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Item Understanding the use of Flexible Work Arrangements Among Older New Zealand Caregivers(SAGE Publications, 2023-05) Koreshi SY; Alpass FFlexibility in the workplace has been suggested to promote prolonged employment among older workers. This study focuses on the question of whether the use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) differs between caregivers and non-caregivers and how potential differences can be explained. Participants were 296 carers and 1611 non-carers (aged 55–70 years) who completed the 2018 Health, Work and Retirement survey and were in paid employment. Hierarchical regression was used to investigate caregiving as an independent predictor of use of FWAs after controlling for demographic and work-related variables. Results show that caregivers on average used more FWAs than non-caregivers, including flexible work hours, flexible schedules and time off. Differences in FWAs use between caregivers and non-caregivers cannot be explained by differences in socio demographic and work characteristics. The use of FWAs warrants attention in discussions about prolonged employment and reconciliation of care and work among older adults.Item Daytime fatigue as a predictor for subsequent retirement among older New Zealand workers(Elsevier Inc on behalf of National Sleep Foundation, 2021-12) Myllyntausta S; Gibson R; Salo P; Allen J; Gander P; Alpass F; Stephens CObjectives There is limited information on the role of fatigue on retirement, either independently or in association with poor sleep. The aim of this study was to examine the prospective association between daytime fatigue, measured as feeling tired or feeling worn out, independently and in relation to dissatisfaction with sleep, and subsequent retirement among 960 older workers in New Zealand. Methods Data from 2 consecutive surveys (2008 and 2010) of the New Zealand Health, Work, and Retirement Longitudinal Study were used. Poisson regression was used to investigate whether feeling tired and feeling worn out in 2008, along with dissatisfaction with sleep, were associated with self-reported retirement either due to health reasons or other reasons by 2010. Results The risk for retirement due to health reasons during a 2-year follow-up was 1.80-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.45) among those who felt tired and 1.99-fold (95% CI 1.34-2.64) among those who felt worn out when compared to those not tired or not feeling worn out after adjusting for several sociodemographic, work characteristics and self-rated health. The risk for retirement due to health reasons was even higher when participant experienced both tiredness and feeling worn out. Dissatisfaction with sleep did not predict retirement due to health or other reasons. Conclusions Our results highlight that workers at risk of subsequent retirement due to health reasons may be identified with rather simple questions on tiredness and feeling worn out even among generally healthy older workers.Item Malnutrition Risk: Four Year Outcomes from the Health, Work and Retirement Study 2014 to 2018(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-05-26) Wham C; Curnow J; Towers AThis study aimed to determine four-year outcomes of community-living older adults identified at 'nutrition risk' in the 2014 Health, Work and Retirement Study. Nutrition risk was assessed using the validated Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, (SCREENII-AB) by postal survey. Other measures included demographic, social and health characteristics. Physical and mental functioning and overall health-related quality of life were assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2). Depression was assessed using the verified shortened 10 item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Social provisions were determined with the 24-item Social Provisions Scale. Alcohol intake was determined by using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C). Among 471 adults aged 49-87 years, 33.9% were at nutrition risk (SCREEN II-AB score ≤ 38). The direct effects of nutrition risk showed that significant differences between at-risk and not-at-risk groups at baseline remained at follow up. Over time, physical health and alcohol use scores reduced. Mental health improved over time for not-at-risk and remained static for those at-risk. Time had non-significant interactions and small effects on all other indicators. Findings highlight the importance of nutrition screening in primary care as nutrition risk factors persist over time.Item New Zealand Retirement Expenditure Guidelines 2016(Westpac Massey Fin-Ed Centre, 2017-07-06) Matthews CDItem New Zealand Retirement Expenditure Guidelines 2015(Westpac Massey Fin-Ed Centre, 2015-11-09) Matthews CDItem New Zealand Retirement Expenditure Guidelines 2014(Westpac Massey Fin-Ed Centre, 2015-11-09) Matthews CDItem The role of bridge employment in the relationship between personality and retirement adjustment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Masters of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Kuriger, AaronNew Zealand’s older population is increasing, meaning that increased research needs to be undertaken to consider older individual’s needs. The present study uses the resource-based dynamic perspective postulated