decisions respond to income and housing wealth losses by exploiting job losses to identify individual income shocks, and shocks to specific labor markets to identify housing wealth losses by using an import competition shock that began in 2001 after Congress ratified permanent normalized trade relations with China in October 2000. The puzzle appears to be driven by composition effects. For example, in response to a housing wealth shock, non-college educated homeowners (the largest subgroup of older workers) reduce their two-year migration rate by 54\% but only slightly reduce their labor supply, while college-educated renters (the smallest subgroup) increase their labor supply by 13\% but only weakly increase their propensity to move.}, keywords = {Migration, Older workers, Working Longer}, url = {https://research.upjohn.org/externalpapers/95/}, author = {Brian Asquith} } @article {11746, title = {Why do couples and singles save during retirement?}, number = {28828}, year = {2021}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {While the savings of retired singles tend to fall with age, those of retired couples tend to rise. We estimate a rich model of retired singles and couples with bequest motives and uncertain longevity and medical expenses. Our estimates imply that while medical expenses are an important driver of the savings of middle-income singles, bequest motives matter for couples and high-income singles, and generate transfers to non-spousal heirs whenever a household member dies. The interaction of medical expenses and bequest motives is a crucial determinant of savings for all retirees. Hence, to understand savings, it is important to model household structure, medical expenses, and bequest motives.}, keywords = {AHEAD, Couples, Retirement, Savings, Singles}, doi = {10.3386/w28828}, author = {Mariacristina De Nardi and Eric French and John Bailey Jones and McGee, Rory} } @article {11247, title = {Why do life insurance policyholders lapse? The roles of income, health, and bequest motive shocks}, journal = {Journal of Risk and Insurance}, volume = {88}, year = {2021}, pages = {937-970}, abstract = {We present and empirically implement a dynamic discrete choice model of life insurance decisions to assess the importance of various factors in explaining life insurance lapsation. We estimate a model using information on life insurance holdings from the Health and Retirement Study. Counterfactual simulations using the estimates of our model suggest that a large fraction of life insurance lapsations are driven by idiosyncratic shocks, uncorrelated with health, income, and bequest motives, particularly when policyholders are relatively young. As the remaining policyholders get older, however, the role of such independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) shocks gets smaller, and more of their lapsation is driven by income, health, or bequest motive shocks. As anticipated, income and health shocks are relatively more important than bequest motive shocks in explaining lapsation when policyholders are young, with bequest motive shocks playing a more important role as we age.}, keywords = {life insurance lapsations, sequential Monte Carlo method}, isbn = {0022-4367}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jori.12332}, author = {Fang, Hanming and Kung, Edward} } @article {10662, title = {Why Have Sleep Problems in Later-Midlife Grown Following the Great Recession? A Comparative Cohort Analysis}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, note = {gbaa034}, pages = {1005-1014}, abstract = {This research compares three cohorts of individuals in their fifth decade of life and examines whether sleep problems are greater in cohorts following the Great Recession. We argue that these differences will occur because post-recession cohorts are exposed to more economic burdens that harm sleep. We also suggest that post-recession exposure to economic burdens will be amplified among women, leading to greater cross-cohort differences in sleep problems.Data were derived from the Health and Retirement Study, focusing on cohort surveys starting in 2004, 2010, and 2016 (N=12,129). Structural equation models compared cohorts in latent levels of sleep problems, and also examined whether economic burdens mediated cohort differences. Interactions tested whether cohort differences varied between men and women.The 2010 and 2016 cohorts had higher mean levels of sleep problems than the 2004 cohort. Greater post-recession exposure to economic burdens largely explained inter-cohort change in sleep problems, with this pattern stronger among women.Americans are approaching their senior years increasingly burdened by economic stressors that incur sleep problems. Practitioners and aging researchers should be prepared to address deleterious health consequences created by heightened sleep impairments.}, keywords = {Aging, Economics, middle-aged adult, Sleep, sleep disorders, Stress}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbaa034}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/geronb/gbaa034/5813521}, author = {Bierman, Alex} } @article {11475, title = {Within-couple dissimilarities in functional impairment as determinants of spousal care arrangement among older married couples.}, journal = {Research in Nursing \& Health}, volume = {44}, year = {2021}, pages = {365-375}, abstract = {

Existing research on spousal care focuses on one spouse receiving care from the other, which fails to address the complexity that is created when both spouses experience some impairments. Our study included situations in which one or both spouses have functional impairments when examining the extent to which spouses from the same couple hold a (dis)similar level of functional impairment and whether such within-couple (dis)similarity has an impact on the spousal care arrangement. A subsample of 1170 older married couples was selected from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study. Descriptive statistics were used for describing the level of each spouse{\textquoteright}s functional impairment regarding the number of limitations in activities (activities of daily living [ADL]) or instrumental ADL (IADL). Logistic regressions were used to examine whether spousal dissimilarity in functional impairment (dissimilar, similarly low, similarly high) was associated with spousal care arrangement. Within couples with one functionally impaired spouse, the impaired spouse was more likely to receive spousal care when reporting a higher level of ADL/IADL impairment. Within couples with two functionally impaired spouses, the more impaired person was more likely to receive spousal care (without giving back) when spouses reported dissimilar level of IADL impairment; spouses were more likely to report mutual care when they had similarly high levels of IADL impairment. By documenting the role of spousal dissimilarities in functioning for determining spousal care arrangement, our study can inform couple-based interventions that capitalize on each spouse{\textquoteright}s capabilities and resources.

}, keywords = {Caregiving, family sociology, Functional health status, Marriage, within-couple perspective}, issn = {1098-240X}, doi = {10.1002/nur.22113}, author = {Liu, Huiying and Li, Yuekang and Wang, Yi and Morrow-Howell, Nancy and Vivian W Q Lou and Shen, Huei-Wern} } @article {12095, title = {Workplace Injuries and Receipt of Benefits from Workers Compensation and SSDI}, number = {MRDRC WP 2021-424}, year = {2021}, institution = {Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {We use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and matched Social Security Administration (SSA) data to study two questions. First, we examine evidence on whether workers who suffer permanently disabling injuries covered by workers{\textquoteright} compensation (WC) subsequently end up on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Second, under some conditions, SSDI benefits are supposed to be reduced for workers receiving WC benefits ({\textquotedblleft}offsets{\textquotedblright}). Offsets are most relevant for workers with WC-compensable, permanently disabling injuries. Our analysis captures data on WC benefit receipt from the HRS and links it to SSA data on WC and SSDI recipients. We find that SSA appears to be missing data on WC benefits for a sizable share of WC-benefit recipients, and that the frequency of SSDI benefit reduction because of the WC offset seems surprisingly low.}, keywords = {Social Security Administration, Social Security Disability Insurance, workplace injuries}, url = {https://mrdrc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/workplace-injuries-and-receipt-of-benefits-from-workers-compensation-and-ssdi/}, author = {Ladd, Daniel and David Neumark} } @article {11229, title = {We are all Behavioral, More or Less: A Taxonomy of Consumer Decision Making}, number = {28138}, year = {2020}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {We examine how 17 behavioral biases relate to each other, to other decision inputs, and to decision outputs. Most consumers exhibit multiple biases in our nationally representative panel data. There is substantial heterogeneity across consumers, even within similar demographic/skill groups. Biases are positively correlated within person, especially after adjusting for measurement error, and less correlated with other inputs{\textemdash}risk aversion, patience, cognitive skills, and personality traits{\textemdash}with some expected exceptions. Accounting for this correlation structure, we reduce our 29 decision inputs to eight common factors. Seven common factors load on at least two biases, six on clusters of theoretically related biases, and two or three are distinctly behavioral. All but one common factor is distinct from cognitive skills. Factor scores strongly conditionally correlate with decisions and outcomes in various domains. We discuss several potential implications of this taxonomy for various approaches to modeling influences of behavioral biases on decision making.}, keywords = {Behavior, consumption, Decision making}, doi = {10.3386/w28138}, author = {Stango, Victor and Zinman, Jonathan} } @article {11105, title = {Welcome Mats and On-Ramps for Older Adults: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act{\textquoteright}s Medicaid Expansions on Dual Enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid}, journal = {Journal of Policy Analysis and Management}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Abstract For many low-income Medicare beneficiaries, Medicaid provides important supplemental insurance that covers out-of-pocket costs and additional benefits. We examine whether Medicaid participation by low-income adults age 65 and up increased as a result of Medicaid expansions to working-age adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Previous literature documents so-called ?welcome mat? effects in other populations but has not explicitly studied older persons dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. We extend this literature by estimating models of Medicaid participation among persons age 65 and up using American Community Survey data from 2010 to 2017 and state variation in ACA Medicaid expansions. We find that Medicaid expansions to working-age adults increased Medicaid participation among low-income older adults by 1.8 percentage points (4.4 percent). We also find evidence of an ?on-ramp? effect; that is, low-income Medicare beneficiaries residing in expansion states who were young enough to gain coverage under the 2014 ACA Medicaid expansions before aging into Medicare were 4 percentage points (9.5 percent) more likely to have dual Medicaid coverage relative to similar individuals who either turned 65 before the 2014 expansions or resided in non-expansion states. This on-ramp effect is an important mechanism behind welcome mat effects among some older adults.}, keywords = {Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Medicare}, isbn = {0276-8739}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22259}, author = {Melissa McInerney and Jennifer M Mellor and Lindsay M Sabik} } @article { ISI:000490428300009, title = {Welfare stigma as a risk factor for major depressive disorder: Evidence from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program}, journal = {JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS}, volume = {260}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN 1}, pages = {53-60}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Background: Negative public attitude about welfare is known to impair feelings of self-worth and psychological well-being in welfare recipients. What is missing in the extant literature is whether the stress of being on welfare increases the risk for clinically severe depression. To fill this gap, the present study examines the association between participation in the food stamp program and major depressive disorder. Methods: Study data is drawn from the 2008-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 67076). Depressive symptom is assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Short Form, and modeled by a continuous score of major depressive symptoms (0-7) and a binary indicator for three or more symptoms. A fixed effects regression is used to estimate changes in depressive symptoms explained by the food stamp participation, adjusted for confounding covariates. Results: Food stamp participation was associated with an average of 19\% increases in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) and 29\% higher odds of having major depression (p < 0.01). The associations were statistically significant only for men, middle-aged adults, Whites, and those without disability - groups that are more likely to be stigmatized by the social norm for not being able to rise above poverty. Limitations: Depression outcomes are self-reported. Causality remains not established. The recession during the study periods may have dampened the stigma effects. Conclusions: Welfare participation is a risk factor for clinical depression in a low-income setting. Depressive symptoms induced by welfare stigma need to be clinically targeted through counseling and cognitive therapy programs.}, keywords = {CIDI-SF, Food stamp, Longitudinal analysis, Major depression, Welfare stigma}, issn = {0165-0327}, doi = {10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.079}, author = {Tae-Young Pak} } @article {10209, title = {What age do you feel? {\textendash} Subjective age identity and economic behaviors}, journal = {Journal of Economic Behavior \& Organization}, volume = {173}, year = {2020}, pages = {322-341}, abstract = {Building on recent findings in psychology, we study the impact of subjective age identity (feeling younger or older than one{\textquoteright}s chronological age) on economic behaviors. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study we find: Individuals with a younger age identity have higher work engagement, and their savings profile, as a function of the subjective age gap, is hump-shaped. The effects are economically significant, for example, increasing the subjective age gap by one standard deviation increases an individual{\textquoteright}s likelihood to be employed in a subsequent HRS wave by 1.1\% (about 21\% of the conditional mean). The relationships found are consistent with an interplay of two subjective age channels: Ability (self-perceived abilities to perform certain economic behaviors) and Preference (choosing (avoiding) {\textquotedblleft}young{\textquotedblright} ({\textquotedblleft}old{\textquotedblright}) behaviors). Our results have implications for policy and financial advice that traditionally target individuals based on chronological age. That is, for example, allowing more flexibility with respect to retirement decisions as well as aligning financial products and services with subjective age identities.}, keywords = {Economic behaviors, Employment decision, identity, Portfolio choice, Saving, Subjective age}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2019.08.004}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268119302525}, author = {Ye, Zihan and Post, Thomas} } @article {11041, title = {What Factors Explain the Decline in Widowed Women{\textquoteright}s Poverty?}, journal = {Demography}, year = {2020}, month = {2020/09/10}, abstract = {Historically, women in widowhood in the United States have been vulnerable, with high rates of poverty. However, over the past several decades, their poverty rate has fallen considerably. In this article, we look at why this decline occurred and whether it will continue. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study linked to Social Security administrative earnings and benefit records, we address these questions by exploring three factors that could have contributed to this decline: (1) women{\textquoteright}s rising levels of education; (2) their increased attachment to the labor force; and (3) increasing marital selection, reflecting that whereas marriage used to be equally distributed, it is becoming less common among those with lower socioeconomic status. The project decomposes the share of the decline in poverty into contributions by each of these factors and also projects the role of these factors in the future. The results indicate that increases in education and work experience have driven most of the decline in widows{\textquoteright} poverty to date, but that marital selection will likely play a large role in a continuing decline in the future. Still, even after these effects play out, poverty among widows will remain well above that of married women.}, keywords = {Education, Labor force participation, Marital selection, Widows{\textquoteright} poverty}, isbn = {1533-7790}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-020-00915-2}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Alice Zulkarnain} } @article {11501, title = {What your genes can (and can{\textquoteright}t) tell you about BMI and diabetes.}, journal = {Biodemography and Social Biology}, volume = {66}, year = {2020}, pages = {40-49}, abstract = {

Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a proxy for adiposity in epidemiological and public health studies. However, BMI may suffer from issues of misreporting and, because it fluctuates over the life course, its association with morbidities such as diabetes is difficult to measure. We examined the associations between actual BMI, genetic propensity for high BMI, and diabetes to better understand whether a BMI polygenic score (PGS) explained more variation in diabetes than self-reported BMI. We used a sample of non-Hispanic white adults from the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (1992-2016). Structural equation models were used to determine how much variation in BMI could be explained by a BMI PGS. Then, we used logistic regression models (n~=~12,086) to study prevalent diabetes at baseline and Cox regression models (n~=~11,129) to examine incident diabetes with up to 24~years of follow-up. We observed that while both actual BMI and the BMI PGS were significantly associated with diabetes, actual BMI had a stronger association than its genetic counterpart and resulted in better model performance. Moreover, actual BMI explained more variation in baseline and incident diabetes than its genetic counterpart which may suggest that actual BMI captures more than just adiposity as intended.

}, keywords = {BMI polygenic scores, Genetics}, issn = {1948-5573}, doi = {10.1080/19485565.2020.1806032}, author = {Carmen D Ng and Weiss, Jordan} } @article {11013, title = {When Culture Influences Genes: Positive Age Beliefs Amplify the Cognitive-Aging Benefit of APOE ϵ2}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Most studies of aging cognition have focused on risk factors for worse performance and on either genetic or environmental factors. In contrast, we examined whether two factors known to individually benefit aging cognition may interact to produce better cognition: environment-based positive age beliefs and the APOE ϵ2 gene.The sample consisted of 3,895 Health and Retirement Study participants who were 60 years or older at baseline and completed as many as 5 assessments of cognition over 8 years.As predicted, positive age beliefs amplified the cognitive benefit of APOE ϵ2. In contrast, negative age beliefs suppressed the cognitive benefit of APOE ϵ2. We also found that positive age beliefs contributed nearly 15 times more than APOE ϵ2 to better cognition.This study provides the first known evidence that self-perceptions can influence the impact of a gene on cognition. The results underscore the importance of combined psychosocial and biological approaches to understanding cognitive function in older adults.}, keywords = {age beliefs, APoE4, Cognition, gene, self-perceptions of aging}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa126}, author = {Becca R Levy and Martin D Slade and Robert H Pietrzak and Luigi Ferrucci} } @article {10980, title = {When Is Hope Enough? Hopefulness, Discrimination and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Allostatic Load.}, journal = {Behav Med}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, pages = {189-201}, abstract = {

Hopefulness is associated with better health and may be integral for stress adaptation and resilience. Limited research has prospectively examined whether hopefulness protects against physiological dysregulation or does so similarly for U.S. whites, blacks and Hispanics. We examined the association between baseline hopefulness and future allostatic load using data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 8,486) and assessed differences in this association by race/ethnicity and experiences of discrimination. Four items measured hopefulness and allostatic load was a count of seven biomarkers for which a respondent{\textquoteright}s measured value was considered high-risk for disease. A dichotomous variable assessed whether respondents experienced at least one major act of discrimination in their lifetime. We used Poisson regression to examine the association between hopefulness and allostatic load and included a multiplicative interaction term to test racial/ethnic differences in this association. Subsequent analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity and tested the interaction between hopefulness and discrimination within each racial/ethnic group. Hopefulness was associated with lower allostatic load scores, but its effects varied significantly by race/ethnicity. Race-stratified analyses suggested that hopefulness was protective among whites and not associated with allostatic load among Hispanics irrespective of experiencing discrimination. Hopefulness was associated with lower allostatic load among blacks reporting discrimination but associated with higher allostatic load among those who did not. Findings suggest that hopefulness plays differing roles for older whites, blacks and Hispanics and, for blacks, its protective effects on physiological dysregulation are intricately tied to their experiences of discrimination.

}, keywords = {Aging, physiological dysregulation, psychosocial resources, Resilience, stress and coping}, issn = {0896-4289}, doi = {10.1080/08964289.2020.1729086}, author = {Uchechi A Mitchell and Dellor, Elinam D and Sharif, Mienah Z and Lauren L Brown and Jacqueline M Torres and Ann W Nguyen} } @article {doi:10.1080/08959420.2020.1764310, title = {Who are the Most At-Risk Older Adults in the COVID-19 Era? It{\textquoteright}s Not Just Those in Nursing Homes}, journal = {Journal of Aging \& Social Policy}, year = {2020}, note = {PMID: 32418475}, abstract = {ABSTRACTCOVID-19 has taken a terrible toll on the nursing home population. Yet, there are five times the number of seniors living in the community who are also extremely vulnerable because they suffer from respiratory illnesses. Using the 2018 wave of the Health and Retirement Study we analyze this group of roughly 7 million seniors living in the community and find that they have multiple risk factors that make them particularly exposed. We also show how current strategies for protecting this population may be exacerbating risks and suggest concrete steps for better protecting this group.}, keywords = {COVID-19, home care workers, respiratory illnesses, seniors, social isolation}, issn = {0895-9420 }, doi = {10.1080/08959420.2020.1764310}, author = {Marc A Cohen and Jane Tavares} } @article {10569, title = {Who Becomes a High Utilizer? A Case-Control Study of Older Adults in the USA}, journal = {Journal of General Internal Medicine}, volume = {35}, year = {2020}, month = {2020/02/01}, pages = {596 - 598}, abstract = {Frequently hospitalized patients represent a high-cost population at risk of poor outcomes. These high-utilizers represent only 1.6\% of admitted patients, but they account for 8\% of admissions and 7\% of direct costs.1,2 While prior studies have identified risk factors for 30-day readmissions,3 little is known about risk factors associated with patients who accrue multiple admissions over a longer period of time. Prior studies using cross-sectional analyses have also neglected to identify upstream risk factors for becoming a high-utilizer.3,4 Proactively identifying patients years before entering a cycle of frequent hospitalizations may allow for early intervention to prevent hospitalizations and improve outcomes. We sought to identify distinguishing comorbid conditions, functional limitations, and social risk factors that differentiate patients, who had 5 or more hospitalizations over a 2-year period, years before they became high-utilizers.}, isbn = {1525-1497}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05331-w}, author = {Smith, Grant M. and Irena Cenzer and Kenneth E Covinsky and David B. Reuben and Alexander K Smith} } @article {11253, title = {Who benefits from public financing of home care for low-income seniors?}, year = {2020}, institution = {Harvard University}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {The past few decades have seen the emergence of a large formal home care industry as a significant source of long-term care for the elderly and disabled, who previously relied heavily on unpaid family members and nursing home care. Most formal home care is financed publicly through Medicaid programs, and this paper seeks to understand the implications of this financing. Using data from the 2000-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and a difference-in-difference and triple-difference design, I investigate the effects of a policy adopted at the state level that increased the use of formal home care among Medicaid-eligible seniors by more than 50\%. I show that rather than displace nursing home care or reach seniors who would otherwise be going without care, the policy{\textquoteright}s main effect is to replace informal care from family members, particularly spouses and daughters. For daughters, I find that this decrease in care supplied is accompanied by an increase in labor supply: for every 2.4-3 women whose parent receives formal home care as a result of this policy, one additional daughter works fulltime. These results suggest that daughters who care for frail seniors may be a significant and overlooked beneficiary of public efforts to increase access to home care for seniors.}, keywords = {home care, Long-term Care, Medicaid}, url = {https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/kshen/files/caregivers.pdf}, author = {Shen, Karen} } @mastersthesis {11231, title = {Whose Good Death? Understanding Inequality and the End of Life}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2020}, school = {University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {Traditionally disadvantaged groups are more likely to want life-sustaining treatments and are the beneficiaries of greater spending and intervention at the end of life, yet these outcomes are considered disadvantageous by clinicians and scholars. This dissertation investigates how diverse individuals experience end-of-life health care, and how and when differences become disparities. First, I use Health and Retirement Survey data to demonstrate racial and socioeconomic differences in end-of-life preferences and decisions and demonstrate preferences for more aggressive treatment are correlated with a lower likelihood of congruent decisions. Second, I employ ethnographic and interview methods to examine communication and decision-making about life-sustaining treatments and find that population-level inequities arise through 1) clinical patterns of valuation and standardization in medicine, and 2) differences in institutional resources among hospitals that treat demographically different populations. Collectively, my findings reinforce the need for a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms that produce inequality when designing health care interventions focused on alleviating disparities. Further, this research reveals how cultural tastes influence the clinical valuation of treatments and provides clinicians and policymakers with strategies for improving the health care experiences of disadvantaged groups.}, keywords = {Death \& Dying, Health Care, socioeconomic status}, url = {https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/162835}, author = {Hauschildt, Katrina E.} } @article {hou_munnell_sanzenbacher_li_2020, title = {Why are US men retiring later?}, journal = {Journal of Pension Economics and Finance}, volume = {19}, year = {2020}, pages = {442{\textendash}457}, abstract = { Over the past two decades, the share of individuals claiming Social Security at the Early Eligibility Age has dropped and the average retirement age has increased. At the same time, Social Security rules have changed substantially, employer-sponsored retirement plans have shifted from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC), health has improved, and mortality has decreased. In theory, all of these changes could lead to a trend toward later claiming. Disentangling the effect of any one change is difficult because they have been occurring simultaneously. This paper uses the Gustman and Steinmeier structural model of retirement timing to investigate which of these changes matter most by simulating their effects on the original cohort (1931{\textendash}1941) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The predicted behavior is then compared with the actual retirements of the Early Boomer cohort (1948{\textendash}1953) to see how much of the later cohort{\textquoteright}s delayed claiming and retirement can be explained by these changes. The Early Boomer cohort was less likely to be fully retired than the HRS cohort at both age 62 (36.7\% vs. 44.0\%) and age 64 (49.5\% vs. 53.9\%). The model suggests that the shift from DB toward DC plans was the biggest contributor to these declines, followed by better health. Social Security rules and improvements in mortality played smaller roles.}, keywords = {Pension plans, Retirement Decision, retirement timing, Social Security, structural model}, doi = {10.1017/S1474747218000331}, author = {Wenliang Hou and Alicia H. Munnell and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Yinji Li} } @article {RePEc:crr:issbrf:ib2020-4, title = {Why Do Late Boomers Have So Little Retirement Wealth?}, year = {2020}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College }, type = {Report}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {Over the last 40 years, the retirement system has shifted from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, primarily 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). This shift has been accompanied by a decline in Social Security benefits relative to pre-retirement earnings as the program{\textquoteright}s Full Retirement Age has moved from 65 to 67. Thus, the expected pattern when examining retirement wealth across cohorts is relatively less wealth from defined benefit plans and Social Security and much more from 401(k)s and IRAs. However, the numbers for the most recent cohort in the Health and Retirement Study {\textendash} the Late Boomers {\textendash} show not only the predicted declines in defined benefit plans and Social Security but also an unexpected drop in 401(k)/IRA assets. This drop is alarming given that Late Boomers, who were ages 51-56 in 2016, would have spent the majority of their careers in a defined contribution world. This brief is a first pass at trying to explain why this younger cohort has less in 401(k)/IRA assets than older cohorts had at the same age and what that means for the future of retirement security. The discussion proceeds as follows. The first section identifies the cohorts that are examined and the calculation of retirement wealth. The second section identifies a turn in the fortunes of Late Boomers during the Great Recession, when a significant share stopped working. But lack of employment does not explain the whole problem, so the third section follows working households and finds that after the Great Recession they had lower earnings, less 401(k) participation, and flat 401(k) balances, ending up well below earlier cohorts. A look at more recent cohorts offers a mixed picture for the future. The final section concludes that the Late Boomers{\textquoteright} low 401(k)/IRA wealth can be explained by particularly high levels of unemployment during the Great Recession and more reliance on lower-paid jobs when they re-entered the labor market. Why they were so hard hit, wh}, keywords = {Retirement wealth, Social Security}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IB_20-4.pdf}, author = {Anqi Chen and Wenliang Hou and Alicia H. Munnell} } @article {11165, title = {Why Does Consumption Fluctuate in Old Age and How Should the Government Insure it?}, number = {40}, year = {2020}, institution = {Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}, address = {Minneapolis, MN}, abstract = {In old age, consumption can fluctuate because of shocks to available resources and because health shocks affect utility from consumption. We find that even temporary drops in income and health are associated with drops in consumption and most of the effect of temporary drops in health on consumption stems from the reduction in the marginal utility from consumption that they generate. More precisely, after a health shock, richer households adjust their consumption of luxury goods because their utility of consuming them changes. Poorer households, instead, adjust both their necessary and luxury consumption because of changing resources and utility from consumption.}, keywords = {CAMS, health, Income}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.21034/iwp.40}, author = {Richard Blundell and Commault, Jeanne and Borella, Margherita and Mariacristina De Nardi} } @article {10848, title = {Why Does Consumption Fluctuate in Old Age and How Should the Government Insure It?}, number = {27348}, year = {2020}, institution = {The National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge}, abstract = {In old age, consumption can fluctuate because of shocks to available resources and because health shocks affect utility from consumption. We find that even temporary drops in income and health are associated with drops in consumption and most of the effect of temporary drops in health on consumption stems from the reduction in the marginal utility from consumption that they generate. More precisely, after a health shock, richer households adjust their consumption of luxury goods because their utility of consuming them changes. Poorer households, instead, adjust both their necessary and luxury consumption because of changing resources and utility from consumption.}, keywords = {consumption, Finance, health}, url = {https://www.nber.org/papers/w27348}, author = {Richard Blundell and Borella, Margherita and Commault, Jeanne and Mariacristina De Nardi} } @article {11201, title = {Why Does the Importance of Education for Health Differ across the United States?}, year = {2020}, institution = {American Sociological Association}, abstract = {The positive association between educational attainment and adult health ({\textquotedblleft}the gradient{\textquotedblright}) is stronger in some areas of the United States than in others. Explanations for the geographic pattern have not been rigorously investigated. Grounded in a contextual and life-course perspective, the aim of this study is to assess childhood circumstances (e.g., childhood health, compulsory schooling laws) and adult circumstances (e.g., wealth, lifestyles, economic policies) as potential explanations. Using data on U.S.-born adults aged 50 to 59 years at baseline (n = 13,095) and followed for up to 16 years across the 1998 to 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, the authors examined how and why educational gradients in morbidity, functioning, and mortality vary across nine U.S. regions. The findings indicate that the gradient is stronger in some areas than others partly because of geographic differences in childhood socioeconomic conditions and health, but mostly because of geographic differences in adult circumstances such as wealth, lifestyles, and economic and tobacco policies.}, keywords = {Education, health}, url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2378023119899545}, author = {Blakelee R Kemp and Jennifer Karas Montez} } @article {LIU2020, title = {Widowhood and Mortality: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and the Role of Economic Resources}, journal = {Annals of Epidemiology}, volume = {45}, year = {2020}, pages = {69-75.e1}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {Purpose We examine widowhood effects on mortality across gender and race-ethnicity, with attention to variation in the mediating role of economic resources. Methods Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2016). The analytic sample included 34,777 respondents aged 51 and older who contributed 208,470 person-period records. Discrete-time hazard models were estimated to predict the odds of death among white men, black men, Hispanic men, white women, black women, and Hispanic women separately. Karlson{\textendash}Holm{\textendash}Breen analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of economic resources across groups. Results Across all gender and racial-ethnic subgroups, widowhood effects on mortality were largest for Hispanic men. Black women and Hispanic women also suffered stronger effects of widowhood on mortality than white women. For both men and women, economic resources were an important pathway through which widowhood increased mortality risk for whites and blacks but not for Hispanics. Conclusions Findings highlight that gender and race-ethnicity intersect with widowhood status to disadvantage some groups more than others. It is important to explore the complex pathways that contribute to the higher mortality risk of racial-ethnic minorities, especially Hispanic men, following widowhood so that effective interventions can be implemented to reduce those risks.}, keywords = {gender, Mortality, race-ethnicity, Widowhood}, issn = {1047-2797}, doi = {10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.02.006}, author = {Hui Liu and Debra Umberson and Minle Xu} } @article {NICHOLAS2019100211, title = {Wills, public policy, and financial well-being among surviving spouses}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, volume = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The loss of a spouse is widely recognized as a large financial shock to many households. In this paper, we use harmonized, cross-national survey data from the Health and Retirement Study, the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to study will use, inheritance policies, and retained wealth among surviving spouses. We document significant cross-national variation in will use and default spousal inheritance regimes in the absence of a will. Many people die intestate in all study countries, even when they had anticipated leaving a bequest. The vast majority of decedents preparing wills include their spouses, and on average these spouses retain more wealth than spouses of intestate decedents.}, keywords = {Inheritance regimes, Wealth, Widows, Wills}, issn = {2212-828X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2019.100211}, author = {Lauren Hersch Nicholas and Micah Y. Baum} } @article {11315, title = {Within-Guideline Alcohol Consumption Protects Against Dementia?: Offset Effect of History of Drinking Problems}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {898}, abstract = {Research on the prospective relationship between older adults{\textquoteright} alcohol consumption and their subsequent risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND) has been limited by inconsistent definitions of {\textquotedblleft}moderate{\textquotedblright} drinking, use of short follow-ups, and an exclusive focus on either amounts of alcohol, or history of drinking problems, as predictors. To overcome these limitations we analyzed a longitudinal, 18-year Health and Retirement Study cohort (n=4,421) to determine how older adults{\textquoteright} baseline membership in one of six drinking categories (Non-Drinker, Without and With a History of Drinking Problems (HDP); Within-Guideline Drinker, Without and With a HDP; and Outside-Guideline Drinker, Without and With a HDP) predicted dementia and CIND 18 years later. Among participants with No HDP, 12.6\% of Non-Drinkers, 5.2\% of Within-Guideline Drinkers, and 8.8\% of Outside-Guideline Drinkers were classified as having dementia at the 18-year follow-up; among participants With HDP, 14.1\% of Non-Drinkers, 8.9 \% of Within-Guideline Drinkers, and 6.9\% of Outside-Guideline Drinkers were classified with dementia. Being a baseline Within-Guideline Drinker with No HDP reduced the likelihood of dementia 18 years later by 45\%, independent of baseline demographic and health characteristics; being a baseline Within-Guideline Drinker With a HDP reduced the likelihood of dementia by only 13\% (n.s.). Similar patterns obtained for the effects of baseline drinking group membership on likelihood of CIND at follow-up. These findings suggest that consuming alcohol at levels within validated guidelines for low-risk drinking may protect against dementia and CIND, but only among older adults who have no history of drinking problems.}, keywords = {Alcohol Consumption, Dementia}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3309}, author = {Penny L. Brennan} } @article {10764, title = {Women Have Less Secure Retirement, Following Lives Filled With Discrimination And Risks}, journal = {Forbes}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Women face a vastly more insecure retirement than men, a new report co-authored by Joelle Saad-Lessler, Tyler Bond and myself shows. They have fewer opportunities to save for retirement during their careers. They earn lower wages in part because of discrimination, structural barriers and more economic risks, especially from divorce and caregiving, during their working lives. They then enter retirement with fewer savings, while still facing added economic risks such as longer life expectancies.}, keywords = {Caregiving, Retirement, women}, url = {https://www.forbes.com/sites/christianweller/2020/05/20/women-have-less-secure-retirement-following-lives-filled-with-discrimination-and-risks/$\#$5ac9312160c5}, author = {Christian Weller} } @article {DAS2020100341, title = {Women{\textquoteright}s greater late-life depression: Traumatic experiences or GxE?}, journal = {Advances in Life Course Research}, volume = {45}, year = {2020}, pages = {100341}, abstract = {Objectives This study examined the role of traumatic life experiences, and their interaction with genetic risk, in explaining gender differences in late life depression. Methods Data were from the 2008-through-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, nationally representative of U.S. adults over age 50. Analysis was restricted to white participants. Newly available polygenic risk scores indexed genetic propensity for depression. Linear growth models examined gender effects on depression, as well as their mediation by environmental and genetic risk. Results Across-person results suggested greater depression among older white women than men. No disparities were found in within-person change. Women also did not have more traumatic life experiences. Nor did the few factors they reported more than men influence depression, or mediate the gender difference in this outcome. The sole exception was childhood parental physical abuse. This early experience mediated about a quarter of the gender disparity{\textemdash}but only at mean or high genetic vulnerability. In contrast, adulthood traumas common among women interacted negatively with polygenic risk{\textemdash}such that they mediated the gender effect only at low levels of the latter. Discussion Traumatic life experiences and their genetic interactions appear to have minimal utility in explaining women{\textquoteright}s greater depression{\textemdash}at least among white older adults. Careful work is needed on the extent to which these factors underlie other social disparities in mental health.}, keywords = {depression, gender, Older Adults, polygenic risk, Trauma}, issn = {1040-2608}, doi = {10.1016/j.alcr.2020.100341}, author = {Aniruddha Das} } @article {9927, title = {Work and the Family in Later Life: The Effects of Role Stressors, Role Enhancement, and Role Conflict on Self-Perceptions on Aging.}, journal = {International Journal of Aging \& Human Development}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The growing aging workforce comprises older workers with a concurrent family role. Guided by life span development and role theories, the primary study hypothesis was that rewards and stressors in the family and work domains would impact self-perceptions on aging because of the enhancement and conflict between these domains. The study sample consisted of workers older than 50 years with at least one of four family roles (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, and grandparent) from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study (N = 5,628). Results showed that self-perceptions on aging were impacted directly by family and work stressors and indirectly by these stressors through work-family enhancement and conflict . Work and family roles are thus crucial to the identity of adults in later life.}, keywords = {Family Roles/Relationships, Self-perception}, issn = {1541-3535}, doi = {10.1177/0091415018812404}, author = {Emma D Quach} } @article {RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2020-006, title = {Working and disability expectancies at old ages: The role of childhood circumstances and education}, number = {WP-2020-006}, year = {2020}, institution = {Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research}, address = {Rostock, Germany}, abstract = {The ability to work at older ages depends on health and education. Both accumulate starting very early in life. We assess how childhood disadvantages combine with education to affect working and health trajectories. Applying multistate period life tables to data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for the period 2008-2014, we estimate how the residual life expectancy at age 50 is distributed in number of years of work and disability, by number of childhood disadvantages, gender, and race/ethnicity. Our findings indicate that number of childhood disadvantages is negatively associated with work and positively with disability, irrespective of gender and race/ethnicity. Childhood disadvantages intersect with low education resulting in shorter lives, and redistributing life years from work to disability. Among the highly educated, health and work differences between groups of childhood disadvantage are small. Combining multistate models and inverse probability weighting, we show that the return of high education is greater among the most disadvantaged.}, keywords = {Disability, early childhood, Education, length of working life, Markov chains, Race/ethnicity, USA}, doi = {10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2020-006}, author = {Angelo Lorenti and Christian Dudel and Jo Mhairi Hale and Mikko Myrskyl{\"a}} } @article {10697, title = {Work-Life Balance and Labor Force Attachment at Older Ages}, journal = {Journal of Labor Research}, volume = {41}, year = {2020}, pages = {34-68}, abstract = {We use data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the role of work-life balance as a non-monetary determinant of retirement transitions, conditional on job attributes such as hours of work, compensation, and benefits. We rely on self-reported measures of work-life conflict to proxy for low levels of work-life balance. We show that high levels of work-life conflict are significantly associated with subsequent reductions in labor supply for workers aged 51 to 79, and document heterogeneity by gender and employment status. Moreover, work-life conflict moderates labor supply responses to spousal health shocks. Workers who report higher levels of work-life conflict are significantly more likely to reduce their labor supply in the two years following a spouse{\textquoteright}s health shock, and this effect is once more heterogeneous. The moderating effect of work-life conflict is stronger for women than men and, among female workers, stronger for those employed part-time at baseline.}, keywords = {Gender difference, health shock, Job characteristic, Retirement}, issn = {01953613}, doi = {10.1007/s12122-020-09301-8}, author = {Marco Angrisani and Maria Casanova and Erik Meijer} } @article {13065, title = {The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing.}, journal = {Maturitas}, volume = {139}, year = {2020}, pages = {6-11}, abstract = {

