Dyadic Appraisals of Family Decisions and Health Tasks in Midlife-Older Couples.

Shared appraisals and collaboration within couples play important roles in optimizing health. Less is known about concordance regarding collaboration, factors associated with concordance, and implications for health. Data from 2,761 couples from the Health and Retirement Study (2014/2016 and 2016/2018 waves) were examined to determine within-couple concordance in completion of two tasks (family decisions and medical forms). The majority of couples were concordant regarding who makes family decisions (69.7%) and who completes medical forms (64.4%); 62% agreed they make family decisions collaboratively versus 25.5% completing medical forms collaboratively. Concordance was significantly associated with greater marital support and longer marital duration. Concordance was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms 2 years later, but the link between concordance in making major family decisions and self-rated health differed by age and gender. Future research at the intersection of concordance and collaboration may shed important light on how older couples navigate tasks and decisions.

Antecedents of and experiences with voluntary early exit from working life before the expected retirement age in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: In most Western countries, senior workers have increased their participation in the workforce. However, at the same time, early retirement also increases. The reasons behind this early exit from the workforce are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aims to explore the antecedents of and experiences with a voluntary exit from working life before the expected retirement age of 65 in Sweden. METHODS: Data consist of semi-structured interviews with 18 participants who exited working life between the ages of 61-63. In Sweden, these ages are considered as an early exit from working life since, for many years, the expected retirement age has been 65. Qualitative content analysis with an abductive approach was utilized. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four sub-themes: 1) Health benefits with an early exit from working life (with the categories: own health status, the possibility for recovery time, and avoidance of strain); 2) Having economic conditions that enable an early exit from working life (with the categories: offers from the employer and financial compromises); 3) Social benefits with an early exit from working life (with the categories: enabling more time with my social network and avoidance of unsatisfying social work environment); 4) Self-fulfillment activities during the senior years (with the categories: enabling time for activities beyond work and avoidance of decreased job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This variety of antecedents of and experiences with a voluntary early exit from working life before the expected retirement age highlights that the ongoing increased statutory retirement age also increases the risk for extended inequalities among the aging population.

Employment status of older nursing staff aged 55 years and older in care facilities: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Japan.

An aging nursing workforce requires addressing shortages due to retirement. This nationwide descriptive cross-sectional study in Japan clarified the employment status of older nursing staff aged ≥ 55 years by facility type during January-March 2022. Questionnaires were sent to 8,000 nursing directors, with 1,658 valid responses (response rate: 20.7%). Descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis or χ2 tests analyzed inter-facility differences. A violin plot depicted the proportion of older nursing staff across facilities by age group, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models examined associated factors at the facility level. Older nursing staff's distribution differed significantly across age groups (p < 0.01), from 0% to 100% within the same facility type. Some facilities had high percentages of staff working beyond retirement age. GEE results showed higher percentages of full-time employees and nurses were negatively associated with the percentage of older nursing staff across most facility types (p < 0.05). For those aged ≥ 65 years, the total population was positively associated with employment in bedded clinics (coef. = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.14, p = 0.03), but negatively associated with the total population (coef. = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.10 to -0.01, p = 0.02) and percentage of the population aged ≥ 65 (coef. = -0.76, 95% CI: -1.43 to -0.08, p = 0.03) in long-term care insurance facilities. Working conditions and environments should be improvement to potentially retain older nursing staff. Job seekers should be matched with managers' needs in facilities with a higher proportion of older nursing staff to ensure a sustainable workforce.

Race, College Graduation, and Time of Retirement in the United States: A Thirty-Year Longitudinal Cohort of Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Introduction: College education is typically associated with the ability to work in less physically demanding occupations, allowing for a later retirement age. However, research indicates that highly educated Black individuals often work in more demanding occupations, which affects their retirement age. Aim: Building on the Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs) literature, we tested whether the benefit of college education on delaying the time of retirement is weaker for Black compared to White middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which includes a 30-year longitudinal follow-up of a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Education levels at baseline were categorized as less than college graduate (some high school, GED, high school diploma, or some college) and college graduate. The outcome was the time to retirement, measured from wave 2 to wave 15 (baseline to 30 years later). We graphed survival curves and used independent samples t-tests to assess associations between college graduation and time of retirement, overall and by race. Results: Our analysis included 6,803 White and Black participants who were employed at baseline and followed for up to 30 years. Overall, there was a positive association between college graduation and retirement timing, with individuals with higher education retiring later. However, we found significant racial differences in the retirement age of college graduates, indicating notable racial disparities in the effects of college graduation on retirement timing, disadvantaging Black college-educated individuals. Specifically, among Whites, but not Blacks, college education was associated with later retirement. Conclusion: Consistent with Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, the positive effect of college education on retirement timing are weaker for Black than for White middle-aged and older Americans. To address racial disparities, it is insufficient to focus solely on economic disparities. While closing the educational gap is important, we must also work to equalize labor market experiences for Black and White individuals with similar educational credentials. Structural factors contributing to the diminished returns of college education for Black populations must be addressed to effectively close racial disparities.

