Changes in use of time across retirement: A longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Retirement represents a significant life transition impacting daily routines and time allocation.
• Understanding changes in time use during this period is crucial for promoting well-being in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how daily time use evolves during the retirement transition.
• To investigate whether these time use changes vary based on socio-demographic factors such as sex, education, and health.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study involving 124 participants interviewed before and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-retirement.
• Time use was measured using the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adults (MARCA) computer-assisted telephone interview.
• Random effects mixed modeling (REMM) and ANCOVA were employed to analyze changes in time use and their association with socio-demographic variables.

Main Results:

• A significant decrease in time spent working (-122 min/day) and in active/passive transport (-26 min/day) was observed.
• Increases in time were noted for chores (+55 min/day), screen time (+32 min/day), sleep (+32 min/day), quiet time (+17 min/day), self-care (+8 min/day), and physical activity (+7 min/day).
• Most time use adjustments occurred immediately upon retirement, with patterns stabilizing within the first year. Minimal variation in changes was found across sex, education, and health subgroups.

Conclusions:

• The transition to retirement leads to substantial shifts in daily time allocation, with a notable reduction in physical activity and transport time.
• Increased sedentary behaviors, such as screen time, coupled with decreased physical activity, underscore the need for interventions promoting active lifestyles in retirement.
• The findings suggest that retirement planning should incorporate strategies to encourage sustained physical activity and engagement in healthy behaviors.