The ageing of the global population is the most important medical and social demographic problem worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined healthy ageing as a process of maintaining functional ability to enable wellbeing in older age. The WHO, Member States and Partners for Sustainable Development Goals have created a Global Strategy and Action Plan for Ageing and Health for 2016-2020 and its continuation with the WHO programme The Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030. The WHO has established main priorities such as supporting country planning and action, collecting better global data and promoting research on healthy ageing, aligning health systems to the needs of older people, laying the foundations and ensuring the human resources necessary for long-term integrated care, undertaking a global campaign to combat ageism, and enhancing the global network for age-friendly cities and communities. There are several reports of coordinated preventive health and social health initiatives in well developed countries. However, there is little evidence on the application of the active ageing frameworks in developing countries. Greater national capacities and closer monitoring of the progress through age-disaggregated data is needed to effectively implement the intended programmes on healthy ageing.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Global Health, healthy aging, Humans, World Health Organization}, issn = {1873-4111}, doi = {10.1016/j.maturitas.2020.05.018}, author = {Rudnicka, Ewa and Napiera{\l}a, Paulina and Podfigurna, Agnieszka and M{\k e}czekalski, B{\l}a{\.z}ej and Smolarczyk, Roman and Grymowicz, Monika} } @article {Bucciol2020, title = {Wounds that time can{\textquoteright}t heal: Life satisfaction and exposure to traumatic events}, journal = {Journal of Economic Psychology}, volume = {76}, year = {2020}, note = {cited By 0}, abstract = {In this study, by employing large-scale survey data from four waves of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we explore the (potentially long-lasting) effects of individuals{\textquoteright} exposure to psychologically traumatic life experiences on their subjective well-being. To this aim, we exploit the richness of our dataset, that contains information about occurrence and timing of a set of extreme events out of individuals{\textquoteright} control that may leave a {\textquotedblleft}scar{\textquotedblright} extending to their current levels of life satisfaction in general as well as with regard to specific life domains. Our findings indicate that having a close relative hit by a life-threatening illness or accident and, especially, having been victim of a serious physical attack or assault are negatively related to both general and domain-specific life satisfaction, even after controlling for personality traits. Next, life satisfaction is significantly lowered by being physically abused by a parent. Overall, we provide evidence that the effects of some traumatic events are persistent over time and mostly related to women. Surprisingly, the effects of child death are negligible also in the short term. {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier B.V.}, keywords = {Economic Psychology, Trauma, Wounds}, issn = {01674870}, doi = {10.1016/j.joep.2019.102241}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167487019302089}, author = {Alessandro Bucciol and Luca Zarri} } @article {10008, title = {The wage penalty for parental caregiving: Has it declined over time?}, journal = {Journal of Marriage and Family}, volume = {81}, year = {2019}, pages = {415-433}, abstract = {Objective: This study analyzed differences in the wage penalty for parental caregiving between early Baby Boomers and the previous generation. Background: Research has explored the association between parental caregiving and women{\textquoteright}s labor market outcomes, but few studies have conducted cross-cohort analyses. Method: This study used nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and compared two cohorts of individuals aged 50 to 64. One cohort was born between 1931 and 1941, and the other was born between 1948 and 1953. The 1994 to 2012 waves of the HRS were pooled, and multivariate fixed effects regression models were used to estimate the associations among birth cohort, parental caregiving, and women{\textquoteright}s and men{\textquoteright}s log hourly wages. Results: Intense parental caregiving was associated with a 4.8\% reduction in women{\textquoteright}s wages. Baby Boom women did not fare better than their predecessors. Moreover, despite a substantial increase in Baby Boom men{\textquoteright}s parental care, the association between caregiving and their labor market outcomes was negligible. Similar to their predecessors, married and unmarried Baby Boom men did not pay wage penalties for parental caregiving. Conclusion: These results extend our understanding of the gendered life course and suggest that parental caregiving may contribute to older women{\textquoteright}s economic disadvantage.}, keywords = {Adult children, Caregiving, Employment and Labor Force, Gender Differences}, issn = {00222445}, doi = {10.1111/jomf.12555}, author = {Glauber, Rebecca} } @article {McGrath2019, title = {Weakness and cognitive impairment are independently and jointly associated with functional decline in aging Americans}, journal = {Aging Clinical and Experimental Research}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, abstract = {Background: Discovering how certain health factors contribute to functional declines may help to promote successful aging. Aims: To determine the independent and joint associations of handgrip strength (HGS) and cognitive function with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and activities of daily living (ADL) disability decline in aging Americans. Methods: Data from 18,391 adults aged 50 years and over who participated in at least one wave of the 2006{\textendash}2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. A hand-held dynamometer assessed HGS and cognitive functioning was examined with a modified version of the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status. IADL and ADL abilities were self-reported. Participants were stratified into four distinct groups based on their HGS and cognitive function status. Separate covariate-adjusted multilevel models were conducted for the analyses. Results: Participants who were weak, had a cognitive impairment, and had both weakness and a cognitive impairment had 1.70 (95\% confidence interval (CI) 1.57{\textendash}1.84), 1.97 (CI 1.74{\textendash}2.23), and 3.13 (CI 2.73{\textendash}3.59) greater odds for IADL disability decline, respectively, and 2.26 (CI 2.03{\textendash}2.51), 1.26 (CI 1.05{\textendash}1.51), and 4.48 (CI 3.72{\textendash}5.39) greater odds for ADL disability decline, respectively. Discussion: HGS and cognitive functioning were independently and jointly associated with IADL and ADL disability declines. Individuals with both weakness and cognitive impairment demonstrated substantially higher odds for functional decline than those with either risk factor alone. Conclusions: Including measures of both HGS and cognitive functioning in routine geriatric assessments may help to identify those at greatest risk for declining functional capacity. {\textcopyright} 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive impairment, Decline, functional health}, issn = {15940667}, doi = {10.1007/s40520-019-01351-y}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31520335}, author = {Ryan P McGrath and Brenda Vincent and Kyle J Hackney and Soham Al Snih and Graham, J. and Thomas, L. and Ehlers, D.K. and Brian C Clark} } @article {10373, title = {Weakness is Associated with Time to Incident Chronic Heart Failure in Aging Americans}, journal = {The Journal of Nutrition, Health \& Aging}, year = {2019}, month = {2019/10/03}, pages = {1-4}, abstract = {Objective Handgrip strength is considered a biomarker of nutritional status and strength capacity, which are both linked to heart complications. However, it is not well understood how weakness, as measured by handgrip strength, factors into common heart conditions seen in aging adults such as chronic heart failure (CHF). The purpose of this study was to determine the association between weakness and incident CHF for aging Americans. Design Longitudinal-Panel. Setting Physical measures were completed during enhanced face-to-face interviews. The core interview was typically conducted over the telephone. Participants Data from 17,431 adults aged at least 50 years who identified as Black or White, completed interviews without a proxy, and participated in at least one wave of the 2006{\textendash}2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were included. Measurements Handgrip strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Healthcare provider diagnosed CHF was self-reported at each wave. Sex- and race-specific maximal handgrip strength cut-points were used for determining weakness (Black men: <40-kilograms, Black women: <31-kilograms, White men: <35-kilograms, White women: <22-kilograms). A covariate-adjusted Cox model analyzed the association between weakness and incident CHF. Results Of those included, 5,397 (31.0\%) were weak and 327 (1.9\%) developed CHF during the mean follow-up of 4.7{\textpm}2.7 years. Those who were weak had a 35\% higher risk (hazard ratio: 1.35; 95\% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.74) of developing CHF, compared to those who were not-weak. Conclusion Measures of handgrip strength should be utilized by healthcare providers for assessing age-related weakness, nutritional status, and CHF risk. Likewise, interventions aiming to prevent or treat CHF in aging adults should incorporate measures of handgrip strength for helping to determine efficacy of intervention programs.}, keywords = {Heart Failure, weakness}, isbn = {1760-4788}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-019-1266-y}, author = {Ryan P McGrath and Lee, D.-C. and William J Kraemer and Brenda Vincent and Shaughnessy, K. A. and Terbizan, D. J.} } @article {MCGRATH2019, title = {Weakness May Have a Causal Association With Early Mortality in Older Americans: A Matched Cohort Analysis}, journal = {Journal of the American Medical Directors Association}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Objectives Quantifying the association between muscle weakness and mortality with carefully matched cohorts will help to better establish the impact of weakness on premature death. We used a matched cohort analysis in a national sample of older Americans to determine if those who were weak had a higher risk for mortality compared with control groups with incrementally higher strength capacities. Design Longitudinal panel. Setting Detailed interviews that included physical measures were conducted in person, whereas core interviews were often performed over the telephone. Participants Data from 19,729 Americans aged at least 50 years from the 2006-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. Measures A handgrip dynamometer was used to assess handgrip strength (HGS) in each participant. Men with HGS <26 kg were considered weak, >=26 kg were considered not weak, and >=32 kg were considered strong. Women with HGS <16 kg were classified as weak, >=16 kg were classified as not-weak, and >=20 kg were classified as strong. The National Death Index and postmortem interviews determined the date of death. The greedy matching algorithm was used to match cohorts. Results Of the 1077 weak and not-weak matched pairs, 401 weak (37.2\%) and 296 not-weak (27.4\%) older Americans died over an average 4.4 {\textpm} 2.5-year follow-up. There were 392 weak (37.0\%) and 243 strong (22.9\%) persons who died over a mean 4.5 {\textpm} 2.5-year follow-up from the 1057 weak and strong matched pairs. Those in the weak cohort had a 1.40 [95\% confidence interval (CI) 1.19, 1.64] and 1.54 (CI 1.30, 1.83) higher hazard for mortality relative to persons in the not-weak and strong control cohorts, respectively. Conclusions and Implications Our findings may indicate a causal association between muscle weakness and mortality in older Americans. Health care providers should include measures of HGS as part of routine health assessments and discuss the health risks of muscle weakness with their patients.}, keywords = {Aging, Epidemiology, Geriatrics, Hand Strength, Muscle Strength, sarcopenia}, issn = {1525-8610}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.10.016}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152586101930756X}, author = {Ryan P McGrath and Brenda Vincent and Mark D Peterson and Donald A Jurivich and Lindsey J Dahl and Kyle J Hackney and Brian C Clark} } @article {Sharma20191055, title = {Wealth and the health of older Black women in the United States}, journal = {Health promotion international}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, pages = {1055-1068}, abstract = {Public health scholars and policy-makers are concerned that the United States continues to experience unmanageable health care costs while struggling with issues surrounding access and equity. To addresses these and other key issues, the National Academy of Medicine held a public symposium, Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: A National Conversation during September 2016, with the goal of identifying clear priorities for high-value health care and improved well-being. One important area was addressing social determinants of health. This article contributes to this objective by investigating the impact of wealth on older Black women{\textquoteright}s health. Employing the 2008/2010 waves of the RAND Health and Retirement Study on a sample of 906 older Black women, this panel study examined self-assessed health ratings of very good/good/fair/poor within a relaxed random effects framework, thereby controlling for both (i) observed and (ii) unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. This analysis did not find a statistically significant association with wealth despite a difference of approximately $75 000 in its valuation from very good to poor health. This also occurred after wealth was (i) readjusted for outliers and (ii) reformulated as negative, no change or positive change from 2008. This finding suggests that wealth may not play as integral a role. However, the outcome was significant for earnings and education, particularly higher levels of education. Scholars should further this inquiry to better understand how earnings/education/wealth operate as social determinants of health for minority populations. {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.}, keywords = {Adult, Article, Education, Female, human, human experiment, human tissue, major clinical study, panel study, Policy, Population Health, Retirement, Social determinants of health, United States, Wellbeing, Women{\textquoteright}s Health}, issn = {14602245}, doi = {10.1093/heapro/day053}, author = {Sharma, A.} } @article {9959, title = {Wealth Management While Dealing with Memory Loss}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {40}, year = {2019}, pages = {470{\textendash}485}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {This study aims to understand the mechanisms through which severe memory problems could affect portfolio choice of older households. We focus on two potential mediators, cognitive ability and survival expectations, which are both expected to be adversely affected by memory disorders. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, our findings show that cognitive ability and survival expectations are negatively associated with severe memory problems. Through the mediating role of cognitive ability, memory problems negatively affect the probability of holding risky assets, the amount of risky assets in the investment portfolios and financial wealth. Survival expectations, on the other hand, do not play a significant mediating role in portfolio allocation. In addition, the financial burden of severe memory problems does not seem to directly affect portfolio decisions.}, keywords = {Cognition \& Reasoning, Dementia, Memory, Mortality}, issn = {1058-0476}, doi = {10.1007/s10834-019-09610-w}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10834-019-09610-w}, author = {Cheung, Cheuk Hee and Tansel Yilmazer} } @article {10060, title = {Is weight discrimination associated with physical activity among middle aged and older adults?}, journal = {Journal of Primary Prevention}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 Mar 20}, abstract = {Older adults (> 65) are less physically active than all other adult age groups. Although experiences of weight discrimination have been inversely associated with physical activity in several studies of middle-aged and older adults, the role of weight discrimination in this relationship has not been sufficiently explicated. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (a longitudinal panel study of U.S. adults aged 50 and older), we hypothesized that, among middle aged and older adults, weight discrimination would (a) be inversely related to respondents{\textquoteright} reported level of physical activity; and (b) partially mediate the relationship between BMI and physical activity. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found an inverse relationship between weight discrimination and vigorous physical activity (OR = 0.79; 95\% CI [0.66, 0.94]), as well as between weight discrimination and moderate physical activity (OR = 0.76; 95\% CI [0.62, 0.92]). Weight discrimination mediated 13\% of the relationship between BMI and vigorous physical activity, as well as 9\% of the relationship between BMI and moderate physical activity. Weight discrimination may thus pose a barrier to regular physical activity among middle aged and older adults. Future research and interventions should identify effective ways of mitigating barriers experienced because of weight discrimination in the promotion of physical activity among these age groups, as well as how we may effectively reduce the perpetration of weight discrimination in various settings.}, keywords = {BMI, Discrimination, Physical activity}, issn = {1573-6547}, doi = {10.1007/s10935-019-00546-3}, author = {Sandi Phibbs and Thorburn, Sheryl and Adam J. Branscum} } @article {9799, title = {When God is your only friend: Religious beliefs compensate for purpose in life in the socially disconnected.}, journal = {Journal of Personality}, volume = {87}, year = {2019}, pages = {455-471}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Social relationships supply purpose to life. How can socially disconnected people, who show lower levels of purpose, compensate for purpose in life? We propose that religious beliefs can compensate for the purpose in life that social relationships would otherwise provide, through providing (a) greater purpose to turn to and (b) divine figures that can substitute for social relationships.

METHOD: In three studies, we analyze three nationally representative and longitudinal data sets (N~=~19,775) using moderated regression and cross-lagged panel analyses.

RESULTS: Consistent with our hypotheses, religious beliefs were of minimal influence on purpose in life for socially connected individuals, who already held higher levels of purpose than socially disconnected individuals. However, for socially disconnected individuals, being highly religious predicted higher levels of purpose in life.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that although people primarily derive purpose from social relationships, socially disconnected individuals may leverage their religious beliefs for purpose and social comfort until they can reconnect.

}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Loneliness, Purpose in life, Religion}, issn = {1467-6494}, doi = {10.1111/jopy.12401}, author = {Chan, Todd and Nicholas M Michalak and Ybarra, Oscar} } @mastersthesis {10361, title = {Which Grandparents Matter? Gender-Specific Grandparent Effects}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2019}, pages = {31}, school = {University of Wisconsin-Madison}, abstract = {Despite of growing interests in multigenerational mobility research in recent years, we have little understanding of how gender may matter for the process of status transmissions across generations. Given women{\textquoteright}s longevity and greater exposure to their children and grandchildren, we might expect maternal grandmothers to have a stronger influence on grandchildren{\textquoteright}s outcomes. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study and consistent with this expectation, I find that maternal grandmothers{\textquoteright} education has a stronger association with grandchildren{\textquoteright}s education than the other three grandparents do, but only for grandsons not granddaughters. This paper emphasizes the importance of incorporating gender in studying multigenerational processes and influences and considers potential mechanisms behind grandparent effects. }, keywords = {gender, Grandparenting, Grandparents}, author = {Huixian, Li} } @article {2019-51376-00120190827, title = {Who gives and receives more? Older couples{\textquoteright} personality and spousal support.}, journal = {Personal Relationships}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This study examined the effects of the Big Five personality traits on support/strain exchange within older couples. Data of 1,775 older couples aged between 50 and 85 years in 2014 from the Health and Retirement Study were assessed, and actor{\textendash}partner interdependent models were used. For the actor effects, all the five factors predicted their report on the spousal support/strain from the spouse; some differences between husbands and wives, as well as support and strain, were detected. For the partner effects, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism predicted the support/strain provision reported by the partner. The findings of this study illustrate that certain personality factors work as predictors of spousal support/strain in older couples. The possible mechanism with regard to older adults{\textquoteright} personality and marital relationship was discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)}, keywords = {Marriage, No terms assigned, Personality, Social Support}, issn = {1350-4126}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pere.12290 }, author = {Kyuho Lee and Peter Martin} } @article {10038, title = {Why everyone should save like they{\textquoteright}re going to retire early}, journal = {MarketWatch}, year = {2019}, publisher = {MarketWatch}, address = {San Francisco}, keywords = {Future, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Savings}, url = {https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-everyone-should-save-like-theyre-going-to-retire-early-2019-04-10}, author = {Hester, Tanja} } @article {10767, title = {Why Has Poverty Declined for Widows?}, number = {IB$\#$19-4}, year = {2019}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {In the mid-1990s, the poverty rate for widows ages 65- 85 was 20 percent. Since then, it has dropped sharply. Why did this decline occur and will it continue? This brief, based on a recent paper, addresses these questions by exploring three factors that could have contributed to the decline.1 The first is the rise in women{\textquoteright}s educational attainment. The second is the rise in women{\textquoteright}s work experience. The third is shifting marriage patterns, with women of higher socioeconomic status (SES) now more likely to be married than their lower-SES counterparts. }, keywords = {Poverty, Widowhood}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/why-has-poverty-declined-for-widows/}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Alice Zulkarnain} } @article {10206, title = {Why spouses depress each other: A cross-national study to test the shared resource hypothesis in depressive symptom concordance within older adult couples}, journal = {Asian Social Work and Policy Review}, year = {2019}, note = {doi: 10.1111/aswp.12183}, month = {08/2019}, abstract = {Abstract The shared resource hypothesis suggests that married couples share the same environmental resources, which shape their health concordance. This study tests its cross-national applicability. Cross-sectional 2012?2013 Health and Retirement Study data from China, England, Mexico, and the United States were analyzed. Heterosexual couples (age >=60) who were married or partnered were studied (N = 20,565 pairs). Dyadic data were analyzed by multilevel models to examine the effect of self and spousal social and physical health statuses on depressive symptoms. Regression models were used to test the relationship between couples{\textquoteright} shared resources and depressive symptom concordance. Results indicated both husbands and wives{\textquoteright} depressive symptoms were associated with their own and spouses{\textquoteright} social and health statuses. Most couple-level resources were insignificant predictors for Chinese and Mexican couples{\textquoteright} concordance, but having more social and financial resources was associated with higher concordance among British and American couples. Self-reported health was the most consistent predictor in all countries. The shared resource hypothesis was more applicable to depressive symptom concordance within couples in the United States and England, but not in China and Mexico. Couple-centered intervention is suggested for clinical practice, and the spousal effect should be considered in policymaking.}, keywords = {actor{\textendash}partner interdependence model, CHARLS, cross-national study, Depressive symptoms, ELSA, health concordance, MHAS, shared resource hypothesis}, isbn = {1753-1403}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/aswp.12183}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aswp.12183}, author = {Lu, Peiyi and Shelley, Mack} } @article {10089, title = {Why Working Till Whenever Is a Risky Retirement Strategy}, journal = {The New York Times}, year = {2019}, address = {New York City}, keywords = {Health Shocks, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Wealth Shocks}, url = {https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/business/retirement-layoff-working-longer.html}, author = {Mark Miller} } @article {9010, title = {Widowhood and Depression in a Cross-National Perspective: Evidence from the United States, Europe, Korea, and China.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {73}, year = {2019}, pages = {e143-e153}, abstract = {

Objectives: We explore marital and depression trajectories over time for men and women, and distinguish between mood and somatic depression across contexts.

Method: We use longitudinal data from 2002 to 2013 from the United States, England, Europe, Korea, and China to explore depression among individuals married at baseline and follow their trajectories into widowhood with married as the reference group. We use random effects models to estimate these trajectories using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) or EURO-D scales for men and women.

Results: Depression peaks within the first year of widowhood for men and women, but women recover to levels comparable to married counterparts in all countries. Men sustain high levels of depression even 6-10 years post-widowhood everywhere except Europe. Widowed women have higher somatic depression compared to men, who have higher mood depression. Family plays differential roles in mediating depression across countries.

Discussion: Our research shows the complex global relationship between widowhood and depression. Studies that do not compare depression trajectories over time may make incorrect inferences about the persistence of depression by gender and country. Interventions should target different components of depression: mood-related symptoms for men and somatic-related symptoms for women for most effective recovery.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, CHARLS, Cross-National, Depressive symptoms, ELSA, KLoSA, SHARE}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbx021}, author = {Jadhav, Apoorva and David R Weir} } @article {DAS201942, title = {Widowhood, depression and blood pressure: A U.S.-England comparison}, journal = {Advances in Life Course Research}, volume = {39}, year = {2019}, pages = {42 - 50}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {Objectives This study queried associations of older adults{\textquoteright} widowhood with their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), and mediation of these linkages by depression. Methods Data were from the 2008 and 2012 waves of two surveys: the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Analyses used lagged dependent variable models to examine widowhood effects, and a counterfactual approach to test mediation. Results Positive widowhood-BP linkages were found only among HRS women. Associations were negative for HRS men{\textquoteright}s systolic BP, and absent in ELSA. These sex- and societal differences seemed driven not by linkages of widowhood with depression{\textemdash}which remained constant across all subgroups{\textemdash}but by that of depression with BP. For both outcomes, the latter was positive for HRS women, negative for HRS men, and absent in ELSA. Accordingly, depression mediated over a third of HRS women{\textquoteright}s widowhood effects. A substantial proportion of this influence also seemed to bypass this psychological state. Discussion Results indicate a need for more sex-specific basic research into depression{\textquoteright}s physiological impact, and on non-distress mechanisms linking life events to physiology. They also suggest that single-country studies may lead to flawed conclusions on the biological implications of life course factors.}, keywords = {Blood pressure, Counterfactual analysis, depression, Widowhood effect}, issn = {1040-2608}, doi = {doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2018.11.001}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040260818300698}, author = {Aniruddha Das} } @article {10349, title = {Will Fewer Children Boost Demand for Formal Caregiving?}, number = {WP 2019-6}, year = {2019}, month = {03/2019}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Today, 25 percent of all caregivers of elderly are adult children. However, while the parents of the Baby Boom generation had three children per household on average, the Boomers themselves only have two. This project uses the Health and Retirement Study to assess how the number of children a person has affects the demand for formal long-term care, i.e. long-term services and supports (LTSS), using ordinary linear regression, a Cox proportional hazard model, and an instrumental variable approach. Results suggest that the lower fertility of the Baby Boom generation is likely to lead to greater demand for LTSS in the coming decades. For example, the instrumental variable estimates indicate that having one fewer child increases the probability of having spent a night in a nursing home in the last two years from 10.7 percent to 12.4 percent among those with two or more Activities of Daily Living limitations.}, keywords = {Caregiving, children}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/will-fewer-children-boost-demand-for-formal-caregiving/}, author = {Gal Wettstein and Alice Zulkarnain} } @article {10165, title = {Women who work for a salary see slower memory decline in old age, reducing their risk of dementia, a new study suggests}, journal = {The Washington Post}, year = {2019}, address = {Washington, DC}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Memory, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/women-who-work-for-a-salary-see-slower-memory-decline-in-old-age-reducing-their-risk-of-dementia-a-new-study-suggests/2019/07/15/c1819880-a72a-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html?utm_term=.be88fc18ce2a}, author = {Natanson, Hannah} } @article {9955, title = {Working to 70 is not an easy fix to the retirement crisis}, journal = {Reuters}, volume = {2019}, year = {2019}, publisher = {Reuters}, address = {London}, keywords = {News, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://www.reuters.com/article/us-column-marksjarvis-retirement/working-to-70-is-not-an-easy-fix-to-the-retirement-crisis-idUSKCN1PO2CA}, author = {Gail MarksJarvis} } @article {9874, title = {Want To Keep Your Brain Sharp? Take Care Of Your Eyes And Ears}, journal = {Shots: Health News from NPR}, volume = {2018}, year = {2018}, publisher = {NPR}, type = {Web article/Audio}, address = {Washington, DC}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Hearing aids, Hearing loss, News}, url = {https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/22/658810909/can-t-hear-well-fixing-hearing-loss-can-keep-your-memory-sharper}, author = {Aubrey, Allison} } @article {9835, title = {Wealth Shocks and Health Outcomes: Evidence from Stock Market Fluctuations}, journal = {American Economic Journal: Applied Economics}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, pages = {349-377}, abstract = {Do wealth shocks affect the health of elderly in developed countries? I exploit the booms and busts in the US stock market as a natural experiment that generated considerable gains and losses in the wealth of stock-holding retirees. Using data from the 1998{\textendash}2011 Health and Retirement Study I construct wealth shocks as the interaction of stock holdings with stock market changes. These wealth shocks predict wealth changes and strongly affect health outcomes. A 10\% wealth loss leads to an impairment of 2{\textendash}3\% of a standard deviation in physical health, mental health and survival rates.}, keywords = {Health Care Outcomes, Stocks, Wealth Shocks}, issn = {1945-7782}, doi = {10.1257/app.20140499}, url = {https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/app.20140499https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdf/10.1257/app.20140499}, author = {Schwandt, Hannes} } @mastersthesis {10306, title = {Well-being Across Changing Social Landscapes}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2018-05-15}, pages = {Duke}, school = {Duke University}, type = {phd}, abstract = {Low subjective well-being arises from differences between experiences and expectations, often identified through social comparisons. Many studies have investigated how individual exposures to a recessive period associates with contemporaneous changes in subjective well-being, finding inconsistent results. The studies collected here expand prior research by (1) examining contemporaneous associations between subjective well-being and unemployment rates before, during, and after a recession and by (2) investigating whether recessions influence subjective well-being in a more persistent manner through Cohort Socialization. This mechanism predicts first that exposure to recessions in young adulthood changes individual outlooks. Second, it predicts that these differences in outlooks correlate with differences in subjective well-being. I use the General Social Survey (GSS) repeated cross-sections (1994-2014) and three GSS three-wave panels (2006-2014) to investigate this conceptual model. I analyze these data with various logistic regression models, including hierarchical models for panel data. These studies find a negative association between subjective well-being and contemporaneous unemployment rates across the study period. In addition, these studies find a persistent effect (exceeding five years) of exposure to recessive periods during young adulthood. First, those who experienced a recession in young adulthood have different average levels of subjective well-being from those who did not. Second, exposure to a short recession (near 6 months) in young adulthood (ages 18-22) is associated with higher subjective well-being, while exposure to a long recession (over 16 months) is associated with lower subjective well-being. Third, differences in intergenerational comparative expectations{\textemdash}how people compare their own standard of living to that of their parents and children{\textemdash}is a difference in outlook that partially mediates the observed differences in subjective well-being.}, keywords = {0493:Aging, Aging, Cohort, Happiness, Health and environmental sciences, Recession}, isbn = {9780355869262}, url = {https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/16965}, author = {Bartlett,Bryce J.} } @article {9739, title = {The well-being of long-term cancer survivors.}, journal = {American Journal of Managed Care}, volume = {24}, year = {2018}, pages = {188-195}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To compare the well-being of long-term cancer survivors with that of US residents of similar age and demographic characteristics, patients recently diagnosed with cancer, and individuals with chronic illness.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study.

METHODS: Using the Health and Retirement Study, a survey of US residents older than 50 years, we defined 4 cohorts: long-term cancer survivors (>4 years post diagnosis), individuals recently diagnosed with cancer (<=4 years post diagnosis), individuals with chronic illness, and US residents older than 50 years ("nationally representative cohort"). Well-being measures included self-reported health, utility, happiness, medical utilization and spending, employment, and earnings, and these measures were compared across cohorts, adjusting for survey year, demographic characteristics, smoking, and number of comorbidities. We imputed medical spending using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.

RESULTS: Long-term cancer survivors fared significantly better than those recently diagnosed with cancer, those with chronic illness, and individuals in the nationally representative cohort in the majority of well-being measures (P~<.05), including fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations, and hospital nights; better utility and self-reported health; and greater likelihood of employment. Long-term cancer survivors had lower healthcare spending than those recently diagnosed with cancer (P~<.01) and significantly greater happiness than the nationally representative cohort and those with chronic illness (P~<.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Although patients with cancer experience diminished well-being in the short term across a variety of measures, in the long term, cancer survivors do as well as or better than US residents of similar age and demographic characteristics. This finding is striking given that one might expect long-term cancer survivors to do worse than similar individuals without a history of cancer.

