Work frequency and subsequent health and well-being among older adults in Japan: An outcome-wide study

14/09/2026

AI Summary

Moderate-frequency working (1 to 3 days per week) was favourable for 24 of 46 health and well-being indicators.
Higher-frequency working (four or more days per week) favourable for 25 of 46 indicators, but associated with lower group participation and increased smoking and drinking.
Both moderate and higher frequency work were associated with lower mortality (OR 0.71 and 0.60), but health selection and unmeasured work quality require caution.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2026 Sep 6;151:106401. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2026.106401. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Working in later life has been linked to health and well-being, yet how work frequency relates to these outcomes remains uncertain. We examined associations between work frequency and subsequent multiple domains of health and well-being among older adults.

METHODS: We used two datasets from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Dataset 1 used three-wave panel data (2016, 2019, 2022; n = 41,758) for 42 self-reported outcomes. Dataset 2 linked 2016-2019 panel data to municipal long-term care insurance records through 2022 (n = 56,153), capturing mortality, dementia, and functional disability; together, analyses covered 46 indicators. Work frequency was categorized as not working, lower-frequency (1-3 times/month or several times/year), moderate-frequency (1-3 days/week), and higher-frequency (≥4 days/week) working. Models adjusted for 2016 covariates and prior outcome values.

RESULTS: Moderate-frequency working showed favorable associations in 24 of 46 (52.2%) indicators. Higher-frequency working showed favorable associations in 25 of 46 (54.3%) indicators but was also associated with lower sports and hobby group participation and higher smoking and drinking prevalence (4 of 46, 8.7%). Both moderate- and higher-frequency working were associated with lower mortality (OR = 0.71 and 0.60; P for trend < 0.001). Analyses stratified by gender, age, education, and household income showed similar patterns, with limited effect modification.

CONCLUSIONS: Older adults who worked showed lower mortality and more favorable values on many indicators than those who did not, and differences varied by frequency. Interpretation requires caution: health shapes who keeps working, and work quality was unmeasured; both warrant further study.

PMID:42732746 | DOI:10.1016/j.archger.2026.106401

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