Depressive symptoms and early retirement intentions among Danish eldercare workers: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

Table 1 Characteristics of study populations (% = percentage)

Populations
	Longitudinal				Cross-sectional
	n = 2444				n = 4041
	n at T1	%	n at T2	%	n at T2	%
Depressive symptoms	MD = 153	MD = 6	MD = 171	MD = 7	MD = 305	MD = 8
Severe (MDI > =20)	123	5	128	5	220	5
Moderately severe (MDI 15–19)	139	6	139	6	234	6
Moderate (MDI 10–14)	323	13	350	14	564	14
Mild (MDI 5–9)	841	34	794	33	1293	32
None (MDI 0–4)	865	35	862	35	1425	35
Change in depressive symptoms			MD = 296	MD = 12
Worsened			360	15
Improved			331	13
Unaffected			1457	60
Retirement intentions	MD = 21	MD = 8
Very early (before 62)	1357	56	1370	56	2136	53
Early (62 and 64 years)	580	24	726	30	1216	30
Normal retirement (65 years)	286	12	348	14	689	17
Age
45-49 years	845	35			1116	28
50-54 years	1024	42			1413	35
55-60 year	575	24			1512	37
Gender
Male	97	4			220	5
Female	2347	96			3821	95
Marital status	MD = 81	MD = 3			MD = 61	MD = 1
Cohabitant	1966	81			3219	80
No cohabitant	397	16			761	19
Shift work	MD = 30	MD = 1			MD = 28	MD = 1
Day shift	1595	65			2620	65
Night shift	819	34			1393	34
Work experience	MD = 39	MD = 2			MD = 407	MD = 10
0-5 years	865	35			1549	38
6-15 years	874	36			1069	27
> = 16 years	666	27			1016	25
Type of occupation	MD = 15	MD = 1			MD = 25	MD = 1
Supervisor	241	10			405	10
Nurse or therapist	258	10			457	11
Care helpers and assistants	1702	70			2745	68
Other	225	9			409	10

ISSN: 1471-2458