}, keywords = {Cancer, Long-term Care, Longevity, Survival}, issn = {1936-2692}, author = {Jeffrey Sullivan and Thornton Snider, Julia and van Eijndhoven, Emma and Okoro, Tony and Batt, Katharine and Thomas DeLeire} } @article {9539, title = {What do we know about grandparents? Insights from current quantitative data and identification of future data needs}, journal = {European Journal of Ageing}, volume = {15}, year = {2018}, pages = {225{\textendash}235}, abstract = {Against the background of a {\textquoteleft}new wave{\textquoteright} of empirical studies investigating various aspects of grandparenthood across a broad range of regional contexts, this article aims to take stock of what has been achieved so far and which lessons we can learn from this for the future. Our focus is on the measurement of grandparenthood and grandparenting in quantitative social surveys and the implications this has for the substantive questions we can ask and the answers we can get out of such data. For several broader questions{\textemdash}who is a grandparent and when does this transition happen; what does it mean to be a grandparent; and what are the implications of grandparenthood for families?{\textemdash}we review previous questionnaire items from a variety of surveys as well as studies in which they were used. We identify relevant issues related to these questions which cannot be adequately addressed with currently available data, but should be considered in new or ongoing survey projects. The answers provided by recent studies as well as the many still open questions identified here indicate excellent prospects for scholarship on grandparents in the years to come.}, keywords = {Cross-National, Grandparents, Quantitative data, Transitions}, issn = {1613-9372}, doi = {10.1007/s10433-018-0468-1}, author = {Hank, Karsten and Cavrini, Giulia and Giorgio Di Gessa and Tomassini, Cecilia} } @article {9615, title = {What Factors Explain the Decline in Widows{\textquoteright} Poverty? }, number = {WP$\#$2018-4}, year = {2018}, month = {05/2018}, pages = {2-21}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston, MA}, abstract = {One of Social Security{\textquoteright}s objectives is to ensure that vulnerable groups have adequate income in retirement. Historically, widows have been of particular concern for policymakers due to their high rates of poverty. However, over the past several decades, their poverty rate has fallen considerably. If it falls farther, widowhood may warrant lower placement on policymakers{\textquoteright} priority list. To understand why this decline has occurred and what this means for the future, this project uses the Health and Retirement Study linked to administrative earnings and benefit records. Specifically, the project focuses on three factors that could explain the decline in widows{\textquoteright} poverty: 1) women{\textquoteright}s rising levels of education; 2) their increased attachment to the labor force; and 3) increasing marital {\textquotedblleft}selection{\textquotedblright} {\textendash} i.e., the notion that while marriage used to be equally distributed, it is becoming less common among those with lower socioeconomic status. The project explores what share of the decline in poverty can be explained by these factors and also projects the role of these factors in the future. The paper found that: The rise in education and labor force participation explain most of the decline in widows{\textquoteright} average poverty rate from 20 percent in 1994 to 13 percent in 2014.So far, marital selection has not been a driving force in the decline in widows{\textquoteright} poverty.The projections suggest that widows{\textquoteright} poverty will continue to fall over the next 15 years.In the future, up to half of this reduction could be explained by the increasing selection of women into marriage. The policy implications of the findings are: While the projected decline in widows{\textquoteright} poverty may allow policymakers to shift some of their focus to more vulnerable groups, widows will remain poorer than married women.Considering the effect on widows of any change that would bring fiscal balance to the Social Security program will continue to be important.}, keywords = {Education, Poverty, Social Security, Socioeconomic factors, Widowhood}, url = {http://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/wp_2018-4.pdf}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell} } @article {9836, title = {What the Health and Retirement Study Tells Us About Cognitive Ability, Financial Literacy, and the Demand for Financial Advice at Older Ages}, number = {No. 146}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, institution = {TIAA Institute}, address = {New York City}, abstract = {Cognitive ability and financial literacy can have an indeterminate effect on older persons{\textquoteright} financial behavior. Older investors who recognize that their capacity to manage financial assets is diminished would rationally delegate the task to others. But those who mistakenly believe their acumen remained intact might continue managing their money themselves. This study examines the ambiguous influence of cognitive ability and financial literacy at older ages to gauge their impact on demand for, and use of, financial advice.}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Decision making, Financial literacy}, url = {https://www.tiaainstitute.org/publication/what-health-and-retirement-study-tells-us-about-cognitive-ability}, author = {Hugh Hoikwang Kim and Maurer, Raimond and Olivia S. Mitchell} } @article {9449, title = {Where There{\textquoteright}s a Will: The Link Between Estate Planning and Disparities in Advance Care Planning by White and Black Older Adults.}, journal = {Research on Aging}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, pages = {281-302}, abstract = {Data from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 6,946) were used to test whether differences in estate planning accounted for disparities in advance care planning between White and Black older adults. White participants were more likely to have advance directives after controlling for demographic, health, and financial variables. When estate planning was also controlled, the odds of having an advance directive were equal for White and Black participants. In contrast, Whites remained more likely to discuss end-of-life preferences after controlling for demographic, health, financial, and estate planning variables. White participants were almost four times as likely to have wills or trusts. Wealth, income, and home ownership were predictive of estate planning. Financial disparities contributed to lower rates of estate planning which in turn explained in large part why Black older adults were less likely to have advance directives but did not account for race disparities in advance care discussion.}, keywords = {Advance care planning, Advance directives, Decision making, Racial/ethnic differences}, issn = {1552-7573}, doi = {10.1177/0164027517697116}, author = {Catheryn S Koss and Tamara A. Baker} } @mastersthesis {10318, title = {Who{\textquoteright}s In, Who{\textquoteright}s Out: A Descriptive Analysis of Demographic and Contextual Factors Related to Labor Force Participation among Older Adults}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2018-06-27}, pages = {98}, school = {University of Alabama}, type = {phd}, abstract = {As the proportion of older adults in the United States grows, there are significant concerns surrounding economic well-being in retirement. The two major components of the U.S retirement income system, Social Security and employer-sponsored retirement plans, have undergone significant changes that erode financial security in retirement. Working longer has been proposed to help older adults overcome deficits in retirement income. However, even when motivated to work, many older adults face significant challenges in the labor market, particularly those who are unemployed or displaced. In the current study, secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is used to identify demographic and contextual factors associated with unemployment, displacement, and reemployment (among those who are displaced at Time 2) among older adults. Logistic regression is used to examine the influence of race/ethnicity, gender, education, relationship status, health status, income status, geographical location, eligibility for retirement/age, and sector of employment on unemployment, displacement, and reemployment. Results suggest being of an {\textquotedblleft}other{\textquotedblright} race, being married, being in fair to poor health, and having household income below the poverty threshold increased the odds of employed while being previously employed in the service sector reduced the odds of unemployment. All else equal, being African American and living in the West increases the likelihood of displacement among older adults while being female, living in poverty, and being eligible for retirement (aged 62 and older) reduces an older adult{\textquoteright}s chances of being displaced. Finally, all else equal, being African American, living in the Northeast, and being eligible for retirement (aged 62 and older) reduced the likelihood reemployment at Time 2. The major implications of these findings for research, policy, and practice are discussed.}, keywords = {0351:Gerontology, 0452:Social work, Gerontology, Older workers, Reemployment, Social Sciences, Social work, Unemployment, Worker displacement, Working Longer}, isbn = {9780438040755}, url = {https://books.google.com/books/about/Who_s_In_Who_s_Out.html?id=ouXsvQEACAAJ}, author = {White-Chapman,Nyshetia} } @article {10015, title = {Why do 37\% of older workers retire earlier than planned?}, journal = {Marketwatch}, volume = {2019}, year = {2018}, publisher = {Marketwatch}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, News, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-do-37-of-older-workers-retire-earlier-than-planned-2019-02-27}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell} } @article {9732, title = {Why is retirement often more costly for married women than for married men?}, year = {2018}, publisher = {Monthly Labor Review}, keywords = {Gender Differences, Marriage, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2050581532?accountid=14667}, author = {Hicks, Maureen Soyars} } @article {9520, title = {Why Making Big Decisions as We Get Older Is So Risky}, journal = {Dow Jones Institutional News}, volume = {2018}, year = {2018}, publisher = {Dow Jones}, address = {New York City}, keywords = {Decision making, News, Op-ed, Risk Factors}, author = {Olivia S. Mitchell} } @article {9567, title = {Why Women Should Keep Working After Their Husbands Retire}, journal = {The Wall Street Journal}, volume = {2018}, year = {2018}, publisher = {The Wall Street Journal}, address = {New York City}, keywords = {News, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2018/04/03/why-women-should-keep-working-after-their-husbands-retire/}, author = {Leubsdorf, Ben} } @article {9826, title = {Widowhood and Retirement Timing: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis \& Policy}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {Sep-06-2019}, abstract = {The combination of an increasing life expectancy, low fertility rates, and an early effective retirement age creates a pressure to act for governments and organizations. The pay-as-you-go social security systems of many countries are troubled by the increasing ratio of retirees to working people. In addition, many organizations face difficulties caused by a shrinking workforce and the accompanied shortage of skilled workers. To counteract, it is essential to create an environment in which older workers are encouraged to stay in the workforce. Therefore, it is important to understand which factors influence the retirement timing decision of workers. This study analyzes how widowhood and changes in demographic, health-related, and financial factors lead to changes in retirement plans of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) respondents. I compare respondents{\textquoteright} actual retirement age with their retirement plans elicited in the HRS wave prior to retirement. The strongest change in retirement timing is caused by widowhood. Respondents who become widowed retire on average 1.7 years earlier than previously planned. The estimated effect of widowhood goes beyond the deterioration of physical health and mental health. My findings suggest that an intervention in an early stage after widowhood by the employer or by health and social care services can help the widowed employee to overcome the temporary adverse effects of widowhood and to prevent a precipitous retirement decision. }, keywords = {Life Expectancy, Retirement Age, Social Security, Widowhood}, doi = {10.1515/bejeap-2017-0178}, url = {https://search.proquest.com/docview/2091249748/ED9FE239DE41490BPQ?accountid=14667}, author = {Schreiber, Philipp} } @article {9636, title = {Widowhood Status as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline among Older Adults.}, journal = {American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {26}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, pages = {778-787}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether widowhood status has an effect on cognitive decline among older adults in the United States.

DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis of existing secondary data.

SETTING: The 1996-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6,766 individuals (28,420 observations) aged 50 years and older who responded to all questions.

MEASUREMENTS: Widow/widower status, cognitive functioning score, and various covariates.

RESULTS: Growth-curve models show that after controlling for covariates, widowhood status was related to cognitive decline (95\% CI: -0.8090, -0.4674). We also found a linear relationship between time since spousal loss and cognitive decline. Conditional upon spousal bereavement status, higher education and having at least one living sibling were found to be protective factors against cognitive decline.

CONCLUSIONS: Widowhood status accelerated cognitive decline over time among widowed older adults. Findings suggest that extra support is needed to monitor cognitive functioning for those experiencing widowhood.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, Cognitive Ability, Risk Factors, Widowhood}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2018.03.013}, author = {Su Hyun Shin and Kim, Giyeon and Park, Soohyun} } @article {9779, title = {Will You Still Want Me Tomorrow? The dynamics of families{\textquoteright} long-term care arrangements}, journal = {Journal of Human Resources}, volume = {53}, year = {2018}, pages = {663-716}, abstract = {With data from the Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Survey, we estimate dynamic models of three dimensions of families{\textquoteright} eldercare arrangements: the use of each potential care arrangement, namely care provided by a spouse, care provided by an adult child, formal home healthcare, and/or institutional care; the selection of the primary care arrangement; and hours in each care arrangement. Our results indicate that both observed heterogeneity and positive true state dependence contribute to the persistence of care arrangements. Evidence of positive true state dependence for most or all modes of care in all models suggests that inertia generally dominates caregiver burnout. Our results indicate that formal care decisions depend on the cost and quality of care. As a result of inertia, the effectiveness of long-term care policy depends on timing: initial caregiving decisions are more sensitive than subsequent decisions to economic incentives.}, keywords = {Adult children, AHEAD, Caregiving, Community-dwelling, Long-term Care}, issn = {0022-166X}, doi = {10.3368/jhr.53.3.0213-5454R1}, url = {http://jhr.uwpress.org/lookup/doi/10.3368/jhr.53.3.0213-5454R1https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.3368/jhr.53.3.0213-5454R1}, author = {Hiedemann, Bridget and Sovinsky, Michelle and Steven N. Stern} } @article {9868, title = {Work Ability Trajectories and Retirement Pathways A Longitudinal Analysis of Older American Workers }, journal = {Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine}, volume = {60}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, pages = {7}, chapter = {E343-E348}, abstract = {Objective: To determine whether older workers who follow different work ability (WA) trajectories tend to follow different retirement pathways. Methods: Nationally representative data on Americans born between 1943 and 1948. Latent class growth modeling to estimate trajectories of work ability between ages 53-54 and 65-66. Multinomial log-linear models to assess the association between WA trajectories and retirement pathways. Results: Three WA trajectories were identified: high (74\%), declining (17\%), and low (9\%). Low WA leads more often to an early-gradual retirement. Declining WA leads to both early-gradual and early-crisp retirements. Conclusions: Workers with low and declining WA are more at risk of unemployment, disability, and inactivity prior to retirement; workers with declining WA are also likely to make a direct transition to early retirement. Future changes to social security should consider inter-individual variation over time in WA.}, keywords = {Disabilities, Retirement, Retirement Age, Unemployment, Working Longer}, url = {apps.webofknowledge.com/InboundService.do?product=WOS\&Func=Frame\&DestFail=http\%3A\%2F\%2Fwww.webofknowledge.com\%3FDestParams\%3DUT\%253DWOS\%25253A000446201600005\%2526customersID\%253DAlerting\%2526smartRedirect\%253Dyes\%2526action\%253Dretrieve\%2526mode\%253DFullR}, author = {Boissonneault, Michael and de Beer, Joop} } @article {9430, title = {Work-Hour Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms Among Midlife and Older Married Couples}, journal = {Work, Aging and Retirement}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, pages = {108-122}, abstract = {Life course theories highlight the importance of understanding psychological health of aging individuals in context. Work and marriage are influential contexts in later life that are increasingly relevant because both spouses of many households work and individuals are delaying retirement. Although there is extensive literature on predictors of depressive symptoms, incorporating life course histories of work and social contexts has been a critical omission in the aging and health field. This study identifies couples{\textquoteright} work trajectories as a function of husband{\textquoteright}s and wife{\textquoteright}s weekly work hours and examines the link between couple work-hour trajectory membership and individual depressive symptoms. Data are from 1,641 married couples who participated in the 1998{\textendash}2012 waves (ages 51{\textendash}89) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Findings revealed 6 distinct subgroups of work-hour trajectories among couples and that membership in these subgroups was associated with depressive symptoms. Retiring husbands with wives who continued to work and wives who worked minimally throughout the years (regardless of whether their husbands worked or retired) reported more depressive symptoms than other subgroups. These results suggest that work trajectories themselves, beyond current health status, may carry differential psychological health risk. Moreover, several sociodemographic and life course factors in 1998 were significant predictors of trajectory membership. These findings provide insight into midlife factors that may influence work trajectories (and the potential health risk) through to older adulthood. They suggest that a life course examination of work and social contexts is needed for a greater understanding of individual and couple health development.}, keywords = {Couples, Depressive symptoms, Employment and Labor Force}, issn = {2054-4642}, doi = {10.1093/workar/wax028}, url = {http://academic.oup.com/workar/article/4/1/108/4762667http://academic.oup.com/workar/article-pdf/4/1/108/23002634/wax028.pdf}, author = {Wylie H Wan and Toni C Antonucci and Kira S. Birditt and Jacqui Smith and Gwenith G Fisher} } @article {9895, title = {Would Greater Awareness of Social Security Survivor Benefits Affect Claiming Decisions?}, number = {WP$\#$2018-12}, year = {2018}, month = {10/2018}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Chestnut Hill, MA}, abstract = {Most Americans enter retirement as married couples, and one spouse, typically the wife, outlives the other. Many widows lack the income needed to maintain the standard of living they had when their husbands were alive. Widows would generally have more adequate incomes if their husbands, who are typically the higher earner in the couple, delayed claiming Social Security. This project uses the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to test the extent to which husbands consider their wives{\textquoteright} well-being as widows when making claiming decisions. It then uses an online experiment to determine whether raising a husband{\textquoteright}s awareness of the risks that his widow faces, and how delayed claiming can reduce those risks, affect his claiming behavior.}, keywords = {Bereavement, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, url = {http://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/would-greater-awareness-of-social-security-survivor-benefits-affect-claiming-decisions/}, author = {Belbase, Anek and Quinby, Laura D.} } @article {9344, title = {Wealth-Associated Disparities in Death and Disability in the United States and England.}, journal = {JAMA Internal Medicine}, volume = {177}, year = {2017}, pages = {1745-1753}, abstract = {

Importance: Low income has been associated with poor health outcomes. Owing to retirement, wealth may be a better marker of financial resources among older adults.

Objective: To determine the association of wealth with mortality and disability among older adults in the United States and England.

Design, Setting, and Participants: The US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) are nationally representative cohorts of community-dwelling older adults. We examined 12 173 participants enrolled in HRS and 7599 enrolled in ELSA in 2002. Analyses were stratified by age (54-64 years vs 66-76 years) because many safety-net programs commence around age 65 years. Participants were followed until 2012 for mortality and disability.

Exposures: Wealth quintile, based on total net worth in 2002.

Main Outcomes and Measures: Mortality and disability, defined as difficulty performing an activity of daily living.

Results: A total of 6233 US respondents and 4325 English respondents aged 54 to 64 years (younger cohort) and 5940 US respondents and 3274 English respondents aged 66 to 76 years (older cohort) were analyzed for the mortality outcome. Slightly over half of respondents were women (HRS: 6570, 54\%; ELSA: 3974, 52\%). A higher proportion of respondents from HRS were nonwhite compared with ELSA in both the younger (14\% vs 3\%) and the older (13\% vs 3\%) age cohorts. We found increased risk of death and disability as wealth decreased. In the United States, participants aged 54 to 64 years in the lowest wealth quintile (Q1) (<=$39 000) had a 17\% mortality risk and 48\% disability risk over 10 years, whereas in the highest wealth quintile (Q5) (>$560 000) participants had a 5\% mortality risk and 15\% disability risk (mortality hazard ratio [HR], 3.3; 95\% CI, 2.0-5.6; P < .001; disability subhazard ratio [sHR], 4.0; 95\% CI, 2.9-5.6; P < .001). In England, participants aged 54 to 64 years in Q1 (<={\textsterling}34,000) had a 16\% mortality risk and 42\% disability risk over 10 years, whereas Q5 participants (>{\textsterling}310,550) had a 4\% mortality risk and 17\% disability risk (mortality HR, 4.4; 95\% CI, 2.7-7.0; P < .001; disability sHR, 3.0; 95\% CI, 2.1-4.2; P < .001). In 66- to 76-year-old participants, the absolute risks of mortality and disability were higher, but risk gradients across wealth quintiles were similar. When adjusted for sex, age, race, income, and education, HR for mortality and sHR for disability were attenuated but remained statistically significant.

Conclusions and Relevance: Low wealth was associated with death and disability in both the United States and England. This relationship was apparent from age 54 years and continued into later life. Access to health care may not attenuate wealth-associated disparities in older adults.

}, keywords = {Cross-National, Disabilities, Mortality, Wealth Inequality}, issn = {2168-6114}, doi = {10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3903}, author = {Lena K Makaroun and Rebecca T Brown and L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez and Cyrus Ahalt and W John Boscardin and Lang-Brown, Sean and Sei J. Lee} } @article {9033, title = {What{\textquoteright}s the {\textquotedblleft}Take Home{\textquotedblright} from Research on Dementia Trends?}, journal = {PLOS Medicine}, volume = {14}, year = {2017}, month = {Jul-03-2017}, pages = {e1002236}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Dementia}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pmed.1002236}, url = {http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002236http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002236}, author = {Eric B Larson and Kenneth M. Langa} } @article {9225, title = {What{\textquoteright}s the secret to a long life?}, journal = {The Bulletin}, year = {2017}, month = {07/28/2017}, chapter = {Home/Health}, address = {Bend, OR}, keywords = {Alcohol Consumption, News, Obesity, Risk Factors}, url = {http://www.bendbulletin.com/health/5460302-151/whats-the-secret-to-a-long-life}, author = {Markian Hawryluk} } @article {9239, title = {When did old age stop being depressing? Depression trajectories of older Americans and Britons 2002{\textendash}2012}, journal = {The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {25}, year = {2017}, pages = {1187-1195}, abstract = {Objective: This study aims to investigate the implications of the heterogeneous cohort composition on depression trajectories of older adults in the United States and England. Methods: Using growth curve models to identify depressive symptom trajectories and data spanning six waves over 10 years (2002-2012) from the U.S. Health Retirement Study and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, community-dwelling Americans and Britons aged 50 years and older were studied. Depressive symptoms were measured using the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: The sample included 11,919 respondents (7,095 women [59.53\%]) in the United States and 10,606 respondents (5,802 women [54.7\%]) in England aged 50 and older. Older cohorts were shown to have higher depressive symptoms than younger cohorts in the United States and England. The trajectories of depression of older cohorts, particularly those of the prewar cohorts in both countries and the war cohort in England, followed a U-shape. Conversely, the trajectories of depression of the younger cohort, particularly those of the postwar cohorts in both countries and the war cohort in the United States, took an inverted U-shape. Conclusion: The trajectories of depression in later life between cohorts took different shapes. This finding may lead to the development of more cost-effective policies for treating depression in later life. }, keywords = {Cross-National, Depressive symptoms}, issn = {10647481}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2017.06.006}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1064748117303500http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1064748117303500?httpAccept=text/xmlhttp://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1064748117303500?httpAccept=text/plain}, author = {Tampubolon, Gindo and Maharani, Asri} } @article {9410, title = {Who can predict their own demise? Heterogeneity in the accuracy and value of longevity expectations}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, year = {2017}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {Inaccurate longevity expectations can result in suboptimal lifecycle planning with negative consequences for wellbeing in old age. We evaluate the accuracy of expectations by comparing the subjective probability of living to 75 reported in the Health and Retirement Study with survival to that age. Outcomes are positively correlated with the subjective predictions. But the prediction errors are large. Even larger than if every respondent had reported a 50-50 chance of survival. The subjective predictions are less accurate than life table probabilities based on age and sex only. On average, the respondents underestimate their chances of survival by almost 9 percentage points, with women displaying greater downward bias. Predictions are least accurate, most poorly calibrated and most noisy among the least educated and least cognitively able. By and large, using the subjective predictions to take decisions would generate less value than if everyone were to decide on the basis of the mean survival rate, or even the life table probability. Despite the predictions of the least educated being the least accurate, they are not unambiguously the least valuable, although they are most prone to generating large losses from excessive pessimism and optimism.}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Longevity, Self-reported health}, issn = {2212828X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jeoa.2017.10.003}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212828X16300512?via\%3Dihub}, author = {Teresa Bago d{\textquoteright}Uva and Owen O{\textquoteright}Donnell and Eddy Van Doorslaer} } @article {10776, title = {Why Are U.S. Households Claiming Social Security Later?}, number = {WP$\#$2017-3}, year = {2017}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Over the past two decades, the share of individuals claiming Social Security at the Early Eligibility Age has dropped, and the average retirement age has increased. At the same time, Social Security rules have changed substantially, employer-sponsored retirement plans have shifted from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC), health has improved, and mortality has decreased. In theory, all of these changes could lead to a trend toward later claiming. Disentangling the effect of any one change is difficult because they have been occurring simultaneously. This paper uses the Gustman and Steinmeier structural model of retirement timing to investigate which of these changes matter most by simulating their effects on the original cohort (1931-1941 birth years) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The predicted behavior is then compared to the actual retirements of the Early Baby Boomer cohort (1948-1953 birth years) to see how much of the later cohort{\textquoteright}s delayed claiming and retirement can be explained by these changes.}, keywords = {Social Security, Social Security Benefits}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/why-are-u-s-households-claiming-social-security-later/}, author = {Wenliang Hou and Alicia H. Munnell and Yinji Li and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher} } @article {9021, title = {Why women{\textquoteright}s money behavior should be studied separately from men}, journal = {Marketwatch}, year = {2017}, publisher = {Marketwatch}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, keywords = {Gender Differences, Marriage, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-womens-money-behavior-should-be-studied-separately-from-men-2017-04-10}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell} } @inbook {NBERc13800, title = {Women Working Longer: Labor Market Implications of Providing Family Care}, booktitle = {Women Working Longer: Increased Employment at Older Ages}, year = {2017}, pages = {157-181}, publisher = {University of Chicago Press}, organization = {University of Chicago Press}, abstract = {Women have been working longer for a long time in US history. Their labor market participation increased decade after decade during the twentieth century, as more women were drawn into the labor force. But that is an old story. The new story is that a large portion of women are working a lot longer into their sixties and even their seventies. Their increased participation at older ages started in the late 1980s before the turnaround in older men{\textquoteright}s labor force participation and before the economic downturns of the first decade of the twenty- first century.}, keywords = {family and work, Labor force participation, women}, url = {http://www.nber.org/chapters/c13800}, author = {Sean Fahle and Kathleen McGarry} } @article {9228, title = {Work, health and the commodification of life{\textquoteright}s time: reframing work{\textendash}life balance and the promise of a long life}, journal = {Ageing and Society}, volume = {37}, year = {2017}, month = {-}, pages = {1458-1483}, abstract = {How to respond to an ageing society has become an increasingly important question, for employers, workers and policy makers. Here we critically engage with that debate, arguing that future approaches to the relationship between work and age should take into account multiple influences on older worker behaviour, including the combination of economic, lifecourse and personal priorities. We consider the international consensus that has emerged about the primacy of work as the solution to what to do with a long life. We then address the uncertain nature of work as it affects older workers, and discuss the commodification of time in relation to a productivist approach to demographic ageing and the attitudes of older workers themselves. A tension is noted between pressures for continuity and discontinuity within the adult lifecourse which is often eclipsed within a policy discourse that tends to focus on continuity as a route to social legitimacy. Thinking about life-time as a meta-narrative, a tension between existential life priorities and commodification, may help to explain the ease with which {\textquoteleft}live longer{\textendash}work longer{\textquoteright} policies both dominate and obscure the potential of a long life. Finally, we examine the implications for work{\textendash}life balance and suggest this needs to be radically re-thought when addressing the purpose of a longer working life and the promise of a long life in general.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Work-life balance}, issn = {0144-686X}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X16000404}, url = {https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0144686X16000404/type/journal_articlehttps://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0144686X16000404}, author = {Biggs, Simon and McGann, Michael and Dina Bowman and Helen Kimberley} } @article {9349, title = {Working life expectancy at age 50 in the United States and the impact of the Great Recession.}, journal = {Demography}, volume = {54}, year = {2017}, pages = {2101-2123}, abstract = {A key concern about population aging is the decline in the size of the economically active population. Working longer is a potential remedy. However, little is known about the length of working life and how it relates to macroeconomic conditions. We use the U.S. Health and Retirement Study for 1992-2011 and multistate life tables to analyze working life expectancy at age 50 and study the impact of the Great Recession in 2007-2009. Despite declines of one to two years following the recession, in 2008-2011, American men aged 50 still spent 13 years, or two-fifths of their remaining life, working; American women of the same age spent 11 years, or one-third of their remaining life, in employment. Although educational differences in working life expectancy have been stable since the mid-1990s, racial differences started changing after the onset of the Great Recession. Our results show that although Americans generally work longer than people in other countries, considerable subpopulation heterogeneity exists. We also find that the time trends are fluctuating, which may prove troublesome as the population ages. Policies targeting the weakest performing groups may be needed to increase the total population trends.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Great Recession, Mortality}, issn = {1533-7790}, doi = {10.1007/s13524-017-0619-6}, author = {Christian Dudel and Mikko Myrskyl{\"a}} } @article {9159, title = {Workplace bullying, perceived job stressors, and psychological distress: Gender and race differences in the stress process.}, journal = {Social Science Research}, volume = {65}, year = {2017}, month = {07/2017}, pages = {210-221}, abstract = {A large body of empirical research documents the adverse mental health consequences of workplace bullying. However, less is known about gender and race differences in the processes that link workplace bullying and poor mental health. In the current study, we use structural equation modeling of survey data from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (N~=~2292) and draw on stress process theory to examine coworker support as a buffering mechanism against workplace bullying, and gender and race differences in the relationships between bullying and psychological distress. The results of the analysis indicate that coworker support serves as a protective buffer against workplace bullying, although the buffering effect is relatively small. We also find that the effects of workplace bullying more heavily impact women and persons of color. Specifically, women and African American individuals in our sample were less protected from the buffering mechanism of co-worker social support.}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Gender Differences, Racial/ethnic differences, Stress}, issn = {1096-0317}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.02.001}, author = {Brandon K. Attell and Kummerow Brown, Kiersten and Linda A Treiber} } @article {9035, title = {Workplace bullying, perceived job stressors, and psychological distress: Gender and race differences in the stress process}, journal = {Social Science Research}, volume = {65}, year = {2017}, pages = {210-221}, abstract = {A large body of empirical research documents the adverse mental health consequences of workplace bullying. However, less is known about gender and race differences in the processes that link workplace bullying and poor mental health. In the current study, we use structural equation modeling of survey data from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (N = 2292) and draw on stress process theory to examine coworker support as a buffering mechanism against workplace bullying, and gender and race differences in the relationships between bullying and psychological distress. The results of the analysis indicate that coworker support serves as a protective buffer against workplace bullying, although the buffering effect is relatively small. We also find that the effects of workplace bullying more heavily impact women and persons of color. Specifically, women and African American individuals in our sample were less protected from the buffering mechanism of co-worker social support.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Gender Differences, Job stressors, Racial/ethnic differences, Women and Minorities}, issn = {0049089X}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.02.001}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0049089X16305087}, author = {Brandon K. Attell and Kummerow Brown, Kiersten and Linda A Treiber} } @article {8387, title = {What about African American Older Women and Depressive Symptoms?}, journal = {Educational Gerontology}, volume = {42}, year = {2016}, pages = {310-320}, publisher = {42}, abstract = {Depression is a major problem among African American older women; however, they also tend to be understudied as members of a multiple minority and oppressed group. As matriarchs and grandmothers in their families and communities, depression often emerges and becomes a detrimental problem for these older African American women. This study, a secondary data analysis, utilized the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 database to examine depression among older African American women. This article discusses the joint impact of age, social support, religion, caregiving, and physical health on depression among older community dwelling African American women. Findings indicate that age, physical health, and marital status as an aspect of social support were significant predictors of whether or not an older African American woman had ever had depression and whether or not she felt depressed in the past year. Receiving help from relatives as an aspect of social support also remained significant for participants who were feeling depressed in the past year. Implications for research, theory, and policy are offered.}, keywords = {Adult children, Health Conditions and Status, Women and Minorities}, doi = {10.1080/03601277.2015.1121749}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2015.1121749}, author = {Tamika C. Baldwin and Halaevalu F. Ofaheng Vakalahi and Anderson, Brian} } @article {8473, title = {What are the experiences of people with dementia in employment?}, journal = {Dementia (London)}, volume = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Mar}, pages = {147-61}, abstract = {

Statistics show that an increase in the statutory retirement age in the UK will mean that many more people will develop a dementia while still in employment. A review of the literature confirmed that there are no existing studies in the UK which examine this issue in any detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of people who develop a dementia while still in employment and to understand how they make sense of these experiences; therefore a qualitative explorative inquiry based on an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis methodology was used. Interviews with five people who had developed a dementia while still in employment were carried out, with ages ranging from 58 to 74 years. Interview transcripts were analysed and four super-ordinate themes were identified: the realization that something is wrong; managing the situation in the workplace; trying to make sense of change; and coming to terms with retirement or unemployment. The results showed that people who develop a dementia while still in employment do not always receive the {\textquoteright}reasonable adjustments{\textquoteright} in the workplace to which they are entitled under the Equality Act (2010). Some of the participants felt that they were poorly treated by their workplace and described some distressing experiences. The study highlights the need for more effective specialized advice and support regarding employment issues and more research into the numbers of people in the UK that are affected by this issue.

