The U.S. study, of nearly 3,000 healthy retirees stepping away from their jobs on average about age 65, found that the longer people worked, the lower their mortality risk. That is key, says Maria Fitzpatrick, a social scientist at Cornell University who studies the health effects of retirement. Having had a highly social job, such as in customer service, can also affect mental and physical health in retirement. Studies have found that building a strong support network can lower mortality risk by about 45 percent. A meta-analysis of 14 studies found that volunteering was linked to a reduction in mortality risk of 24 percent.

Source: Washington Post December 19, 2020 18:56 UTC