The Impact of Poor Health Behaviors on Workforce Disability

22 Pages Posted: 11 Feb 2008

See all articles by Caroline J. Richardson

Caroline J. Richardson

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Jennifer T. Hanlon

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Hillary J. Mull

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Sandeep Vijan

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Rodney A. Hayward

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Linda A. Wray

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Kenneth Langa

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Date Written: June 2003

Abstract

The effects of poor health habits on mortality have been studied extensively. However, few studies have examined the impact of these health behaviors on workforce disability. In the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative cohort of 6044 Americans who were between the ages of 51 and 61 and who were working in 1992, we found that both baseline smoking status and a sedentary lifestyle predict workforce disability six years later. If this relationship is causal, cost-benefit analyses of health behavior intervention that neglect workforce disability may substantially underestimate the benefits of such interventions.

Suggested Citation

Richardson, Caroline J. and Hanlon, Jennifer T. and Mull, Hillary J. and Vijan, Sandeep and Hayward, Rodney A. and Wray, Linda A. and Langa, Kenneth, The Impact of Poor Health Behaviors on Workforce Disability (June 2003). Michigan Retirement Research Center Research Paper No. WP 2003-057, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1092134 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1092134

Caroline J. Richardson

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Jennifer T. Hanlon

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Hillary J. Mull

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Sandeep Vijan (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Rodney A. Hayward

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

Linda A. Wray

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Kenneth Langa

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ( email )

500 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

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