Table 1. Participants’ Characteristics at Baseline.

From: Effects of Employment Status and Motivations on the Onset of Social Isolation in Old Age: A 2.5-year Longitudinal Study

All (N = 1,556) Working (n = 562) Not working
(n = 994)
Working for FR
(n = 131)
Working for NFR
(n = 203)
Working for BR
(n = 228)
Sex (%)
 Men 38.2 56.5 43.3 50.9 31.8
Age (years; mean ± SD) 72.9 ± 5.8 70.7 ± 4.7 72.2 ± 5.2 70.6 ± 5.4 73.8 ± 6.0
Marital status (%)
 Married 64.1 63.3 70.6 66.8 62.3
Household composition (%)
 Living alone 23.0 27.0 19.5 22.6 23.3
Duration of residence (%)
 < 30 years 25.6 28.2 24.4 24.2 25.8
 30-49 years 36.8 29.8 39.3 41.4 36.1
 ≥ 50 years 37.7 42.0 36.3 34.4 38.1
Educational year (%)
 6-9 years 9.7 16.3 6.5 8.5 9.8
 10-12 years 41.3 34.9 36.7 44.4 42.4
 ≥ 13 years 49.0 48.8 56.8 47.1 47.8
Subjective financial status (%)
 Affluent 42.5 29.5 66.7 42.1 39.4
 Neither 38.2 34.9 26.3 33.9 42.0
 Poor 19.3 35.7 7.1 24.0 18.6
Comorbidities (%)
 0 37.5 34.6 32.9 40.1 38.2
 1 45.6 50.0 43.5 43.1 46.0
 ≥ 2 16.9 15.4 23.5 16.8 15.8
Self-rated health (%)
 Good 85.1 88.0 89.0 93.2 82.0
IADL score (ranging from 0 to 5; mean ± SD) 4.9 ± 0.4 5.0 ± 0.3 5.0 ± 0.3 4.9 ± 0.3 4.9 ± 0.4
Frequency of community activity participation (%)
 Non-participation 28.5 33.6 28.6 28.1 27.9
 < once a week 31.5 37.4 27.6 34.2 30.9
 ≥ once a week 40.0 29.0 43.8 37.7 41.2
Frequency of going out per month (times; mean ± SD) 29.5 ± 17.5 29.9 ± 20.2 31.8 ± 19.2 31.7 ± 18.6 28.3 ± 16.4
Employment type (%)a
 Self-employed 37.2 45.4 40.9 29.2 -
 Employed 48.6 46.2 34.8 61.9 -
 Other 14.3 8.5 24.2 8.8 -
Working hours (%)a
 ≥ 35 hours per week 42.2 48.9 40.4 39.9 -
Years of current occupationa (mean ± SD) 23.1 ± 18.3 24.2 ± 18.2 26.0 ± 17.9 19.7 ± 18.3 -
Changes in social isolation status from baseline to follow-up (%)
 Changed (socially isolated at the follow-up) 20.1 29.2 14.6 23.7 19.2
Table 2. Association between Employment Status and the Onset of Social Isolation.

From: Effects of Employment Status and Motivations on the Onset of Social Isolation in Old Age: A 2.5-year Longitudinal Study

Model 1 Model 2
OR (95% CI) OR (95% CI)
Employment status (ref: not working)
 Working 1.01 (0.77-1.33) 1.12 (0.81-1.55)
Sex (ref: women)
 Men 2.38 (1.85-3.09) 2.25 (1.62-3.13)
Age (every 1-year increase) 1.01 (0.98-1.03) 1.00 (0.97-1.03)
Marital status (ref: unmarried)
 Married 1.00 (0.64-1.55)
Household composition (ref: living alone)
 Cohabiting 1.41 (0.86-2.34)
Duration of residence (ref: < 30 years)
 30–49 years 0.74 (0.50-1.09)
 ≥ 50 years 1.12 (0.77-1.63)
Educational year (ref: ≥ 13 years)
 6–9 years 1.34 (0.97-1.85)
 10–12 years 1.14 (0.68-1.91)
Subjective financial status (ref: affluent)
 Neither 1.10 (0.78-1.56)
 Poor 1.31 (0.87-1.96)
Comorbidities (ref: 0)
 1 1.02 (0.73-1.42)
 ≥ 2 0.95 (0.60-1.49)
Self-rated health (ref: good)
 Poor 1.22 (0.82-1.82)
IADL scores (every 1-point increase) 0.93 (0.65-1.35)
Frequency of community activity participation (ref: non-participation)
 < once a week 0.45 (0.32-0.65)
 ≥ once a week 0.39 (0.27-0.56)
Frequency of going out per month (every 1-time increase) 1.00 (0.99-1.01)
Table 3. Association between Reasons for Working and the Onset of Social Isolation in the Total Sample.