by Wang, Henkens and van Solinge (2011) to examine the relationship between bridge employment, personality and retirement adjustment. It was hypothesised that personality traits (as represented by the Five-Factor Model (FFM)) would be positively related to engagement in bridge employment; and that they would also influence wellbeing in retirement (retirement adjustment). The study also explored whether bridge employment mediated the relationship between personality and retirement adjustment. This study used longitudinal data from the New Zealand Aotearoa Health, Work and Retirement (HWR) study and focused on older adults aged of 55-70. The HWR postal survey included questions about socio-demographics, personality, employment and well-being. Results in the present study show that bridge employment was not significantly related to personality. The traits of neuroticism and conscientiousness were found to significantly relate to retirement adjustment in a hierarchical regression model. Economic standard of living, age and time spent in retirement were also found to be associated with retirement adjustment in the same model. Bridge employment was not found to mediate the relationship between personality and retirement adjustment. The findings indicate that individual’s personality traits have no bearing on whether they decide to engage in bridge employment. Individuals high in conscientiousness appear to adjust to retirement more easily compared to individuals low in conscientiousness. Similarly, individuals with high neuroticism appear to find it more difficult to adjust to retirement than individuals with low neuroticism. The findings also indicate that individuals find it easier to adjust to retirement with higher socioeconomic status; indicating the importance of access to resources in retirement. Additionally, the present study provides evidence that the longer that individuals spend in retirement, the more likely it is that they will adjust to the retirement process. Implications for future research are discussed with an emphasis on motivations and reasons for bridge employment, and other variables to consider in the fields of bridge employment and retirement adjustment.Item Retirement expectations and effects : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University(Massey University, 1987) Scotney, TereIn New Zealand, as in other Western societies, retirement has become a distinct and lengthy phase of the life-cycle. Some researchers have directed attention towards this topic but at present the potential for in-depth research on people in later life is largely untapped. Such research would progress beyond the statistical facts of the percentage of the population who have retired and the resulting population dependency ratio to explore the phenomenon of retirement in different social and cultural contexts. These accounts of retirement and aging could then be used to form and test theories about the personal and social significance of retirement and could become the basis for policy development. This study explores the effects and experiences of retirement on the lifestyles of a small number of people living in Wellington. The participants were seventeen former teachers and public servants who, when interviewed, were aged from 59 to 84 years and who had been retired from a few weeks to over twenty years. This allowed investigation of the effects of retirement over time. Open-ended interview's and time diaries were the main data sources. Ten men and seven women were interviewed about their expectations of and preparation for retirement, their activities, the way they spent their time in retirement and the composition of their social networks. Some spouses were also interviewed about the changes retirement had caused to their household routines and to the marriage itself. An underlying theme is that many people experienced much continuity between their pre- and post-retirement lifestyle. Retirement gave people more opportunity to select how they used time and this aspect was greatly valued. The degree of personal freedom and independence experienced was in sharp contrast to the obligations and responsibilities people had held when working. The Introduction outlines the general frame of reference for the topic of retirement, the research approach adopted and the main concepts and definitions. The contribution which research from an anthropological perspective can make to the study of aging and later life is identified. Chapter 1 discusses the scope of the project and the research methods. In addition to open-ended semi-structured interviews, participants were asked to complete a time diary which recorded their activities over a seven day period. The diaries supplemented the data obtained in the interviews about people's activities and enabled the data to be cross-checked for consistency. Chapter 2 outlines the procedures for selecting the study participants. Only former teachers and public servants were included to limit the effects of occupational differences on retirement expectations and experiences. The ages, educational qualifications, household composition, accommodation and income of the participants are outlined. The planning and preparation people had made for retirement and their expectations of it are discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 