Overall, the present study acknowledged gaps in the literature on women’s experiences of healthy aging at work. Although various studies have explored components of this area of study, few have combined these topics, and fewer still provided insights from the
perspective of older women workers. The study contributed to the literature on healthy aging at work, and in particular to occupational science literature that had previously largely overlooked the experiences of women and older women’s work-related choices. Within occupational science, the present study brought to light the occupational injustices that older women workers may experience. Occupational science perspectives were also highlighted through health promotion and the need for empowerment of women through opportunities for individual and systematic change to encourage participation in
meaningful occupations.
6.4.1.
Future research directions
The present study aimed to generate knowledge about older women workers by utilizing a two-part study design with a total of 77 participants. The use of participatory action research in the study broadened the scope of the research such that the advisory group participants were involved in the study design and expressed a personal interest and commitment to the research. Moreover, Phase 2 provided a space for women to anonymously express their needs and concerns as older women workers without judgment from others. These methods promoted the generation of co-constructed knowledge with informative results that could contribute to practical applications that may improve the experiences of older women workers.
Difficulty remains in identifying, addressing, and accommodating the unique needs of the older woman worker and thus, future research needs to further explore these concepts. A transferable and broadly accepted definition of supportive work environments is still lacking. However, this study contributed to expanding the understandings of what older women workers require in terms of support at work, including the ecosystems of support that exist in supportive workplaces and how these ecosystems can contribute to older
women worker’s health and wellbeing at work, more research is required to expand, verify, and share these concepts.
This study contributed to the identification of the unique needs of the older woman worker and focused on uncovering implicit, unmet needs that older women workers may have. Future directions could focus on solutions to overcoming these unmet needs to improve the experiences of future older women workers. Alternatively, future research could study workplaces whose older workers reported that their needs are met and explore how such organizations differ from organizations with less-satisfied older
workers. The exploratory nature of this study enabled the voices of older women workers to show through in the findings and recommendations, however, tangible and tested solutions have not been provided from this research.
6.4.2.
Contributions to occupational science
This study contributed to the occupational science literature because previous research had not been published within this discipline that examined the unmet needs of older women workers. Furthermore, by studying women’s experiences in paid work, this study examined interactions between older women and their work environments,
conceptualizing the holistic perspective of the study of occupation that occupational scholars promote (Wilcock, 2007). By examining the unmet needs, this study applied Stadnyk et al.’s (2010) framework of occupational injustice to older women workers who experience occupational deprivation, marginalization, alienation, and/or imbalance. In contrast, this study also advanced knowledge in regards to the health promoting factors of participation in meaningful occupations, in the case of this study, the overarching
occupation of participating in paid work. This study contributes to the occupational science literature because I have offered perspectives in regard to both the health
promoting and health-demoting factors for older women worker, as has been highlighted as an important consideration in the study of occupation (Hocking, 2009; Wilcock, 2007). When discussing the occupation of participating in work and the needs of older women workers that coincide with this occupation, the study findings could connect occupational injustices to the existence of older women workers’ unmet needs. For example,
occupational imbalance was experienced by the study participants who expressed feeling overwhelmed by their workload and struggles to prioritize their time to engage in
meaningful non-work occupations while maintaining full-time careers. Occupational marginalization was interpreted in the findings when participants expressed lack of control over their work and when they indicated that their needs could be better met if their efforts were acknowledged and appreciated more. Stadnyk’s et al.’s (2010)
framework is based on the concept of social exclusion and the occupational injustices that occur when various forms of social exclusion occur. The findings supported this theory of social exclusion in that the participants emphasized the need to belong and feel accepted within the work team or environment. Without this fundamental need of inclusivity being met, older women workers will experience more instrumental and contextual unmet needs at work, further contributing to occupational injustices.
