Abstract
BackgroundSocial and policy changes in the last several decades have increased women’s options for combining paid work with family care. We explored whether specific combinations of work and family care over the lifecourse are associated with variations in women’s later life health. MethodsWe used sequence analysis to group women in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing according to their work histories and fertility. Using logistic regression, we tested for group differences in later life disability, depressive symptomology and mortality, while controlling for childhood health and socioeconomic position and a range of adult socio-economic circumstances and health behaviours. ResultsWomen who transitioned from family care to either part-time work after a short break from the labour force, or to full-time work, reported lower odds of having a disability compared with the reference group of women with children who were mostly employed full-time throughout. Women who shifted from family care to part-time work after a long career break had lower odds of mortality than the reference group. Depressive symptoms were not associated with women’s work and family care histories. ConclusionWomen’s work histories are predictive of their later life disability and mortality. This relationship may be useful in targeting interventions aimed at improving later life health. Further research is necessary to explore the mechanisms linking certain work histories to poorer later life health and to design interventions for those affected.
Highlights
As increasing numbers of people live longer in old age in high income countries, demands on health and social services are likely to increase since the prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities rises with age
Data come from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).[22]
Women who were non-employed throughout (NET) and had no children, who had short career breaks, or who worked part-time throughout (PTT) were more likely to have fathers who were manual workers than the sample as a whole. Those who worked full-time throughout (FTT) and those who took moderate career breaks had the highest rates of tertiary qualifications
Summary
As increasing numbers of people live longer in old age in high income countries, demands on health and social services are likely to increase since the prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities rises with age. Relieving these pressures will require improving the health of older adults more generally. Conclusion: Women’s work histories are predictive of their later life disability and mortality. This relationship may be useful in targeting interventions aimed at improving later life health. Further research is necessary to explore the mechanisms linking certain work histories to poorer later life health and to design interventions for those affected
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