Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019

Henning, Georg; Baumann, Isabel; Huxhold, Oliver

doi:10.1093/geronb/gbad066

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-28195

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019
Authors:	Henning, Georg Baumann, Isabel Huxhold, Oliver
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1093/geronb/gbad066 10.21256/zhaw-28195
Published in:	The Journals of Gerontology: Series B
Volume(Issue):	78
Issue:	8
Page(s):	1365
Pages to:	1374
Issue Date:	2023
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	1079-5014 1758-5368
Language:	English
Subjects:	Education; Life satisfaction; Retirement; Social change
Subject (DDC):	331: Labor economics
Abstract:	Objectives: Recent trends, such as changes in pension systems or cohort differences in individual resources, have altered the face of retirement transitions. Little is known about how these trends have affected older people’s life satisfaction around retirement age in the past decades. In this study, we investigated how levels and changes in life satisfaction before and after retirement changed over historical time in Germany and Switzerland. Methods: We used longitudinal data from the German Socioeconomic Panel Study and the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) from 2000 to 2019. Level, preretirement change, and short- and long-term change in life satisfaction (0–10) after retirement were predicted by year of retirement (2001–2019) in a multigroup piecewise growth curve model. Results: We found improvements in levels of life satisfaction and preretirement changes in life satisfaction with historical time in both countries. Furthermore, we found that unlike in Switzerland, short-time changes in life satisfaction across retirement improved over historical time in Germany. Discussion: Our findings imply that life satisfaction trajectories around retirement age have improved over the last 20 years. These findings may be explained by general improvements in the health and psychosocial functioning of older people. More research is needed to show for whom these improvements are stronger or weaker and if they will be maintained in a changing retirement landscape.
Further description:	Erworben im Rahmen der Schweizer Nationallizenzen (http://www.nationallizenzen.ch)
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/28195
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY 4.0: Attribution 4.0 International
Departement:	School of Health Sciences
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Public Health (IPH)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Gesundheitliche Ungleichheit im Kontext einer Verlängerung des Arbeitslebens
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Gesundheit

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Henning, G., Baumann, I., & Huxhold, O. (2023). Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 78(8), 1365–1374. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad066

Henning, G., Baumann, I. and Huxhold, O. (2023) ‘Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019’, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 78(8), pp. 1365–1374. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad066.

G. Henning, I. Baumann, and O. Huxhold, “Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019,” The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, vol. 78, no. 8, pp. 1365–1374, 2023, doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad066.

HENNING, Georg, Isabel BAUMANN und Oliver HUXHOLD, 2023. Historical and cross-country differences in life satisfaction across retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. 2023. Bd. 78, Nr. 8, S. 1365–1374. DOI 10.1093/geronb/gbad066

Henning, Georg, Isabel Baumann, and Oliver Huxhold. 2023. “Historical and Cross-Country Differences in Life Satisfaction across Retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series B 78 (8): 1365–74. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad066.

Henning, Georg, et al. “Historical and Cross-Country Differences in Life Satisfaction across Retirement in Germany and Switzerland from 2000 to 2019.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, vol. 78, no. 8, 2023, pp. 1365–74, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad066.