Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Family Health Histories and Their Impact on Retirement Confidence
Cathleen D Zick1, Robert N Mayer2, Ken R Smith2
1University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA zick@fcs.utah.edu.
Objective:
Retirement confidence is a key social barometer. In this article, we examine how personal and parental health histories relate to working-age adults' feelings of optimism or pessimism about their overall retirement prospects.
Method:
This study links survey data on retirement planning with information on respondents' own health histories and those of their parents. The multivariate models control for the respondents' socio-demographic and economic characteristics along with past retirement planning activities when estimating the relationships between family health histories and retirement confidence.
Results:
Retirement confidence is inversely related to parental history of cancer and cardiovascular disease but not to personal health history. In contrast, retirement confidence is positively associated with both parents being deceased.
Discussion:
As members of the public become increasingly aware of how genetics and other family factors affect intergenerational transmission of chronic diseases, it is likely that the link between family health histories and retirement confidence will intensify.
More Related Videos
07:40Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
08:25Collecting Saliva and Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase in Frail Community Residing Older Adults via Family Caregivers
Published on: December 18, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Longitudinal Research
Nursing Assessment of the Genitourinary System I: Health History
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
Data Collection II
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Close Relationships and Culture