Understanding employee experiences of developing younger onset dementia within the workplace: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information focussing on the perspectives of persons with younger onset dementia (YOD) in employment. This poses challenges for supporting this demographic within the workplace and during their transition to retirement. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review is to address the identified need to ascertain what is known about the perspectives of employees with YOD. METHODS: Records were included if they: considered working-aged persons who received a diagnosis of YOD whilst employed or soon after ceasing employment; considered the perspective of the person with YOD; and were published in English. Four databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library) were systematically searched, and grey literature was sought using the Google Scholar search engine. Using PRISMA-ScR guidelines, two reviewers screened the title/abstract then full text of identified documents. Disagreements were resolved with a third reviewer. Research papers were narratively synthesised, thematically analysed, and critically appraised. RESULTS: Fourteen peer-reviewed research papers, and nineteen grey literature items were included in the review, with research papers found to be of reasonably high methodological quality. Five themes were identified, describing the experiences of employees with YOD: (1) Trying to manage difficulties prior to diagnosis; (2) Disclosure at the point of diagnosis; (3) Reasonable adjustments; (4) Employment cessation; and (5) Regaining meaningful roles following retirement. CONCLUSION: Findings revealed evidence for an emerging understanding of the lived experience of developing YOD within the workplace; however, further research is needed regarding the capabilities and support needs for persons with YOD to influence workplace policies and practices.

Unraveling the dynamics of loneliness and cognition in late life: a cross-lagged panel model.

Introduction: Loneliness and cognitive decline are pressing concerns among older adults, yet little research has explored cognition as a predictor of loneliness. This study investigates the dynamic relationship between loneliness and cognitive function in older adults using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). Methods: Data were drawn from Waves 9-14 of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), encompassing 8,473 individuals aged 65 years and older. Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and cognitive function was measured using immediate and delayed word recall and serial 7s from the HRS RAND file. Age, gender, education, marital status, self-health report, and depression were included as covariates. Using Mplus, we computed RI-CLPMs. The first three models were conducted on loneliness and cognitive functions. Then unconditional RI-CLPMs with no exogenous predictors were computed. Results: Three conditional model results showed that age, gender, marital status, self-health report, and depression were significantly associated with loneliness in the first wave, but only age and self-health report were significantly associated with immediate and delayed word recall at the first wave, not with serial 7s. For carry-over effects, loneliness showed significant positive associations across consecutive waves, but cognitive functions showed significant positive associations just in the last two waves. Some spill-over effects were found between loneliness and cognitive functions. For within-person effects, although initially non-significant, a negative association between loneliness and immediate and delayed word recall emerged in later waves (11-12 and 13-14). The conditional models indicated that older age, not being married, male gender, low self-reported health, and high depression levels were positively associated with loneliness. However, only older age and lower self-reported health were positively linked to cognitive functions. Discussion: This study underscores the link between loneliness and cognitive function decline in older adults, emphasizing the need to address loneliness to potentially reduce cognitive decline. Insights into demographic predictors of loneliness and cognitive function could inform targeted interventions for promoting successful aging.

