THE INFLUENCES OF QUALITY WORK LIFE ... - President University
Life course influences in later life
description
Transcript of Life course influences in later life
Life course influences in later life
Understanding impact of life course events on health and well-being is vital for effective policy development.
Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London
Team: Malcolm Nicholls (ESRC UPTAP User Fellow from DWP), Debora Price, Rachel Stuchbury, Rosalind Willis and Edlira Gjonca.
3 months for each project January – March and April – June.
Life course events and older people
1. A systematic review of the literature Life course influences on health and well-being in
later
2. Secondary analysis Association of life course events and poverty and
social isolation at ages 65 and over
What do we know?
From previous research we knew little work in this area in relation to financial and social well-being, especially in the U.K.
In part this is due to lack of longitudinal (and retrospective data) for nationally representative samples of older people
Systematic literature review
What do we know? Considerable research on life course factors
and health at older ages, but less on later life financial circumstances or social support
Health: Continued impact of childhood factors. But, current circumstances appear to have greater influence on health outcomes.
Health: early age at retirement, job loss, and traumatic life events all associated with poorer physical, and in some cases, mental health in mid and later life.
What do we know?
Poverty: Weaker association than expected between life course events and poverty
Poverty: Onset of retirement, disability and loss of spouse generally associated with lower incomes and poverty at older ages.
Poverty: Education, social class and disability continue to be important predictors of later-life poverty.
Social Support: Few studies (marital disruptions and loss spouse)
How did we investigate this issue? Secondary data analysis Review current data sources and suitability for
research on life course influences and later life outcomes
The best data sources: ELSA and BHPS Looked at life history factors associated with
poverty status (or social isolation) in 2006 and changes in poverty status (or social isolation) 2002-2006
Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
Life course (cumulative events): percentage of working life in paid work or in legal marriage; total number of children.
Past trigger events: early voluntary and involuntary exit from labour force; first marriage before 21; first birth before 23; first widowhood or divorce before/after 45.
Trigger events 2002-6: starting or stopping working or informal caring; change in partnership status; onset of health problems; having a (further) grandchild; moving home.
7
ELSA
Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
Sample of people aged 50+ (c. 12,000 in 2002) Follows same people, interviews every 2 years 3 ‘waves’ so far (2002/3, 2004/5 and 2006/7) Wave 3 collected detailed life histories (work,
partnership, parenthood, health) Wide range of questions on health, employment,
finances, attitudes. Includes nurse visit and other physical/mental tests
8
ELSA
Findings: Poverty
9
% in relative poverty, men > 65
% in relative poverty, women > 65
All > 65 22% 30%
Father in manual occupation
24% 32%
Early involuntary exit from labour force (before SPA)
37% 28%
First married <21 yrs 24% 31%
Currently divorced 21% 43%
First Divorced >45 yrs 16% 39%
Widowed < 45 yrs 27% 41%
Widowed > 45 yrs 25% 35%
First child born < 23 years 14% 33%
Findings: Poverty
10
% in relative poverty, men > 65
% in relative poverty, women > 65
All > 65 with work history data
21% 29%
0 - 25% of working life spent in paid work
27% 32%
25 – 50% of working life spent in paid work
32% 34%
0 – 25% of working life post 50 spent in paid work
19% 32%
50 - 75% of working life spent married
27% 34%
Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
Events and life course factors that impact on late life poverty are also disproportionately related to each other, e.g. own educational level, having a child when young, divorce
Aim: find out which life history factors and ‘trigger’ events still have an impact on poverty in later life, all other factors being equal
We can then be more confident that these factors are having an independent effect on late life poverty
11
Findings: Poverty, Multivariate Analysis
Percentage of working life in paid work, early exit from the labour force and marital histories either no or very weak relationship with later life poverty.
Strongest and most consistent influences on poverty: education, social class, housing tenure and age
No educational qualifications: odds 28% higher for men, 33% higher for women
Last employment was manual work: odds 119% higher for men, 38% higher for women
Rents property: odds 65% higher for men, 51% higher for women
Age: odds of being in poverty increase by 6% for men, 2% for women, for each additional year of age after 65
Loss of spouse most consistent relationship
Ever widowed: odds of being in relative poverty 61% higher for women (not significant for men)
Ever divorced: odds of being in relative poverty 47% higher for women (not significant for men
12
Findings: Poverty, Multivariate Analysis
Source: ELSA data
Findings: Poverty Transitions
Considered: Starting and stopping paid work, starting and
stopping caring, change in marital status, onset of illness/disability, change in grandparenthood, moving house
Multivariate analysis shows: Loss of a partner for women significantly increases
their chances of entering poverty (odds ratio 2.88)
Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
Defined as less than monthly contact with friend.
No life history measures associated with social isolation for men.
Among women, more time in paid work and experience of widowhood less likely to report social isolation.
For men and women, older age and lower social class associated with social isolation in later life; for men poor health was also important.
14
Findings: Social Isolation
Policy Implications
Policy implications of findings: Percentage of working life in paid work does not
impact on poverty, once other factors are controlled The enduring impact on poverty of widowhood and
divorce
Proportion of Working Life in Paid Work Having paid work throughout the working life is not
enough to ensure an escape from poverty in old age
‘Activation’ policies will not necessarily protect against later life poverty
Need a far greater understanding of what elements of paid work protect (or not) against later life poverty
Lifetime earnings is likely to be key Data needs: release linked NI data to researchers
Widowhood and Divorce Women are dependent on spouses to take the household out of
poverty – both current and future
Loss of spousal income has severe impacts
Policy implications
Level of basic state pension needs to be higher and more universal
Pension share on divorce; protection of survivor benefits
Targeted outreach work
Monitor outcomes of government proposals to increase women’s individual pensions