}, keywords = {Aged, Alzheimer disease, Dementia, Vascular, Employment, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Qualitative Research, United Kingdom, Work Performance}, issn = {1741-2684}, doi = {10.1177/1471301213519252}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24419354}, author = {Chaplin, Ruth and Davidson, Ian} } @article {8591, title = {What digital divide? Seniors embrace social technology}, journal = {Science Daily}, year = {2016}, month = {08/25/2016}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Loneliness, Older Adults, Technology}, url = {https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160825101115.htm} } @article {8780, title = {What Do Academic Studies Have to Say About Americans{\textquoteright} Retirement Saving?}, journal = {Forbes}, year = {2016}, publisher = {Forbes}, keywords = {Income, Older Adults, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Saving}, url = {http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbiggs/2016/11/11/what-do-academic-studies-have-to-say-about-americans-retirement-saving/$\#$7fd4f098526c}, author = {Andrew G. Biggs} } @article {8601, title = {Why Boomer Women Are Worse Off Financially Than Their Predecessors}, journal = {The Wall Street Journal}, year = {2016}, month = {09/12/2016}, keywords = {Financial literacy, Older Adults, Wealth management, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2016/09/11/why-boomer-women-are-worse-off-financially-than-their-predecessors/}, author = {Olivia S. Mitchell} } @article {5898, title = {Why Researchers Now Rely on Surveys for Race Data on OASDI and SSI Programs: A Comparison of Four Major Surveys}, year = {2016}, institution = {Washington, DC, Social Security Administration}, abstract = {In the absence of reliable administrative data for race categories, SSA researchers now primarily use data from four major surveys (1) the Current Population Survey (CPS); (2) the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); (3) the American Community Survey (ACS); and (4) the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine OASDI and SSI program use by race and ethnicity. The race data collected in these surveys are self-reported, and although there are inherent technical issues with that process, those data are the primary source of national race data available (R os, Romero, and Ram rez 2014). However, each data set possesses a unique set of advantages and limitations for analyzing the OASDI and SSI programs. This note provides a historical background on SSA{\textquoteright}s race and ethnicity data collection. It compares the four alternative data sources most commonly used to estimate OASDI and SSI program statistics by beneficiary race and ethnicity. This overview is designed to help individuals better understand the race and ethnicity data available in existing SSA publications. It may be of use to researchers considering future OASDI and SSI analyses as well.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Insurance, Methodology, Social Security}, url = {https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/rsnotes/rsn2016-01.html}, author = {Martin, Patricia P. and Office of Retirement and Disability Policy} } @article {10734, title = {Women Working Longer: Facts and Some Explanations}, number = {22607}, year = {2016}, institution = {The National Bureau of Economic Research}, type = {Report}, address = {Cambridge}, abstract = {American women are working more, through their sixties and even into their seventies. Their increased participation at older ages started in the late 1980s before the turnaround in older men{\textquoteright}s labor force participation and the economic downturns of the 2000s. The higher labor force participation of older women consists disproportionately of those working at full-time jobs. Increased labor force participation of women in their older ages is part of the general increase in cohort labor force participation. Cohort effects, in turn, are mainly a function of educational advances and greater prior work experience. But labor force participation rates of the most recent cohorts in their forties are less than those for previous cohorts. It would appear that employment at older ages could stagnate or even decrease. But several other factors will be operating in an opposing direction leading us to conclude that women are likely to continue to work even longer.}, keywords = {labor force, Older ages, women working}, doi = {10.3386/w22607}, author = {Goldin, Claudia and Katz, Lawrence F.} } @article {8523, title = {Work a Little, Play a Little: A New Retirement Strategy}, journal = {The New York Times}, number = {B3}, year = {2016}, month = {May 20, 2016}, pages = {3}, chapter = {B}, address = {New York}, keywords = {Older Adults, Part-time work, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/21/your-money/work-a-little-play-a-little-a-new-retirement-strategy.html}, author = {Hannon, Kerry} } @article {8504, title = {Work-Family Trajectories and the Higher Cardiovascular Risk of American Women Relative to Women in 13 European Countries.}, journal = {Am J Public Health}, volume = {106}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 08}, pages = {1449-56}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether less-healthy work-family life histories contribute to the higher cardiovascular disease prevalence in older American compared with European women.

METHODS: We used sequence analysis to identify distinct work-family typologies for women born between 1935 and 1956 in the United States and 13 European countries. Data came from the US Health and Retirement Study (1992-2006) and the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (2004-2009).

RESULTS: Work-family typologies were similarly distributed in the United States and Europe. Being a lone working mother predicted a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and smoking among American women, and smoking for European women. Lone working motherhood was more common and had a marginally stronger association with stroke in the United States than in Europe. Simulations indicated that the higher stroke risk among American women would only be marginally reduced if American women had experienced the same work-family trajectories as European women.

CONCLUSIONS: Combining work and lone motherhood was more common in the United States, but differences in work-family trajectories explained only a small fraction of the higher cardiovascular risk of American relative to European women.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cardiovascular Diseases, Computer Simulation, Europe, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Obesity, Single Parent, Smoking, Socioeconomic factors, United States, Women, Working, Young Adult}, issn = {1541-0048}, doi = {10.2105/AJPH.2016.303264}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27310346}, author = {van Hedel, Karen and Mej{\'\i}a-Guevara, Iv{\'a}n and Mauricio Avendano and Erika L. Sabbath and Lisa F Berkman and Johan P Mackenbach and van Lenthe, Frank J} } @book {9151, title = {Workforce Downsizing and Restructuring in the Department of Defense: The Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment Program Versus Involuntary Separation}, series = {Research Reports}, year = {2016}, pages = {106}, publisher = {RAND Corporation}, organization = {RAND Corporation}, address = {Santa Monica, CA}, abstract = {The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) plans to reduce the size of its civilian workforce through 2021. An important downsizing tool available to personnel managers is the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP), but its cap, $25,000, has not been adjusted since 1993. The authors of this report used RAND{\textquoteright}s dynamic retention model (DRM) for DoD civilians to compare the cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches to achieving a given downsizing. These include packages of VSIP, voluntary early retirement authority (VERA), and involuntary separation if also needed, versus using involuntary separation alone. Increasing the VSIP cap to $41,000 (the real value of VSIP in 2015 dollars) increases voluntary separations by about 45 percent and, compared with the $25,000 cap, would result in greater net savings to DoD and greater net savings in government outlays over five years. Although the apparent cost savings, as reflected in the budget, are greater when involuntary separations are used, there are off-budget costs, such as workplace turmoil, disruption, and lower morale, associated with involuntary separation. The authors used the DRM to estimate the cost borne by employees who are involuntarily separated in terms of the value of the loss of employment, net of the severance pay they receive. Such costs could potentially hurt retention and workforce productivity among those who remain. Using this broader concept of cost that includes both the cost to the government and the cost borne by employees, VSIP generates more net savings and is more cost-effective at the margin than involuntary separation.}, keywords = {Military service}, isbn = {9780833096388}, doi = {10.7249/RR1540}, url = {http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1540.html}, author = {Asch, Beth and Hosek, James and Mattock, Michael and Knapp, David and Kavanagh, Jennifer} } @article {8540, title = {The World report on ageing and health: a policy framework for healthy ageing}, journal = {The Lancet}, volume = {387}, year = {2016}, month = {Jan-05-2016}, pages = {2145 - 2154}, abstract = {Although populations around the world are rapidly ageing, evidence that increasing longevity is being accompanied by an extended period of good health is scarce. A coherent and focused public health response that spans multiple sectors and stakeholders is urgently needed. To guide this global response, WHO has released the first World report on ageing and health, reviewing current knowledge and gaps and providing a public health framework for action. The report is built around a redefinition of healthy ageing that centres on the notion of functional ability: the combination of the intrinsic capacity of the individual, relevant environmental characteristics, and the interactions between the individual and these characteristics. This Health Policy highlights key findings and recommendations from the report.}, keywords = {Aging, Life Expectancy, Mortality, Older Adults}, issn = {01406736}, doi = {10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00516-4}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140673615005164http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0140673615005164?httpAccept=text/xmlhttp://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0140673615005164?httpAccept=text/plain}, author = {Beard, John R and Officer, Alana and de Carvalho, Islene Araujo and Sadana, Ritu and Pot, Anne Margriet and Michel, Jean-Pierre and Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter and Epping-Jordan, JoAnne E and G. M. E. E. Peeters and Mahanani, Wahyu Retno and Thiyagarajan, Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli and Chatterji, Somnath} } @article {5877, title = {The Wealth of Wealthholders}, year = {2015}, institution = {Cambridge, United States, NBER Working Paper No. 20972}, abstract = {This paper introduces the Vanguard Research Initiative (VRI), a new panel survey of wealthholders designed to yield high-quality measurements of a large sample of older Americans who arrive at retirement with significant financial assets. The VRI links survey data with a variety of administrative data from Vanguard. The survey features an account-by-account approach to asset measurement and a real-time feedback and correction mechanism that are shown to be highly successful in eliciting accurate measures of wealth. Specifically, the VRI data reflect unbiased and precise estimates of wealth when compared to administrative account data. The VRI sample has characteristics similar to populations meeting analogous wealth and Internet access eligibility conditions in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). To illustrate the value of the VRI, the paper shows that the relationship between wealth and expected retirement date is very different in the VRI than in the HRS and SCF--mainly because those surveys have so few observations where wealth levels are high enough to finance substantial consumption during retirement.}, keywords = {Adult children, Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Event History/Life Cycle, Net Worth and Assets, Public Policy, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://search.proquest.com/docview/1687935318/1B5FA0446C27487FPQ/32}, author = {Ameriks, John and Caplin, Andrew and Lee, Minjoon and Matthew D. Shapiro and Tonetti, Christopher} } @article {8185, title = {Wealth shocks, unemployment shocks and consumption in the wake of the Great Recession}, journal = {Journal of Monetary Economics}, volume = {72}, year = {2015}, pages = {21-41}, publisher = {72}, abstract = {Data from the 2009 Internet Survey of the Health and Retirement Study show that many US households experienced large capital losses in housing and financial wealth, and that 5 of respondents lost their job during the Great Recession. For every loss of 10 in housing and financial wealth, the estimated drop in household expenditure was about 0.56 and 0.9 , respectively. Those who became unemployed reduced spending by 10 . In line with predictions of standard inter-temporal choice models, households who perceived the stock market shock to be permanent adjusted spending much more than those who perceived the shock to be temporary.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Net Worth and Assets, Public Policy}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmoneco.2015.01.003}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304393215000069}, author = {Christelis, Dimitris and Dimitris Georgarakos and Jappelli, Tullio} } @article {8190, title = {Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality.}, journal = {Psychol Sci}, volume = {26}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2015 Nov}, pages = {1803-11}, publisher = {26}, abstract = {

Discrimination based on weight is a stressful social experience linked to declines in physical and mental health. We examined whether this harmful association extends to risk of mortality. Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 13,692) and the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS; N = 5,079) reported on perceived discriminatory experiences and attributed those experiences to a number of personal characteristics, including weight. Weight discrimination was associated with an increase in mortality risk of nearly 60\% in both HRS participants (hazard ratio = 1.57, 95\% confidence interval = [1.34, 1.84]) and MIDUS participants (hazard ratio = 1.59, 95\% confidence interval = [1.09, 2.31]). This increased risk was not accounted for by common physical and psychological risk factors. The association between mortality and weight discrimination was generally stronger than that between mortality and other attributions for discrimination. In addition to its association with poor health outcomes, weight discrimination may shorten life expectancy.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Mortality, Overweight, Prejudice, Proportional Hazards Models, Social Discrimination, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States}, issn = {1467-9280}, doi = {10.1177/0956797615601103}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @mastersthesis {6053, title = {Weight Stigma and Its Associations with Health Behaviors Among Older Adults}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in Public Health}, year = {2015}, school = {Oregon State University}, type = {Thesis/Dissertation}, abstract = {Having excess weight carries a negative social stigma in the U.S. Previous research has shown that experiencing stigma has negative physical and mental health consequences. Few studies have examined how experiencing weight stigma might act as a barrier to engaging in healthy behaviors among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat as mechanisms of weight stigma among older adults. Using data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this study investigated weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat and their possible associations with specific health behaviors, namely the use of clinical preventive services and level of physical activity. This study also examined factors associated with experiencing weight-based stereotype threat in a medical setting among older adults. Results indicated that experiences of weight discrimination were negatively associated with reporting vigorous and moderate physical activity, positively associated with receiving an influenza vaccination, and t associated with receiving breast or cervical cancer screenings. Results also indicated that weight discrimination mediated 13\% of the relationship between body mass index and vigorous physical activity. In addition, 9\% of the effect of BMI on moderate physical activity was mediated by weight discrimination. Having a higher BMI and previous experiences of weight discrimination were significantly associated with reporting weight-based stereotype threat in the medical setting. Weight-based stereotype threat was t associated with the use of clinical preventive services and level of physical activity, although the sample size lacked sufficient power to detect a small effect size in these analyses. This study provides evidence that older adults experience weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat. Efforts to increase physical activity among older adults should address weight discrimination as a possible barrier. Further research on the mechanisms of weight stigma among older adults and their effects is warranted.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status}, author = {Sandi Phibbs} } @article {8322, title = {Welfare-to-Work Reform and Intergenerational Support: Grandmothers{\textquoteright} Response to the 1996 PRWORA}, journal = {Journal of Marriage and Family}, volume = {77}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, pages = {407-423}, publisher = {77}, abstract = {The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA; Pub. L. 104-193) in the United States aimed at encouraging work among low-income mothers with children below age 18. In this study, the author used a sample of 2,843 intergenerational family observations from the Health and Retirement Study to estimate the effects of the reform on single grandmothers who are related to those mothers. The results suggest that the reform decreased time transfers but increased money transfers from grandmothers. The results are consistent with an intergenerational family support network where higher child care subsidies motivated the family to shift away from grandmother provided child care and where grandmothers increased money transfers to either help cover the remaining cost of formal care or to partly compensate for the loss in benefits of welfare leavers.}, keywords = {Adult children, Healthcare, Public Policy}, doi = {10.1111/jomf.12172}, author = {Ho, Christine} } @mastersthesis {6333, title = {Well-being as a measure of inequality among the retirement-age population: An examination of the role of place, migration, and socioeconomic status in shaping happy and healthy older Americans}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {156}, school = {University of New Hampshire}, address = {Durham, NH}, abstract = {The proportion of the U.S. population comprised of seniors {\textendash} those aged 65 and older {\textendash} is projected to increase from 13\% presently to 20\% by 2030. With this demographic change, it is important to consider how older residents are faring, which older residents do best, and what communities are doing to support this population. Rather than examining income or wealth as a dependent variable, I predict two measures of well-being among older U.S. residents{\textendash} one subjective and one objective. By linking survey data of the 50 and older population from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to a variety of county-level statistics from several government databases, this dissertation characterizes each respondent{\textquoteright}s community with respect to its demographics, economic structure, natural environment, social norms, and presence of community institutions. I examine the impact of individual and community characteristics, as well as whether someone had migrated within the last four years, on predicting well-being. My findings suggest that certain community variables may influence well-being {\textendash} namely that social institutions may need to be tailored to support the needs of older residents and that counties we think of as privileged counties (with respect to the racial and socioeconomic make-up of its residents) may need to do more to serve older residents. In sum though, these county characteristics have a very minimal impact in predicting the well-being of older residents. The predictors that seemed to matter more were those of the individuals aged 50 and over themselves: their demographic characteristics, employment status, health, and social connectedness all mattered with respect to understanding which individuals were doing well. Whether someone had moved to a new county in the last four years did not appear to offer value to predicting well-being in a causal manner.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Methodology, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://gradworks.umi.com/10/00/10000388.html}, author = {Henly, Megan} } @article {8162, title = {What can genes tell us about the relationship between education and health?}, journal = {Soc Sci Med}, volume = {127}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {171-80}, publisher = {127}, abstract = {

We use genome wide data from respondents of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to evaluate the possibility that common genetic influences are associated with education and three health outcomes: depression, self-rated health, and body mass index. We use a total of 1.7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms obtained from the Illumina HumanOmni2.5-4v1 chip from 4233 non-Hispanic white respondents to characterize genetic similarities among unrelated persons in the HRS. We then used the Genome Wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) toolkit, to estimate univariate and bivariate heritability. We provide evidence that education (h(2)~=~0.33), BMI (h(2)~=~0.43), depression (h(2)~=~0.19), and self-rated health (h(2)~=~0.18) are all moderately heritable phenotypes. We also provide evidence that some of the correlation between depression and education as well as self-rated health and education is due to common genetic factors associated with one or both traits. We find no evidence that the correlation between education and BMI is influenced by common genetic factors.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Body Mass Index, Computer Simulation, depression, Educational Status, Female, Gene-Environment Interaction, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Health Status, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Male, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Social determinants of health, Socioeconomic factors, White People}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.08.001}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953614005188}, author = {Jason D Boardman and Benjamin W Domingue and Daw, Jonathan} } @article {5860, title = {What Causes Workers to Retire Before They Plan?}, year = {2015}, institution = {Boston, Boston College}, abstract = {This paper explores the extent to which health, employment, family, or finances are associated with earlier-than-planned retirement using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The importance of any shock that drives early retirement depends both on its effect on those experiencing it and its prevalence in the population; therefore, the analysis proceeds in two steps. First, a probit regression is used to determine the strength of the relationship between the shocks and earlier-than-planned retirement, controlling for individual characteristics. Second, to incorporate the prevalence of the shock, counterfactual experiments are run to determine how much early retirement would be reduced in the population if these shocks did not occur.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/what-causes-workers-to-retire-before-they-plan/}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Matthew S. Rutledge} } @article {11488, title = {What Determines Employer Accommodation of Injured Workers? The Influence of Workers{\textquoteright} Compensation Costs, State Policies, and Case Characteristics}, journal = {ILR ReviewILR Review}, volume = {68}, year = {2015}, note = {doi: 10.1177/0019793915570874}, month = {2015/05/01}, pages = {558 - 583}, abstract = {Despite a recent dramatic increase in the rate of employer accommodation of injured workers, the extant literature provides little evidence on the determinants of accommodation or the reasons for this upward trend. In this study, the authors take a comprehensive approach to estimating the determinants of workplace accommodation, assessing the influence of employer workers? compensation (WC) costs; WC market features and state WC laws; and characteristics of firms, injured workers, and their injuries. Using state-level data from the BLS, they find that employer WC costs, WC market features, and state return-to-work (RTW) policies all have an impact on accommodation, but the effects are small and explain only one-fifth of the increase in restricted work. With data on injured workers from the NLSY79 and HRS, the authors study case-specific determinants of accommodation. Results suggest that employer and injury characteristics matter most, and these results are consistent with accommodation occurring mostly at large, experience-rated employers.}, keywords = {Employer Health Costs, Labor, Policy, worker}, isbn = {0019-7939}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0019793915570874}, author = {Bronchetti, Erin Todd and Melissa McInerney} } @article {5867, title = {What Determines End-of-Life Assets? A Retrospective View}, year = {2015}, abstract = {We consider assets when individuals were last observed prior to death in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and trace assets backwards to the age when these individuals were first observed. For most individuals, assets in the last year observed (LYO) were very similar to assets in the first year observed (FYO). In particular, most of those who were last observed with very low asset levels also had low assets when first observed. We also estimate the relationship between an individual{\textquoteright}s asset change between the first and last date of observation, that individual{\textquoteright}s education and health status when first observed, and that individual{\textquoteright}s within-sample changes in health and family composition. We obtain estimates for HRS respondents who were 51 to 61 in 1992 and for AHEAD respondents who were age 70 and over in 1993.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Net Worth and Assets, Women and Minorities}, author = {James M. Poterba and Steven F Venti and David A Wise} } @mastersthesis {6210, title = {What impacts life satisfaction of aging adults following stressful life events?: An examination of the buffering effect of personal resources}, volume = {3700590}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {158}, school = {Wayne State University}, type = {Ph.D.}, address = {Detroit}, abstract = {Purpose: Existing research has shown that elders experience changes in their life satisfaction following stressful life events. There is an abundance of literature supporting the predictive nature of not only stressful life events on life satisfaction, but social support, autonomy, and financial security. What the literature is lacking, is examination of the buffering effect of social support, autonomy, and financial security on the relationship between stressful life events and life satisfaction. This study hypothesizes that increases in social support, autonomy, and financial security will buffer the impact of SLEs for elders and thus, they will experience increases in their life satisfaction over time. It is also expected that social support and financial security will buffer differently among Black and White elders. Methods: The public use files of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between the years 2006 and 2012 are used to explore the interaction between social support, autonomy, and financial security with stressful life events and the impact on life satisfaction. Linear regression are conducted to explore each buffering impact on life satisfaction over time. Results: The research findings in this dissertation demonstrate that the changes in personal resources; social support, autonomy, and financial security; play an important role in changes in life satisfaction. Additionally, Black and White elders are impacted differently by changes in financial security. In general, the results from this study demonstrate that individuals who have declines in their personal resources following stressful life events also experience declines in their life satisfaction.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Methodology, Net Worth and Assets, Other, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Women and Minorities}, author = {Barragan, Cassandra} } @article {5852, title = {Who Can Predict Their Own Demise? Accuracy of Longevity Expectations by Education and Cognition}, year = {2015}, institution = {Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tinbergen Institute}, abstract = {Biased longevity expectations will lead to suboptimal decisions regarding saving, retirement, annuitization and health, with consequences for wellbeing in old age. Systematic differences in the accuracy of longevity expectations may partly explain heterogeneity in economic behaviour by education and cognitive functioning. Analysis of eight waves of the US Health and Retirement Study reveals that individuals with lower levels of education and cognitive functioning report survival probabilities that are less accurate in predicting their in-sample mortality. There is little evidence that the gradients in the veracity of expectations are due to the less educated and cognitively able responding less to changes in objective mortality risks. However, high school dropouts and the least cognitively able report survival probabilities that are less stable and display greater un explained variability. These disadvantaged groups appear to be less confident in their longevity beliefs, which is justified given that their expectations are less accurate.}, keywords = {Demographics, Expectations, Health Conditions and Status}, author = {Teresa Bago d{\textquoteright}Uva and Esen Erdogan-Ciftci and Owen O{\textquoteright}Donnell and Eddy Van Doorslaer} } @article {8232, title = {Who Suffers During Recessions? Economic Downturns, Job Loss, and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Americans}, journal = {American Journal of Epidemiology}, volume = {182}, year = {2015}, pages = {873-882}, publisher = {182}, abstract = {Job loss in the years before retirement has been found to increase risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but some studies suggest that CVD mortality among older workers declines during recessions. We hypothesized that recessionary labor market conditions were associated with reduced CVD risk among persons who did not experience job loss and increased CVD risk among persons who lost their jobs. In our analyses, we used longitudinal, nationally representative data from Americans 50 years of age or older who were enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study and surveyed every 2 years from 1992 to 2010 about their employment status and whether they had experienced a stroke or myocardial infarction. To measure local labor market conditions, Health and Retirement Study data were linked to county unemployment rates. Among workers who experienced job loss, recessionary labor market conditions at the time of job loss were associated with a significantly higher CVD risk (hazard ratio = 2.54, 95 confidence interval: 1.39, 4.65). In contrast, among workers who did not experience job loss, recessionary labor market conditions were associated with a lower CVD risk (hazard ratio = 0.50, 95 confidence interval: 0.31, 0.78). These results suggest that recessions might be protective in the absence of job loss but hazardous in the presence of job loss.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Health Conditions and Status, Public Policy, Risk Taking}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwv094}, author = {Noelke, Clemens and Mauricio Avendano} } @article {8209, title = {Why Don{\textquoteright}t Lower-Income Individuals Have Retirement Saving Plans?}, journal = {Communities and Banking}, volume = {16}, year = {2015}, pages = {16-19}, publisher = {16}, abstract = {Lower-income individuals lower employment rate and the smaller probability of their working for an employer that offers pensions underlie the pension gap between higher- and lower-income groups.}, keywords = {Income, Pensions}, author = {April Yanyuan Wu and Matthew S. Rutledge and Penglase, Jacob} } @article {8186, title = {Why Retirees Claim Social Security at 62 and How It Affects Their Retirement Income: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Journal of Retirement}, volume = {2}, year = {2015}, pages = {25-39}, publisher = {2}, abstract = {Despite higher monthly benefits for those who delay, many people still claim Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, the earliest age of eligibility. This study uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with early claiming, as well as the retirement income of early claimers compared with those who delay. The authors find that several work-related factors may cause people to claim Social Security benefits early and suggest they may face challenges in continuing to work at older ages. For example, those who worked in physically demanding blue-collar jobs were 55 more likely to claim benefits prior to their full retirement age, after controlling for other factors, compared with those in all other occupations. Other factors, such as having lower expectations of living to age 75 significantly increase the likelihood of claiming early. The median income for those who claim at full retirement age or later was 45 higher after claiming benefits than for those who claimed early and 33 higher at age 72. Even when comparing early and delayed claimers with similar total income after claiming, average household income for delayed claimers was higher at age 72 than for early claimers.}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, doi = {10.3905/jor.2015.2.3.025}, author = {Glickman, Mark M. and Sharon Lynn Hermes} } @article {5868, title = {Will the Average Retirement Age Continue to Increase?}, year = {2015}, institution = {Boston, MA, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Using Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data, this paper examines how changes in individual workers past and present pension coverage, retirement incentives in Social Security, and retiree health insurance have contributed to retirement decisions for the 1931-1953 birth cohorts. It then uses these findings to project retirement behavior for the 1955-1987 cohorts in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). A key assumption is that younger cohorts will have no defined benefit (DB) pensions or retiree health coverage in their future jobs. A key limitation is the assumption of a stable relationship in each successive cohort between each factor and labor market decisions.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Pensions, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, author = {Matthew S. Rutledge and Gillis, Christopher M. and Anthony Webb} } @mastersthesis {6089, title = {A woman{\textquoteright}s work is never done? Earlier life child, marital, and work history and older women{\textquoteright}s relationship to the paid labor force}, volume = {10000385}, year = {2015}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works. Last updated - 2016-02-24}, month = {2015}, pages = {138}, school = {University of New Hampshire}, type = {Ph.D.}, address = {Durham, NH}, abstract = {In the past 40 years, women in the U.S. have experienced higher rates of labor force participation and higher rates of divorce and single motherhood. How these changes will affect women when they reach old age is not yet understood. Using a pooled sample from the Health and Retirement Study of 4,350 women born between 1931 and 1943, this dissertation assesses patterns of women{\textquoteright}s work/retirement circumstances at age 66{\textendash}68 and evaluates the relationship between those patterns and women{\textquoteright}s earlier life marital, work, and childrearing history. Latent class analysis revealed four distinct classes of older women: the "retired well" (57.6\% of the sample) were not working for pay but were in good or excellent health and had household wealth in the top 75\%. "Retired unwell" women (14\% of the sample) were also not working but were in fair/poor physical health and had very low household wealth. The "working advantaged" (17.1\% of the sample) were healthy women still working, primarily in professional/managerial occupations, earning above median wages, and having the highest median levels of household wealth of the four groups. The "working average" class (11.7\% of the sample) were women still in the labor force, overwhelmingly in sales/labor/service jobs and making below median wages. This group had a 1 in 5 chance of being in fair/poor health and a 1 in 3 chance of being in the bottom wealth quartile. Multivariate latent class analysis including covariates revealed several significant relationships between women{\textquoteright}s earlier life history and latent class at age 66{\textendash}68. Women who had spent any time as a single mother or who had ever been divorced had higher odds of being retired unwell or working advantaged than retired well. Women with strong attachment to the labor force across their lives were less likely to be retired unwell and more likely to be either working advantaged or working average at age 66{\textendash}68. Although single motherhood, work history, and marital history had independent effects on women{\textquoteright}s late life status, race/ethnicity, education, and current marital status had stronger effects. Implications for future cohorts of older women are discussed.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Methodology, Policy}, url = {http://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1760991377?accountid=14667http://mgetit.lib.umich.edu/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004\&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8\&rfr_id=info:sid/ProQuest+Dissertations+\%26+Theses+A\%26I\&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:}, author = {Shattuck, Anne M.} } @article {8223, title = {Word Recall: Cognitive Performance Within Internet Surveys.}, journal = {JMIR Ment Health}, volume = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Apr-Jun}, pages = {e20}, publisher = {2}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The use of online surveys for data collection has increased exponentially, yet it is often unclear whether interview-based cognitive assessments (such as face-to-face or telephonic word recall tasks) can be adapted for use in application-based research settings.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to compare and characterize the results of online word recall tasks to those of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and determine the feasibility and reliability of incorporating word recall tasks into application-based cognitive assessments.

METHODS: The results of the online immediate and delayed word recall assessment, included within the Women{\textquoteright}s Health and Valuation (WHV) study, were compared to the results of the immediate and delayed recall tasks of Waves 5-11 (2000-2012) of the HRS.

RESULTS: Performance on the WHV immediate and delayed tasks demonstrated strong concordance with performance on the HRS tasks (ρc=.79, 95\% CI 0.67-0.91), despite significant differences between study populations (P<.001) and study design. Sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported memory demonstrated similar relationships with performance on both the HRS and WHV tasks.

CONCLUSIONS: The key finding of this study is that the HRS word recall tasks performed similarly when used as an online cognitive assessment in the WHV. Online administration of cognitive tests, which has the potential to significantly reduce participant and administrative burden, should be considered in future research studies and health assessments.

}, issn = {2368-7959}, doi = {10.2196/mental.3969}, author = {Shannon K Runge and Benjamin M. Craig and Heather S Jim} } @mastersthesis {6138, title = {Work Hour Trajectories, Marital Quality, and Health of Couples Across the Life Course}, year = {2015}, school = {University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {There has been a growing interest in understanding work and family roles over the last several decades. Much of the literature has examined the work-family context as static and homogenous, but work and family lives change and develop over a lifetime. This dissertation conceptualizes work-family context as complex, dynamic, and heterogeneous for individuals and couples. Adopting a lifespan/life course framework, I use longitudinal data to examine work hour trajectories of both husband and wife among a sample of young newlyweds and a sample of older couples. I further investigate the associations among couples{\textquoteright} work hour trajectories, marital quality, and health over time. The first study examined work hour trajectories among newlywed couples over the first 16 years of marriage. Data were from the Early Years of Marriage Project, which included 352 Black and White American newlyweds in their first year of marriage in 1986 (Year 1), and in Years 3, 7, and 16 of their marriage. Four qualitatively distinct trajectories of work hours were identified. Notably, husbands worked full time in Year 1 of marriage with no change over 16 years across all four trajectories, whereas wives varied in the number of work hours in Year 1 and in how they changed over time. Results showed that these trajectories were associated with changes in marital happiness and depression predominantly among husbands even though it was the wives{\textquoteright} work hours that varied. The second study examined work hour trajectories among midlife and older couples over 14 years of marriage. Analyzing a nationally representative sample of 1641 midlife and older couples from the Health and Retirement Study, six distinct work hour trajectories were identified. Work hours significantly decreased for all trajectories and the slopes of decline varied. Results showed that work hour trajectories were associated with changes in self-rated health and depression among husbands and wives. Taken together, these studies illustrate the heterogeneity of couples{\textquoteright} work trajectories over the life course and the importance of studying linked lives over time. The findings also suggest that family roles and other work-related factors may moderate the effects of work on marital and health outcomes.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Event History/Life Cycle}, author = {Wylie H Wan} } @article {8215, title = {Worries About Getting Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s: Who{\textquoteright}s Concerned?}, journal = {American Journal of Alzheimers Disease and Other Dementias}, volume = {30}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, pages = {591-598}, publisher = {30}, abstract = {The prevalence of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) is projected to grow dramatically, but efforts to treat its progression have been unsuccessful. Fear of AD among older persons is greater than fear of cancer, and lingering worries about developing AD can be detrimental to well-being. Yet, much remains to be known about such worries and their precursors. This study, based on data from the Health and Retirement Survey, examines correlates of worry. Results of multivariate analyses show the following to be independent and significant correlates: present memory ratings, perceived changes in memory, personal familiarity with AD, belief that being a first-degree relative of someone with AD heightens the chance of developing AD, and age. Interaction analyses show that memory ratings and perceived changes in memory functioning are associated with worry regardless of personal familiarity. These findings will enable practitioners to identify patients and clients at risk of being worried about getting AD.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.1177/1533317514568889}, author = {S. J. Cutler} } @article {5983, title = {Wealth Shocks and Health Outcomes: Evidence from Stock Market Fluctuations}, year = {2014}, institution = {Bonn, Germany, Institute for the Study of Labor}, abstract = {Do wealth shocks affect the health of the elderly in developed countries? The economic literature is skeptical about such effects which have so far only been found for poor retirees in poor countries. In this paper I show that wealth shocks also matter for the health of wealthy retirees in the US. I exploit the booms and busts in the US stock market as a natural experiment that generated considerable gains and losses in the wealth of stock-holding retirees. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study I construct wealth shocks as the interaction of stock holdings with stock market changes. These constructed wealth shocks are highly predictive of changes in reported wealth. And they strongly affect health outcomes. A 10 wealth shock leads to an improvement of 2-3 of a standard deviation in physical health, mental health and survival rates. Effects are heterogeneous across physical health conditions, with most pronounced effects for the incidence of high blood pressure, smaller effects for heart problems and no effects for arthritis, diabetes, lung diseases and cancer. The comparison with the cross-sectional relationship of wealth and health suggests that the estimated effects of wealth shocks are larger than the long-run wealth elasticity of health. Tables, Figures, Appendixes, References.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Net Worth and Assets}, url = {http://ftp.iza.org/dp8298.pdf}, author = {Schwandt, Hannes} } @article {5848, title = {Wealth Shocks, Unemployment Shocks and Consumption in the Wake of the Great Recession}, year = {2014}, institution = {London, Centre for Economic Policy Research}, abstract = {We use data from the 2009 Internet Survey of the Health and Retirement Study to examine the consumption impact of wealth shocks and unemployment during the Great Recession in the US. We find that many households experienced large capital losses in housing and in their financial portfolios, and that a non-trivial fraction of respondents have lost their job. As a consequence of these shocks, many households reduced substantially their expenditures. We estimate that the marginal propensities to consume with respect to housing and financial wealth are 1 and 3.3 percentage points, respectively. In addition, those who became unemployed reduced spending by 10 percent. We also distinguish the effect of perceived transitory and permanent wealth shocks, splitting the sample between households who think that the stock market is likely to recover in a year s time, and those who do not. In line with the predictions of standard models of intertemporal choice, we find that the latter group adjusted much more than the former its spending in response to financial wealth shocks.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Net Worth and Assets, Public Policy}, author = {Christelis, Dimitris and Dimitris Georgarakos and Jappelli, Tullio} } @mastersthesis {6358, title = {Weight loss in overweight and obese older adults}, year = {2014}, school = {University College London}, address = {London}, abstract = {The prevalence of obesity has reached dramatic proportions over recent years, and obesity among older adults is becoming an increasingly important concern in developed countries with ageing populations. Weight loss is recommended for all obese individuals, regardless of age, yet while there has been a vast amount of research into factors surrounding weight loss across younger and middle-aged populations, the evidence base on weight loss in older adults is lacking. This thesis uses data from a cross-sectional survey of UK adults, and two large epidemiological studies of ageing, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Health and Retirement Study in the US, to address this gap in the literature. Study 1 highlights the high prevalence of desire to weigh less and attempts at weight loss among older adults, and Study 2 reveals that a surprisingly high proportion of those who are overweight or obese are achieving clinically meaningful (>=5\%) weight loss. Studies 3 and 4 show that despite reductions in cardio-metabolic risk, weight loss in overweight/obese older adults is associated with increased risk of depressed mood, and this association grows stronger with each decade of age. However, Study 5 finds some evidence to suggest that rates of depressed mood might only be increased during the process of weight loss, and that if weight loss is maintained there might be benefits for mood relative to baseline. This research contributes to the understanding of weight loss in older adults {\textendash} particularly that which occurs in the general population, outside of the trial context {\textendash} and emphasises the need for health professionals to take into consideration patients{\textquoteright} psychological wellbeing when recommending or responding to weight loss at older ages. Limitations of this work and directions for future research are discussed.}, keywords = {Cross-National, Demographics, Health Conditions and Status}, author = {Sarah E Jackson} } @inbook {5259, title = {What Impact Does Old-Age Pension Receipt Have on the Use of Public Assistance Programs Among the Elderly?}, booktitle = {Safety Nets and Benefit Dependence}, year = {2014}, pages = {259-290}, publisher = {Emerald Group Publishing}, organization = {Emerald Group Publishing}, address = {Bingley, UK}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, author = {Norma B Coe and April Yanyuan Wu}, editor = {Carcillo, St{\'e}phane and Immervoll, Herwig and Stephen P. Jenkins and K{\"o}nigs, Sebastian and Tatsiramos, Konstantinos} } @article {8047, title = {Who cares? A comparison of informal and formal care provision in Spain, England and the USA.}, journal = {Ageing Soc}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Mar 01}, pages = {495-517}, publisher = {34}, abstract = {

This paper investigates the prevalence of incapacity in performing daily activities and the associations between household composition and availability of family members and receipt of care among older adults with functioning problems in Spain, England and the United States of America (USA). We examine how living arrangements, marital status, child availability, limitations in functioning ability, age and gender affect the probability of receiving formal care and informal care from household members and from others in three countries with different family structures, living arrangements and policies supporting care of the incapacitated. Data sources include the 2006 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe for Spain, the third wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006), and the eighth wave of the USA Health and Retirement Study (2006). Logistic and multinomial logistic regressions are used to estimate the probability of receiving care and the sources of care among persons age 50 and older. The percentage of people with functional limitations receiving care is higher in Spain. More care comes from outside the household in the USA and England than in Spain. The use of formal care among the incapacitated is lowest in the USA and highest in Spain.

