Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111901

Green Ekadi, PhD¹, CK Chen, EdD², and Tyrah N. Butler, BS². (1) Family and Community Medicine, Meharry Medical College, School of Graduate Studies and Research, 1005 D. B. Todd Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37208, (2) Public Health Practice, Meharry Medical College, School of Graduate Studies and Research, 1005 D. B. Todd Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37208, 615-327-6069, tbutler03@mmc.edu

The number of people nearing retirement in the United States is increasing significantly. People 65 years old and above represent the fastest growing population cohort in the U.S., according to Census figures, but people are retiring at younger ages. The most common age for retirement is 62 and at that age, men have a life expectancy of 18 years and women, 21 years. The pending retirement of the so-called baby boomer generation appears to be the most immediate impetus for the sudden interest in retirement research. These are Americans born between 1945 and 1964. The first of these boomers will reach the age of 62 in 2008 and over the next 30 years, the population of Americans over 62 is projected to be about 80 million, double what it is currently. At the same time, the working age population is projected to increase by only 13 percent. Thus, the pending retirement of the baby-boomers is often cited as a reason for Social Security and Medicare reform. The objective of this study is to examine the factors that determine retirement behavior. Specifically, the study will focus on patterns of re-employment and health seeking behavior, as representative retirement behavior, and financial status and health insurance status, as representative determinant variables. Data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), and Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau will be used for this study.

Learning Objectives:

• Factors necessary to plan for retirement.
• Why some retirees return to work after retirement.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.