Work Disability, Early Retirement, and Loss of a Loved One in the World Trade Center Health Registry Cohort

Existing research on the economic outcomes of 9/11 remains limited and has primarily focused on early retirement. Little is known about the prevalence of work disability and loss of a loved one and whether they are associated with survey attrition.

The World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) is a closed longitudinal cohort that recruited more than 71,000 participants at baseline (2003-2004). Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare the distribution of 9/11 exposure and sociodemographic factors for (1) work disability, (2) early retirement, and (3) loss of a loved one. Separate Poisson models were constructed to predict survey attrition.

Both those who were work-disabled and early-retired were more likely to be older, male, a rescue/recovery worker, and have greater 9/11 exposure. In addition, work disability was associated with lower income and educational attainment, and PTSD diagnosis. Loss of a loved one was associated with PTSD diagnosis and some measures of 9/11. Work disability was associated with higher and early retirement was associated with lower risk survey attrition at wave 4. Loss of a loved one was not associated with survey attrition.

Early retirement, work disability, and loss of a loved one can have major impacts on an individual's economic wellbeing and are potentially qualifying events for social programs, such as Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits. Future research is needed to overcome the limitations of self-reported data in order to understand how timely receipt of SSA benefits can lead to better health trajectories among disaster- and trauma-exposed populations.