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Farmers and retirement: a longitudinal cohort study
1Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology Sections, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Journal of Agromedicine
|April 15, 2010
Summary
Farmers continue working past retirement age more than nonfarmers, regardless of health or psychosocial factors. This study highlights the sustained occupational engagement of farmers in rural populations.
Area of Science:
- Rural Health
- Occupational Health
- Gerontology
Background:
- Farmer populations often exhibit lower reported health issues compared to other groups.
- Health status and psychosocial factors are commonly believed to influence retirement age and work continuation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate retirement patterns in a male rural population.
- To test if farmers retire later than nonfarmers due to superior health and psychosocial advantages.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal cohort study design was employed, tracking farmers and rural nonfarmers over 12 years.
- Data were collected across two survey periods.
- Multiple logistic regression models were utilized for analysis.
Main Results:
- At survey 2, 93% of farmers aged 64 or younger remained employed versus 76% of nonfarmers.
- Among those 65+, 64% of farmers were still working, compared to 33% of nonfarming entrepreneurs and 6% of nonfarmers.
- While differences in health and psychosocial factors existed, they did not significantly alter the lower retirement odds for farmers in adjusted models.
Conclusions:
- Farmers work significantly longer, full or part-time, around typical retirement ages compared to employees.
- Employment status offers only partial explanation for this phenomenon.
- Health status and psychosocial factors did not appear to influence the observed retirement patterns in farmers.
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