Personality and health as predictors of income decrease in old age: findings from the longitudinal SMILE study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Socio-economic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Established link between low socio-economic status (SES) and poor health.
• Importance of understanding factors influencing SES changes, particularly income decrease, in older populations.
• Financial and health changes are common post-retirement, affecting SES.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate predictors of income decrease in older adults.
• To examine the independent effects of physical and mental dysfunction, chronic disease severity, and personality on income reduction.
• To identify factors crucial for retaining socio-economic status in old age.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3-year follow-up data from 1443 Dutch adults aged 55+ (Study on Medical Information and Lifestyles Eindhoven - SMILE).
• Employed logistic regression analyses to assess the impact of health and personality factors on income decrease.
• Controlled for confounding variables including gender, age, education, and employment status changes.

Main Results:

• Social anxiety (OR=1.62), physical dysfunction (OR=1.71), and severe diseases (OR=1.37) were significant independent predictors of income decrease.
• These associations remained robust after adjusting for demographic and employment factors.
• Mental dysfunction and other personality traits (hostility, mastery) did not significantly predict income decrease.

Conclusions:

• Social anxiety and poor physical health are significant factors associated with income decrease in old age.
• These health-related factors play a crucial role in maintaining socio-economic status among older adults.
• Further longitudinal research is needed to elucidate mechanisms of socio-economic health inequalities across the life course.