Lifespan Perspectives on Occupational Health

Abstract The aim of this chapter is to review research on occupational health from a lifespan perspective. Accordingly, we summarize and integrate key theories and empirical findings from different research fields: the domains of occupational health psychology and lifespan psychology. Our overview takes into account the concept of successful aging at work as an integrative lifespan developmental perspective and the person–environment fit approach. Research revealed that there is notable heterogeneity in individuals’ patterns of and changes in patterns of occupational health across the working lifespan. One key aspect of this chapter is to summarize existent knowledge on the role of personal factors and work characteristics that function as boundary conditions explaining why individuals’ occupational health develops differently across the working lifespan. Specifically, we focus on the role of personal factors such as demographics, health-related variables, personality, and motivational characteristics and of task, knowledge, social, and contextual work characteristics that have been discussed in the literature. Moreover, a person-environment fit perspective is presented. It states that across age, workers’ resources need to be matched with job demands to provide opportunities for successful aging at work. Finally, we outline suggestions for future research directions.