26 Chapter 2 Methods Search strategy and study selection A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycINFO up to November 1, 2016. Search terms related to: 1) exposure, i.e. exit from work, 2) outcome, i.e. health, 3) strata, i.e. SES and 4) design, i.e. prospective or retrospective. The search terms can be found in the supplementary files. Articles identified in the databases were combined and duplicates were removed. For final inclusion, articles had to fulfil all of the following inclusion criteria. First, an article was eligible when the population had left the workforce at the end of the study period. Exit from work was defined as “withdrawal of older workers (i.e.55 years or older) from paid working life” and was differentiated in three types of exit routes: 1) statutory retirement or early retirement taking place before the statutory retirement age – i.e. via an early retirement scheme, 2) unemployment and 3) disability pension (6, 8, 18). Hereby, older workers were 55 years or older, because on average workers were 55 years old when they left the workforce (19). Second, an article had to report on at least one health component, before and after the work exit. Health was conceptualized as general, physical, or mental health and/or health behaviour. General health refers to how people perceived their health in general (e.g. how do you rate your health in general), physical health refers to physiological body functions (e.g. pain and disabilities), mental health refers to psychological wellbeing (e.g. mental functioning and depression) and health behaviour refers to behaviours that will likely influence one’s health either positive or negative (e.g. diet and physical activity) (6, 7, 20-22). Also, the health outcome BMI was categorized under health behaviours, because overweight and obesity are considered as a risk factor for non-communicable diseases and may result from the unhealthy behaviours having an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity (23). Third, an article had to include at least one indicator of SES (i.e. educational, occupational and/or income level) (13, 14), and included analyses to distinguish health effects across socioeconomic groups, either through stratification or an interaction term. This means that articles were excluded that only included SES as a confounding factor. Fourth, only articles with a longitudinal study design (either retrospective or prospective) were included. Fifth, articles published from 2001 were included to only provide information on the effects of exit from work processes that are taking place right now. Sixth, only articles in English and published in a peer reviewed journal were included. Two reviewers (RS and AdW) independently started with the screening of 600 articles on title and abstract. Thereafter, discrepancies were discussed in order to come to agreement on the interpretation and completeness of the inclusion criteria. When all discrepancies were discussed, the remaining articles (i.e.
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