Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2019 Jun 1;70(2):109-117. doi: 10.2478/aiht-2019-70-3254.
The aim of this study was to examine mental health and cognitive functions in older Croatian workers (50-65 years) taking into account their employment status, self-assessed health, and a set of demographic characteristics. We analysed the data collected on 650 older workers (71 % employed) in the Wave 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Unemployed workers reported symptoms of loneliness more often than the employed, while in rural areas unemployment was additionally associated with more pronounced symptoms of depression. Feeling of loneliness was also higher in those living without a partner in the household and in those with poorer health. In urban residents symptoms of depression were more severe in women, respondents with higher education, those living without a partner, and those who rated their health as poorer. As for cognitive functions, unemployment significantly predicted poorer subtraction in the rural subsample. Women in general showed less efficient numerical abilities. In the urban subsample poorer numerical abilities were also associated with lower education and living without a partner in the household. Better verbal recall was predicted by higher education and better self-rated memory. Higher scores in verbal fluency were predicted by urban residency and better self-rated health. Our results indicate that the protective factors for good mental health and cognitive functioning in older Croatian workers are being employed, having more education, living with a partner in the household, and being healthier. These findings stress the importance of implementing broader social policy strategies covering employment, education, and health.
本研究旨在考察克罗地亚老年工人（50-65 岁）的心理健康和认知功能，同时考虑他们的就业状况、自我评估的健康状况以及一系列人口统计学特征。我们分析了欧洲健康、老龄化和退休调查（SHARE）第六波中收集的 650 名老年工人（71%在职）的数据。与在职者相比，失业者更经常报告孤独症状，而在农村地区，失业还与更明显的抑郁症状相关。在没有伴侣的家庭中居住和健康状况较差的人群中，孤独感也更高。在城市居民中，女性的抑郁症状更为严重，受教育程度较高的人、没有伴侣的人以及自评健康状况较差的人抑郁症状更为严重。至于认知功能，失业在农村亚组中显著预测减法能力更差。一般来说，女性的数字能力较弱。在城市亚组中，较差的数字能力也与较低的教育程度和没有伴侣的家庭居住有关。更好的言语回忆能力由较高的教育程度和更好的自我记忆评估预测。言语流畅性的高分由城市居住和更好的自我健康评估预测。我们的研究结果表明，在克罗地亚老年工人中，保护心理健康和认知功能的因素是就业、更高的教育程度、与伴侣共同居住以及更健康。这些发现强调了实施更广泛的社会政策战略的重要性，这些战略涵盖就业、教育和健康。