The Impact of Multimorbidity on Labor Force Participation among the Middle-aged and Older Working Population in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Multimorbidity, known as multiple chronic conditions (MCCs), is the co-existence of two or more chronic health conditions (CHC). The near-retirement-age population with MCC is more likely to experience discontinued labor force participation (LFP). Our objective was to evaluate the impact of MCC on LFP among adults aged 50-64 and to explore heterogeneous effects between self-employed and non-self-employed workers. METHOD: We constructed our sample using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 1996 to 2018. We adopted an individual fixed-effect (F.E.) model and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to measure the impact of MCC on the probability of being employed and changes in annual work hours. RESULTS: 50.5% of respondents have MCC. Individuals with MCC exhibit a predicted probability of being employed that is 9.3 percentage points (P<0.01, 95% CI: -0.109, -0.078) lower than those without MCC. Compared with non-CHC, MCC significantly reduced annual working hours by 6.1% (P<0.01, 95% CI: -0.091, -0.036) in the F.E. model and by 4.9% (P<0.01, CI: -0.064, -0.033) in PSM estimation. The effect is more pronounced for the self-employed with MCC, who have 13.0% (P<0.05, CI: -0.233, -0.026) fewer annual work hours than non-CHCs based on the FE model and 13.4% (P<0.01, CI: -0.197, -0.070) in PSM estimation. DISCUSSION: MCC significantly reduces LFP compared with non-MCC. MCC has a heterogeneous impact across occupational types. It is important to support the near-retirement-age working population with multimorbidity through effective clinical interventions and workplace wellness policies to help manage health conditions and remain active in the labor market.

The nonlinear relationship between triglyceride glucose-waist circumference and stroke risk in middle-aged and elderly people: a nationwide prospective cohort study of the CHARLS.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Numerous research have focused on the relationship of metabolic markers and stroke risk, yet limited research has focused on the triglyceride glucose-waist circumference (TyG-WC) index. This study explored the possible association of TyG-WC and stroke among moderately aged and old Chinese adults over 45 years of age. METHODS: This observational cohort analysis involved 9054 participants from the Chinese Longitudinal Study of Health and Retirement and employed a standardized questionnaire administered via in-person interviews. Cox proportional hazard model, smoothed curve fitting, and threshold effect analysis were conducted for examining the potential nonlinear relationships among TyG-WC and stroke risk. RESULTS: Within an average follow-up period of six years, 463 new strokes occurred, representing 5.11% of the total number of patients. After adjusting for possible confounding factors, a nonlinear association between TyG-WC and stroke risk was identified, with a significant dose-response relationship (P = 0.023 for the log-likelihood ratio test). A turning point was identified at the TyG-WC level of 554.48, beyond that the likelihood of stroke increased markedly (HR = 1.323, 95% CI = 1.098-1.594, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: This study revealed a specific curvilinear association with the TyG-WC score and stroke risk, identifying a key threshold value. This study focused on Chinese middle-aged and senior adults over the age of 45, emphasizing that increased stroke risk is linked to higher TyG-WC levels.

Retirement preparedness: A study of gender, marital status, and motivation factors by using a theory of planned behavior model.

Although working men and women share common retirement concerns, women encounter unique challenges in securing their retirement. These challenges arise from factors such as part-time work, intermittent work histories, and potential wealth disparities. Marital status also exerts a profound influence on retirement decisions. Marital status significantly impacts their financial security as they approach retirement. This study investigates the intricate relationship between gender, marital status, and theory of planned behavior factors that influence retirement planning among older adults. Utilizing data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and RAND, the research analyzed 2,657 participants aged 50 to 62, all of whom reported full or part-time employment. Also, the research leveraged the theory of planned behavior to examine motivational factors affecting retirement planning. The study's findings highlight the significant association of gender with expected retirement timing, revealing that married women typically anticipate retiring earlier than both unmarried women and men. In addition, older adults who secure retirement resources tend to retire earlier. It is important to develop tailored policies and initiatives to address the specific retirement challenges women face. It is imperative to develop retirement support systems that consider the gender, marital statuses, and retirement resources of older adults, and to give special attention to those who are vulnerable. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay of gender, marital status, retirement motivation factors and retirement planning among older adults.

Designing Retirement Strategies for Coal-Fired Power Plants To Mitigate Air Pollution and Health Impacts.

Retiring coal power plants can reduce air pollution and health damages. However, the spatial distribution of those impacts remains unclear due to complex power system operations and pollution chemistry and transport. Focusing on coal retirements in Pennsylvania (PA), we analyze six counterfactual scenarios for 2019 that differ in retirement targets (e.g., reducing 50% of coal-based installed capacity vs generation) and priorities (e.g., closing plants with higher cost, closer to Environmental Justice Areas, or with higher CO2 emissions). Using a power system model of the PJM Interconnection, we find that coal retirements in PA shift power generation across PA and Rest of PJM, leading to scenario-varying changes in the plant-level release of air pollutants. Considering pollution transport and the size of the exposed population, these emissions changes, in turn, give rise to a reduction of 6-136 PM2.5-attributable deaths in PJM across the six scenarios, with most reductions occurring in PA. Among our designed scenarios, those that reduce more coal power generation yield greater aggregate health benefits due to air quality improvements in PA and adjacent downwind regions. In addition, comparing across the six scenarios evaluated in this study, vulnerable populations─in both PA and Rest of PJM─benefit most in scenarios that prioritize plant closures near Environmental Justice Areas in PA. These results demonstrate the importance of considering cross-regional linkages and sociodemographics in designing equitable retirement strategies.

