De Montfort University Leicester, England, United Kingdom
Objectives: Retirement, as a significant life transition, can influence individuals’ lifestyles, including diet and physical activity—key determinants of health. However, little is known about lifestyle changes post-retirement among older adults in the UK.
This study explored lifestyle changes after retirement among free-living older adults in Leicester, UK.
Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design. A structured survey collected socio-demographic data (age, sex, ethnicity, pre-retirement job type, and marital status) and self-reported changes in diet and physical activity after retirement. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS v29.0, with a 95% confidence level.
Results: Twenty-four participants (11 M, 13 F) completed the survey; most (N = 20) were aged 60+. Ethnic groups included White N = 8), Asian (N = 6), and Black African (N = 10).
Lifestyle changes post-retirement included increased daily fruit intake (N = 9; 37.5%), higher water consumption (N = 8; 33.3%), and more frequent cooking of fresh meals (N = 9; 37.5%). However, daily snacking increased in over half the group (N = 14), with sugary snack cravings rising among White (N = 4) and Black African (N = 4) participants. Weekly fish consumption increased in 20.9% (N = 5), while 8.4% (N = 2) reported a decrease.
Exercise frequency rose in just over half (N = 13), and a quarter (N = 6) spent more time gardening. Part-time workers reduced sugary snack intake post-retirement, while full-time workers showed an increase (U = 0.5; Z = -2.10; P = 0.36).
A smaller group (N = 5) reported greater awareness of UK healthy eating guidelines post-retirement. However, nearly half (N = 10) indicated they were unaware of the latest dietary recommendations.
Conclusions: This study highlights notable diet and physical activity changes after retirement in a small cohort. The findings underscore the need for larger-scale research to assess retirement’s impact on lifestyle and health outcomes, informing public health policy and guidelines for a healthy retirement transition.
