Addiction, Author Interviews, Lifestyle & Health, Occupational Health / 04.04.2017
Some Retirees Begin Risky Alcohol Consumption
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jaana Halonen, Docent and Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Retirement is a significant life transition when substantial changes in daily life are experienced as retirees adapt to life without work. After retirement people have more leisure time and more opportunities for different activities, and less stress. These changes are positive, but retirement can also lead to reduced social control and loss of social contacts and therefore be perceived as a stressful life transition. Both the positive and negative aspects related to changes in leisure time, stress, and social networks around retirement may affect drinking behaviours. However, little is known about how risky alcohol consumption changes around the retirement transition.
Thus, in our study we wanted to examine how and for whom risky drinking changes around the time of retirement. To do that we followed up public sector workers with questionnaires before and after their old-age retirement.
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