Preferences for Features of Current and Future Residential Environments Among Korean Middle-Aged Adults.

This study examined differences in middle-aged adults' preferred features of their current versus future residential environments and how these differences varied by health and social characteristics. A sample of 1,651 Korean middle-aged adults (aged 49-64) rated their preferences for each of 12 features (e.g., proximity to family/relatives, house price) regarding current and future residential environments, separately. Respondents considered "accessibility to health services" and "opportunity for leisure activities" more important for future residential environments than for current ones. Respondents with poorer health considered features that help them compensate for health decline more important, while those who contacted friends/neighbors more frequently and participated in more cultural activities considered features that help them maintain their social interactions more important for future residential environments than the past. Our findings identified middle-aged adults' various demands for residential features after retirement, which reflect their strategic reactions to future needs for successful adaptation in later years.

Adherence to resistance training and hypocaloric diet among persons near retirement age - A secondary data analysis of three randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: Adherence to lifestyle interventions is crucial for the treatment of obesity. However, there is little research about adherence to lifestyle interventions in persons around retirement age. The objectives of this study are (1) to identify factors associated with the adherence to resistance training and a hypocaloric diet and (2) to describe the association between adherence and changes in body composition outcome parameters. DESIGN: This secondary data analysis included three randomized controlled trials. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: The inclusion criteria of the participants were an age of 55-75 years, a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and receiving both a hypocaloric diet and resistance training. All participants were residing in the community. MEASUREMENTS: Adherence to hypocaloric diet was measured through the mean dietary intake on the basis of a 3-day dietary record. If the participant consumed at least 600 kcal less than the individual caloric requirements, they were considered adherent. Adherence to resistance training was achieved if ≥67% of the recommended training sessions were attended over the course of the study periods. RESULTS: 232 participants were included, 47.0% female, mean age 64.0 (±5.5) years. 80.2% adhered to resistance training and 51.3% adhered to a hypocaloric diet. Older age (Beta 0.41; 95% CI 0.05, 0.78; p = 0.028) and male sex (Beta 7.7; 95% CI 3.6, 11; p < 0.001) were associated with higher resistance training adherence. A higher BMI at baseline (Beta 6.4; 95% CI 3.6, 9.2; p < 0.001) and male sex (Beta 65; 95% CI 41, 88; p < 0.001) were associated with higher adherence to hypocaloric diet. CONCLUSION: We identified several associated factors (sex, age and BMI at baseline) that should be considered to promote adherence in future lifestyle intervention studies in persons around retirement age. We recommend including behavior change techniques in lifestyle interventions and consider sex-specific interventions to improve the adherence of women.

The Mediating Role of Lifestyle Activities in the Association Between Social Deprivation and Cognition in Older Adulthood: Results From the Health and Retirement (HRS) Study.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the mediating role of lifestyle activities in the association between social deprivation and cognition. Methods: To investigate, we analysed data of 3867 respondents (Mean Age: 73.37, SD: 5.57) in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) using growth curve and path analysis, adjusted for demographic and health covariates. Results: Being in the high (vs. moderate) Social Deprivation Index group was associated with lower cognition scores (ß = -2.63, [95 % CI: -2.90, -2.36]). Conversely, higher (vs. lower) Lifestyle Index scores were associated with higher cognition scores (ß = 1.17, [95 % CI: 0.72, 1.63]). In mediation analysis, the Lifestyle Index score explained 27 % of the association of So Dep Index group on cognition at the final follow-up. Discussion: While lifestyle activities did mediate the association between social deprivation and cognition, factors not investigated accounted for the majority of the variation. These may include systemic disadvantages.

Urban resilience reduces depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults: A multidimensional analysis based on China longitudinal healthy longevity survey.

