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Determinants of self-perceived changes in health status among pre- and early retirement populations
Author(s)Namkee G Choi
Journal titleInternational Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 56, no 3, 2003
Pagespp 197-222
KeywordsHealth [elderly] ; Attitude ; Early retirement ; Preparation [retirement] ; Comparison ; United States of America.
AnnotationUsing data from the 1992 and 1994 waves of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study described reasons reported by pre- and early-retirement populations for perceived changes in global health status over a 2-year period. The association between self-perceptions of change and the actual changes in objective health conditions was analysed, controlling for demographics, emotional health status, and the changes to work status and health-affecting habits. Results were compared to the determinants of self-ratings of health at wave 2. Existing or increasing impairments in functional abilities were found to contribute to self-perceptions of decline. However, a diagnosis of new chronic diseases and the experience of a major medical event per se did not universally contribute to self-perception of decline. The relationship between cross-sectional self-ratings of health and objective health conditions was more straightforward. Self-perceptions of improvement among people with serious health problems most likely owed to medical interventions and improvement in symptoms, the most frequently mentioned reasons for perceived improvement, and reflected subjects' selective optimism and resilience. (RH).
Accession NumberCPA-040108211 A
ClassmarkCC: DP: G5M: GA: 48: 7T

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