Leadership, Management & Life in the Workplace
  • Blog
  • About John
  • Decoding the Workplace
  • Dr. Juran AIG Archival Project
  • Contact
  • Disclaimers

Job Satisfaction and Longevity

9/2/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
What is the best predictor of  longevity? I have not reviewed current research but a study I read many years ago I have never forgotten. It was published in 1969 in The Gerontologist. The primary author, Erdman Palmore, went on to establish himself as one of the greatest researchers in longevity and life satisfaction studies.  A professor emeritus of medical sociology at Duke University, he has received many honors in gerontology and remains active in his 80s.

The study I recall was a report from the First Duke Longitudinal Study of Aging. Palmore and his associates studied people over many years late in life. They began by interviewing and gathering data from over 200 people 60 to 64 years of age. Fifteen years later they checked to see how many had died. For those still living they estimated their remaining years using actuarial tables. The question Palmore was trying to answer is what is the best predictor on how long a person will live? Is it health activities? Education? Occupation? Tobacco use?

The results were stunning. The single best predictor was job satisfaction. Those people who fifteen years before had reported that they felt useful and were doing meaningful work, these were the people most likely to live longer. Job satisfaction in the latter part of one’s work life was highly correlated with the longevity of that life.

People who are happy in their jobs are more likely to be happy overall in their lives. And all things being equal, perhaps have a higher probability of a longer life.

Palmore, E. (1969). Predicting longevity: a follow-up controlling for age. The Gerontologist, 9, 247-250.

Image of St. Elias Range. © John Ballard, 2013. All rights reserved.    

2 Comments
B Kramer
9/3/2013 03:03:47 pm

Very interesting read! I can see how job satisfaction can lead to less stress, which would lead to a longer life.

I once saw a study where they interviewed people in their late 90s to try and find out what it was that kept them going. The one thing that they had in common is that they all had something to look forward to. I could see how these two studies could be related.

Reply
L Rome
9/6/2013 10:26:38 am

Wow...very interesting. And it does make sense.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    RSS Feed