describes the range of activities participants were doing or had done in retirement. Their leisure interests, involvement with different organisations and the kinds of jobs people had taken up after retiring from permanent full-time work are outlined. Chapter 5 discusses the social networks of the participants. Contact with family, friends, neighbours and contact with former colleagues and the actual work-place are described. Chapter 6 presents the conclusions of this study and compares the findings with the results of other research. General suggestions for future research efforts are also made.Item Racing to retirement : understanding greyhounds' experiences of becoming pets : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Paap, HannahThis thesis is a multispecies ethnographic investigation of the transition of retired racing greyhounds to domestic pets. The key aim of this research was to understand the greyhounds’ experiences of this transition. To achieve this aim, I sought to understand the relationships that greyhounds have with both human and non-human animals over the course of their transition and how these relationships influenced the pets they became. I use the concept of rite of passage to frame greyhounds’ transition because they move from one societal role, working dogs, to another, pets, undergoing transformation in the process. My fieldwork involved a mixed methodological approach, combining participant-observation, interviews, and photography. In doing so, I gained insight into greyhounds’ own experiences of their rite of passage and not just that of the humans involved in their lives. To help me do this, I combined ethnography with ethology, the science of animal behaviour. Using ethology allowed me to learn how greyhounds used their senses to investigate and make sense of the changes in their lives, which were brought about by their transition, and how they responded to and communicated about them. I did this by interpreting their body language, body carriage, and vocalisations. Thus, greyhounds play a central role in this thesis, whilst the human is decentred. The goal of this research was to centre greyhounds, even though it is challenging to do this in text: as such this thesis is an experiment in representation. My findings suggest that greyhounds can successfully transition into pets due to breed-specific traits, such as laziness; individual dog personalities like independence; and the constructive interactions they have with both human and non-human actors. This is even though some greyhounds may find their rite of passage more difficult than others. Keywords: greyhound(s). racing dog, transition, retirement, adoption agency, (domestic) pet, multispecies ethnography, rite of passage, non-human animal, human companion, companion animal, companion species.Item The indirect effects of work-related antecedents to retirement on retirement adjustment quality via change in social resources : a resource-based dynamic perspective : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Crispin-Morrall, RupertThe present investigation sought to address the paucity of longitudinal retirement adjustment research in relation to the social resources of retirees, and how change in these resources may affect the degree of retirement adjustment quality they experience. This study was a secondary analysis with an observational, repeated measures design conducted on the 2006 and 2014 data waves of the Health, Work, and Retirement (HWR) study (Alpass et al., 2007). From a resource-based dynamic perspective, retirement adjustment can be viewed as a longitudinal process which fluctuates as a function of given resources and changes in such resources (Wang, Henkens, & van Solinge, 2011). Guided by this theoretical framework, the primary focus of this investigation was to examine if change in perceived social support would mediate the relationships between job-related conditions (i.e., job satisfaction and job stress) and post-retirement psychological wellbeing across the period of 2006 – 2014. The sample (n = 435) was drawn from the HWR study’s 2006 nationally representative sub-sample of the general New Zealand older adult population. Participants were male and female New Zealanders, aged between 55 – 70 years in 2006, and were of New Zealand European, Māori, Asian, or other ethnicity. Participants were in paid employment at the time of the 2006 data wave, and had entered retirement at the time of the 2014 data wave. Cross-sectional analyses of the 2006 wave were also undertaken to determine whether the theorised relationships between the principal constructs were supported at the cusp of the retirement transition before participants retired. These analyses indicated the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing appeared to operate indirectly via perceived social support, as did the relationship between job stress and psychological wellbeing. However, longitudinal mediation analyses did not support the resource-based dynamic model of retirement adjustment. Recommendations for measuring adjustment outcomes and resources at multiple assessment points, measure selection and construct domain sampling, improving capacity for causal inference, and using alternative data analytic strategies are made for future research adopting a resource-based dynamic perspective.