}, issn = {0144-686X}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X12001134}, author = {Sole-Auro, Aida and Eileen M. Crimmins} } @article {8034, title = {Why do older people change their ratings of childhood health?}, journal = {Demography}, volume = {51}, year = {2014}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2014 Dec}, pages = {1999-2023}, publisher = {51}, abstract = {

A growing number of studies in life course epidemiology and biodemography make use of a retrospective question tapping self-rated childhood health to assess overall physical health status. Analyzing repeated measures of self-rated childhood health from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study examines several possible explanations for why respondents might change their ratings of childhood health. Results reveal that nearly one-half of the sample revised their rating of childhood health during the 10-year observation period. Whites and relatively advantaged older adults-those with more socioeconomic resources and better memory-were less likely to revise their rating of childhood health, while those who experienced multiple childhood health problems were more likely to revise their childhood health rating, either positively or negatively. Changes in current self-rated health and several incident physical health problems were also related to the revision of one{\textquoteright}s rating of childhood health, while the development of psychological disorders was associated with more negative revised ratings. We then illustrate the impact that these changes may have on an adult outcomes: namely, depressive symptoms. Whereas adult ratings of childhood health are likely to change over time, we recommend their use only if adjusting for factors associated with these changes, such as memory, psychological disorder, adult self-rated health, and socioeconomic resources.

}, keywords = {Adaptation, Psychological, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Memory, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Self Report, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic factors}, issn = {0070-3370}, doi = {10.1007/s13524-014-0344-3}, author = {Vuolo, Mike and Kenneth F Ferraro and Patricia M Morton and Ting-Ying Yang} } @article {8071, title = {Widowhood and depression: new light on gender differences, selection, and psychological adjustment}, journal = {The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences}, volume = {69}, year = {2014}, pages = {135}, publisher = {69}, abstract = {Objectives. To document short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms following widowhood and to test whether these trajectories vary by gender and anticipatory spousal loss. Method. Eight waves of prospective panel data from the Health and Retirement Study, over a 14-year period, are used to evaluate gender differences in depressive symptoms following widowhood in late midlife. Short-term trajectories are modeled using a linear regression of change in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) score on duration of widowhood. Long-term trajectories are modeled using a mixed-effects hierarchical linear model of CES-D scores over time. We find no gender differences in bereavement effects on depressive symptoms in either short or long term, net of widowhood duration. When spousal death is anticipated, both men and women return to their prewidowhood levels of depressive symptoms within 24 months of becoming widowed. Across marital groups, the continuously married are better off compared with the widowed even prior to spousal loss, whereas early, long-term widowhood is associated with worse outcomes compared with late widowhood. Discussion. Although men and women do not differ in trajectories of depressive symptoms following widowhood, given similar circumstances, women are distinctly disadvantaged in that they are more likely to become widowed and under less favorable conditions.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Net Worth and Assets, Other}, author = {Sasson, Isaac and Debra Umberson} } @article {8002, title = {Women s Timing of Receipt of Social Security Retirement Benefits}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {35}, year = {2014}, pages = {362-375}, publisher = {35}, abstract = {The 2000 2006 waves of Health and Retirement Study data were used to estimate the effects of human capital characteristics and income sources on women s timing of receipt of Social Security retirement benefits. Using logistic regression, the likelihood of early election of benefits was increased by earnings regardless of marital status; and, for married women, by husband s age being greater than wife s, and by other income. For married women, education decreased the likelihood of electing early benefits. For unmarried women, IRA/annuity income reduced the likelihood of early receipt of benefits. Using multinomial logistic regression, the likelihood of combinations of expected and actual benefit receipt options were estimated. A greater percentage of married, compared to unmarried, women expected and elected early benefits.}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security, Women and Minorities}, doi = {10.1007/s10834-013-9374-z}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10834-013-9374-z}, author = {Gillen, Martie and Claudia J Heath} } @article {5977, title = {Wages, Pensions, and Public-Private Sector Compensation Differentials for Older Workers}, number = {19454}, year = {2013}, institution = {National Institute of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {We use a sample of full-time workers over 50 years of age from the 2004 and 2006 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to investigate whether workers in federal, state, and local government receive more generous wage and pension compensation than private sector workers, ceteris paribus. With respect to hourly remuneration (wages plus employer contributions to defined contribution plans), federal workers earn a premium of about 28 log points, taking differences in employee characteristics into account. However, there are no statistically discernible differences between state and local workers and their private sector counterparts, ceteris paribus. These findings are about the same whether or not indicators of occupation are included in the model. On the other hand, pension wealth accumulation is greater for employees in all three government sectors than for private sector workers, even after taking worker characteristics into account. As a proportion of the hourly private-sector wage, the hourly equivalent public-private differentials are about 17.2 percent, 13.4 percent, and 12.6 percent for federal, state, and local workers, respectively. We find no evidence that highly-educated individuals are penalized by taking jobs in the public sector, either with respect to wages or pension wealth.}, keywords = {Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Pensions, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, doi = {10.3386/w19454}, author = {Bewerunge, Philipp and Rosen, Harvey S.} } @article {7840, title = {What do parents have to do with my cognitive reserve? Life course perspectives on twelve-year cognitive decline.}, journal = {Neuroepidemiology}, volume = {41}, year = {2013}, month = {2013}, pages = {101-9}, publisher = {41}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To examine the cognitive reserve hypothesis by comparing the contribution of early childhood and life course factors related to cognitive functioning in a nationally representative sample of older Americans.

METHODS: We examined a prospective, national probability cohort study (Health and Retirement Study; 1998-2010) of older adults (n=8,833) in the contiguous 48 United States. The main cognitive functioning outcome was a 35-point composite of memory (recall), mental status, and working memory tests. The main predictors were childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and health, and individual-level adult achievement and health.

RESULTS: Individual-level achievement indicators (i.e., education, income, and wealth) were positively and significantly associated with baseline cognitive function, while adult health was negatively associated with cognitive function. Controlling for individual-level adult achievement and other model covariates, childhood health presented a relatively small negative, but statistically significant association with initial cognitive function. Neither individual achievement nor childhood SEP was statistically linked to decline over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive reserve purportedly acquired through learning and mental stimulation across the life course was associated with higher initial global cognitive functioning over the 12-year period in this nationally representative study of older Americans. We found little supporting evidence that childhood economic conditions were negatively associated with cognitive function and change, particularly when individual-level achievement is considered.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition Disorders, Cognitive Reserve, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Longevity, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Parents, Prospective Studies, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1423-0208}, doi = {10.1159/000350723}, author = {Hector M Gonz{\'a}lez and Wassim Tarraf and Mary E Bowen and Michelle D Johnson-Jennings and Gwenith G Fisher} } @article {7928, title = {What Good Is Wealth Without Health? The Effect Of Health On The Marginal Utility Of Consumption}, journal = {Journal of the European Economic Association}, volume = {11}, year = {2013}, pages = {221-258}, publisher = {11}, abstract = {We estimate how the marginal utility of consumption varies with health. To do so, we develop a simple model in which the impact of health on the marginal utility of consumption can be estimated from data on permanent income, health, and utility proxies. We estimate the model using the Health and Retirement Study{\textquoteright}s panel data on the elderly and near-elderly, and proxy for utility with measures of subjective well-being. Across a wide range of alternative specifications and assumptions, we find that the marginal utility of consumption declines as health deteriorates, and we are able to clearly reject the null of no state dependence. Our point estimates indicate that a one-standard-deviation increase in the number of chronic diseases is associated with a 10 -25 decline in the marginal utility of consumption relative to this marginal utility when the individual has no chronic diseases. We present some simple, illustrative calibration results that suggest that state dependence of the magnitude we estimate can have a substantial effect on important economic problems such as the optimal level of health insurance benefits and the optimal level of life-cycle savings.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Demographics, Expectations, Health Conditions and Status, Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Methodology}, doi = {10.1111/j.1542-4774.2012.01101.x}, author = {Finkelstein, Amy and Erzo F. P. Luttmer and Matthew J Notowidigdo} } @article {7818, title = {Why are the oldest old less generous? Explanations for the unexpected age-related drop in charitable giving}, journal = {Ageing and Society}, volume = {33}, year = {2013}, pages = {486-510}, publisher = {33}, abstract = {Previous research has demonstrated that the generally positive relationship between age and the presence of charitable giving becomes negative at the oldest ages. We investigate potential causes of this drop in charitable giving among the oldest old including changes in health, cognition, egocentric networks, religious attendance, and substitution of charitable bequest planning. A longitudinal analysis of data from the United States Health and Retirement Survey indicates that the drop in charitable giving is mediated largely by changes in the frequency of church attendance, with only modest influences from changes in health and cognition.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X12000062}, author = {Wiepking, Pamala and Russell N. James III} } @article {7901, title = {Women{\textquoteright}s receipt of Social Security retirement benefits: expectations compared to elections.}, journal = {J Women Aging}, volume = {25}, year = {2013}, month = {2013}, pages = {321-36}, publisher = {25}, abstract = {

This research contributes knowledge regarding the options of early, normal, or delayed receipt of Social Security retirement benefits and research-based findings regarding women{\textquoteright}s expected and actual timing of election of Social Security retirement benefits. First, descriptive analyses of alternative retirement options, based on Social Security retirement benefit rules, are provided. Second, the 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 waves of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data are used to analyze women{\textquoteright}s anticipated and actual election of Social Security retirement benefits. Third, based on these considerations, recommendations are made regarding Social Security retirement benefit receipt alternatives.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Decision making, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Middle Aged, Pensions, Retirement, Social Security, Socioeconomic factors, Time Factors, United States}, issn = {1540-7322}, doi = {10.1080/08952841.2013.816219}, author = {Gillen, Martie and Claudia J Heath} } @article {7944, title = {Work stress and depressive symptoms in older employees: impact of national labour and social policies.}, journal = {BMC Public Health}, volume = {13}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Nov 21}, pages = {1086}, publisher = {13}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Maintaining health and work ability among older employees is a primary target of national labour and social policies (NLSP) in Europe. Depression makes a significant contribution to early retirement, and chronic work-related stress is associated with elevated risks of depression. We test this latter association among older employees and explore to what extent indicators of distinct NLSP modify the association between work stress and depressive symptoms. We choose six indicators, classified in three categories: (1) investment in active labour market policies, (2) employment protection, (3) level of distributive justice.

METHODS: We use data from three longitudinal ageing studies (SHARE, HRS, ELSA) including 5650 men and women in 13 countries. Information on work stress (effort-reward imbalance, low work control) and depressive symptoms (CES-D, EURO-D) was obtained. Six NLSP indicators were selected from OECD databases. Associations of work stress (2004) with depressive symptoms (2006) and their modification by policy indicators were analysed using logistic multilevel models.

RESULTS: Risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up is higher among those experiencing effort-reward imbalance (OR: 1.55 95\% CI 1.27-1.89) and low control (OR: 1.46 95\% CI 1.19-1.79) at work. Interaction terms indicate a modifying effect of a majority of protective NLSP indicators on the strength of associations of effort - reward imbalance with depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Work stress is associated with elevated risk of prospective depressive symptoms among older employees from 13 European countries. Protective labour and social policies modify the strength of these associations. If further supported findings may have important policy implications.

}, keywords = {depression, Employment, Europe, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Public Policy, Risk Factors, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {1471-2458}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2458-13-1086}, author = {Lunau, T. and Morten Wahrendorf and Dragano, N. and Johannes Siegrist} } @article {7838, title = {Is working later in life good or bad for health? An investigation of multiple health outcomes.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {68}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Sep}, pages = {807-15}, publisher = {68}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To examine the mutual influences between changes in work status and multiple dimensions of health outcomes (immediate memory, physical disability, and depressive symptoms) over later years.

METHODS: We used a subsample of 8,524 older adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study from 1998 to 2008 and were 62 years or older in 1998 to examine work status and health outcomes after controlling for age and background characteristics.

RESULTS: We present results of cross-lagged auto-regressive models. Work status (level of work) predicted subsequent residual changes in immediate memory over time, whereas immediate memory predicted subsequent residual changes in work status over time, even after controlling for physical disability and depressive symptoms. Similar results were indicated for the associations between work status and physical disability and depressive symptoms over time.

DISCUSSION: Consistent with social causation and social selection traditions, the findings support bi-directional associations among changes in work status (the level of work), immediate memory, physical disability, and depressive symptoms in later years. Practical implications are discussed.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, depression, Educational Status, Employment, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Sex Factors}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbt069}, author = {Kandauda Wickrama and Catherine W. O{\textquoteright}Neal and Kyung H. Kwag and Lee, Tae K.} } @article {7774, title = {The Wage Elasticity of Informal Care Supply: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Southern Economic Journal}, volume = {79}, year = {2012}, pages = {350}, publisher = {79}, abstract = {This article focuses on the wage elasticity of informal care supply to elderly parents employing an instrumental variable approach to account for the fact that the wage rate is likely to be correlated with omitted variables. Using the 1998 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRC 1998), the wage elasticity of informal care supply is estimated to be negative and larger in magnitude than found previously. The lower bound of this elasticity is estimated to be -1.8 for males and -3.6 for females. Additional findings suggest that this wage elasticity differs by the type of care provided to elderly parents and that it is larger in magnitude among individuals with siblings and those with independently living parents. Overall the reductions in the informal care constitute about 18 of the labor supply response for men and about 56 of the labor supply response for women, which are not compensated by monetary transfers. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT}, keywords = {Adult children, Employment and Labor Force, Healthcare, Income}, author = {Nizalova, Olena} } @article {5925, title = {Were They Prepared for Retirement? Financial Status at Advanced Ages in the HRS and AHEAD Cohorts}, year = {2012}, note = {National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Papers: 17824, 2012 0898-2937 Working Paper}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, abstract = {Many analysts have considered whether households approaching retirement age have accumulated enough assets to be well prepared for retirement. In this paper, we shift from studying household finances at the start of the retirement period, an ex ante measure of retirement preparation, to studying the asset holdings of households in their last years of life. The analysis is based on Health and Retirement Study with special attention to Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) cohort that was first surveyed in 1993. We consider the level of assets that households hold in the last survey wave preceding their death. We study how assets at the end of life depend on three family status pathways prior to death--(1) original one-person households in 1993, (2) persons in two-person household in 1993 with a deceased spouse in the last year observed, and (3) persons in two-person households in 1993 with the spouse alive when last observed. We find that a substantial fraction of persons die with virtually no financial assets--46.1 percent with less than 10,000--and many of these households also have no housing wealth and rely almost entirely on Social Security benefits for support. In addition this group is disproportionately in poor health. Based on a replacement rate comparison, many of these households may be deemed to have been well-prepared for retirement, in the sense that their income in their final years was not substantially lower than their income in their late 50s or early 60s. Yet with such low asset levels, they would have little capacity to pay for unanticipated needs such as health expenses or other financial shocks or to pay for entertainment, travel, or other activities. This raises a question of whether the replacement ratio is a sufficient statistic for the adequacy of retirement preparation.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Event History/Life Cycle, Net Worth and Assets, Women and Minorities}, url = {URL:http://www.nber.org/papers/w17824.pdf URL}, author = {James M. Poterba and Steven F Venti and David A Wise} } @article {7723, title = {Who Among the Elderly Owns Stocks? The Role of Cognitive Ability and Bequest Motive}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {33}, year = {2012}, note = {Copyright - Springer Science Business Media, LLC 2012 Language of summary - English Pages - 338-352 ProQuest ID - 1030719840 Last updated - 2012-08-02 Place of publication - New York Corporate institution author - Kim, Eun Jin; Hanna, Sherman D; Chatterjee, Swarn; Lindamood, Suzanne DOI - 2726553591; 70920932; 53465; JFEI; SPVLJFEI108343339295}, pages = {338-352}, publisher = {33}, abstract = {Conventional advice is to reduce risky investments as one ages. Such a generalized focus on risk avoidance may be inappropriate for elderly with longer life spans and those with financial goals that extend beyond their lifetime. To better understand risky asset holdings among the elderly, we investigated the effect of cognitive ability and bequest motive on stock ownership and stock purchase. Using the 2004 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, we found that one-third of elderly households held stocks and 36 of those elderly stockowners had recently acquired stocks. The respondent{\textquoteright}s cognitive ability and bequest motive were strongly related to stock ownership. Among those who owned stock, a bequest motive was positively related to a recent purchase of stocks. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, doi = {10.1007/s10834-012-9295-2}, url = {http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/1030719840?accountid=14667http://mgetit.lib.umich.edu/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004andctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8andrfr_id=info:sid/ProQ 3Aabiglobalandrft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journalandrft.genre=articl}, author = {Eun Jin Kim and Sherman D. Hanna and Chatterjee, Swarn and Lindamood, Suzanne} } @article {9038, title = {Who does well in life? Conscientious adults excel in both objective and subjective success.}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {2012}, pages = {356}, abstract = {This article investigates how personality and cognitive ability relate to measures of objective success (income and wealth) and subjective success (life satisfaction, positive affect, and lack of negative affect) in a representative sample of 9,646 American adults. In cross-sectional analyses controlling for demographic covariates, cognitive ability, and other Big Five traits, conscientiousness demonstrated beneficial associations of small-to-medium magnitude with all success outcomes. In contrast, other traits demonstrated stronger, but less consistently beneficial, relations with outcomes in the same models. For instance, emotional stability demonstrated medium-to-large associations with life satisfaction and affect but a weak association with income and no association with wealth. Likewise, extraversion demonstrated medium-to-large associations with positive affect and life satisfaction but small-to-medium associations with wealth and (lack of) negative affect and no association with income. Cognitive ability showed small-to-medium associations with income and wealth but no association with any aspect of subjective success. More agreeable adults were worse off in terms of objective success and life satisfaction, demonstrating small-to-medium inverse associations with those outcomes, but they did not differ from less agreeable adults in positive or negative affect. Likewise, openness to experience demonstrated small-to-medium inverse associations with every success outcome except positive affect, in which more open adults were slightly higher. Notably, in each of the five models predicting objective and subjective success outcomes, individual differences other than conscientiousness explained more variance than did conscientiousness. Thus, the benefits of conscientiousness may be remarkable more for their ubiquity than for their magnitude.}, keywords = {Conscientiousness, Success}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00356}, author = {Angela Lee Duckworth and David R Weir and Tsukayama, Eli and Kwok, David} } @article {5928, title = {Why Do Life Insurance Policyholders Lapse? The Roles of Income, Health and Bequest Motive Shocks}, year = {2012}, note = {National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Papers: 17899, 2012 Working Paper}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Papers: 17899}, abstract = {Previous research has shown that the reasons for lapsation have important implications regarding the effects of the emerging life settlement market on consumer welfare. We present and empirically implement a dynamic discrete choice model of life insurance decisions to assess the importance of various factors in explaining life insurance lapsations. In order to explain some key features in the data, our model incorporates serially correlated unobservable state variables which we deal with using posterior distributions of the unobservables simulated from Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) method. We estimate the model using the life insurance holding information from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. Counterfactual simulations using the estimates of our model suggest that a large fraction of life insurance lapsations are driven by i.i.d choice specific shocks, particularly when policyholders are relatively young. But as the remaining policyholders get older, the role of such i.i.d. shocks gets smaller, and more of their lapsations are driven either by income, health or bequest motive shocks. Income and health shocks are relatively more important than bequest motive shocks in explaining lapsations when policyholders are young, but as they age, the bequest motive shocks play a more important role. We also suggest the implications of these findings regarding the effects of the emerging life settlement market on consumer welfare.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Health Conditions and Status, Income, Insurance}, url = {URL:http://www.nber.org/papers/w17899.pdf URL}, author = {Fang, Hanming and Kung, Edward} } @article {7726, title = {Why Do People Let Their Long-Term Care Insurance Lapse? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy}, volume = {34}, year = {2012}, note = {Date revised - 2012-07-01 Language of summary - English Pages - 220-237 ProQuest ID - 1030495712 Availability - URL:http://aepp.oxfordjournals.org Publisher{\textquoteright}s URL Last updated - 2012-08-02 British nursing index edition - Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, vol. 34, no. 2, Summer 2012, pp. 220-37 Corporate institution author - Li, Yong; Jensen, Gail A DOI - econlit-1303901; 1303901; 2040-5790}, pages = {220-237}, publisher = {34}, abstract = {This paper empirically analyzes how often and why individuals drop their long-term care insurance (LTCI) coverage, using data from the 2002-2008 Health and Retirement Study. It finds that over a two-year period 13 of LTCI policies lapse. It also finds that the probability of an LTCI lapse increases with a lack of consumer knowledge about their policy{\textquoteright}s benefit provisions, with prior encounters with the long-term care system, with less expensive policies, and with less generous policies. These findings raise the possibility that some policyholders may not understand their coverage limitations, and learn about them only after actually using long-term care services. Greater consumer awareness of LTCI policy features and limitations may help reduce lapse rates and increase the stability of the LTCI market.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Public Policy}, doi = {10.1093/aepp/pps017}, author = {Yong Li and Gail A Jensen} } @article {7701, title = {Workers{\textquoteright} Compensation and Consumption Smoothing}, journal = {Journal of Public Economics}, volume = {96}, year = {2012}, pages = {495-508}, publisher = {96}, abstract = {This paper investigates the consumption-smoothing benefits of state workers{\textquoteright} compensation (WC) programs. These programs are among the largest and most controversial forms of social insurance, with the putative purpose of supporting families affected by unexpected income shocks due to workplace injuries and illnesses. Using Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data for a sample of workers who have experienced a work-related, work-limiting disability, I find that a 10 increase in WC benefit generosity offsets the drop in household consumption upon injury by 3 to 5 . Moreover, my estimates imply that if benefits were very low, the drop in consumption upon injury would be in the range of 30 . A model adapted from the literature on optimal social insurance yields a formula for the optimal level of WC benefits, which depends on empirical estimates of the consumption-smoothing parameter. My calculations suggest that current WC benefit levels are somewhat higher than optimal.}, keywords = {Adult children, Consumption and Savings, Disabilities, Employment and Labor Force, Health Conditions and Status, Public Policy, Women and Minorities}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.12.005}, author = {Bronchetti, Erin Todd} } @mastersthesis {6402, title = {Working for life: An analysis of life satisfaction and delayed retirement among older college faculty}, volume = {Ed.D.}, year = {2012}, pages = {160}, school = {Sam Houston State University}, type = {Dissertation}, address = {Huntsville, TX}, abstract = {Purpose: The aging of the professoriate may be the most important issue in higher education today. When faculty members will choose to retire and how effectively they are replaced is a crucial problem for many institutions. Yet very little data are available on faculty retirement timing. The purpose of this study was to test life-span trajectory theory by comparing individual life-span factors to individual retirement decisions, thus yielding results that may be useful to college administrators. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (FIRS) were used to investigate any differences in life satisfaction, marital status, gender, ethnicity, and region among members of college faculty who delayed their retirement ( n = 420) and those faculty who retired when eligible (n = 931). By analyzing which factors are correlated with the decision to delay retirement, this study should provide data to assist college administrators in improving their recruitment and hiring practices. Method: In this study, the research design was non-experimental causal comparative. Separate Pearson chi-square analyses were performed for (a) delayed retirement status and life satisfaction rating, (b) delayed retirement status and gender, (c) delayed retirement status and marital status, (d) delayed retirement status and ethnicity, and (e) delayed retirement status and region. A discriminant analysis was performed to determine if the dependent variables could predict membership in the two groups (i.e., delayed retirement, did not delay retirement). Findings: The most significant predictors of delayed retirement were gender, ethnicity, and region. Results indicate that faculty who were male, Hispanic and from the Northeast region were more inclined to delay retirement, whereas faculty members who were female, White, from the South or West region were more inclined to retire when eligible. Results are discussed and suggestions are made in terms of the need for greater study of the relationship between gender, ethnicity, region, life satisfaction, marital status, and retirement decisions. KEY WORDS: Delayed retirement, Academic labor planning, Life-span theory, Productive aging, Life-course theory, Life satisfaction, College faculty retirement, Successful aging, Continuity theory, Defined benefit pension plan, Defined cost pension plan.}, keywords = {Delaying retirement, Life Satisfaction}, url = {https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED550752}, author = {Lawrence, Kendall E.} } @article {7668, title = {What Explains Changes in Retirement Plans during the Great Recession?}, journal = {The American Economic Review}, volume = {101}, year = {2011}, pages = {6}, publisher = {101}, abstract = {We examine changes in subjective probabilities regarding retirement between the 2006 and 2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Using a first-difference approach to eliminate individual heterogeneity, we find that the steep drop in asset prices in 2008 increased the reported probability of working at age 62 during the Great Recession. Increasing unemployment at least partly attenuated this effect, but subjective probabilities of working did not respond to changes in housing markets. Older workers{\textquoteright} probabilities of working were more sensitive to fluctuations in the stock market, but less responsive to changes in labor market conditions.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Housing, Methodology, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, doi = {10.1257/aer.101.3.29}, author = {Gopi Shah Goda and John B. Shoven and Sita Nataraj Slavov} } @mastersthesis {6376, title = {What Money Buys and Family Costs: Three Papers on the Work-Family Intersection}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2011}, note = {ISBN 9781124680927}, month = {2011}, pages = {160}, school = {The University of Michigan}, type = {Dissertation}, address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, abstract = {Family responsibilities and market work have the potential to influence one another. First, financial rewards received from the labor market may provide individuals with resources that they can use to manage their family responsibilities. In the first two empirical chapters, I examine the relationship between wives{\textquoteright} earnings and their time in housework, testing whether, to what extent, and how wives{\textquoteright} earnings allow them to reduce their household labor burden. In Chapter 2, "Money Isn{\textquoteright}t Everything: Wives{\textquoteright} Earnings and Housework Time", I use fixed-effects models and data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and find that wives reduce housework time as their earnings rise. However, the effect is highly non-linear, with high-earning wives achieving little additional reduction in housework. Thus, high-income wives continue to spend considerable time in housework, despite their substantial financial resources. Chapter 3, "Opting Out and Buying Out: Wives{\textquoteright} Earnings and Housework Time", uses data from the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey of the Health and Retirement Study to test whether expenditures on market substitutes for household labor explain the negative relationship between wives{\textquoteright} earnings and their housework time. Expenditures on market substitutes explain less than 15\% of the relationship between wives{\textquoteright} earnings and their housework time. This suggests that wives{\textquoteright} earnings may instead allow them to "opt out" of some housework, foregoing this labor without purchasing a substitute. Additionally, family responsibilities may affect individuals{\textquoteright} work lives. For men, becoming fathers may lead to increased investment in wage-earning, as men are motivated to provide financially for their children. Chapter 4, "A Reconsideration of the Fatherhood Premium", hypothesizes that lower commitment to the fatherhood role and greater role ambiguity will lead to a smaller wage premium for nonresidential fathers and stepfathers as compared to residential fathers. Using panel models and data from the 1979 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, I find that married, residential fatherhood is associated with wage gains, while nonresidential fatherhood and stepfatherhood are associated with wage losses compared to the wages of childless men of the same union status, and unmarried, residential fatherhood leads to no wage changes for men.}, keywords = {Adult children, Consumption and Savings, Other}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265036598_What_Money_Buys_and_Family_Costs_Three_Papers_on_the_Work-Family_Intersection}, author = {Killewald, Alexandra Achen} } @article {7583, title = {Which Questions in the Health and Retirement Study are Used by Researchers? Evidence from Academic Journals, 2006-2009}, journal = {Forum for Health Economics and Policy}, volume = {14}, year = {2011}, pages = {Article 12}, publisher = {14}, abstract = {Since 2002, the average number of questions asked per respondent in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) has risen by 39 percent, from 413 to 581. Yet there is little or no understanding of which questions, or how many in total, should be included and more importantly, maintained in longitudinal surveys. In this paper, we propose a simple approach to assessing the value of survey questions: journal citation counts. A sample of journal articles and book chapters published in 2006-09 (N = 206) is used to document which questions, and categories of questions, were used most and least frequently. A disproportionate number of published articles used a relatively small number of questions regarding health, wealth, income, and employment. By contrast, several categories of questions were rarely used, and many specific questions were never used. This evidence-based approach to measuring the value of survey questions can have applications for other surveys beyond the HRS.}, keywords = {Methodology}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.2202/1558-9544.1269}, author = {Jackson, Tina and Balduf, Mabel and Laura Yasaitis and Jonathan S Skinner} } @article {7674, title = {Who pays for obesity?}, journal = {J Econ Perspect}, volume = {25}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Winter}, pages = {139-58}, publisher = {25}, abstract = {

Adult obesity is a growing problem. From 1962 to 2006, obesity prevalence nearly tripled to 35.1 percent of adults. The rising prevalence of obesity is not limited to a particular socioeconomic group and is not unique to the United States. Should this widespread obesity epidemic be a cause for alarm? From a personal health perspective, the answer is an emphatic "yes." But when it comes to justifications of public policy for reducing obesity, the analysis becomes more complex. A common starting point is the assertion that those who are obese impose higher health costs on the rest of the population{\textemdash}a statement which is then taken to justify public policy interventions. But the question of who pays for obesity is an empirical one, and it involves analysis of how obese people fare in labor markets and health insurance markets. We will argue that the existing literature on these topics suggests that obese people on average do bear the costs and benefits of their eating and exercise habits. We begin by estimating the lifetime costs of obesity. We then discuss the extent to which private health insurance pools together obese and thin, whether health insurance causes obesity, and whether being fat might actually cause positive externalities for those who are not obese. If public policy to reduce obesity is not justified on the grounds of external costs imposed on others, then the remaining potential justification would need to be on the basis of helping people to address problems of ignorance or self-control that lead to obesity. In the conclusion, we offer a few thoughts about some complexities of such a justification.

