Self-employment and inflammation in older adults: Examining biomarkers in the survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe

Abstract

Previous studies using SHARE data explored self-employment and perceived well-being in older adults, and extending this line of prior studies, this study examines the link between self-employment and inflammation, a key biological pathway related to health and well-being. Incorporating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels from SHARE biomarker data assesses whether perceived self-reports correlate with longer-term biomarkers of well-being. Accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, health, and other biomarker variables, our findings show a non-significant relationship between self-employment and CRP levels, with no evidence of heterogeneity in effects across participants.