Changes in fruit, vegetable and fish consumption after statutory retirement: a prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Retirement is a significant life transition impacting health behaviors.
• Limited evidence exists on retirement's effect on healthy food habits.
• Understanding dietary changes during retirement is vital for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in fruit, vegetable, and fish consumption after transitioning to statutory retirement.
• To analyze how retirement affects healthy food habits based on food groups and sex.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study using data from the Helsinki Health Study (n=6887).
• Repeated measures of food consumption (fruit, vegetables, fish) analyzed using a negative binomial mixed model.
• Adjusted for age, marital status, illness, and income.

Main Results:

• Retirement was linked to decreased vegetable intake in women and increased fruit intake in men.
• No significant change in fish consumption was observed based on retirement status.
• Significant interaction between time and employment status on fruit and vegetable consumption.

Conclusions:

• Statutory retirement has mixed effects on healthy food habits, varying by food type and sex.
• Dietary habits require targeted promotion for individuals transitioning into retirement.
• Public health initiatives should consider sex-specific dietary changes during retirement.