Table 2.
Characteristicsa of participants by 1996 response to change in quality of life (QOL) at retirement assessment (n=4,926)
| Self-reported change in QOL at retirement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worse (n=419; 8%) | Same (n=1514; 31%) | Improved (n=2993; 61%) | |
| Characteristics updated as of baseline cognitive interview | |||
|
| |||
| Mean age at initial cognitive interview, in years (SD) | 74.8 (2.1) | 74.5 (2.2) | 74.3 (2.3) |
| Mean delay between retirement and post-hoc assessment of change in quality of life at retirement, in years (SD) | 6.8 (3.3) | 6.8 (3.3) | 7.1 (3.2) |
| Age at retirement: 65–69 years (vs. 60–64 years), % | 37 | 36 | 29 |
| Highest education of Master’s or Doctorate, % | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Husband’s highest education of Master’s or Doctorate, % | 18 | 16 | 18 |
| Median income of US census tract, in $ | 61,557 | 60,179 | 59,936 |
| Ever had to forego medical treatment for financial reasons, % | 12 | 6 | 7 |
| Current cigarette smoking, % | 13 | 7 | 7 |
| Current alcohol use, % | 43 | 47 | 52 |
| Obesity (≥30 kg/m2), % | 26 | 18 | 17 |
| Mean physical activity level, in MET-hours/weekb(SD) | 10.6 (15.0) | 15.3 (18.2) | 16.9 (20.5) |
| Mean AHEI score (SD) | 45.9 (10.6) | 46.9 (10.1) | 47.6 (10.4) |
| History of myocardial infarction, % | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| History of hypertension, % | 60 | 54 | 53 |
| History of diabetes, % | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| History of hyperlipidemia, % | 73 | 66 | 68 |
| SF-36 Vitality score <50, % | 43 | 14 | 13 |
| SF-36 Mental Health score <53, % | 17 | 3 | 3 |
| Mean SF-36 Physical Functioning score, (SD) | 59.3 (26.1) | 75.3 (21.3) | 76.3 (20.3) |
| Antidepressant use, % | 13 | 5 | 5 |
| Current post-menopausal hormone use, % | 30 | 34 | 35 |
| Vitamin E use, % | 47 | 50 | 52 |
| Ibuprofen use, % | 25 | 19 | 19 |
| Currently providing caregiving to family, % | 33 | 27 | 22 |
| High Berkman-Syme Social Network Index, % | 38 | 52 | 53 |
|
| |||
| Pre-retirement work characteristics | |||
|
| |||
| Was working as a nurse in 1982 (vs. other work/ homemaker), % | 78 | 76 | 81 |
| Reported severe stress at home or work in 1982, % | 29 | 13 | 16 |
| Shift work ≥20 years (as assessed in 1988), % | 10 | 8 | 7 |
|
| |||
| Early life socioeconomic characteristics | |||
|
| |||
| Father's occupation as a professional / manager at 16 years old, % | 22 | 23 | 25 |
| Birth below 37° N latitude, % | 4 | 6 | 7 |
a
Statistics are computed among non-missing values and are age-adjusted (except for the age-variable) AHEI: Alternative Healthy Eating Index score; SD: standard-deviation; SF-36: Short Form (36 items) Health Survey
b
Weekly calories expended from exercise and climbing the stairs; 1 metabolic-equivalent-hour (MET-hour) is equal to the amount of energy expended while sitting for one hour