Life course influences in later life

Understanding impact of life course events on health and well-being is vital for effective policy development.

Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London

Team: Malcolm Nicholls (ESRC UPTAP User Fellow from DWP), Debora Price, Rachel Stuchbury, Rosalind Willis and Edlira Gjonca.

3 months for each project January – March and April – June.

Life course events and older people

1. A systematic review of the literature Life course influences on health and well-being in

later

2. Secondary analysis Association of life course events and poverty and

social isolation at ages 65 and over

What do we know?

From previous research we knew little work in this area in relation to financial and social well-being, especially in the U.K.

In part this is due to lack of longitudinal (and retrospective data) for nationally representative samples of older people

Systematic literature review

What do we know? Considerable research on life course factors

and health at older ages, but less on later life financial circumstances or social support

Health: Continued impact of childhood factors. But, current circumstances appear to have greater influence on health outcomes.

Health: early age at retirement, job loss, and traumatic life events all associated with poorer physical, and in some cases, mental health in mid and later life.

What do we know?

Poverty: Weaker association than expected between life course events and poverty

Poverty: Onset of retirement, disability and loss of spouse generally associated with lower incomes and poverty at older ages.

Poverty: Education, social class and disability continue to be important predictors of later-life poverty.

Social Support: Few studies (marital disruptions and loss spouse)

How did we investigate this issue? Secondary data analysis Review current data sources and suitability for

research on life course influences and later life outcomes

The best data sources: ELSA and BHPS Looked at life history factors associated with

poverty status (or social isolation) in 2006 and changes in poverty status (or social isolation) 2002-2006

Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Life course (cumulative events): percentage of working life in paid work or in legal marriage; total number of children.

Past trigger events: early voluntary and involuntary exit from labour force; first marriage before 21; first birth before 23; first widowhood or divorce before/after 45.

Trigger events 2002-6: starting or stopping working or informal caring; change in partnership status; onset of health problems; having a (further) grandchild; moving home.

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ELSA

Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Sample of people aged 50+ (c. 12,000 in 2002) Follows same people, interviews every 2 years 3 ‘waves’ so far (2002/3, 2004/5 and 2006/7) Wave 3 collected detailed life histories (work,

partnership, parenthood, health) Wide range of questions on health, employment,

finances, attitudes. Includes nurse visit and other physical/mental tests

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ELSA

Findings: Poverty

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% in relative poverty, men > 65

% in relative poverty, women > 65

All > 65 22% 30%

Father in manual occupation

24% 32%

Early involuntary exit from labour force (before SPA)

37% 28%

First married <21 yrs 24% 31%

Currently divorced 21% 43%

First Divorced >45 yrs 16% 39%

Widowed < 45 yrs 27% 41%

Widowed > 45 yrs 25% 35%

First child born < 23 years 14% 33%

Findings: Poverty

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% in relative poverty, men > 65

% in relative poverty, women > 65

All > 65 with work history data

21% 29%

0 - 25% of working life spent in paid work

27% 32%

25 – 50% of working life spent in paid work

32% 34%

0 – 25% of working life post 50 spent in paid work

19% 32%

50 - 75% of working life spent married

27% 34%

Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Events and life course factors that impact on late life poverty are also disproportionately related to each other, e.g. own educational level, having a child when young, divorce

Aim: find out which life history factors and ‘trigger’ events still have an impact on poverty in later life, all other factors being equal

We can then be more confident that these factors are having an independent effect on late life poverty

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Findings: Poverty, Multivariate Analysis

Percentage of working life in paid work, early exit from the labour force and marital histories either no or very weak relationship with later life poverty.

Strongest and most consistent influences on poverty: education, social class, housing tenure and age

No educational qualifications: odds 28% higher for men, 33% higher for women

Last employment was manual work: odds 119% higher for men, 38% higher for women

Rents property: odds 65% higher for men, 51% higher for women

Age: odds of being in poverty increase by 6% for men, 2% for women, for each additional year of age after 65

Loss of spouse most consistent relationship

Ever widowed: odds of being in relative poverty 61% higher for women (not significant for men)

Ever divorced: odds of being in relative poverty 47% higher for women (not significant for men

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Findings: Poverty, Multivariate Analysis

Source: ELSA data

Findings: Poverty Transitions

Considered: Starting and stopping paid work, starting and

stopping caring, change in marital status, onset of illness/disability, change in grandparenthood, moving house

Multivariate analysis shows: Loss of a partner for women significantly increases

their chances of entering poverty (odds ratio 2.88)

Data: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Defined as less than monthly contact with friend.

No life history measures associated with social isolation for men.

Among women, more time in paid work and experience of widowhood less likely to report social isolation.

For men and women, older age and lower social class associated with social isolation in later life; for men poor health was also important.

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Findings: Social Isolation

Policy Implications

Policy implications of findings: Percentage of working life in paid work does not

impact on poverty, once other factors are controlled The enduring impact on poverty of widowhood and

divorce

Proportion of Working Life in Paid Work Having paid work throughout the working life is not

enough to ensure an escape from poverty in old age

‘Activation’ policies will not necessarily protect against later life poverty

Need a far greater understanding of what elements of paid work protect (or not) against later life poverty

Lifetime earnings is likely to be key Data needs: release linked NI data to researchers

Widowhood and Divorce Women are dependent on spouses to take the household out of

poverty – both current and future

Loss of spousal income has severe impacts

Policy implications

Level of basic state pension needs to be higher and more universal

Pension share on divorce; protection of survivor benefits

Targeted outreach work

Monitor outcomes of government proposals to increase women’s individual pensions

Thank You!

www.kcl.ac.uk/gerontology