Choose an Area of Interest Within Gerontology

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The Answer is • Retirement is an area of interest within gerontology. It offers a good example of how structural variables may influence health specifically after a worker leaves a workplace.
• For example, with respect to the physical environment, it is possible that the retired worker worked in an unsafe workplace, where he was exposed to toxic substances. These substances may take a long time to manifest, meaning the worker may become ill during retirement, long after leaving the workplace.
• With respect to personal health behaviours, a retired worker may find that she has more free time for leisure pursuits in retirement. This may mean she engages in more exercise, which could have positive benefits for health. On the other hand, another worker may retire and not wish to increase activity, and may in fact decrease it. This might lead to less exercise, and detrimental health effects related to the decrease in physical activity.
• With respect to socio-economic status, a worker may receive a retirement bonus which helps him live with a more comfortable lifestyle. With a higher social class, he can be expected to enjoy better health than he might have at a lower social class. On the other hand, retirement might bring a sharp decline in income and resources, and may result in a lowering of social class, which might have the opposite effect on health and well-being, according to the social gradient.
• Finally, with respect to policy, a worker may lose some of her benefits that were previously accorded by the workplace. This might change her health-seeking behaviour, if the costs of doing so are too high; this may be especially true if retirement brings a decline in income. Her health may consequently suffer, if she can no longer afford to undertake preventive steps, such as regular eye exams or purchasing prescription drugs.

Choose an Area of Interest Within Gerontology

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