Health and Labor Force Participation of Older Men, 1900-1991
利用体重身高比（BMI）作为健康指标，研究了1900年至1991年间老年男性健康状况与退休决策关系的变化，发现健康对退休的影响已减弱。
I investigate how the relationship between health status and retirement among older men has changed since 1900 using weight adjusted for height or Body Mass Index (SM!) as a proxy for health. I find that both in 1900 and in 1985-1991 the relative risk of labor force nonparticipation increases for the excessively lean and obese and that the BMI level that minimizes the relative risk of labor force non-participation remains unchanged. However, in 1900 both the relative risk of non-participation among men at low and high BMI levels and the elasticity of non-participation with respect to BMI were greater than today, suggesting that health is now less important to the retirement decision than in the past. The difference in the relative risk of nonparticipation is especially pronounced at high BMI levels. Declining physical job demands and improved control of chronic conditions may explain the difference.