With the rapid urbanization and aging population, depression has become a severe public health issue globally, affecting millions of individuals and significantly impacting their quality of life and healthcare costs. Urban resilience refers to a city's ability to absorb, recover, and prepare for future shocks, ensuring sustainable development despite challenges. This study aims to explore the impact of urban resilience on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we analyzed five dimensions of urban resilience: economic, social, ecological, institutional, and infrastructural resilience. The results of cox proportional hazards model indicate that high levels of urban resilience significantly reduce the risk of depressive symptoms (HR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.832-0.920, P < 0.001). Specifically, economic resilience (HR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.846-0.921, P < 0.001), social resilience (HR = 0.916, 95% CI: 0.876-0.958, P < 0.001), ecological resilience (HR = 0.670, 95% CI: 0.516-0.869, P = 0.003), institutional resilience (HR = 0.922, 95% CI: 0.886-0.960, P < 0.001), and infrastructural resilience (HR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.826-0.926, P < 0.001) all show significant negative correlations with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the mitigation of depressive symptoms risk resulting from improved urban resilience disproportionately benefits vulnerable groups and those with healthy living habits. These findings provide scientific evidence for urban planning and policy formulation, contributing to the promotion of mental health and healthy aging among middle-aged and elderly populations.

Factors Influencing Mental Well-being Among Older Malaysians.

Older adults are at greater risk of mental health issues. This study examined the factors influencing mental well-being among 2230 Malaysian older adults, using data from the 2018 to 2019 Malaysia Ageing and Retirement Survey. The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to assess mental well-being, and linear regression analysis identified the significant factors. Women had lower mental well-being scores than men (P = .012, ß = -0.016). Chinese (P = .024, ß = -0.020), Indian (P < .001, ß = -0.043), and other ethnicities (P < .001, ß = -0.031) reported lower scores than Malays. The factors associated with better well-being were secondary (P = .001, ß = 0.032) and tertiary education (P < .001, ß = 0.063), and good (P < .001, ß = 0.081) and moderate (P < .001, ß = 0.038) health status. Diseases-limiting activities were associated with poor well-being (P < .001, ß = -0.030). Support from family (P < .001, ß = 0.062) and friends (P < .001, ß = 0.032), social activity participation (P < .001, ß = 0.026), and functional ability (P < .001, ß = 0.043) were significant positive factors. There is a need for targeted interventions to enhance mental health among Malaysian older adults.

Career transition plans of veterinarians in clinical practice.

Objective: Gain an understanding of the career transition plans of veterinarians in clinical practice. Sample: Veterinary members of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) working as small animal clinicians. Procedures: An electronic survey distributed via the VIN data collection portal. Results: A total of 1,256 responses from veterinarians in clinical practice were analyzed, with 61% indicating they plan to decrease their clinical work, and 31% to stop entirely within the next 5 years. The most common reasons for these choices were to have more free time for oneself and/or family/friends (76%), to maintain good health (59%), and feeling burned out (50%). Factors that might entice them to retain their current number of clinical hours included reduced workload or shorter hours (42%), financial incentivization (38%), and improved working conditions (26%). Concerns related to retirement were common with 47% of participants in our study reported feeling concerned about the loss of professional identity, 34% reported concern about reduced social connections, and 28% reported concern as to how they would fill their time. Conclusions and clinical relevance: The reported desire to reduce/stop one's clinical work within the next 5 years by 42% of veterinarians ≤44 years of age, with burnout a primary predictor, offers insights into the necessity of change at the organizational, systemic (versus individual) level. The fact that many participants reported concerns related to retirement and 32% reported that they did not have adequate retirement information suggests a need for supportive services to help ensure a successful transition.

Higher triglyceride­glucose index is associated with increased risk of stroke among middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a national longitudinal study.

Stroke is a severe cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to determine the association between triglyceride­glucose (TyG) index and stroke among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Data was extracted from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study survey 2015 and survey 2018. Logistic regression, trend test and subgroup analysis were conducted to assess the association. Possible nonlinear relationships were explored with restricted cubic spline (RCS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to attenuate the effect of confounding factors. ORs of stroke was positively associated with TyG index. The ORs in RCS analysis also increased with the rising TyG, though p for non-linearity was bigger than 0.05. After PSM, the ORs in the full adjusted models were 1.28 (1.01, 1.62). TyG was suggested as an independent risk factor for stroke in the middle aged and elderly Chinese.

A Systematic Review of Effective Interventions and Strategies to Support the Transition of Older Adults From Driving to Driving Retirement/Cessation.

