Patterns in quality of life according to employment among the older adults: the Korean longitudinal study of aging (2008–2014)

BACKGROUND: Korea is becoming an aged society. Accordingly, it is very meaningful to investigate the impact of job retention on quality of life (QOL) for older adults. We aimed to understand the pattern of changes over time in QOL of older adults aged 65 years or older based on employment status using the national data, the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). METHODS: Data from the KLoSA during 2008–2014 were used. QOL was measured with the question, “How is your overall quality of life when compared to that of your peers in the same age group?” A total of 526 older adults were selected from 2008, including 267 who retained their jobs without change (job retention group) and 259 who lost their jobs by 2014 (job loss group). In order to analyze the factors affecting the QOL between 2008 and 2014, linear mixed models were used. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 70 years. In men, the QOL was significantly higher in the job retention group than the job loss group (β = 7.751, p < .001). According to time, the QOL in 2012 (β = − 3.805, p = .003) and 2014 (β = − 4.254, p < .001) was significantly lower than that in 2008. In addition, the groups of retention or loss of job showed a significant difference in the change in QOL over time; the QOL was significantly lower in 2010 (β = − 3.570, p = .027) and 2014 (β = − 5.604, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that employment is an important factor affecting the QOL. In order to improve the QOL of the older adults, tailored programs are needed to understand the characteristics of the elderly and to create suitable jobs for them.