Educational influences on early retirement through disability in Ireland

Area of Science:

• Social Gerontology
• Public Health Policy
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Studies indicate a correlation between lower educational attainment and increased early retirement due to disability.
• No prior national studies in Ireland have examined factors influencing early withdrawal from the labor force due to disability or long-term illness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of education on early retirement due to disability within the Irish labor force, focusing on individuals aged 50 and above.
• To analyze educational attainment and its relationship with disability-related early retirement in Ireland.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA).
• Analyzed educational attainment of participants aged 50-75 who retired early, dichotomized by disability status.
• Examined background factors including personal and parental education, age, gender, family, and socioeconomic circumstances.

Main Results:

• 28% (334 of 1179) of participants retired early due to disability.
• Individuals retired early due to disability exhibited significantly lower personal and parental educational attainment.
• Men with lower education and non-professional backgrounds were more prone to early retirement due to disability.

Conclusions:

• Educational attainment is a significant factor influencing early retirement through disability in the studied Irish cohort.
• Previous employment sector also played a role in early retirement decisions.
• Education influences behaviors, lifestyle, and health information processing, potentially mediating the education-disability relationship, alongside parental education and socioeconomic factors.