Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data

Background Due to the rising life expectancy in Western countries, the discussion about the increase in the retirement age is becoming more important. However, the prolongation of working lives cannot be implemented successfully without considering the health status of the (potential) employees. In...

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Main Authors: Fabian Tetzlaff, Jelena Epping, Juliane Tetzlaff, Lieselotte Mond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-04-01
Series:BMJ Public Health
Online Access:https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000400.full
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author Fabian Tetzlaff
Jelena Epping
Juliane Tetzlaff
Lieselotte Mond
author_facet Fabian Tetzlaff
Jelena Epping
Juliane Tetzlaff
Lieselotte Mond
author_sort Fabian Tetzlaff
collection DOAJ
description Background Due to the rising life expectancy in Western countries, the discussion about the increase in the retirement age is becoming more important. However, the prolongation of working lives cannot be implemented successfully without considering the health status of the (potential) employees. In this study, time trends in working life expectancy (WLE) free of widespread cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as well as the proportion of CVD-free working life years are reported.Methods Claims data from a German statutory health insurance provider is used to analyse CVD-free WLE. Three periods were defined to assess time trends: 2006–2008 (n=2 075 248), 2011–2013 (n=2 302 127) and 2016–2018 (n=2 579 985). Based on transition rates between the states labour force, non-labour force, CVD and death, CVD-free years spent in the labour force were estimated for each age using multistate life table analyses.Results The length of CVD-free WLE increased over time. This increase was stronger in women than in men (+6.4 years vs +2.4 years at age 18). Given the increase in total WLE of the study population, the proportion of CVD-free WLE in total WLE remained stable over time.Conclusions The results show that working life years free of CVD increased strongly over the last 13 years and can keep pace with the increase in the length of working lives. Healthier working conditions as well as more efforts in promoting healthy nutrition and less sedentary behaviour could help to further reduce the incidence of CVD and thus contribute to longer healthy working lives.
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spelling doaj-art-4cdb99cdc681474c967c0bc295e323612025-01-28T23:00:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Public Health2753-42942024-04-012110.1136/bmjph-2023-000400Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance dataFabian Tetzlaff0Jelena Epping1Juliane Tetzlaff2Lieselotte Mond3Division of Social Determinants of Health, Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, GermanyMedical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyMedical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyMedical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyBackground Due to the rising life expectancy in Western countries, the discussion about the increase in the retirement age is becoming more important. However, the prolongation of working lives cannot be implemented successfully without considering the health status of the (potential) employees. In this study, time trends in working life expectancy (WLE) free of widespread cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as well as the proportion of CVD-free working life years are reported.Methods Claims data from a German statutory health insurance provider is used to analyse CVD-free WLE. Three periods were defined to assess time trends: 2006–2008 (n=2 075 248), 2011–2013 (n=2 302 127) and 2016–2018 (n=2 579 985). Based on transition rates between the states labour force, non-labour force, CVD and death, CVD-free years spent in the labour force were estimated for each age using multistate life table analyses.Results The length of CVD-free WLE increased over time. This increase was stronger in women than in men (+6.4 years vs +2.4 years at age 18). Given the increase in total WLE of the study population, the proportion of CVD-free WLE in total WLE remained stable over time.Conclusions The results show that working life years free of CVD increased strongly over the last 13 years and can keep pace with the increase in the length of working lives. Healthier working conditions as well as more efforts in promoting healthy nutrition and less sedentary behaviour could help to further reduce the incidence of CVD and thus contribute to longer healthy working lives.https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000400.full
spellingShingle Fabian Tetzlaff
Jelena Epping
Juliane Tetzlaff
Lieselotte Mond
Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
BMJ Public Health
title Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
title_full Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
title_fullStr Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
title_full_unstemmed Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
title_short Healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond? A longitudinal population-based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on German health insurance data
title_sort healthy enough to work up to age 67 and beyond a longitudinal population based study on time trends in working life expectancy free of cardiovascular diseases based on german health insurance data
url https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000400.full
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