Older women, work and health

Abstract

Older women make up an increasingly important sector in the labour market. However, we know little about their health-the various influences on their health and the ways in which paid and unpaid work impact on both physical and mental well being. This paper reviews the available literature on older women's health in the workplace, focussing on work-specific and more general risks for older women, including stress, discrimination, physical hazards and the 'double burden' of paid work and caring responsibilities. Databases searched included Web of Science, CAS, CINAHL, Medline and ASSIA, together with UK and European statistical sources. We conclude with a three-point research agenda, calling for more empirical work on the risks faced by older women, studies that take a life-course perspective of women's occupational health and work that explores the interactions between unpaid and paid work in later life.