Research shows that continuous work may positively impact cognitive function, but no consistent result concludes. This study aims to investigate the effects of post-retirement working status on the changes in cognitive function of retirees and to elucidate the roles of education level and early retirement, using Taiwanese retirees as an example. This is a follow-up study in which we use two waves of the Taiwan Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of retirees aged 50 to 74 years collected from 2015 to 2019. The sample consisted of 2,278 participants who retired from the public or labor insurance systems and completed two data collection waves.
Post-retirement working status was categorized into three groups: full-time, part-time, and fully retired. Cognitive function was assessed using the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) examination. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for covariates, the impact of post-retirement working status on cognitive function change did not reach statistical significance. However, when stratified by education level, it was observed that retirees with lower educational attainment who engaged in full-time post-retirement work showed improved cognitive function scores compared with those who were fully retired.
This study concludes that the influence of post-retirement work on cognitive function changes varies among retirees with different educational backgrounds. Moreover, the impact of early retirement on cognitive function was also found to be heterogeneous.

Authors:
Tai-Kang Wu, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Susan C. Hu, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Der-Chiang Li, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Tai-Kang Wu is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Institute of Public Health at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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