Epidemiology and Health

Cohort Profile

Cohort profile: Singapore’s nationally representative Retirement and Health Study with 5 waves over 10 years: Reuben Ng, Yi Wen Tan, Kelvin Bryan Tan; Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022030. Published online February 21, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022030

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Abstract

The Retirement and Health Study (RHS) is Singapore’s largest nationally representative cohort with over 15,000 participants (aged 45-85 years) followed across five timepoints in 10 years (2014-2024). Accounting for sample weights, the sample represents 1.2 million Singaporeans and permanent residents of a total population of 5.5 million. The RHS sought consent to link survey responses to relevant administrative data, enabling the cross-validation of self-reports with national databases. There are 10 sections in the RHS with over 400 questions, 50% of which are on respondents’ physical and mental health, healthcare utilization and insurance; the remaining 50% are about employment history, retirement adequacy, wealth, and household expenditure. The RHS was set up to provide microdata to compliment administrative data for whole-of-government policy making given that Singapore will reach super-aged status by 2026. Sample findings include a need for older adults to balance between immediate financial needs and investments regarding their pension funds. Also, 86% of older adults preferred to transit into partial retirement by reducing workloads. On the health front, existing studies utilising the RHS have revealed latent classes of disabilities, and that intentions to seek employment can mitigate disability developments. Another study reported that physical disability and social isolation was projected to increase, with ethnic disparities in social functioning. Overall, the RHS will be used for evidenced-informed policy agenda setting and evaluation across domains of health, finance, retirement adequacy, social and family development.

Summary

Key Message
The Retirement and Health Study (RHS) is Singapore’s largest nationally representative cohort with over 15,000 participants (aged 45-85 years) followed across five timepoints in 10 years (2014-2024). Sample findings include a need for older adults to balance between immediate financial needs and investments regarding their pension funds. Overall, the RHS will be used for evidenced-informed policy agenda setting and evaluation across domains of health, finance, retirement adequacy, social and family development.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Not Too Old for TikTok: How Older Adults Are Reframing Aging
Reuben Ng, Nicole Indran, Barbara J Bowers
The Gerontologist.2022; 62(8): 1207. CrossRef
A playbook for effective age advocacy on Twitter
Reuben Ng, Nicole Indran, Luyao Liu
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.2022; 70(8): 2363. CrossRef
Ageism on Twitter during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Reuben Ng, Nicole Indran, Luyao Liu
Journal of Social Issues.2022; 78(4): 842. CrossRef
Media attention toward COVID-19 across 18 countries: The influence of cultural values and pandemic severity
Reuben Ng, Yi Wen Tan, Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
PLOS ONE.2022; 17(12): e0271961. CrossRef

Original Article

Life and health satisfaction in the adult population of Iran: Rajabali Daroudi, Arash Rashidian, Hojjat Zeraati, Alireza Oliyaeemanesh, Ali Akbari Sari; Epidemiol Health. 2016;38:e2016047. Published online November 3, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2016047

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185 Download
8 Web of Science
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Abstract PDF

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Increasing interest has emerged in the use of subjective well-being as a development indicator and for the evaluation of public policies. The aim of this study was to assess life and health satisfaction and their determinants in the adult population of Iran.

METHODS

We conducted a survey of a sample of 3,150 adults at least 18 years of age in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The subjects were selected using a stratified random sampling method, and they were interviewed face-to-face at their usual residence by trained interviewers. Life satisfaction was used as a measure of subjective well-being. We used ordinary least square regression models to assess the associations of life and health satisfaction with socio-demographic variables.

RESULTS

On a 0-10 scale, the mean (standard deviation) scores for life and health satisfaction were 6.93 (2.54) and 7.18 (1.97), respectively. The average score for life satisfaction in females was 0.52 points higher than in males. A U-shaped relationship was found between age and life satisfaction, with respondents 35 to 44 years of age having the lowest average level of life satisfaction. Satisfaction with life and health among divorced respondents was significantly lower than among never-married and married participants. The scores for life satisfaction in respondents who rated their health status as poor were 3.83 points lower than in those who rated their health status as excellent.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of the population of Tehran was satisfied with their life and health. Self-rated health status had the greatest impact on life satisfaction.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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Perspectives on Psychological Science.2020; 15(4): 898. CrossRef
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Epidemiology and Health.2017; 39: e2017013. CrossRef

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