Health, psychosocial factors and retirement intentions among Finnish physicians

Background Early retirement among physicians is a worldwide problem and all efforts to try to minimize it are of importance. Aims To investigate whether characteristics of work, organization factors and health factors might be associated with retirement intentions among physicians. Methods Cross-sectional survey data from the Finnish Health Care Professional Study was used. A random sample of Finnish physicians included 682 women and 701 men aged 45-65 years. A three-level retirement intention score was constructed based on responses to two questions asking about (i) willingness to continue working or retiring and (ii) pension-applying considerations. Health indicators used were self-rated health, work ability and sickness absence during the past 12 months. Karasek's job control and Colquitt's organizational justice were measured. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Results Self-reports of poor health [odds ratio (OR) 2.17, 95% CI 1.84-2.56], low work ability (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.12-1.46), taking sickness absence (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12-1.46), low job control (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.50-1.95) and organizational injustice (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.17-1.39) all independently increased the likelihood of retirement intentions. Low job control strengthened the associations of poor health and low work ability with retirement intentions. In addition, organizational injustice strengthened the associations of poor health and sickness absences with retirement intentions. Conclusion Low job control and organizational injustice may intensify the effect of poor health on retirement intentions. Promoting control opportunities and organizational justice might help to decrease early retirement among physicians.