1. Understanding the effect of retirement on health: Mechanisms and heterogeneity.
- Author
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Eibich, Peter
- Subjects
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RETIREMENT , *MEDICAL care , *JOB stress , *REGRESSION discontinuity design , *OUTPATIENT medical care , *MENTAL health , *RETIREMENT & economics , *RETIREMENT & psychology , *COMPARATIVE studies , *HEALTH behavior , *HEALTH status indicators , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *PENSIONS , *REGRESSION analysis , *RESEARCH , *SATISFACTION , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *EVALUATION research , *STATISTICAL models - Abstract
This paper investigates the mechanisms behind the health effects of retirement. Using a Regression Discontinuity Design to exploit financial incentives in the German pension system for identification, I find that retirement improves subjective health status and mental health, while also reducing outpatient care utilization. I explore a wide range of health behaviors, time use, and effect heterogeneity as potential mechanisms. Relief from work-related stress and strain, increased sleep duration as well as more frequent physical exercise seem to be key mechanisms through which retirement affects health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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