}, keywords = {Adult, Cost of Illness, Financing, Personal, Health Benefit Plans, Employee, Health Care Costs, health policy, Humans, Income, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Pools, Insurance, Health, Life Expectancy, Models, Econometric, Obesity, Prevalence, Private Sector, Public Sector, Risk Adjustment, Social Control Policies, United States}, issn = {0895-3309}, doi = {10.1257/jep.25.1.139}, author = {Bhattacharya, Jay and Sood, Neeraj} } @article {7595, title = {Why Do Families Differ? Children{\textquoteright}s Care for an Unmarried Mother.}, journal = {J Marriage Fam}, volume = {73}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Apr}, pages = {383-395}, publisher = {73}, abstract = {

An adult child{\textquoteright}s provision of care to an unmarried elderly mother varies both within and between families. Within-family differences address the variation in different children{\textquoteright}s behavior within in a family. Between-family differences refer to the propensities that members of a family-the children of one mother-share and that differentiate them from other families. Previous research suggests five hypotheses affecting either within-family or between-family differences. Data from multiple waves of the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) cohort of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 16,719 observations on 5,607 mother-child dyads in 1,925 families) are used to estimate a multilevel model with a binary outcome. Results indicate substantial differences between families. Mother{\textquoteright}s characteristics, family composition, and family history account for about half the between-family differences.

}, issn = {0022-2445}, doi = {10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00813.x}, author = {John C Henretta and Beth J Soldo and Matthew F. Van Voorhis} } @article {5815, title = {The Wage Process of Older Workers}, year = {2010}, institution = {UCLA}, abstract = {Because most studies of wage profiles and wage dynamics focus on individuals in their prime working years, little is known about the wage processes of workers approaching retirement. Do wages of older workers decline with age? Do older workers face more or less wage risk than their younger counterparts? This paper answers both questions using information on wages of older men and women from the Health and Retirement Study. First, we show that there is no statistical support for a decline of wages with age. The decreasing wage-age profile observed in cross-sectional data is a result of both compositional effects and negative selection. We show that there is considerable heterogeneity in the relative importance of these two motives across gender, education groups, and pension types. Second, we find that the degree of wage risk is lower for older male workers than for younger ones. For older female workers, the degree of wage risk is lower than it is for men. We do not know of any study of wage risk for younger women to compare to our results. From a methodological perspective, we show the importance of controlling for selection into retirement based on unobservable worker characteristics in order to obtain consistent estimates of wage processes of older workers.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Methodology}, url = {http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/lowe/events/Casanova_SCCAM2010.pdf}, author = {Maria Casanova} } @article {5817, title = {What Is The Impact Of Foreclosures On Retirement Security?}, year = {2010}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Using data from several sources, we show that households nearing retirement have lower rates of housing distress than younger households, as measured by arrears and foreclosure rates. However, almost all of the housing wealth gains observed for cohorts aged 51-56 between 1992 and 2004 were erased by 2010, while their mortgages have grown throughout. As a consequence, their loan-to-value ratios are considerably higher, though the percentage paying more than 30 percent of their household income towards their mortgage remains flat. Worrisomely, their financial wealth also declined between 2004 and 2010. Declines in house prices will adversely affect households that need to liquidate housing wealth, and rising mortgage obligations will increase pressure on retirement resources. We develop an econometric model to show factors associated with housing distress and then use the results to forecast housing distress among older households through 2012. We project that the risk of arrears will increase to 3.4 percent in 2010 and 4.4 percent by 2012. We also find that 6.7 percent of HRS households have children or other relatives who are facing housing distress, potentially putting further pressure on their retirement preparedness.}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets}, url = {http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/95949.pdf}, author = {Irena Dushi and Friedberg, Leora and Anthony Webb} } @article {7449, title = {What the Stock Market Decline Means for the Financial Security and Retirement Choices of the Near-Retirement Population}, journal = {Journal of Economic Perspectives}, volume = {24}, year = {2010}, note = {Journal Article}, pages = {161-82}, publisher = {24}, abstract = {This paper investigates the effect of the current recession on the retirement age population. Data from the Health and Retirement Study suggest that those approaching retirement age (early boomers ages 53 to 58 in 2006) have only 15.2 percent of their wealth in stocks, held directly or in defined contribution plans or IRAs. Their vulnerability to a stock market decline is limited by the high value of their Social Security wealth, which represents over a quarter of the total household wealth of the early boomers. In addition, their defined contribution plans remain immature, so their defined benefit plans represent sixty five percent of their pension wealth. Simulations with a structural retirement model suggest the stock market decline will lead the early boomers to postpone their retirement by only 1.5 months on average. Health and Retirement Study data also show that those approaching retirement are not likely to be greatly or immediately affected by the decline in housing prices. We end with a discussion of important difficulties facing those who would use labor market policies to increase the employment of older workers.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Event History/Life Cycle, Net Worth and Assets, Other, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, doi = {10.1257/jep.24.1.161}, url = {URL:http://www.aeaweb.org/jep/ Publisher{\textquoteright}s URL}, author = {Alan L Gustman and Thomas L. Steinmeier and N. Tabatabai} } @article {5819, title = {Why Do Life Insurance Policyholders Lapse? The Roles of Income, Health and Bequest Motive Shocks}, year = {2010}, institution = {New Haven, Yale University}, abstract = {We present an empirical dynamic discrete choice model of life insurance decisions designed to bypass data limitations where researchers only observe whether an individual has made a new life insurance decision but but do not observe the actual policy choice or the choice set from which the policy is selected. The model also incorporates serially correlated unobservable state variables, for which we provide ample evidence that they are required to explain some key features in the data. We empirically implement the model using the limited life insurance holding information from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. We deal with serially correlated unobserved state variables using posterior distributions of the unobservables simulated from Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods. Counterfactual simulations using the estimates of our model suggest that a large fraction of life insurance lapsations are driven by i.i.d choice specific shocks, particularly when policyholders are relatively young. But as the remaining policyholders get older, the role of such i.i.d. shocks gets less important, and more of their lapsations are driven either by income, health or bequest motive shocks. Income and health shocks are relatively more important than bequest motive shocks in explaining lapsations when policyholders are young, but as they age, the bequest motive shocks play a more important role.}, keywords = {Insurance, Methodology}, url = {http://cowles.econ.yale.edu/conferences/2010/sum10/struc_fang.pdf}, author = {Fang, Hanming and Kung, Edward} } @article {7472, title = {Why Do the Elderly Save? The Role of Medical Expenses}, journal = {The Journal of Political Economy}, volume = {118}, year = {2010}, pages = {39}, publisher = {118}, abstract = {This paper constructs a model of saving for retired single people that includes heterogeneity in medical expenses and life expectancies, and bequest motives. We estimate the model using Assets and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old data and the method of simulated moments. Out-of-pocket medical expenses rise quickly with age and permanent income. The risk of living long and requiring expensive medical care is a key driver of saving for many higher-income elderly. Social insurance programs such as Medicaid rationalize the low asset holdings of the poorest but also benefit the rich by insuring them against high medical expenses at the ends of their lives.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Expectations, Healthcare, Other, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/pqdweb?did=2021386431andFmt=7andclientId=17822andRQT=309andVName=PQD}, author = {Mariacristina De Nardi and Eric French and John Bailey Jones} } @mastersthesis {6309, title = {Women{\textquoteright}s alternative retirement transition options: Social Security retirement benefits and employment status}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2010}, pages = {174}, school = {University of Kentucky}, type = {3492801}, address = {United States -- Kentucky}, abstract = {The purpose of this dissertation is to examine two common measures of retirement status: (1) receipt of Social Security retirement benefits and (2) employment status. A three manuscript format was used to report the effects of human capital characteristics (education, marital status, and health status), types of income sources (pension income, IRA/annuity income, investment asset income, and other income), and age on women{\textquoteright}s timing of Social Security retirement benefit receipt and employment status. Four waves of Health and Retirement Study (FIRS) data (2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006) were used in the analyses. Manuscript 1 used longitudinal data to investigate alternative retirement options based on timing of Social Security benefit receipt and employment status. A majority of women chose early receipt of benefits compared to normal or delayed receipt. A greater percentage of women who did not receive Social Security benefits were employed compared to those who received benefits. Among women employed full-time; a large percentage did not receive Social Security benefits while a large percentage of women employed part-time received benefits. Manuscript 2 used cross-sectional data to focus on timing of receipt of Social Security retirement benefits. Less than excellent health and receiving pension income increased the likelihood of early receipt. Not being married and receiving income from earnings and unspecified income sources reduced the likelihood of early receipt. Manuscript 3 used cross-sectional data to estimate the likelihood of being employed. Having more years of education and being divorced/separated increased the likelihood; while poor/fair health, older age, receipt of Social Security benefits, and pension income reduced the likelihood of being employed. Additionally, manuscript 3 estimated the likelihood of full and part-time employment for women receiving Social Security benefits. Overall, this dissertation updates current knowledge regarding the complex options of timing of receipt of Social Security retirement benefits and employment options.}, keywords = {Adult children, Employment and Labor Force, Healthcare, Net Worth and Assets, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/pqdweb?did=2575907951\&Fmt=7\&clientId=17822\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Gillen, Martie} } @mastersthesis {6352, title = {Women{\textquoteright}s retirement insecurity across U.S. birth cohorts}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2010}, pages = {212}, school = {Duke University}, type = {3397770}, address = {United States -- North Carolina}, abstract = {Older women in the U.S. face greater risks of economic insecurity in comparison with other age groups and with men their own age. Although these risks have been documented in prior research, few studies investigate the life course mechanisms underlying women{\textquoteright}s retirement insecurity. This dissertation seeks to fill this gap by using a life course perspective and the theory of cumulative disadvantage to examine how women{\textquoteright}s earlier work and family experiences shape subsequent economic resources in retirement. The three major types of retirement resources in the U.S. - Social Security benefits, occupational pensions, and private retirement wealth - are considered. Analyses use a variety of modeling techniques and panel data from the Health and Retirement Study linked to restricted access Social Security Administration files. In addition, this dissertation specifically investigates retirement insecurity across birth cohorts of older women. The first substantive chapter examines how Social Security benefit eligibility type is influenced by four major life course predictors: marital continuity, family timing, employment commitment, and cohort change. Social Security benefit type is an important indicator of retirement security for women because, despite nearly universal program coverage, benefit type is associated with differential economic security in retirement for women. Multinomial logit models demonstrate the importance of women{\textquoteright}s own paid employment histories for later benefit type. Receiving own worker Social Security benefits or being dually eligible for Social Security are more likely outcomes with increased employment experience. The second empirical chapter uses discrete-time even history models to examine the timing of women{\textquoteright}s access to occupation pension income. The timing of pension income receipt is relevant for women{\textquoteright}s retirement security because delayed access indicates a missing source of economic resources. Results reveal significant cohort differences in the timing of first pension receipt as well as the important roles of marital continuity and family timing for older women{\textquoteright}s access to occupational pension income. The final empirical chapter employs age-based growth models to examine differential trajectories of private retirement savings in early retirement (ages 51-65) across U.S. birth cohorts of women. This analysis examines both initial retirement wealth and wealth accumulation over time to understand how life course processes advantage some older women, but contribute to ongoing disadvantage for others as part of this third, major source of retirement security. Results from growth models reveal variation across birth cohorts as well as the negative effects of divorce for initial wealth holdings and growth in retirement wealth. Overall, this dissertation illustrates the importance of women{\textquoteright}s work and family experiences across the life course for the cumulative disadvantages they face in retirement. Moreover, each type of major retirement resource interacts with different aspects of women{\textquoteright}s prior work and family roles to produce economic outcomes in retirement.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Healthcare, Other, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/pqdweb?did=2008732861\&Fmt=7\&clientId=17822\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Isaacs, K.} } @article {5823, title = {Work Ability and the Social Insurance Safety Net in the Years Prior to Retirement}, year = {2010}, institution = {The Urban Institute}, abstract = {A patchwork of public programs primarily Social Security Disability Insurance, workers compensation, Supplemental Security Income, and veterans benefits provides income supports to people who are unable to work. Yet, questions persist about the effectiveness of these programs. This report examines the economic consequences of disability in the years leading to retirement. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the analysis follows a sample of Americans age 51 to 55 in 1992 and computes their disability status, disability benefit receipt, and income until age 64, just before they qualify for full Social Security retirement benefits. The results underscore the precarious financial state of most people approaching traditional retirement age with disabilities. Fewer than half of people who meet our disability criteria ever receive disability benefits in their fifties or early sixties. Poverty rates for those who do are more than three times as high after benefit receipt than before disability onset.}, keywords = {Disabilities, Employment and Labor Force, Public Policy, Social Security}, url = {http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412008_work_ability.pdf?RSSFeed=UI_RetirementandOlderAmericans.xml}, author = {Richard W. Johnson and Melissa Favreault and Corina D Mommaerts} } @article {5826, title = {Work and Retirement: How and When Older Americans Leave the Labor Force}, year = {2010}, abstract = {A century-old trend toward earlier and earlier retirement among older American men came to a halt during the 1980s and then reversed. For older American women, a dramatic break from trend occurred at the same time. These changes coincided with significant changes in the retirement environment that altered the relative attractiveness of work and leisure late in life in favor of work. Since most of the environmental changes are permanent, we have entered new era, with workers leaving the labor force later than their predecessors, with many continuing to retire gradually, in stages, utilizing bridge jobs on the way out.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Joseph F. Quinn} } @article {5791, title = {Work and Retirement Patterns for the G.I. Generation, Silent Generation, and Early Boomers: Thirty Years of Change}, number = {WP$\#$2010-8}, year = {2010}, note = {Using Smart Source Parsing pp Center for Retirement Research, Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {This study examines how the shifting choices and constraints facing older workers have changed work and retirement patterns over the past 30 years. Health improvements, declines in physical job demands, changes in Social Security rules, and the erosion in traditional defined benefit pension coverage and employer-sponsored retiree health insurance have altered work incentives at older ages. This paper compares labor force exits by older workers born 1913 to 1917 (part of the G.I. Generation), 1933 to 1937 (part of the Silent Generation), and 1943 to 1947 (part of the Baby Boom Generation). The analysis uses 16-year longitudinal panels from the Health and Retirement Study and decades-long administrative earnings records linked to respondents in the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The results show that early boomers worked longer than members of the Silent Generation, and that the pathways older workers follow out of the labor force have become more complex over time. The median retirement age for men was about one-half year higher in the 1943-47 cohort than in the 1933-37 cohort (62 vs. 61.5), but differences were more pronounced at older ages. By age 65, for example, 40 percent of early boomer men had not yet retired, compared with only 20 percent of Silent Generation men. Both male and female workers in the 1933-37 cohort were much less likely than their counterparts in the 1913-17 cohort to follow the traditional retirement path of exiting the labor force from full-time employment and never returning to work.}, keywords = {Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Pensions, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/work-and-retirement-patterns-for-the-gi-generation-silent-generation-and-early-boomers-thirty-years-of-change/}, author = {Richard W. Johnson and Barbara A Butrica and Corina D Mommaerts} } @inbook {5229, title = {Work Disability: The Effects of Demography, Health, and Disability Insurance}, booktitle = {Research Findings in the Economics of Aging}, series = {National Bureau of Economic Research conference report}, year = {2010}, pages = {37-58}, publisher = {University of Chicago Press}, organization = {University of Chicago Press}, chapter = {2}, address = {Chicago}, keywords = {Cross-National, Disabilities, Employment and Labor Force, Social Security}, author = {Axel Borsch-Supan}, editor = {David A Wise} } @mastersthesis {6100, title = {Work, retirement, and well-being: Does what you did for a living influence how you feel in retirement? Women{\textquoteright}s retirement and self-assessed well-being: An analysis of three measures of well-being among recent and long-term retirees relative to homemakers}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2010}, pages = {176}, school = {The University of Chicago}, type = {Dissertation}, abstract = {This dissertation contributes to the literature on retirement and subjective well-being by focusing on two key questions using data from the Health and Retirement Study: (1) Is retiring from a job that afforded greater opportunities to engage in autonomous, creative, and/or prestigious work linked with greater well-being in retirement? and (2) Are there differences in subjective measures of well-being for women who retire relative to women who are homemakers? Based on prior research comparing workers and retirees, one might expect retirees to report relatively poor well-being (e.g. Dave et al. 2006; Doshi et al. 2008). However, analyses of a sample of respondents who make the transition from working full-time to being fully retired between 1992 and 2006, suggest that retiring from a professional occupation is related to more favorable self-assessments of well-being. The second research question focuses on women{\textquoteright}s experiences by taking advantage of a unique comparison group which exists for women retiring at the early part of this century, namely homemakers or women who did not participate in the paid labor force. Analyses of female retirees who are compared to homemakers suggest that despite the major role change they experienced, participating in the paid labor force may have been a protective factor with regard to self-assessed well-being.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Women and Minorities}, author = {Silver, Michelle Pannor} } @article {7294, title = {Wealth Holdings and Portfolio Allocation of the Elderly: The role of marital history}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {30}, year = {2009}, pages = {90}, publisher = {30}, abstract = {This paper investigates the role of marital history in terms of explaining differences in wealth holdings and portfolio allocation of older individuals by studying data from the first wave of Health and Retirement Study which was conducted in 1992. The results generally suggest that both men and women suffer from the negative shocks of past marital dissolutions in terms of household wealth accumulation. The significance level, however, differs across currently married couples, single males, and single females. The examination of the asset components of net worth also indicates that both the probability of owning a particular asset and the fraction of wealth allocated to that asset might vary depending on the elderly individuals marital history.}, keywords = {Adult children, Net Worth and Assets}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-008-9139-2}, author = {Ulker, Aydogan} } @article {7374, title = {Weight change, initial BMI, and mortality among middle- and older-aged adults.}, journal = {Epidemiology}, volume = {20}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Nov}, pages = {840-8}, publisher = {20}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: It is not known how the relationship between weight change and mortality is influenced by initial body mass index (BMI) or the magnitude of weight change.

METHODS: We use the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (n = 13,104; follow-up 1992-2006) and Cox regression analysis to estimate relative mortality risks for 2-year weight change by initial BMI among 50- to-70-year-old Americans. We defined small weight loss or gain as a change of 1-2.9 BMI units and large weight loss or gain as a change of 3-5 BMI units.

RESULTS: Large and small weight losses were associated with excess mortality for all initial BMI levels below 32 kg/m (eg, hazard ratio [HR] for large weight loss from BMI of 30 = 1.61 [95\% confidence interval = 1.31-1.98]; HR for small weight loss from BMI of 30 = 1.19 [1.06-1.28]). Large weight gains were associated with excess mortality only at high BMIs (eg, HR for large weight gain from BMI of 35 = 1.33 [1.00-1.77]). Small weight gains were not associated with excess mortality for any initial BMI level. The weight loss-mortality association was robust to adjustments for health status and to sensitivity analyses considering unobserved confounders.

CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss is associated with excess mortality among normal, overweight, and mildly obese middle- and older-aged adults. The excess risk increases for larger losses and lower initial BMI. These results suggest that the potential benefits of a lower BMI may be offset by the negative effects associated with weight loss. Weight gain may be associated with excess mortality only among obese people with an initial BMI over 35.

}, keywords = {Aged, Body Mass Index, Humans, Middle Aged, Mortality, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, United States, Weight Gain, Weight Loss}, issn = {1531-5487}, doi = {10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181b5f520}, author = {Mikko Myrskyl{\"a} and Virginia W Chang} } @article {5750, title = {What the Stock Market Decline Means for the Financial Security and Retirement Choices of the Near-Retirement Population}, number = {15435}, year = {2009}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research }, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {This paper investigates the effect of the current recession on the near-retirement age population. Data from the Health and Retirement Study suggest that those approaching retirement age (early boomers ages 53 to 58 in 2006) have only 15.2 percent of their wealth in stocks, held directly or in defined contribution plans or IRAs. Their vulnerability to a stock market decline is limited by the high value of their Social Security wealth, which represents over a quarter of the total household wealth of the early boomers. In addition, their defined contribution plans remain immature, so their defined benefit plans represent sixty five percent of their pension wealth. Simulations with a structural retirement model suggest the stock market decline will lead the early boomers to postpone their retirement by only 1.5 months on average. Health and Retirement Study data also show that those approaching retirement are not likely to be greatly or immediately affected by the decline in housing prices. We end with a discussion of important difficulties facing those who would use labor market policies to increase the employment of older workers.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Net Worth and Assets, Social Security}, doi = {10.3386/w15435}, author = {Alan L Gustman and Thomas L. Steinmeier and N. Tabatabai} } @article {7314, title = {Willingness to participate in Alzheimer disease research and attitudes towards proxy-informed consent: results from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Am J Geriatr Psychiatry}, volume = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jan}, pages = {65-74}, publisher = {17}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate public opinion about participation in Alzheimer disease (AD) research and willingness to have a proxy-informed consent.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

SETTING: A national survey of community-dwelling adults over the age of 50 and their spouse of any age.

PARTICIPANTS: The 2006 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1,517).

MEASUREMENTS: Willingness to participate in one of four possible research scenarios and to have a proxy-informed consent for AD research.

RESULTS: Overall, 65.8\% agreed to participate in AD research and 70.7\% agreed to proxy-informed consent. Relative to a minimal benefit and moderate risk scenario, participants were more likely to favor participation in a moderate benefit and minimal risk scenario and less likely to endorse a minimal benefit and severe risk scenario. Those agreeing to participate in the study were more likely to agree to proxy consent and to give leeway to a research proxy to go against their will.

CONCLUSIONS: Most participants view AD research favorably and are agreeable toward participating in such research as well as toward having a research proxy. Participants are able to distinguish between studies of different levels of benefit and risk. Nevertheless, over 50\% agreed to a study of minimal benefit and severe risk. Researchers and clinicians should be aware that those less agreeable toward AD research are less interested in having a research proxy.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer disease, Attitude, Community Participation, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Human Experimentation, Humans, Informed Consent, Male, Middle Aged, Public Opinion, Risk Assessment, Third-Party Consent}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1097/JGP.0b013e31818cd3d3}, author = {Liat Ayalon} } @article {7313, title = {Wills, Trusts, and Charitable Estate Planning: A panel study of document effectiveness}, journal = {Financial Counseling and Planning}, volume = {20}, year = {2009}, pages = {3-14}, publisher = {20}, abstract = {This paper compares pre-death charitable testamentary expectations with post-death distributions for deceased panel members in the 1995-2006 Health and Retirement Study. Most respondents who reported having a charitable estate plan in the survey wave immediately prior to their death ultimately generated no charitable estate gift after death. Cross-tabulations, linear probability models, and probit analysis all demonstrated that the likelihood of generating a charitable estate gift was significantly higher for respondents who had a funded inter vivos trust than for respondents who had only a will. This difference persisted even after controlling for wealth, income, and other demographic differences. Reasons for the differential effectiveness of these planning documents and implications for financial and gift planners are examined.}, keywords = {Adult children, Net Worth and Assets}, author = {Russell N. James III} } @article {7399, title = {Work expectations, realizations, and depression in older workers.}, journal = {J Ment Health Policy Econ}, volume = {12}, year = {2009}, note = {Journal Article}, month = {2009 Dec}, pages = {175-86}, publisher = {12}, abstract = {

AIMS OF THE STUDY: In this study, we explore whether ex ante work expectations, conditional on work force status at age 62, affect self-reported depressive symptoms at age 62.

METHODS: Our sample includes 4,387 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, a national longitudinal survey of individuals born between 1931 and 1941, and their spouses. The sample is composed of workers who were less than 62 years of age at the study baseline (1992), and who had reached age 62 by the current study endpoint (2004). This sample enables comparison of realized work status with prior expectations. We estimate the impact of expected work status on self-reported depressive symptoms using negative binomial and logistic regression methods. Sex-stratified regressions are estimated according to full-time work status at age 62. The primary outcome is a summary measure of self-reported depressive symptoms based on a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. The explanatory variable of interest is the subjective probability of working full-time at the age of 62, reported by participants at the 1992 HRS baseline. We control for baseline socioeconomic and demographic variables as well as life events and changes in macroeconomic conditions that occur within the study timeframe.

RESULTS: Among participants who were not working full time at age 62, we find that men who provided a higher ex ante likelihood of full-time employment at 62 had significantly worse self-reported depressive symptoms than men who provided a lower ex ante likelihood. A similar effect was not found for women. Among participants who were working full time at age 62, we do not find a statistical relationship between ex ante expectations and age-62 self-reported depressive symptoms, for either men or women.

DISCUSSION: The results suggest that an earlier-than-anticipated work exit is detrimental to mental health for men nearing normal retirement age. Previous research has demonstrated that stress is a causal factor in depression, and a premature labor force departure, which is inconsistent with an individual{\textquoteright}s cognitive judgment of a suitably timed exit from work, is a psychologically stressful transition that could realistically induce depression. This may be especially true of men, who in this cohort, have stronger labor force attachment than women and tend to define their roles by their occupation. The advantages of the study include nationally representative data, a baseline depression control that circumscribes the effect of endogeneity, and a reasonably long follow-up. Despite our efforts to infer causality, unmeasured factors may account for part of the observed relationship. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY AND RESEARCH: Depression is a disease that, if untreated, may have serious consequences for behavioral, medical, and social well-being. Our results suggest that further research should aim to estimate the magnitude of clinically severe and mild depression in populations of those who retire earlier than expected, especially for men. Such information could help health care planners and policy makers to direct resources to the mental health needs of men who retire prematurely.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, depression, Employment, Female, Health Behavior, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Retirement, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological}, issn = {1091-4358}, url = {URL:http://www.icmpe.org/test1/journal/journal.htm Publisher{\textquoteright}sURL}, author = {Tracy Falba and Jody L Sindelar and William T Gallo} } @article {5721, title = {The Wage Elasticity of Informal Care Supply: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, year = {2008}, institution = {Kyiv, Ukraine, Kyiv Economic Institute}, abstract = {This paper analyzes the relationship between wages and supply of informal care to elderly parents. Unlike most of the previous research estimating wage elasticities of informal care supply, this study employs instrumental variable technique to account for the fact that the wage rate is likely to be measured with error and correlated with omitted variables. Based on the data from the 1998 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, the results show that the wage elasticity of informal care supply is negative and larger in magnitude than has been found previously. The lower bound of this elasticity is estimated to be -1.8 for males and -3.6 for females. Additional findings suggest that the wage elasticity of informal care supply differs by the type of care provided to elderly parents, and that it is larger in magnitude among individuals with siblings and those with independently living parents.}, keywords = {elderly care, Labor Supply, wage elasticity}, url = {https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/5192/the-wage-elasticity-of-informal-care-supply-evidence-from-the-health-and-retirement-study}, author = {Nizalova, Olena} } @article {5732, title = {Wealth Change and Active Saving at Older Ages}, year = {2008}, institution = {RAND and Netspar}, abstract = {According to the simple lifecycle model single persons are predicted to decumulate assets at advanced age, when mortality risk is high to reduce the risk of dying with substantial wealth. Empirically it has been difficult to show this prediction in micro data. In this paper we discuss the most common limitations in existing data. We provide empirical evidence of dissaving at older ages by single persons using the unusually rich data from the Health and Retirement Study. We present lifecycle patterns of dissaving based on three very different kinds of data: those that are derived from wealth change, those derived from measures of active saving defined as disposable income minus consumption and those that are derived from model simulation. Based on wealth change we find evidence of dissaving for singles and limited evidence for couples: couples preserve wealth longer to provide for the surviving spouse. However, rates of active saving imply much smaller wealth decumulation for singles and no decumulation at all for couples. Decumulation based on model simulation lies between the two. We suspect that the discrepancies are partly due to the treatment of taxes and partly due to consumption being under measured.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Event History/Life Cycle, Net Worth and Assets}, author = {Michael D Hurd and Susann Rohwedder} } @article {5719, title = {What Effect Do Time Constraints Have on the Age of Retirement?}, number = {2008-17}, year = {2008}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {Work affects both the time available for non-market activities and the times at which those activities are performed and therefore work-induced constraints on time use may influence retirement decisions. We analyze these effects by combining new data from the American Time Use Survey with information on retirement in the Health and Retirement Study. We find that the propensity to engage in three types of non-work activities household production, leisure, and tertiary activities (eating, sleeping, grooming) are substantially altered by work. Moreover, the ways in which the timing of these activities are distorted differ across ten different job types (industry-occupation combinations) that we examine in the ATUS. We use the resulting measures of time distortions as control variables in multinomial logit retirement models that we estimate in the HRS. Older workers in jobs with greater distortions to the quantity and timing of leisure activities have an increased propensity to leave those jobs, either for new jobs or for retirement. On the other hand, workers in jobs with greater distortions to household production have a reduced propensity to leave their jobs, and distortions to tertiary activities raise the propensity to take new jobs but reduce the propensity to retire.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/what-effect-do-time-constraints-have-on-the-age-of-retirement/}, author = {Friedberg, Leora and Wei Sun and Anthony Webb} } @article {7199, title = {What You Don{\textquoteright}t Know Can{\textquoteright}t Help You: Pension knowledge and retirement decision-making}, journal = {Review of Economics and Statistics}, volume = {90}, year = {2008}, pages = {253 -266}, publisher = {90}, abstract = {This paper provides an answer to an important empirical puzzle in the retirement literature: while most people know little about their own pension plans, retirement behavior is strongly affected by pension incentives. We combine administrative and self-reported pension data to measure the retirement response to actual and perceived financial incentives and document an important role for self-reported pension data in determining retirement behavior. Well-informed individuals are far more responsive to pension incentives than the average individual. Ill-informed individuals seem to respond systematically to their own misperceptions of pension incentives.}, keywords = {Pensions}, url = {https://www.jstor.org/stable/40043144}, author = {Sewin Chan and Ann H. Stevens} } @article {5712, title = {When Should Married Men Claim Social Security Benefits?}, number = {IB$\#$8-4}, year = {2008}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {Most married men claim Social Security benefits at age 62 or 63, well short of the age that maximizes the expected present value of the average household s benefits. That many married men leave money on the table is surprising. It is also problematic. It results in much lower benefits for surviving spouses and the low incomes of elderly widows are a major social problem. If married men delayed claiming Social Security benefits, retirement income security would significantly improve. This brief focuses on the potential gains from delayed claiming and the factors that may influence claiming behavior. It then considers possible policy responses.}, keywords = {Adult children, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/when-should-married-men-claim-social-security-benefits/}, author = {Sass, Steven A. and Wei Sun and Anthony Webb} } @article {5713, title = {Who Values the Social Security Annuity? New evidence on the annuity puzzle}, number = {13800}, year = {2008}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research }, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {We examine individuals{\textquoteright} self-reported willingness to exchange part of their Social Security inflation-indexed annuity benefit for an immediate lump-sum payment, using an experimental module in the 2004 Health and Retirement Study. Our first finding is that nearly three out of five respondents favor the lump-sum payment if it were approximately actuarially fair, a finding that casts doubt on several leading explanations for why more people do not annuitize. Second, there is some modest price sensitivity and evidence consistent with adverse selection; in particular, people in better health and having more optimistic longevity expectations are more likely to choose the annuity. Third, after controlling on education, more financially literate individuals prefer the annuity. Fourth, people anticipating future Social Security benefit reductions are more likely to choose the lump-sum, suggesting that political risk matters. Other factors such as sex, marital status, income, wealth, or the presence of children are not associated with respondents{\textquoteright} relative preferences for the annuity versus the lump-sum.}, keywords = {Methodology, Net Worth and Assets, Pensions, Social Security}, doi = {10.3386/w13800}, author = {Brown, Jeffrey R. and Casey, Marcus D. and Olivia S. Mitchell} } @article {7212, title = {Within-group differences in depression among older Hispanics living in the United States.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {63}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Jan}, pages = {P27-32}, publisher = {63B}, abstract = {

Using the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the prevalence of depression in different groups of Hispanic older adults. Respondents (n = 759) were aged 59 and older and identified themselves as Mexican American (56\%), Cuban American (13\%), Puerto Rican (8\%), other (8\%), or not specified (15\%). We used a modified version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to assess depressive symptoms and the presence of major depression. Relative to Puerto Ricans, each Hispanic group had significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms, except for Cuban Americans; and each Hispanic group had lower prevalence rates for major depression, except for other Hispanics, even after we adjusted for sociodemographic, cultural factors, socioeconomic, functional limitations, and chronic health conditions.

