Work, Aging, and Cognitive Functioning in Israel: Type of Work Makes a Difference

We used data collected in two waves of interviews (2009-T1 and 2013-T2) from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We included 679 participants out of the Israeli sample (N=1645), who retired from work (early/on time/late), and completed T1 and T2-interviews. The memory score was calculated as the mean of 10 words recalled in two memory tests (immediate/delayed), ranging 0–20. Significant predictors of memory decline (MD) in a hierarchical regression analysis (Model-1) were: total words remembered at T1, T1-ADL, T1-depression, depression change, T1-age, and T1-education. Early retirement and work type, added to Model-2, were found significant predictors as well, increasing significantly the explained variance of MD (from R2=0.28 to R2=0.44). We conclude that early retirement and work type are significant predictors of MD even when controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, health/function status and changes in health/function. Appropriate interventions to reduce decline in cognitive capabilities should be developed.