Overview of the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study

Abstract

The New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study (NZHWR) is the longest running longitudinal study of ageing in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study brings together complimentary disciplines such as social gerontology, psychology, public health, and human geography to explore a broad range of factors that contribute to well-being in older age. The aim of this presentation is to describe the NZHWR study in terms of its design and data collection modes, and focus on some key themes and findings from the past 18 years. Trajectories of mental, physical and social health are presented. Contributions of the NZHWR to projects on work and retirement, COVID and earthquakes are also discussed. Finally, an overview of the recently funded project on the prevention of frailty is provided which highlights how we can leverage existing NZHWR work to support healthy ageing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Speaker

Fiona Alpass PhD
Professor of Psychology
School of Psychology
Massey University

Bio

Fiona Alpass is Professor of Psychology at Te Kunenga Ki Pūkehuroa (Massey University), Aotearoa New Zealand.  Dr Alpass co-leads the Health and Ageing Research Team (HART) in the School of Psychology. She is also co-Principal Investigator of the longitudinal Health, Work and Retirement study, a population-level study which aims to identify the health, economic, and social factors underpinning successful ageing in New Zealand’s community dwelling population. Dr Alpass’s research focuses on a variety of topics related to ageing, including older workers and their transitions to retirement, and the impact of combining work and caregiving on health and well-being.