The Relationship of Limitations in Daily Living Activities and Other Health-Related Factors with Early Retirement

The deterioration in health and functionality in older ages, in addition to biological changes, is affected by physical changes. Therefore, early retirement may become an inevitable choice. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between limitations in daily living activities, mobility, and other health factors with early retirement in workers aged 50–67 in the 4th wave of the SHARE study in Europe. In this prospective cohort study, the working status was examined in 4 waves. The frequency of early retirement was 16.1%; it was higher in male and low-educated people. Those with poor self-perceived health and those with more chronic diseases retired earlier. The frequency of early retirement was 16.0% for those who had no difficulty in basic daily living activities, 22.4% for those who had difficulties (p 0.019), and those who had limitations retired earlier (RR 1.50). Early retirement was higher in those with two or more chronic diseases compared to those without (RR 1.26) and was higher in those who consumed alcohol 5 days a week than those who didn’t (RR 1.34). A 1-unit increase in BMI increased the risk by 1.02 times. It has been clearly revealed how important basic activities are for early retirement. This new finding is a gain for the literature and will provide new insights intervention studies. Those who had difficulty in instrumental activities and mobility retired early more often, but this wasn’t statistically significant. Our findings will contribute to increasing workplace protective approaches, and maintaining a healthy working force for years.