Background and Objectives: In most western countries, older adults depend on private cars for transportation and do not proactively plan for driving cessation. The objective of this review was to examine current research studies outlining effective interventions and strategies to assist older adults during their transition from driver to driving retirement or cessation. Research Design and Methods: A search was completed across 9 databases using key words and MeSH terms for drivers, cessation of driving, and older adult drivers. Eligibility screening of 9,807 titles and abstracts, followed by a detailed screening of 206 papers, was completed using the Covidence platform. Twelve papers were selected for full-text screen and data extraction, comprising 3 papers with evidence-based intervention programs and 9 papers with evidence-informed strategies. Results: Three papers met the research criteria of a controlled study for programs that support and facilitate driving cessation for older adults. Nine additional studies were exploratory or descriptive, which outlined strategies that could support older drivers, their families, and/or healthcare professionals during this transition. Driving retirement programs/toolkits are also presented. Discussion and Implications: The driver retirement programs had promising results, but there were methodological weaknesses within the studies. Strategies extracted contributed to 6 themes: Reluctance and avoidance of the topic, multiple stakeholder involvement is important, taking proactive approach is critical, refocus the process away from assessment to proactive planning, collaborative approach to enable "ownership" of the decision is needed, and engage in planning alternative transportation should be the end result. Meeting the transportation needs of older adults will be essential to support aging in place, out-of-home mobility, and participation, particularly in developed countries where there is such a high dependency on private motor vehicles.

Nonlinear and threshold effects of built environment on older adults' walking duration: do age and retirement status matter?

Introduction: Walking plays a crucial role in promoting physical activity among older adults. Understanding how the built environment influences older adults' walking behavior is vital for promoting physical activity and healthy aging. Among voluminous literature investigating the environmental correlates of walking behaviors of older adults, few have focused on walking duration across different age groups and life stages, let alone examined the potential nonlinearities and thresholds of the built environment. Methods: This study employs travel diary from Zhongshan, China and the gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT) approach to disentangle the age and retirement status differences in the nonlinear and threshold effects of the built environment on older adults' walking duration. Results: The results showed built environment attributes collectively contribute 57.37% for predicting older adults' walking duration, with a higher predicting power for the old-old (70+ years) or the retired. The most influencing built environment attribute for the young-old (60-70 years) is bus stop density, whereas the relative importance of population density, bus stop density, and accessibility to green space or commercial facilities is close for the old-old. The retired tend to walk longer in denser-populated neighborhoods with better bus service, but the non-retired are more active in walking in mixed-developed environments with accessible commercial facilities. The thresholds of bus stop density to encourage walking among the young-old is 7.8 counts/km2, comparing to 6 counts/km2 among the old-old. Regarding the green space accessibility, the effective range for the non-retired (4 to 30%) is smaller than that of the retired (12 to 45%). Discussion: Overall, the findings provide nuanced and diverse interventions for creating walking-friendly neighborhoods to promote walking across different sub-groups of older adults.

Incarceration's lingering health effects on Black men: impacts persist into retirement.

Background: The unique challenges Black men face within the criminal justice system underscore structural and systemic factors driving widespread inequalities. The long-term effects of these challenges on economic, health, and social outcomes as individuals transition to retirement remain poorly understood, highlighting a critical gap in our knowledge of life trajectories long after justice system involvement. Objectives: This study investigated the enduring health impacts of incarceration on Black men, particularly focusing on the transition into retirement. It aimed to explore the influence of race and gender on experiences of incarceration before age 50, and how such experiences affected self-rated health during the retirement transition. Methods: Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study, which followed individuals aged 50-59 for up to thirty years, this research examined the interplay of race, gender, incarceration history, and self-rated health during the retirement transition. Logistic regression and path modeling were employed for data analysis. Results: Logistic regression results indicated that being Black, male, and having lower educational attainment significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing incarceration before the age of 50 (p < 0.05). This suggests that Black men with lower levels of education are at the greatest risk of incarceration. The path model revealed a correlation between incarceration experiences before age 50 and poorer self-rated health at the time of retirement. Conclusion: The findings highlighted the disproportionately high risk of incarceration among Black men, especially those with lower educational attainment, and its persistent negative impacts on health decades later, including during the transition into retirement. Addressing structural racism and the mass incarceration of Black men is crucial for achieving racial health equity as individuals retire.