Continue to work after retirement would be a sign of health in several ways, according to a study conducted américaine1 with over 12 000 pensioners.

During 6 years, researchers have identified the diagnoses of diseases that have affected the participants: hypertension, diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, mental illness, etc.. According to the results, subjects who continued working after retirement, full or part time, have received fewer diagnoses of diseases that people had stopped all work.

They also observed that participants who had maintained a certain work activity experienced less than retired inactive various functional disability (ability to move, dress, eat, for example).

The authors of the study indicate that the protection afforded to work after retirement is modest but nonetheless significant statistically, even after having weighted the results according to the health status of subjects.

Mental Health

Participants who continued working after retirement suffered fewer psychiatric disorders than their peers who had become inactive, the researchers report. However, this protective effect was observed only in subjects who were employed in the same field as the job they held before their retirement.

The researchers said the effect on mental health differs perhaps because retirees who are employed in another field working out of necessity rather than choice. But these people have, however, the same protection against disease and functional impairment, the results indicate.