In contrast to the deficit perspective of occupational injustice, the present study also contributed to occupational perspectives of health promotion in supporting the holistic understanding of the benefits of engagement in meaningful occupations on health and wellbeing (Wilcock, 2007). The interaction between occupational beings and their social and cultural environments were exhibited in the study by the participants’ emphasis on valuing support at work and discussions of financial disadvantages as a result of the historical circumstances of older women workers. The relationship between occupations and health has been reviewed in the literature, with occupational science perspectives being largely focused on “the extent to which engagement in occupation influences perceived quality of life” (Hocking, 2000, p. 60). The present study explored engagement in work and the perceived influences that this engagement had on individuals’
understandings of their changing health and wellbeing needs as older women workers. As Yerxa (1993) proposed, humans are occupational beings who can overcome
challenges by utilizing their skills and the capacity to adapt to changing environments to maintain health and wellbeing. This ability to adapt through engagement in occupation is the essence of the concept of occupational adaptation (Hocking, 2000; Nelson, 1988) Additionally, the present study provided insights for occupational science research in regards to the implicit impact of individual adaptation in the workplace, particularly in
regards to the undisclosed changing health needs of older women workers. The study findings highlighted the need to bring to light how women are approaching aging and health at work. Uncovering knowledge of silent adaptations and accommodations that older women undertake may assist others in managing health and wellbeing at work. The current study shed light on these subtle adaptations, in contrast to the more explicit occupational adaptations that are typically associated with overcoming obstacles due to acute incidents, such as trauma or illness (Hocking, 2000).
The participatory methodology utilized in this study provided a unique occupational science perspective in that, although “occupation may be conceptualized as the multiple, interwoven processes which occur as the actor and the environment interact” (Hocking, 2000, p. 61), few studies in the occupational science literature have incorporated participatory action research. Rather, empirical research has focused largely on specific aspects of occupation, unlike the present study that incorporated a holistic view that could empower the participants and older women workers as a group (Hocking, 2000; Wilcock, 2007). The unique methodology provided a space for women to voice their concerns, while empowering them to share their previously undisclosed needs at work. The goal of the final action of this study is to reveal these implicit needs, such that changes to policies on worker retention or health promotion can be reconsidered. As long as these problems remain hidden, there is no issue for policy to address and thus, the cycle of nondisclosure will continue, further stigmatizing the changing health and wellbeing needs of older women workers.
6.4.3.
Limitations of the research
This study was limited in scope because a western worldview perspective influenced the participants and the researchers. Data was not collected on the specific employment or life histories of the participants and thus, it is impossible to know to whom these findings could relate or if the study findings are generalizable beyond the specific participants. Key insights are revealed that may be useful in rethinking what older women need to remain healthy and productive as they age at work. The findings from the study supported previous research and incorporated the voice of the participants, unlike
2004; Shacklock et al., 2009). Therefore, by providing older women workers with a voice within the academic literature, I believe that the study findings provide an important contribution to the current body of literature. As well, the findings could be used as a basis to provide suggestions to organizations to better support their older workers and provide suggestions for older women workers themselves. These suggestions will be distributed to the participants who indicated an interest in receiving this information for their own personal information and use.
There was some difficulty with recruitment of participants in that the advisory group was smaller than I had originally hoped due to difficulty in accessing potential participants and scheduling conflicts. A larger advisory group may have led the study in a different direction and a broader knowledge base from advisory group participants may have resulted in larger variation in the experiences of the survey participants because
recruitment for the survey was reliant on the advisory group members and thus limited to the employment sectors that the advisory group members were privy to.
Another limitation of the study is that, although the study is considered participatory action research, the only participants who were included in the design and development of the study were the advisory group members. If the survey participants had been
included in the design, more rich data may have been gathered. However, the inclusion of the advisory group in the design process and the interest garnered from this study both from the advisory group and survey participants suggests that the research design was appropriate for this study and the findings could be used to inform organizational
practices. The forthcoming challenge for me will be to gain access to these organizations such that they will be encouraged to implement the recommendations that stemmed from the study findings, continuing the action portion of the study. Connecting with a
community organization may have expanded the scope of the research and resulted in greater application of the study findings and inclusion of the participants both in the design and action portions of the study.