}, keywords = {Aged, Culture, Depressive Disorder, Major, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Insurance, Health, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Severity of Illness Index, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/63.1.p27}, author = {Frances Margaret Yang and Cazorla-Lancaster, Yamileth and Richard N Jones} } @article {7206, title = {Work disability associated with cancer survivorship and other chronic conditions.}, journal = {Psychooncology}, volume = {17}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Jan}, pages = {91-7}, publisher = {17}, abstract = {

The long-term effects of cancer and its treatment on employment and productivity are a major concern for the 40\% of cancer survivors in the U.S. who are working age. This study{\textquoteright}s objectives were (1) to quantify the increase in work disability attributable to cancer in a cohort of adult survivors who were an average of 46 months post-diagnosis and (2) to compare disability rates in cancer survivors to individuals with other chronic conditions. Data from the Penn State Cancer Survivor Study (PSCSS) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were compared. The PSCSS sample included 647 survivors age 55-65, diagnosed at four medical centers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. There were 5988 similarly aged subjects without cancer in the HRS. Adjusted odds ratios for work disability were estimated for cancer survivorship, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung disease, and arthritis/rheumatism with multivariate logistic regression. Even for cancer-free survivors, the adjusted disability rate was significantly higher in comparison to adults with no chronic conditions (female OR = 1.94; male OR = 1.89). There were few significant differences between disability rates for cancer and other conditions. The elevated disability rate is another argument for viewing cancer survivorship as a chronic condition potentially requiring a broad range of psychosocial services.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Chronic disease, Disability Evaluation, Employment, Female, Humans, Male, Maryland, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Pennsylvania, Survivors}, issn = {1057-9249}, doi = {10.1002/pon.1194}, author = {Pamela F. Short and Joseph J. Vasey and BeLue, Rhonda} } @book {5288, title = {Working longer: The solution to the retirement income challenge}, year = {2008}, note = {Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-200) and index.}, publisher = {Brookings Institution Press}, organization = {Brookings Institution Press}, address = {Washington, D.C.}, abstract = {Investigates the prospects for moving the average retirement age to 66 from 63. Examines companies{\textquoteright} incentives to employ older workers and what government can do to promote continued participation in the workforce. Considers the challenge of ensuring a secure retirement for low-wage workers and those unable to continue to work --Provided by publisher.}, keywords = {Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, isbn = {978-0-8157-0145-3}, url = {https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7864/j.ctt6wph6r}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Sass, Steven A.} } @article {7131, title = {Weight and depressive symptoms in older adults: direction of influence?}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {62}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Jan}, pages = {S43-51}, publisher = {62}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: . The purpose of this study was to clarify the direction of the relationship between changes in depressive symptoms and changes in weight in older adults. Methods. The sample included a prospective cohort of individuals aged 53-63 (n = 9,130) enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study. We used separate cross-lagged models for men and women in order to study the impact of weight change on subsequent increases in depressive symptoms 2 years later and vice versa.

RESULT: . Weight gain did not lead to increased depressive symptoms, and weight loss preceded increased depressive symptoms only in unadjusted models among men (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26, 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-1.53). Increased depressive symptoms were not predictive of subsequent weight loss, but they were predictive of subsequent weight gain in unadjusted models only (men: OR = 1.24, 95\% CI = 1.00-1.54; women: OR = 1.12, 95\% CI = 1.00-1.26). In adjusted models, baseline depressive symptoms predicted both weight loss and weight gain among both men and women. Increase in functional limitations and medical conditions were significant predictors of both weight loss and weight gain. Baseline functional limitations also predicted increased depressive symptoms. Discussion. Based on our findings, it is apparent that researchers need to examine the pathways between changes in weight and increases in depressive symptoms in the context of functional limitations and medical comorbidity.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Depressive Disorder, Female, Health Status Indicators, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Statistical, Odds Ratio, Prospective Studies, Sex Factors, Statistics as Topic, United States, Weight Gain, Weight Loss}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/62.1.s43}, author = {Valerie L Forman-Hoffman and Jon W. Yankey and Stephen L Hillis and Robert B Wallace} } @article {7189, title = {What a drop can do: dried blood spots as a minimally invasive method for integrating biomarkers into population-based research.}, journal = {Demography}, volume = {44}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Nov}, pages = {899-925}, publisher = {44}, abstract = {

Logistical constraints associated with the collection and analysis of biological samples in community-based settings have been a significant impediment to integrative, multilevel bio-demographic and biobehavioral research. However recent methodological developments have overcome many of these constraints and have also expanded the options for incorporating biomarkers into population-based health research in international as well as domestic contexts. In particular using dried blood spot (DBS) samples-drops of whole blood collected on filter paper from a simple finger prick-provides a minimally invasive method for collecting blood samples in nonclinical settings. After a brief discussion of biomarkers more generally, we review procedures for collecting, handling, and analyzing DBS samples. Advantages of using DBS samples-compared with venipuncture include the relative ease and low cost of sample collection, transport, and storage. Disadvantages include requirements for assay development and validation as well as the relatively small volumes of sample. We present the results of a comprehensive literature review of published protocols for analysis of DBS samples, and we provide more detailed analysis of protocols for 45 analytes likely to be of particular relevance to population-level health research. Our objective is to provide investigators with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding the appropriateness of blood spot methods for their research interests.

}, keywords = {Biomarkers, Blood Specimen Collection, Humans, Phlebotomy, Preservation, Biological}, issn = {0070-3370}, doi = {10.1353/dem.2007.0038}, author = {Thomas W McDade and Sharon Williams and J Josh Snodgrass} } @article {5681, title = {What Happens to Health Benefits After Retirement?}, year = {2007}, institution = {Boston College, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Because most workers receive health benefits from their employers, retirement often disrupts health insurance coverage. Some employers offer health insurance to retirees, but many firms are cutting retiree health benefits by passing more costs to retirees or eliminating benefits altogether. Few alternatives exist. Private nongroup coverage is generally quite expensive, and few people in their 50s and early 60s qualify for publicly financed benefits. Many workers who cannot obtain retiree benefits from their own employers or their spouses employers delay retirement to age 65, when Medicare coverage begins. This brief examines the availability and cost of health insurance coverage at ages 55 to 64 and changes in coverage after retirement. Today most workers with employer health benefits retain their coverage when they retire early, although their required premium contributions have increased sharply over the past ten years. In the future, however, steady declines in the share of younger workers with access to retiree health benefits may jeopardize income security for the next generations of retirees.}, keywords = {Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://crr.bc.edu/briefs/what_happens_to_health_benefits_after_retirement_.html}, author = {Richard W. Johnson} } @article {7125, title = {What Level of Alcohol Consumption Is Hazardous for Older People? Functioning and Mortality in U.S. and English National Cohorts}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {55}, year = {2007}, pages = {49-}, publisher = {55}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To estimate disability plus mortality risks in older people according to level of alcohol intake. DESIGN: Two population-based cohort studies. SETTING: The Health and Retirement Study (United States) and the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (England). PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen thousand three hundred thirtythree individuals aged 65 and older followed for 4 to 5 years. MEASUREMENTS: Difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), poor cognitive function, and mortality. RESULTS: One-tenth (10.8 ) of U.S. men, 28.6 of English men, 2.9 of U.S. women, and 10.3 of English women drank more than the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommended limit for people aged 65 and older. Odds ratios (ORs) of disability, or disability plus mortality, in subjects drinking an average of more than one to two drinks per day were similar to ORs in subjects drinking an average of more than none to one drink per day. For example, those drinking more than one to two drinks per day at baseline had an OR of 1.0 (95 confidence interval (CI)50.8 1.2) for ADL problems, 0.7 (95 CI50.6 1.0) for IADL problems, and 0.8 (95 CI5 0.6 1.1) for poor cognitive function. Findings were robust across alternative models. The shape of the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of disability was similar in men and women. CONCLUSION: Functioning and mortality outcomes in older people with alcohol intakes above U.S. recommended levels for the old but within recommendations for younger adults are not poor. More empirical evidence of net benefit is needed to support screening and intervention efforts in community-living older people with no specific contraindications who drink more than one to two drinks per day.}, keywords = {Cross-National, Health Conditions and Status, Methodology}, doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.01007.x}, author = {Iain A Lang and Jack M. Guralnik and Robert B Wallace and David Meltzer} } @article {5685, title = {What Makes Retirees Happier: A Gradual or {\textquoteright}Cold Turkey{\textquoteright} Retirement?}, year = {2007}, institution = {Chestnut Hill, MA, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {This study explores the factors that affect an individual s happiness while transitioning into retirement. Recent studies highlight gradual retirement as an attractive option to older workers as they approach full retirement. However, it is not clear whether phasing or cold turkey makes for a happier retirement. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, this study explores what shapes the change in happiness between the last wave of full employment and the first wave of full retirement. Results suggest that what really matters is not the type of transition (gradual retirement or cold turkey), but whether people perceive the transition as chosen or forced.}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://crr.bc.edu/}, author = {Calvo, Esteban and Haverstick, Kelly and Sass, Steven A.} } @article {7166, title = {Why Do Boomers Plan to Work Longer?}, journal = {The Journals of Gerongology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}, volume = {62}, year = {2007}, pages = {S286-94}, publisher = {62}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Recent changes in retirement trends and patterns have raised questions about the likely retirement behavior of baby boomers, the large cohort born between 1946 and 1964. This study examined recent changes in retirement expectations and the factors that drove them. METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the analysis compared self-reported probabilities of working full time past ages 62 and 65 among workers aged 51 to 56 in 1992 and 2004. The study modeled retirement expectations for both generations and used the estimated regression coefficients to identify the forces that accounted for generational differences. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 2004, the mean self-reported probability of working full time past age 65 among workers aged 51 to 56 increased from 27 to 33 . Lower rates of retiree health insurance offers from employers, higher levels of educational attainment, and lower rates of defined benefit pension coverage accounted for most of the growth. DISCUSSION: Given the continued erosion in employer-sponsored retiree health benefits and defined benefit pension plans, boomers will likely remain at work longer than members of the previous generation. Lengthier careers will likely promote economic growth, increase government revenue, and improve individual financial security at older ages.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/}, author = {Mermin, Gordon B.T. and Richard W. Johnson and Daniel P. Murphy} } @article {10769, title = {Why Do Married Men Claim Social Security Benefits So Early? Ignorance or Caddishness?}, number = {WP$\#$2007-17}, year = {2007}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Most married men claim Social Security benefits at age 62 or 63, well short of both Social Security{\textquoteright}s Full Retirement Age and the age that maximizes the household{\textquoteright}s expected present value of benefits (EPVB). This results in a loss of less than 4 percent in household EPBV. But essentially the entire loss is borne by the survivor benefit, falls nearly 20 percent. As many elderly widows have very low incomes, early claiming by married men is a major social problem. Regression results found no association between early claiming and caddishness or the ability of husbands to make claiming decisions independently. The one statistically significant finding is the association of college education and later claiming, which cautiously take to indicate greater financial awareness. This suggests that an effective educational campaign might be able to raise the claiming ages of married men and improve widows{\textquoteright} retirement income security. But financial education has not been especially effective in changing behavior. Policymakers should thus consider other initiatives to assure a survivor benefit greater than that produced by an age 62 or 63 husbands{\textquoteright} claiming age. Such initiatives include raising the Earliest Eligibility Age, requiring spousal consent for claiming prior to the Full Retirement Age, and preserving the survivor benefit at its Full Retirement Age value and allowing the higher-earning spouse to access only a portion of his (or her) Primary Insured Amount prior to the Full Retirement Age.}, keywords = {Social Security, Social Security Benefits}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/why-do-married-men-claim-social-security-benefits-so-early-ignorance-or-caddishness/}, author = {Anthony Webb and Wei Sun and Sass, Steven A.} } @inbook {8645, title = {Will Boomers Redefine Retirement?}, booktitle = {Redefining Retirement: How Will Boomers Fare?}, year = {2007}, pages = {1-12}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, organization = {Oxford University Press}, address = {Oxford, UK}, author = {Olivia S. Mitchell} } @book {5281, title = {Women, Marriage and Wealth: The impact of marital status on the economic well-being of women through the life course}, year = {2007}, publisher = {Gordon Knot Books}, organization = {Gordon Knot Books}, address = {New York, NY}, keywords = {Adult children, Net Worth and Assets, Women and Minorities}, author = {Joyce, Joyce Ann} } @article {7157, title = {Women of the 1950s and the Normative Life Course: The implications of childlessness, fertility timing, and marital status for Psychological well-being in late midlife.}, journal = {International Journal of Aging and Human Development}, volume = {64}, year = {2007}, pages = {299-330}, publisher = {64}, abstract = {We explore women{\textquoteright}s psychological well-being in late midlife in relation to childlessness and timing of entry into motherhood. Using two U.S. surveys, Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (1992) and National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) (Sweet, Bumpass, and Call, 1988), we assess the well-being of childless women in their 50s compared to mothers with early, delayed, or normatively timed first births. We focus on the cohorts born between 1928 and 1941, who experienced strong normative pressures during the baby boom with regard to marriage and child-bearing. We find few differences among childless women but lower well-being among early mothers, related to singlehood and poorer socioeconomic status. Unmarried mothers are significantly disadvantaged regardless of maternal timing, controlling for socioeconomic status. Current maternal demands are independently related to well-being and help to explain observed differences in family satisfaction. Overall, childlessness and off-time child-bearing are related to midlife well-being through their link with more proximate factors, particularly current marital status, health, and socioeconomic status.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Event History/Life Cycle, Health Conditions and Status, Women and Minorities}, author = {Koropeckyj-Cox, Tanya and Pienta, Amy M. and Tyson H Brown} } @article {9626, title = {Work-Related Injuries and Incentives, Adequacy, and Optimality in Workers{\textquoteright} Compensation}, number = {194082284}, year = {2007}, pages = {2-149}, institution = {Northwestern University}, address = {Evanston, IL}, abstract = {The three empirical analyses in this dissertation study the e{\textsection}ects of workers{\'\i}compensation bene{\"O}ts on individual behavior and household consumption as well as the impacts of workplace injuries and illnesses on economic outcomes for a{\textsection}ected workers. In Chapter 2, I study incentive e{\textsection}ects of state workers{\'\i}compensation programs, exploiting substantial cross-state variation in the generosity of workers{\'\i}compensation bene- {\"O}ts to estimate the relationship between bene{\"O}t levels and the frequency of claims. Using a large data set of 25 matched March Current Population Surveys (CPS), my estimates of the reduced-form relationship between claims and bene{\"O}ts are appreciably smaller than those obtained by existing studies using similar methods. In addition, I {\"O}nd that controlling carefully for the in{\'a}uence of wages on claim propensities causes the estimated bene{\"O}t elasticity to shrink dramatically, so that a 10 percent increase in bene{\"O}ts is associated with less than a 1 percent increase in claims. 4 Chapter 3 evaluates the extent of consumption-smoothing provided by workers{\'\i}compensation bene{\"O}ts when a worker is injured at work. I {\"O}nd a signi{\"O}cant consumptionsmoothing e{\textsection}ect of workers{\'\i}compensation: A 10 percent increase in bene{\"O}t levels is found to o{\textsection}set the drop in household consumption upon injury by 2.5 to 4 percent. I also present a model that provides an explicit formula for optimal bene{\"O}ts. My calculations indicate that current bene{\"O}t levels are higher than optimal: That is, the consumption-smoothing bene{\"O}ts of workers{\'\i}compensation bene{\"O}ts are modestly outweighed by their distortionary e{\textsection}ects on labor supply. Finally, Chapter 4 explores the impacts of work-related injuries and illnesses on labor market outcomes for older workers nearing retirement. I {\"O}nd that a workplace injury is associated with signi{\"O}cant and persistent declines in earnings and labor supply for these workers. Incurring a work-related injury is found to substantially increase the probability of labor force exit and retirement in the year of injury onset. Results from {\"O}xed-e{\textsection}ects regressions also indicate both short- and long-term declines in annual hours worked and earnings for workers with late-career injuries. Finally, I document evidence that the negative impacts of workplace injuries are larger, the more severely the injury impairs daily functioning.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Injury, Workers{\textquoteright} compensation}, isbn = {9780549297048}, author = {Bronchetti, Erin Todd} } @article {7062, title = {What Accounts for Race and Ethnic Differences in Parental Financial Transfers to Adult Children in the United States?}, journal = {Journal of Family Issues}, volume = {27}, year = {2006}, note = {Revision of PSC Research Report No. 01-486, What Explains Race and Ethnic Differences in Family Financial Transfers to Adult Children?}, pages = {1583}, publisher = {27}, abstract = {Financial assistance that parents give to their young adult children is part of the bundle of flows that constitutes intergenerational support. Are there racial and ethnic differences in this financial assistance, and if so, why? Wave 2 data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 17,996) suggest group differences in both the incidence and amount of annual support given to nonresident adult children. Structural inequalities in the form of economic resources, family structure, and health account for most group differences, a finding counter to recent research emphasizing culture and behavioral practices. Economic resources most strongly account for less giving in African American families than in other groups. For Latinos, income and parental education are most vital. Parental health and family size are also important predictors of group differences. African American and Latino families help compensate for the differences in financial transfers with coresidence, extended family exchange, and proximity.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X06291498}, author = {Berry, Brent M.} } @article {7088, title = {Why don{\textquoteright}t people buy long-term-care insurance?}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {61}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Jul}, pages = {S185-93}, publisher = {61B}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article was to assess the determinants of an individual{\textquoteright}s decision to purchase long-term-care (LTC) insurance. This article focuses on the decision to purchase a new policy as opposed to renewing an existing policy. This study gave special consideration to the role of policy price, the savings associated with buying a policy now as opposed to later, the purchaser{\textquoteright}s education, and the purchaser{\textquoteright}s income.

METHODS: Using data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Survey, we estimated logistic regressions to model consumer decisions to purchase LTC insurance. We explored several alternative measures of the price of a policy.

RESULTS: Price was a significant determinant in decisions to purchase coverage. The demand for coverage, however, was price inelastic, with elasticities ranging from -0.23 to -0.87, depending on the specification of the model. The education level and income of the purchaser were also important.

DISCUSSION: This analysis provides the first estimates of price elasticity of demand for LTC insurance. The finding that demand is very price inelastic suggests that state initiatives that effectively subsidize premiums as a way of stimulating purchases are likely to meet with very limited success in the present environment.

}, keywords = {Aged, Choice Behavior, Commerce, Decision making, Demography, Female, Humans, Insurance, Health, Long-term Care, Male, Middle Aged, United States}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/61.4.s185}, author = {Cramer, Anne Theisen and Gail A Jensen} } @article {5622, title = {What Explains Differences in Smoking, Drinking and Other Health-Related Behaviors?}, number = {11100}, year = {2005}, institution = {National Bureau of Economic Research}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, abstract = {We explore economic model of health behaviors. While the standard economic model of health as an investment is generally supported empirically, the ability of this model to explain heterogeneity across individuals is extremely limited. Most prominently, the correlation of different health behaviors across people is virtually zero, suggest that standard factors such as variation in discount rates or the value of life are not the drivers of behavior. We focus instead on two other factors: genetics; and behavioral-specific situational factors. The first factor is empirically important, and we suspect the second is as well.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.3386/w11100}, author = {David M Cutler and Glaser, Edward} } @article {7039, title = {What is perfect health to an 85-year-old?: evidence for scale recalibration in subjective health ratings.}, journal = {Med Care}, volume = {43}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Oct}, pages = {1054-7}, publisher = {43}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: If an 85-year-old man rates his health as 90 on a scale in which 100 represents "perfect health," would his rating mean the same thing as a 90 rating from a 25-year-old? We conducted a randomized trial of 3 different ways of eliciting subjective health ratings from participants in the Health and Retirement Study to test whether the meaning of perfect health changes as people age, causing people to recalibrate their self-reported health ratings to account for their age.

METHODS: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative, prospective study of 22,000 persons born in 1947 or earlier. The data analyzed in this study come from the self-assessed health utilities module administered in 2002 to 1031 randomly selected HRS respondents. Respondents were randomized to receive one of 3 versions of a subjective health rating task. In the perfect health version, they were asked how they would rate their "current health on a scale from 0 to 100, in which 0 represents death and 100 represents perfect health." In the your-age version, the phrase "for someone your age" was added to the end of the question to encourage people to recalibrate their responses based on age, and in the 20-year-old version, the phrase "for a 20-year-old" was added to minimize recalibration.

RESULTS: A total of 1015 subjects responded to the rating task (98\% response rate). Health ratings varied significantly across versions, with subjects responding to the 20-year-old version reporting lower health (mean rating 66 of 100) than those responding to the your-age version (mean rating of 73, P<0.001) or the perfect health version (mean rating of 73, P<0.001). This result suggests that subjects interpret perfect health to mean "perfect health for someone your age." However, additional analysis showed that the interpretation of the phrase perfect health lies somewhere between the other 2 versions. For example, responses to the perfect health and 20-year-old versions varied significantly by respondent age (both P{\textquoteright}s<0.075), whereas responses to the your-age scale did not (P=0.8).

CONCLUSION: The phrase "perfect health" is ambiguous, causing some people to recalibrate their responses based on their age. Such ambiguity threatens the validity of common subjective health ratings, thereby reducing the comparability of responses across people of different ages or different circumstances.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Attitude to Health, Calibration, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Health Status, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Prospective Studies, Psychometrics, Self Concept}, issn = {0025-7079}, doi = {10.1097/01.mlr.0000178193.38413.70}, author = {Peter A. Ubel and Jankovic, Aleksandra and Dylan M Smith and Kenneth M. Langa and Angela Fagerlin} } @article {5615, title = {What Makes Older Women Work?}, number = {WOB$\#$1}, year = {2005}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/what-makes-older-women-work/}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Natalia A. Jivan} } @article {5621, title = {What Makes Retirees Happy?}, number = {IB$\#$28}, year = {2005}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {Economic well-being in retirement has been of increasing interest for economic researchers. The policy implications are large. As the baby boom generation nears retirement, understanding the factors that determine economic well-being enables policymakers to evaluate and possibly reform present retirement institutions, such as public and private pension programs. Of particular interest in this field has been the focus on retirement income adequacy, that is, the financial resources retirees need to be above some minimal level{\textellipsis}}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/what-makes-retirees-happy/}, author = {Bender, Keith A. and Natalia A. Jivan} } @article {7055, title = {When is baseline adjustment useful in analyses of change? An example with education and cognitive change.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {162}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Aug 01}, pages = {267-78}, publisher = {162}, abstract = {

In research on the determinants of change in health status, a crucial analytic decision is whether to adjust for baseline health status. In this paper, the authors examine the consequences of baseline adjustment, using for illustration the question of the effect of educational attainment on change in cognitive function in old age. With data from the US-based Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old survey (n = 5,726; born before 1924), they show that adjustment for baseline cognitive test score substantially inflates regression coefficient estimates for the effect of schooling on change in cognitive test scores compared with models without baseline adjustment. To explain this finding, they consider various plausible assumptions about relations among variables. Each set of assumptions is represented by a causal diagram. The authors apply simple rules for assessing causal diagrams to demonstrate that, in many plausible situations, baseline adjustment induces a spurious statistical association between education and change in cognitive score. More generally, when exposures are associated with baseline health status, this bias can arise if change in health status preceded baseline assessment or if the dependent variable measurement is unreliable or unstable. In some cases, change-score analyses without baseline adjustment provide unbiased causal effect estimates when baseline-adjusted estimates are biased.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Bias, Cognition Disorders, Educational Status, Epidemiologic Methods, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Models, Statistical, Neuropsychological tests, Regression Analysis, United States}, issn = {0002-9262}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwi187}, author = {M. Maria Glymour and Weuve, Jennifer and Lisa F Berkman and Ichiro Kawachi and Robins, James M.} } @article {7020, title = {Who foregoes survivor protection in employer-sponsored pension annuities?}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {45}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Feb}, pages = {26-35}, publisher = {45}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Retirees in traditional pension plans must generally choose between single life annuities, which provide regular payments until death, and joint and survivor annuities, which pay less each month but continue to make payments to the spouse after the death of the retired worker. This article examines the payout decision and measures the share of married retirees with pension annuities who forego survivor protection.

DESIGN AND METHODS: The analysis consists of a probit model of the pension payout decision, based on data from the 1992-2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS: More than one quarter (28\%) of married men and two thirds of married women receiving employer-sponsored retirement annuities declined survivor protection. Men with small pensions and limited household wealth, men in better health than their spouses, and men whose spouses have pension coverage from their own employers are more likely than other men to reject survivor protection.

IMPLICATIONS: Most workers appear to make payout decisions by rationally balancing the costs and benefits of each type of annuity, suggesting that existing measures to encourage joint and survivor annuities are adequate. However, the growth in 401(k) plans, which are generally not covered by existing laws protecting spousal pension rights, may leave widows vulnerable.

}, keywords = {Female, Humans, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Pensions, Socioeconomic factors, Spouses, United States}, issn = {0016-9013}, doi = {10.1093/geront/45.1.26}, author = {Richard W. Johnson and Cori E. Uccello and Joshua H. Goldwyn} } @article {5612, title = {Why Do Women Claim Social Security Benefits So Early?}, year = {2005}, institution = {Boston College, Center for Retirement Research}, abstract = {This brief summarizes the incentives facing older women when claiming their Social Security benefits. The analysis shows that single women and married women face very different choices. For most married women, the Social Security benefit structure actually encourages them to grab their benefits as soon as possible. These incentives reinforce the tendency for wives, who are usually younger, to retire when their husbands do. Early claiming may maximize the wife{\textquoteright}s Social Security wealth, but it also encourages them to stop working, creating a loss of earnings and 401(k) savings and extending the period over which they need support in retirement.}, keywords = {Adult children, Employment and Labor Force, Social Security, Women and Minorities}, author = {Alicia H. Munnell and Soto, Mauricio} } @article {7056, title = {Widow(er) Poverty and Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenditures Near the End of Life}, journal = {Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences}, volume = {60B}, year = {2005}, pages = {S160-S168}, publisher = {60B}, abstract = {Objectives. Elderly widows are three times as likely to live in poverty as older married people. This study investigates the gap in poverty, income, and wealth between these groups. Focus is placed on the role played by out-of-pocket medical expenditures spent on dying spouses. Methods. A national panel survey of people age 70 and older in 1993 was used. Income, poverty, wealth, and out-of-pocket expenditures were examined before and after widowhood, with comparisons made with couples not experiencing a death. Results. Forty-four percent of the difference in economic status between widow(er)s and married elderly persons was due to disparities in economic status that existed prior to widowhood. The remaining 56 was due to factors more directly related to the death of a spouse, including the loss of income and expenses associated with dying. On average, out-of-pocket medical expenditures in the final 2 years of life were equal to 30 of the couple{\textquoteright}s annual income. For couples in the bottom quarter of the income distribution, these expenditures were 70 of their income. Discussion. As policy makers continue to debate expansions and reforms of Medicare, the potential effects of these reforms on economic well-being, particularly among widows, should be considered. Despite the overwhelming success and popularity of programs such as Social Security and Medicare, some subgroups of the elderly population continue to face substantial risks of living in poverty. Whereas the poverty rate for elderly individuals is now hovering at 10 , the poverty rate for elderly widows is nearly twice as high. When examining poverty rates for women in particular, one finds that approximately 5 of married elderly persons are poor compared with 17 of widows (Figure 1). Although policy makers have repeatedly expressed concern about these high rates and enacted legislation attempting to improve the well-being of surviving spouses, the figure demonstrates that this gap has stubbornly remained (see endnote 1). Obviously, the more that is known about the causes and characteristics of poverty among widows, the better targeted public policy can be.}, keywords = {Income, Net Worth and Assets}, url = {http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/contents-by-date.0.shtml}, author = {Kathleen McGarry and Robert F. Schoeni} } @article {5633, title = {Work Disability is a Pain in the , Especially in England, The Netherlands, and the United States}, year = {2005}, institution = {RAND Labor and Population Program}, abstract = {This paper investigates the role of pain in determining self-reported work disability in the U.S., the U.K. and The Netherlands. Even if identical questions are asked, cross-country differences in reported work disability remain substantial. In the U.S. and the Netherlands, respondent evaluations of work limitations of hypothetical persons described in pain vignettes are used to identify the extent to which differences in self-reports between countries or socio-economic groups are due to systematic variation in the response scales.}, keywords = {Disabilities, Methodology}, url = {http://www.rand.org/labor/pub.html}, author = {James Banks and Arie Kapteyn and James P Smith and Arthur H.O. vanSoest} } @article {5583, title = {The Well-Being of Retirees: Evidence Using Subjective Data}, number = {2004-24}, year = {2004}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {While previous economic research focuses on the financial well-being of retirees, this paper examines the determinants of overall well-being of retirees. Using data from the 2000 Health and Retirement Study, the strongest predictor of retirement well-being is the reason for entering retirement. If individuals were forced to retire, their well-being is significantly lower than those who chose to retire. This indicates the importance of expectations on retirement satisfaction. Additionally, health, current income, and comparison retirement income have important roles in determining overall well-being.}, keywords = {Expectations, Health Conditions and Status}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/the-well-being-of-retirees-evidence-using-subjective-data/}, author = {Bender, Keith A.} } @article {6923, title = {When Will the Gender Gap in Retirement Income Narrow?}, journal = {Southern Economic Journal}, volume = {71}, year = {2004}, pages = {182-200}, publisher = {71}, abstract = {Among recent retirees, women receive substantially less retirement income from Social Security and private pensions than men. Increases in women{\textquoteright}s labor market attachment and earnings relative to men over the past 50 years provide some optimism for an improvement in female retirement income, particularly for married women. This study shows that women{\textquoteright}s income from Social Security and private pensions has improved only slightly relative to men over the past 25 years. Using data on people approaching retirement age over the next 20 years, prospects for future improvement are investigated. One of the main conclusions is that pension income among women (particularly married women) will rise sharply relative to men{\textquoteright}s over the next few decades, but a substantial gap could remain even if women close the gap in experience and salaries.}, keywords = {Demographics, Income}, doi = {10.2307/4135320}, author = {Even, William and David A. Macpherson} } @article {6967, title = {Worker preferences, spousal coordination, and participation in an employer-sponsored pension plan}, journal = {Research on Aging}, volume = {26}, year = {2004}, pages = {287-316}, publisher = {26}, abstract = {Recent changes in the pension environment, such as the growth of defined contribution plans, place more responsibility on individuals for the accumulation of retirement resources and provide workers with an increasing array of pension-related choices and decisions. This study uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine two instances where workers face such decisions - participation in an offered defined contribution plan and participation in a supplemental pension plan. The author examines the relationship between two largely unexplored predictors of pension participation - psychological motivators of saving and the influence of spouse{\textquoteright}s behavior. Individual preferences for planning and risk and measures of spouse{\textquoteright}s pension behavior are included in probit models predicting individual pension participation. Results reveal gender differences in the association between preferences and behavior and differences in the primary versus supplemental decision. They also suggest that spouses coordinate pension decisions and behave similarly within structural constraints.}, keywords = {Adult children, Consumption and Savings, Pensions}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027503262476}, author = {Kim Shuey} } @article {6989, title = {Workplace characteristics and work disability onset for men and women.}, journal = {Soz Praventivmed}, volume = {49}, year = {2004}, month = {2004}, pages = {122-31}, publisher = {49}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This paper investigates the association between job characteristics and work disability among men and women in older working ages in the United States. We examine whether the association persists when controlling for major chronic disease experience. We also address whether job characteristics are ultimately associated with the receipt of disability benefits.

METHODS: Data are from the Health and Retirement Survey and are nationally representative of noninstitutionalized persons 51-61 in 1992. Disability onset is estimated using a hazard modeling approach for those working at wave 1 (N = 5,999). A logistic regression analysis of disability benefits is based on a risk set of 525 persons who become work-disabled before the second interview.

RESULTS: Women{\textquoteright}s disability onset and health problems appear less related to job characteristics than men{\textquoteright}s. For men, work disability is associated with stressful jobs, lack of job control, and environmentally hazardous conditions but is not associated with physical demands. Participation in disability benefit programs among those with work disability is unrelated to most job characteristics or health conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: Understanding of the differing process to work disability for men and women and the relationship between work and health by gender is important for current policy development.

