Governance of ageing and functional health: the impact of retirement policies on grip strength in Europe
Mohammad Almomani & Mohammad Al-Masaeid
What the paper says
Purpose This paper aims to investigate how retirement and its duration affect functional health, using grip strength as an early biomarker of ageing. It examines the implications of pension policy and cultural context for physical functioning among older adults in Europe. Design/methodology/approach We analyse panel data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, covering 2004–2019. A fixed effects instrumental variable (FE–IV) approach is employed, using eligibility for state pension age as an exogenous instrument to address endogeneity in retirement status. Findings Retirement improves grip strength, particularly among older women and in individualistic welfare regimes. However, extended time in retirement leads to functional decline, especially among men and in collectivist societies. These patterns suggest both health-promoting and health-risk phases within retirement, shaped by policy and cultural environments. Originality/value By linking pension eligibility rules with functional health outcomes across countries, this study provides governance-relevant evidence for designing retirement systems that support healthy ageing. Findings highlight the need for integrating physical resilience programs within retirement policy, tailored to national contexts and cultural norms, to reduce long-term health risks and promote equity in ageing.
3 citations
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.32 × 0.4 = 0.13 |
| M · momentum | 0.57 × 0.15 = 0.09 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.