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The effect of retirement on self-reported health: a gender comparison in Italy

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  • Lucia Coppola
  • Daniele Spizzichino

Abstract

The effect of retirement on health has been widely investigated in the literature, but the evidence on this issue is conflicting, and the debate surrounding it still open. This topic is of particular interest when expenditures for pensions and health care systems, and their potential interrelationship, are primary concerns for policy makers. This is the case in ageing countries like Italy, where the recent pension reform, which included an increase in the minimum pension age, makes gaining an understanding of the potential consequences of retirement postponement for health even more relevant. Using EU-SILC longitudinal data, we investigate the effect of retirement on self-reported health in Italy from a gender perspective. We apply logistic regressions and propensity score matching to estimate the net effect of retirement on health after potential endogeneity is controlled for. The main results show that the self-reported health of men worsens shortly after retirement, while the self-reported health of women does not change.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucia Coppola & Daniele Spizzichino, 2014. "The effect of retirement on self-reported health: a gender comparison in Italy," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 12(1), pages 53-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:vid:yearbk:v:12:y:2014:i:1:p:53-82
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