Long-term health impacts of forced early retirement among steelworkers.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies of the health impacts of retirement have not investigated the effects of forced early retirement following plant closings.


METHODS
Using a geriatric database representative of elderly people, the health impacts on employees forced to take early retirement from steel mills in the Youngstown, Ohio, area were assessed. A study group of forced early retirees was compared with two control groups: (1) regular steel industry retirees, and (2) regular retirees from jobs outside the steel industry. Utilizing multivariate analysis techniques, the effects of retirement on a number of different health measures were isolated.


RESULTS
Over the long term, the health of forced retirees does not seem adversely affected by sudden job loss and unexpected retirement, at least in the steel industry.


CONCLUSIONS
Continuity theories of retirement--that workers do not experience abrupt catastrophic changes in lifestyle and in health--best explain the lack of negative health impacts.
Gillanders
W R
WR
Family Health Center, St Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center, Youngstown, OH 44501-1790.
Buss
T F
TF
Wingard
E
E
Gemmel
D
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D012179:Retirement; D013232:Steel
D013232:Steel