From: Effects of Employment Status and Motivations on the Onset of Social Isolation in Old Age: A 2.5-year Longitudinal Study

Model 1 Model 2
OR (95% CI) OR (95% CI)
Reasons for working (ref: not working)
 Working for FR 1.47 (0.96-2.26) 1.90 (1.15-3.14)
 Working for NFR 0.65 (0.42-1.00) 0.70 (0.42-1.17)
 Working for BR 1.13 (0.78-1.64) 1.16 (0.75-1.77)
Sex (ref: women)
 Men 2.34 (1.80-3.04) 2.12 (1.52-2.97)
Age (every 1-year increase) 1.01 (0.98-1.03) 1.01 (0.98-1.03)
Marital status (ref: unmarried)
 Married 1.03 (0.66-1.61)
Household composition (ref: living alone)
 Cohabiting 1.41 (0.86-2.34)
Duration of residence (ref: < 30 years)
 30-49 years 0.74 (0.50-1.09)
 ≥ 50 years 1.10 (0.75-1.60)
Educational year (ref: ≥ 13 years)
 6–9 years 1.33 (0.96-1.85)
 10–12 years 1.10 (0.75-1.60)
Subjective financial status (ref: affluent)
 Neither 1.02 (0.72-1.46)
 Poor 1.18 (0.78-1.79)
Comorbidities (ref: 0)
 1 1.03 (0.74-1.44)
 ≥ 2 0.99 (0.63-1.57)
Self-rated health (ref: good)
 Poor 1.22 (0.82-1.83)
IADL scores (every 1-point increase) 0.93 (0.64-1.35)
Frequency of community activity participation (ref: non-participation)
 < once a week 0.45 (0.31-0.65)
 ≥ once a week 0.39 (0.27-0.57)
Frequency of going out per month (every 1-time increase) 1.00 (0.99-1.01)
Table 4. Association between Reasons for Working and the Onset of Social Isolation among the Sample Working at Baseline.

From: Effects of Employment Status and Motivations on the Onset of Social Isolation in Old Age: A 2.5-year Longitudinal Study

Model 1 Model 2
OR (95% CI) OR (95% CI)
Reasons for working (ref: working for NFR)
 Working for FR 2.22 (1.26-3.89) 3.65 (1.75-7.61)
 Working for BR 1.70 (1.01-2.86) 1.82 (0.94-3.52)
Sex (ref: women)
 Men 2.15 (1.39-3.30) 1.69 (0.93-3.10)
Age (every 1-year increase) 0.99 (0.95-1.03) 0.97 (0.92-1.03)
Marital status (ref: unmarried)
 Married 0.59 (0.28-1.25)
Household composition (ref: living alone)
 Cohabiting 1.93 (0.85-4.40)
Duration of residence (ref: < 30 years)
 30–49 years 0.88 (0.46-1.68)
 ≥ 50 years 1.23 (0.63-2.39)
Educational year (ref: ≥ 13 years)
 6–9 years 1.26 (0.72-2.19)
 10–12 years 1.20 (0.50-2.89)
Subjective financial status (ref: affluent)
 Neither 0.54 (0.29-1.03)
 Poor 0.78 (0.39-1.57)
Comorbidities (ref: 0)
 1 0.99 (0.57-1.73)
 ≥ 2 1.29 (0.61-2.72)
Self-rated health (ref: good)
 Poor 1.32 (0.59-2.96)
IADL scores (every 1-point increase) 0.88 (0.37-2.06)
Frequency of community activity participation (ref: non-participation)
 < once a week 0.58 (0.31-1.08)
 ≥ once a week 0.57 (0.30-1.06)
Frequency of going out per month (every 1-time increase) 1.00 (0.98-1.01)
Employment type (ref: self-employed)
 Employed 1.47 (0.75-2.88)
 Other 1.49 (0.65-3.44)
Working hours (ref: ≥ 35 hours per week)
 < 35 hours per week 0.83 (0.46-1.50)
Years of current occupation (every 1-year increase) 1.00 (0.98-1.01)
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