title: Educational influences on early retirement through disability in Ireland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies suggest a higher prevalence of early retirement through disability among older people with lower educational attainment. There have been no national studies in Ireland on the factors that affect early withdrawal from the labour force through disability or long-term illness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify and analyse potential impacts of education on early retirement through disability in the over 50 age cohort of the Irish Labour force.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed the educational attainment of participants using The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA). The group of interest were those aged 50-75 who had retired early. The sample was dichotomized on disability. Examination of interviewer-recorded information on background influences determining early retirement decisions included the following factors: age, gender, education, family and socio-economic circumstances, including parental education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 334 of 1179 study subjects (28%) retired early through disability. Comparison of those retired early with and without disability showed a significantly higher frequency of lower educational attainment both personally and for parents. Men with lower educational attainment and from a non-professional background were more likely to retire early through disability. Non-professional disabled respondents with less well-educated parents had lower educational attainment than non-disabled respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among TILDA participants, educational attainment appears to influence early retirement through disability. The sector of previous employment was also a significant factor. Behaviour, lifestyle and employment choice are influenced by educational level, which may affect cognitive ability to process health information. Factors affecting the education-disability relationship could include parental education, employment status and socio-economic characteristics.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 6, Ireland. martin.lawless@ucdconnect.ie.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lawless
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 6, Ireland.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Buggy
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 6, Ireland.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Codd
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004493:Education / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Disability; early retirement; education.