}, keywords = {Disabled Persons, Female, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Diseases, Proportional Hazards Models, Retirement, Risk, Sex Factors, Sick Leave, Stress, Psychological, United States, Workers{\textquoteright} compensation, Workload, Workplace}, issn = {0303-8408}, doi = {10.1007/s00038-004-3105-z}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Mark D Hayward} } @article {5546, title = {Wealth Effects and the Consumption of Leisure: Retirement Decisions During the Stock Market Boom of the 1990s}, number = {2003-20}, year = {2003}, institution = {Federal Reserve Board, Finance and Economics Discussion Series }, abstract = {It is well accepted that households increase consumption of goods and services in response to an unexpected increase in wealth. Consensus estimates of this wealth effect are in the range of 3 to 5 cents of additional consumption spending in the long run for each additional dollar of wealth. Economic theory also suggests that consumption of leisure, like consumption of goods and services, should increase with positive shocks to wealth. In this paper, we ask whether the run-up in equity prices during the 1990s led older workers to retire earlier than they had previously planned. We identify the effect by exploiting unique data on retirement expectations from the Health and Retirement Survey. Our econometric results suggest that respondents who held corporate equity immediately prior to the bull market of the 1990s retired, on average, 7 months earlier than other respondents.}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2003/200320/200320abs.html}, author = {Coronado, Julia L. and Maria Perozek} } @article {6870, title = {Wealth, Race, and Mortality}, journal = {Social Science Quarterly}, volume = {84}, year = {2003}, pages = {667-684}, publisher = {84}, abstract = {Objective. We explore, first, whether wealth relates to mortality risk independent of income and education, and second, whether wealth closes the black-white gap in U.S. adult mortality while controlling for other socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors. Methods. We employ the Cox proportional hazards models on data from the 1992 wave of the Health and Retirement Study linked to deaths through 1998, to analyze pre-retirement adult mortality in the United States. Results. The findings suggest that broader measures of SES, including wealth, are significant for understanding adult mortality. Further, vastly lower asset holdings among blacks, compared to whites, not only affects their financial wellbeing but also their survival prospects. Conclusions. Research and social policies that aim to understand and close health disparities in the United States may be poorly conceived if they ignore the impact of wealth on premature adult mortality.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Net Worth and Assets}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6237.8403011}, author = {S.A. Bond and Patrick M. Krueger and Rebecca G Rogers and Robert A Hummer} } @inbook {5132, title = {What People Don{\textquoteright}t Know About Their Pensions and Social Security: An Analysis Using Linked Data from the Health and Retirement Study}, booktitle = {Public Policies and Private Pensions}, year = {2003}, note = {RDA 1996-005ProCite field[8]: eds.}, pages = {57-125}, publisher = {Brookings Institution}, organization = {Brookings Institution}, address = {Washington, DC}, abstract = {Pension plan descriptions from respondents to the 1992 Health and Retirement Study are compared with descriptions obtained from their employers. Earnings histories reported by respondents are compared with earnings histories from the Social Security Administration. The probability of linking employer pension data, which is two thirds for current jobs, and of obtaining permission to link an earnings history, which is over 70 percent, are not well explained by respondent characteristics. Half of respondents with linked pension data correctly identify plan type, and fewer than half identify, within one year, dates of eligibility for early and normal retirement benefits. Benefit reduction rates are essentially not reported. Respondents do better in reporting pension values, but the unexplained variation is still considerable. In contrast, respondent reported values together with other observables, account for 80 percent of the variation in pension values and 75 percent of the variation in covered earnings measured from linked records. Thus prospects are good for imputing plan values, but not for imputing the location or size of early retirement incentives. Our findings raise questions about how well respondents understand complex pension and Social Security rules.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Income, Pensions, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, url = {https://www.nber.org/papers/w7368}, author = {Alan L Gustman and Thomas L. Steinmeier}, editor = {William G. Gale and John B. Shoven and Mark J. Warshawsky} } @article {5541, title = {What to Expect when you are Expecting Rationality: Testing Rational Expectations using Micro Data}, number = {wp037}, year = {2003}, note = {Michigan Retirement Research Center (MRRC) and the TIAA-CREF Institute}, institution = {SUNY-Stony Brook}, abstract = {This paper tests the Rational Expectations (RE) hypothesis regarding retirement expectations, controlling for sample selection, reporting biases, and unobserved heterogeneity. We find that retirement expectations in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) are consistent with the RE hypothesis. We also examine how a wide array of factors, such as wealth, income, health insurance, pensions, and health status influence retirement expectations formation using panel data from all available waves of the HRS. We further analyze how new information affects the evolution of retirement expectations and discover that, on average, individuals correctly anticipate most uncertain events when planning their retirement, except for some health conditions and economic factors. Our results have important implications for a wide variety of models in economics that assume rational behavior.}, keywords = {Expectations}, url = {https://ideas.repec.org/p/mrr/papers/wp037.html}, author = {Hugo Ben{\'\i}tez-Silva and Debra S. Dwyer} } @article {5543, title = {What You Don{\textquoteright}t Know Can{\textquoteright}t Help You: Knowledge and Retirement Decision Making}, year = {2003}, note = {Boston College, Center for Retirement Research, and the Social Security Administration}, institution = {Cambridge, Mass., National Bureau of Economic Research}, abstract = {This paper examines the relationship between pension incentives, individuals knowledge about those incentives, and the retirement decision. Combining detailed self- and employer-reported data on private pensions, we construct measures of the accuracy of individuals self-reports of their pensions. We show that the minority of well-informed individuals display dramatically larger responses to financial incentives than indicated by average estimates. These results suggest that there is substantial heterogeneity in responsiveness to pension incentives across the population. Finally, we estimate a joint model of information acquisition and retirement decision-making. These results confirm the substantial differences in behavior between informed and uninformed segments of the population.}, keywords = {Education, Pensions, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {http://papers.nber.org/papers/w10185.pdf}, author = {Sewin Chan and Ann H. Stevens} } @article {6953, title = {Who Makes the Financial Decisions in the Households of Older Americans}, journal = {Financial Services Review}, volume = {12}, year = {2003}, pages = {293}, publisher = {12}, abstract = {Household decision making is at the heart of economic activity; yet very little is known about the actual process. Traditionally, economic modeling of households has treated the decision making process as equivalent to having one person make the decisions. Dissatisfaction with this approach has led to the development of models that imply that the decisions are the product of a bargaining process within the household. We analyze data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) to examine financial decision making within the households of older Americans. Our results are generally consistent with the bargaining model of household behavior.}, keywords = {financial decision making, Household decision making}, url = {https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Who-Makes-the-Financial-Decisions-in-the-Households-Elder-Rudolph/5d64ccd14b624f2d06f79765ad33f65313f2c53f}, author = {Elder, Harold W. and Rudolph, Patricia M.} } @article {5496, title = {Widowhood, Divorce and Loss of Health Insurance Among Near-Elderly Women: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, number = {WP2003-040}, year = {2003}, institution = {Michigan Retirement Research Center, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {We have found modest effects of widowhood events on loss of health insurance. There are also modest effects of widowhood on labor supply, which we have not as yet attempted to attribute to insurance demand. Even new widowhood events, however, are not random with respect to initial conditions. Both initial health insurance status and risk of future widowhood are related to basic characteristics observed when married at baseline. When these confounding variables are controlled for in models of the effect of widowhood events on uninsurance, there is no longer statistical evidence of an independent effect of husband{\textquoteright}s death on risk of losing insurance. Part of the reason why the measured independent effect of widowhood appears small is that there are events within marriage that can also affect insurance coverage, such as retirement or health events. Even though the number of uninsured women whose lack of coverage can be attributed to widowhood is therefore small, and not a distinct major policy motive for changes in age of eligibility for Medicare, uninsurance rates overall among the near elderly, and the potential public burden of cost-shifting from years just before 65 to years just after gaining Medicare coverage, suggest that Medicare eligibility policies should be a focus of continued research.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Net Worth and Assets, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1090894}, author = {David R Weir and Robert J. Willis} } @article {5566, title = {Work Disability Among Non-Elderly Adult Males: The United States, 1893-2001}, year = {2003}, institution = {Brigham Young University}, keywords = {Disabilities}, author = {Sven E. Wilson and Burton, Joseph and Benjamin L. Howell} } @article {5513, title = {Wealth and the Timing of Retirement}, year = {2002}, institution = {University of Wisconsin-Madison, Economics Department}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Khitatrakun, Surachai} } @mastersthesis {6086, title = {Wealth Shocks and Retirement Timing and Other Essays}, year = {2002}, month = {2002}, school = {University of Michigan}, abstract = {This dissertation contains essays on two groups of individuals whose economic well being and behavior have received considerable attention in recent years: retirees and single mothers at risk of welfare receipt. Chapter 1 \“Wealth Shocks and Retirement Timing: Evidence from the Nineties,\” uses the 1992 to 1998 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to find that exogenous increases in wealth lead to earlier retirement. Panel data on wealth and saving are used to estimate an elasticity of retirement flows between 1996 and 1998 with respect to wealth of 0.39 and 0.50 for men. Difference-in-differences regressions of retirement rates of individuals whose pension wealth depends on the stock market\—individuals with defined contribution (DC) plans, to those whose pension wealth is not directly affected by the market\—individuals with defined benefit (DB) pension plans, are also estimated. Consistent with wealth effects, significant increases in retirement rates are found among workers with DC plans. Chapter 2, \“Local Fiscal Policy And Retiree Migration,\” uses the 1992 to 2000 waves of HRS and town-level fiscal data from the Census of Governments, to examine whether moves by households near retirement age are motivated by local fiscal policy. The data show some evidence that movers lower their fiscal burden. Households that move across states the first time after their children have reached adulthood reduce their property tax liability by an average of $115. However, there is a great deal of heterogeneity across different types of movers. It is clear that while fiscal policy may factor into the move decision, it is just one of many variables upon which location choice by retirees is based. Chapter 3, \“AFDC, SSI, And Welfare Reform Aggressiveness: Caseload Reductions Vs. Caseload Shifting,\” uses pooled cross-sectional data from the 1986 to 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS) to examine whether reforms to the AFDC program that have made receipt of cash benefits more difficult for single mothers affected caseloads of the SSI program. Variation in state welfare reform over time shows that female-headed households in states pursuing welfare reform were 21.6 percent more likely to receive SSI.}, keywords = {Demographics, Net Worth and Assets, Public Policy, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/56131715?accountid=14667}, author = {Purvi Sevak} } @article {5574, title = {Wealth Shocks and Retirement Timing: Evidence from the Nineties}, number = {2002-027}, year = {2002}, note = {Paper based on Chapter 1 of Purvi Sevak{\textquoteright}s Dissertation}, institution = {University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {This paper explores whether the timing of retirement responds to unexpected changes in wealth. The period of the 1990s allows a unique examination of this question because of the large and unexpected capital gains realized by many households. Using the 1992 through 1998 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, and two different identification strategies, I find evidence consistent with the theoretical expectations of wealth effects for men. Using panel data on savings and wealth I estimate the elasticity of observed retirement flows between 1996 and 1998 with respect to wealth is between 0.39 and 0.50 for men.}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/50593/wp027.pdf?sequence=1\&isAllowed=y}, author = {Purvi Sevak} } @article {5495, title = {Who Becomes a Stockholder? Expectations, Subjective Uncertainty, and Asset Allocation}, year = {2002}, institution = {Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets}, url = {https://mrdrc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/who-becomes-a-stockholder-expectations-subjective-uncertainty-and-asset-allocation/}, author = {Kezdi, Gabor and Robert J. Willis} } @article {6797, title = {Who Expects to Continue Working After Age 62? The retirement plans of couples}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences}, volume = {57B}, year = {2002}, pages = {S199-208}, publisher = {57B}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study examines the individual, spousal, and household characteristics associated with the retirement expectations of husbands and wives. METHODS: Using data from the 1992 Health and Retirement Study, subjective probabilities of working full-time after reaching age 62 and age 65 are used to measure retirement expectations. The retirement expectations of husbands and wives are modeled simultaneously using a joint-generalized least-squares approach. RESULTS: Within a marriage, retirement expectations are shaped by individual, spousal, and household characteristics. We observe some gender differences in cross-spousal influence with wives{\textquoteright} retirement expectations being more influenced by husbands{\textquoteright} resources and constraints than vice versa. Nonetheless, individual and household factors associated with retirement expectations are widely shared by husbands and wives. DISCUSSION: Husbands and wives both respond to individual and joint constraints and opportunities when planning for retirement. Findings support that there is considerable overlap in retirement planning of husbands and wives during early parts of the retirement decision-making process. However, inequity in cross-spousal influences is a defining characteristic of retirement decision making. Implications for both policy makers and practitioners are briefly discussed.}, keywords = {Adult children, Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Expectations, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Methodology, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Risk Taking}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/57.4.S199}, author = {Pienta, Amy M. and Mark D Hayward} } @article {6795, title = {Workers{\textquoteright} Ignorance of Retirement Benefits}, journal = {The Gerontologist}, volume = {42}, year = {2002}, pages = {543-51}, publisher = {42}, abstract = {PURPOSE: This study considered the extent of workers{\textquoteright} unfamiliarity with retirement benefits, a problem that could compromise informed retirement planning. DESIGN AND METHODS: Among workers in the 1992 Health and Retirement Study, we examined the frequency of don{\textquoteright}t know responses to question series about employer pensions, health insurance, and Social Security. RESULTS: Eligible workers readily offered responses about the shared, public details of pension plans, but knowledge about personal pension wealth was lacking for one third of persons in defined benefit plans and for one fifth of those in defined contribution plans. Among household financial respondents, 14 did not know about health insurance continuation after retirement, and 52 could not offer an expected Social Security amount. Such nonresponse was patterned by proximity to retirement and by social and occupational factors. IMPLICATIONS: More than a problem of missing data, these findings argue for a theoretical reconsideration of the role of financial knowledge in retirement behavior. Ignorance of benefits is probably less a problem of disclosure than of workers{\textquoteright} inattention to available information.}, keywords = {Demographics, Education, Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance, Methodology, Other, Pensions, Social Security}, doi = {10.1093/geront/42.4.543}, author = {David J Ekerdt and Kyle J Hackney} } @article {5500, title = {Workers Who Take Early Social Security Retirement Benefits}, year = {2002}, note = {RDA 2000-010}, institution = {Washington, DC, RAND Labor and Population Program; Prepared for the Social Security Administration}, abstract = {The objectives of this analysis are to shed light on the differences between workers who take early Social Security retirement benefits and those that postpone claiming, and to identify the types of individuals that would be particularly vulnerable to an increase in the Early Entitlement Age (EEA) above its current level of age 62. Generally speaking, we find workers who accept early retirement benefits are less likely to be college educated, less likely to be in management positions or to be professionals and more likely to have left the labor force before age 62. There are no large differences in financial wealth between Takers and Postponers, except for in pension wealth. Takers are much less likely to be covered by a pension plan and have lower pension wealth than Postponers. Moreover, while quite healthy on average, Takers are more likely to be in poorer health than workers who postpone benefits. This difference is particularly important for understanding the impact of raising the EEA. Individuals with a limited ability to continue working past age 62 due to health problems may experience substantial welfare losses in case of an increase in the EEA. Among a particularly vulnerable group of Takers, those in poor health and without pension entitlement, we find that more than half have a physically demanding job. These workers are particularly likely to apply for DI benefits in case of an increase of the EEA, which would add to rather than reduce total Social Security outlays.}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Social Security}, author = {Julie M Zissimopoulos and Panis, Constantijn and Michael D Hurd} } @inbook {5134, title = {Worklife Determinants of Retirement Income Differentials Between Men and Women}, booktitle = {Innovations in Financing Retirement}, year = {2002}, note = {RDA ProCite field 6 : In ProCite field 8 : eds.}, pages = {50-76}, publisher = {University of Pennsylvania Press}, organization = {University of Pennsylvania Press}, address = {Philadelphia, PA}, abstract = {Women enter retirement having spent fewer years in market, earned less over their lifetimes, and work in different jobs than men of the same age. This study examines whether these differences in work life experiences help explain why many women end with lower level of retirement income in old age. We use Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which provide information on labor market histories along with the ability to predict retirement income from employer pensions, social security benefits, and investment returns. We document differences in anticipated retirement income by sex that exist largely between non-married men and women. Multivariate models show that 85 percent of this retirement income gap can be attributed to differences in lifetime labor market earnings, years worked, and occupational segregation by sex. Our results suggest that as women{\textquoteright}s work life experiences become more congruent with men{\textquoteright}s over time, the gap in retirement income between men and women may shrink.}, keywords = {Income, Methodology, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Women and Minorities}, url = {http://www.nber.org/papers/w7243}, author = {Phillip B. Levine and Olivia S. Mitchell and John W R Phillips}, editor = {Z. Bodie and Hammond, B. and Olivia S. Mitchell} } @article {5483, title = {What Benefits Do Young Retirees and Older Workers Receive?}, year = {2001}, institution = {Washington, DC, National Academy on an Aging Society}, abstract = {Examined the receipt of public and private benefits by young retirees and older workers. Data were obtained from the 1993 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (that surveyed adults aged 18-84), 1992 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (that surveyed adults aged 51-61), and 1993-1994 wave of the study of Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Older Old (that surveyed adults aged 70 and older). It was found that workers of all ages were less likely to participate in means-tested public benefit programs compared with people who were not working. About one-tenth of young retires aged 51-59 received Supplemental Security Income benefits, compared with just 1 of workers in the same age group. The value of pensions was higher for workers, especially men, and those who wanted to retire early were more likely to have retirement plans than those forced to retire early. Participation in the Medicaid and Food Stamp programs was also higher for young retirees compared with workers the same age. Only half of those forced to retire at an early age had private health insurance, compared with 84 who wanted to retire at an early age. Older workers were more likely than nonworkers to receive and give financial support.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Income, Pensions}, author = {Summer, Laura and Shirey, Lee} } @article {6727, title = {What Makes a Landlord? Ownership of Real Estate by US Households}, journal = {Urban Studies}, volume = {38}, year = {2001}, note = {ProCite field 3 : US Dept of Housing and Urban Development}, pages = {1069-81}, publisher = {38}, abstract = {Households supply about three-quarters of US rental housing. The paper examines the real estate investment decision and the proportion of wealth invested in real estate. Hypotheses drawn primarily from the real estate finance literature about the role of wealth, expected inflation, human capital, income tax rates, race, health, risk aversion and inheritance are tested against data from the Health and Retirement Study. Wealth has a powerful non -linear effect on ownership of real estate, but ownership is negatively associated with human capital. Marginal tax rates, race and property gifts affect real estate investment; poor health, risk aversion and expected inflation do not seem to.}, keywords = {Adult children, Consumption and Savings, Employment and Labor Force, Housing, Net Worth and Assets}, doi = {10.1080/00420980120051657}, author = {Shroder, Mark} } @article {8442, title = {When Do You Retire? Here Are 6 Answers}, journal = {New York Times on the Web}, year = {2001}, month = {March 21, 2001}, publisher = {The New York Times Co.}, chapter = {Business}, address = {New York, NY}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Berger, Leslie} } @article {5454, title = {Why Some Workers Remain in the Labor Force Beyond the Typical Age of Retirement}, number = {2001-09}, year = {2001}, institution = {Boston College Center for Retirement Research}, address = {Boston}, abstract = {This study explored the ways in which race, gender, and age moderated the effects of several determinants of labor force participation among people ages 60 to 80. The role of race, gender, and age in moderating the effect of various factors on labor force participation was examined using the 1998 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. Binomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the interaction between race, gender, age and other determinants of labor force participation. The effects of various factors on labor force participation differed by gender, race, and age. The negative effects of low education and poor health, respectively, were stronger for women and blacks. Also, the positive effect of low nonwage income was weaker for older workers, probably due partly to poorer health. Our findings suggest that different types of policies would help to encourage labor force participation among different groups. Because lack of access to employment may deter continued work among subgroups such as blacks and women with low education, job training or job search programs might provide incentives for employment in these groups. Additionally, employer flexibility regarding part-time work and work demands might make continued work attractive for more older workers.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=290095}, author = {Williamson, John B. and Tay K. McNamara} } @article {8444, title = {Will the Aid You Need Be There for You?}, journal = {Orlando Sentinel}, year = {2001}, month = {March 15, 2001}, pages = {J2}, publisher = {Orlando Sentinel}, address = {Orlando, FL}, keywords = {Healthcare, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Hughes, Mona} } @mastersthesis {6187, title = {Wealth Illusion: Theory and Effects on Wealth Accumulation of Defined Contribution Pension Participants}, year = {2000}, month = {2000}, school = {Boston College}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets, Pensions}, author = {Zipple, Jeremy} } @article {8434, title = {Why Polls Are Fickle}, journal = {The New York Times}, year = {2000}, month = {Monday, Oct. 16, 2000}, publisher = {The New York Times Co.}, chapter = {Op-Ed}, address = {New York, NY}, keywords = {Methodology}, author = {Charles F Manski} } @article {8441, title = {Widow{\textquoteright}s poverty tied to length of time since husband{\textquoteright}s death}, journal = {USA Today Electronic News}, year = {2000}, month = {May 22, 2000}, publisher = {USA Today}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets}, author = {Wheeler, Larry} } @inbook {5146, title = {Women on the Verge of Retirement: Predictors of Retiree Well-Being}, booktitle = {Forecasting Retirement Needs and Retirement Wealth}, year = {2000}, note = {RDA 1996-002; Revision of Pension Research Council Working Paper 97-2 ProCite field 6 : In ProCite field 8 : eds.}, pages = {167-207}, publisher = {University of Pennsylvania Press}, organization = {University of Pennsylvania Press}, address = {Philadelphia}, keywords = {Retirement Planning and Satisfaction, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23739651_Women_on_the_Verge_of_Retirement_Predictors_of_Retiree_Well-being}, author = {Phillip B. Levine and Olivia S. Mitchell and James Moore}, editor = {Olivia S. Mitchell and Hammond, B. and Rappaport, A.} } @book {5267, title = {Worker Well-being}, year = {2000}, note = {ProCite field 8 : ed.}, publisher = {New York and Tokyo}, organization = {New York and Tokyo}, address = {Amsterdam}, abstract = {Fourteen papers address issues relevant to worker well-being. Papers discuss technology, unemployment, and inflation; the incidence of overschooling and underschooling and its effect on earnings in the United States and Hong Kong; whether higher returns to college education encourage college enrollments; whether compulsory school attendance laws alone explain the association between quarter of birth and earnings; motivation and labor market outcomes; career hierarchy in dual-earner families; whether gender matters for job mobility in 1990s Britain; how to measure relative quality of life from a cross-migration regression and an application to Canadian Provinces; employer -provided pension data in the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women and in the Health and Retirement Study; a test of E. Lazear{\textquoteright}s mandatory retirement model; the effectiveness of public works programs in Eastern Germany as measured by their effects on individual future reemployment probabilities in regular jobs; lessons about the labor supply implications of universal health coverage from a study of individuals receiving insurance through their spouses{\textquoteright} employers; dimensions of the wage-unemployment relationship in the Nordic countries; and the extent and consequences of downward nominal wage rigidity. Polachek is in the Department of Economics at the State University of New York, Binghamton. No index.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force, Methodology, Time Use}, author = {Solomon W. Polachek} } @article {5387, title = {Wealth Accumulation in the Health and Retirement Study: The Importance of Including Pension Wealth}, year = {1999}, note = {RDA 1998-006}, institution = {The Urban Institute}, keywords = {Net Worth and Assets, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Cori E. Uccello and Perese, Kevin} } @book {5265, title = {Wealth, Work, and Health: Innovations in Measurement in the Social Sciences: Essays in honor of F. Thomas Juster}, year = {1999}, note = {ProCite field 8 : eds.}, publisher = {University of Michigan Press}, organization = {University of Michigan Press}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, abstract = {Twelve papers, presented at a December 1996 conference at the Institute for Social Research (ISR), celebrating the career of F. Thomas Juster and his retirement from the University of Michigan and the ISR, focus on survey measurement and analysis of survey data in the social sciences. Papers discuss the several cultures of research on subjective expectations; measuring investment in young children with time diaries; the unfolding bracket method in the measurement of expenditures and wealth; lifetime earnings, saving choices, and wealth at retirement; inheritances and bequests; pension and social security wealth in the Health and Retirement Study; the size distribution of wealth in the United States as measured by recent household surveys; a cross -national comparison of health, work, and economic well-being of older workers aged fifty-one to sixty-one using the U.S. and Dutch data sets; labor market transitions and whether subjective probabilities of working have predictive power for actual retirement; the impact of education and heart attack on smoking cessation among middle-aged adults; the association of influenza vaccine receipt with health and economic expectations among elders; and co -residence between married adult children and their elderly unmarried mothers. Contributors include economists. Smith is at the RAND Corporation. Willis is at the University of Michigan and the Institute for Social Research. No index.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Health Conditions and Status, Income, Methodology, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, url = {https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Wealth\%2C-work\%2C-and-health-\%3A-innovations-in-in-the-\%3A-Juster-Smith/38354f435b24934cee24184e55e2a75214e2462b}, author = {James P Smith and Robert J. Willis} } @article {6628, title = {Who Is 62 Enough ? Identifying Respondents Eligible for Social Security Early Retirement Benefits in the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Social Security Bulletin}, volume = {62}, year = {1999}, pages = {51-56}, publisher = {62}, abstract = { Workers are not instantly eligible for Social Security retirement benefits on their 62nd birthdays, nor can they receive benefits in the month they turn 62. This note discusses how well researchers can do using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to identify respondents old enough to receive and report early Social Security retirement benefits. It shows that only some workers aged 62 at the time of an HRS interview will be {\textquotedblleft}62 enough{\textquotedblright} to have received a Social Security benefit and reported it in the survey. In general, workers become eligible for a retirement benefit the month after they turn 62, and they may receive their first payment the month after that. Until recently, payments were received very early in the month, but in mid1997 and later, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggered benefit payments over the course of a month. Therefore, many beneficiaries will not be able to report the receipt of their first benefit payment until the third month after their birthday in more recent HRS interviews. This note describes the best approach for approximating the pool of HRS respondents who are old enough to have reported the receipt of their first retirement benefit. It then applies the procedure to an analysis by Burkhauser, Couch, and Phillips, who used the 1994 HRS data to distinguish between those who took early retirement benefits upon turning 62 and those who postponed the receipt of benefits. Because these authors did not provide for respondents who were not {\textquotedblleft}62 enough{\textquotedblright} to receive a benefit at the time of the interview, they understated the proportion of respondents who took retirement benefits at age 62.}, keywords = {Consumption and Savings, Social Security}, url = {https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v62n3/v62n3p51.pdf}, author = {Olson, Janice A.} } @article {6674, title = {Will the Costs of Accommodating Workers With Disabilities Remain Low?}, journal = {Behavioral Sciences and the Law}, volume = {17}, year = {1999}, pages = {93-106}, publisher = {17}, abstract = {Whether the costs of job accommodation remain low as more persons with disabilities enter the work force is a crucial issue in evaluating the progress of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Much depends on the extent to which health and economic factors thought to raise or lower the costs of accommodation to employers actually predict accommodation outcomes. An empirical model of employer accommodation is specified and tested with data on a representative sample of Americans in their fifties. Among others, the results show that both the likelihood and extent of job accommodation are significantly influenced by cost-increasing and cost-decreasing factors, in each case in the direction predicted by the model. Inferences about the future trajectory of the costs of job accommodation and the employment effects of the ADA are discussed.}, keywords = {Employment and Labor Force}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0798(199901/03)17:1<93::AID-BSL329>3.0.CO;2-T}, author = {Chirikos, Thomas N.} } @conference {8638, title = {Would a Privatized Social Security System Really Pay a Higher Rate of Return?}, booktitle = {First Annual Joint Conference for the Retirement Research Consortium, "New Developments in Retirement Research"}, year = {1999}, month = {05/1999}, abstract = {Many advocates of social security privatization argue that rates of return under a defined contribution individual account system would be much higher for all than they are under the current social security system. This claim is false. The mistake comes from ignoring accrued benefits already promised based on past payroll taxes, and from underestimating the riskiness of stock investments. Confusion arises because three distinct reforms are muddled. By privatization we mean creating individual accounts (which could, for example, be invested exclusively in bonds). By diversification we mean investing in stocks, and perhaps other assets, as well as bonds; diversification might be undertaken either by individuals in their private social security accounts, or by the social security trust fund. By prefunding we mean closing the gap between social security benefits promised to date and the assets on hand to pay for them. Any one of these reforms could be implemented without the other two. If the system were completely privatized, with no prefunding or diversification, the social security system would need to raise new taxes in order to pay benefits already accrued. These added taxes would completely eliminate any rate of return advantage on the individual accounts. If the economy continued to grow at rates comparable to the last 25 years, and if real interest rates remained at levels comparable to their long run historical average, then the new taxes would amount to 3\% of payroll in perpetuity (which is a quarter of today{\textquoteright}s social security taxes). Unlike diversification, prefunding would raise rates of return for later generations, but at the cost of lower returns for today{\textquoteright}s workers. For households able to invest in the stock market on their own, diversification would not raise rates of return, correctly adjusted to recognize risk. Households that are constrained from holding stock, due to lack of wealth outside of social security or to fixed costs from holding stocks, would gain higher risk-adjusted returns and would benefit from diversification. If this group is large, diversification would raise stock values, thus helping current stockholders, but it would lower future stock returns, thus hurting young unconstrained households. Overall, since the number of truly constrained households is probably not that large, privatization and diversification would have a much smaller effect on returns than reformers typically claim.}, url = {https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/mygsb/faculty/research/pubfiles/474/gmzwd98.pdf}, author = {John Geanakoplos and Olivia S. Mitchell and Stephen P. Zeldes} } @article {5352, title = {Why There Are Differences in Retirement Income by Race in America}, year = {1998}, institution = {Watson Wyatt Worldwide}, keywords = {Income, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, author = {Hill, Tomeka} } @article {6614, title = {Women, marital status, and symptoms of depression in a midlife national sample.}, journal = {J Women Aging}, volume = {10}, year = {1998}, month = {1998}, pages = {41-57}, publisher = {10}, abstract = {

Previous studies of the correlates of depression among women have not generally been based on adequate midlife samples or precision in the specification of marital status categories. The present analysis is designed to address these deficiencies and is based on data from the Health and Retirement Survey-Wave 1 (i.e., respondents 51 to 61 years old). Results indicate that married women are less likely to report symptoms of depression than their unmarried counterparts. The mental health benefits of marriage are greater for men than for women. Moreover, other variables, such as marital satisfaction, self-rated health, and employment status are more powerful predictors of emotional well-being in midlife than marital status per se. The quality of marriage affects depressive symptoms more strongly for women than men.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Marital Status, Marriage, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {0895-2841}, doi = {10.1300/j074v10n01_04}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9870051}, author = {J R Earle and M H Smith and C.T. Harris and Charles F Longino} } @inbook {5166, title = {Workplace Norms for the Timing of Retirement}, booktitle = {Impact of Work on Older Adults}, year = {1998}, note = {ProCite field 8 : eds.}, pages = {101-23}, publisher = {Springer Publishing Co., Inc.}, organization = {Springer Publishing Co., Inc.}, address = {New York, NY}, abstract = {This paper explores and supports the view of individual retirement behavior being a course of action that is embedded in the structure of work. Results show that three-quarters of American workers aged 51-61 recognize that there is a {\textquoteright}usual age{\textquoteright} for retirement among their co-workers. Men seem somewhat more inclined to recognize this trend than women. These usual ages vary depending on occupation type and workplace circumstatnces, and they correspond to the age-scheduled incentives of workers{\textquoteright} pension plans. Usual age appears to be an upper limit on the range of workers{\textquoteright} personal plans to exit the job. This timing norm is taught in the workplace and then reinforced by individuals when they formulate their retirement plans around it.}, keywords = {Demographics, Employment and Labor Force}, author = {David J Ekerdt}, editor = {K. Warner Schaie and Schooler, Carmi} } @article {6585, title = {Wealth Inequality Among Older Americans}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}, volume = {52B}, year = {1997}, pages = {74-81}, publisher = {52B}, abstract = {This article uses the AHEAD study to examine the distribution of wealth among American households with a member at least 70 years old. As in other age groups, wealth is unevenly distributed among Americans aged 70 years and older. The households in the top 10th percentile of wealth distribution have 2,500 times as much wealth as those in the lowest 10th percentile. This wealth inequality is reflected in large racial and ethnic wealth deficits. Such wealth disparities, largely due to income, are the primary reason why older minority households have accumulated so little wealth compared to older White households. The findings confirm that current health status remains a powerful correlate of household wealth and that bequests motives for the elderly are congruent with the extreme wealth disparities.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Income, Net Worth and Assets}, author = {James P Smith} } @book {5269, title = {Who Will Care for Us? Aging and Long-term Care in Multicultural America}, year = {1997}, publisher = {New York University Press}, organization = {New York University Press}, address = {NY}, keywords = {Demographics, Women and Minorities}, author = {Ronald J. Angel and Jacqueline L. Angel} } @article {6544, title = {Who takes early Social Security benefits? The economic and health characteristics of early beneficiaries.}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {36}, year = {1996}, note = {RDA}, month = {1996 Dec}, pages = {789-99}, publisher = {36}, abstract = {

Using the 1992 and 1994 Waves of the Health and Retirement Survey, we compare individuals who first take Social Security benefits at age 62 with those who don{\textquoteright}t and find that the income and net assets of these two groups are similar in the years just prior to eligibility. However, there is great diversity within the groups, so that poor health appears to be more closely related to lower economic well-being than is early Social Security acceptance status. Our results suggest that raising the Social Security retirement age is not likely to dramatically lower the economic well-being of the typical person aged 62 since only 3\% of men aged 62 are receiving Social Security retirement benefits, are in poor health, and have Social Security retirement benefits as their only source of pension income.

}, keywords = {Aged, Eligibility Determination, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Income, Male, Middle Aged, Pensions, Retirement, Social Security, United States}, issn = {0016-9013}, doi = {10.1093/geront/36.6.789}, author = {R.V. Burkhauser and Kenneth A. Couch and John W R Phillips} } @article {6558, title = {Worker Adaptation and Employer Accommodations Following the Onset of a Health Impairment}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences}, volume = {51B}, year = {1996}, pages = {S53-S60}, publisher = {51B}, abstract = {This paper examines the extent to which workers, through their own actions or those of their employer, adjust to their health limitations and continue working in the labor market. Results show that age and education are important determinants of the employment outcomes for workers following the onset of health impairments. Older workers are more likely to stay with their original employer if they continue to work, but are overall more likely to exit the labor force. Education seems to have little effect on the decisions to stay or leave an employer, but plays a large role in determining whether a worker stays in or leaves the work force. Workers with at least a high school education are less likely to stop working after the onset of health impairments. Many of the respondents who stayed with their original employer after the onset of health problems reported specific ways in which their employer had accomodated them. This data provides further support for anecdotal evidence that claims that employers often accomodate their workers who suffer from health impairments and that workers who are not accomodated for adjust to their limitations by changing jobs/employers and changing their job demands. The responses of workers and their employers to the onset of work-limiting health impairments were investigated using data from the new Health and Retirement Study. The results indicate that many workers who suffer from health limitations are directly accommodated by their employers, and that those those who do not receive direct accommodation frequently adapt to their limitations by altering their job demands or by changing jobs. These findings point to the potential for adjustments on both sides of the market: by employers, in the form of job accommodation, and by employees, in the form of job change.}, keywords = {Disabilities, Employment and Labor Force, Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/51B.2.S53}, author = {Mary C. Daly and John Bound} }