1,720,977 research outputs found
(Grand)childlessness and depression across men and women’s stages of later life
No full textThe literature on how family status and health in later life relate is extensive. Although research has focused on the health effects of grandparenthood and grandparenting, explorations of whether ageing without children can lead to mental health impairments have achieved mixed results. We bridge empirical traditions to investigate the relationship between family status and mental health in Europe by using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and sampling roughly 160,000 men and women aged 50-89 from 17 European countries. Mental health is evaluated through depressive symptoms on the EURO-D scale and compared between childless or grandchildless people and grandparents at different ages. To identify the association between (grand)parenthood and mental health status net of confounders, we perform inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA). The rich information SHARE provides facilitates considering the common factors that may influence (grand)parenthood and depressive symptoms. Results show that the three groups hardly differ in mental health: grandchildless men and grandfathers reported fewer depressive symptoms, if any, than childless men aged 70-79. Overall, while mental health does not seem to relate to family status per se, it could be crucial when accounting for the entire individual life course
Comment et avec qui vivent les migrants âgés en Europe ?
No full textDans les sociétés occidentales, la part de la population âgée née à l’étranger connaît une
augmentation. Malgré cette tendance, les conditions de vie des migrants âgés restent un
sujet de recherche rarement abordé. En se fondant sur les données de l’enquête sur la
santé, le vieillissement et la retraite en Europe (SHARE) de 2004 à 2017, notre étude
propose une analyse comparative entre les configurations familiales des natifs et des
non-natifs âgés de 50 ans et plus (personnes vivant seules, avec un conjoint, au sein d’une
famille avec enfants ou d’un ménage complexe) résidant dans certains pays européens
sélectionnés (Allemagne, Autriche, Danemark, Italie, Espagne, Grèce, Suède). L’importance
de notre analyse réside dans la tentative d’explorer dans quelle mesure les migrants âgés
peuvent compter sur un réseau familial capable de leur apporter un soutien dans un
moment de vie potentiellement fragile. Les résultats montrent que les pays de destination
autant que les pays d’origine des migrants peuvent exercer une influence sur les
configurations familiales. De manière générale, les personnes âgées nées à l’étranger ont
tendance à adopter les formes familiales typiques du pays d’accueil. La cohabitation avec
des enfants est plus répandue en Europe du Sud, tandis que le fait de vivre seul ou uniquement
avec un partenaire est plus fréquent en Europe du Nord. Néanmoins, on constate
des différences lorsqu’on observe les ménages composés de trois générations. Les familles
multigénérationnelles sont plus fréquentes en Europe du Sud parmi les personnes nées
à l’étranger et, en particulier, parmi celles qui ont émigré après l’âge de 40 ans. Lorsqu’on
observe cette structure à travers le prisme du pays d’origine, les migrants intra-européens
sont plus susceptibles de vivre uniquement avec un partenaire, tandis que ceux
issus d’autres continents (par exemple, l’Afrique et l’Asie) résident plus souvent avec des
enfants ou au sein de ménages composés de trois générations
The effect of grandparental involvement on grandchildren's school grades: Heterogeneity by the extended family characteristics
Full text linkAs the early years are crucial for individuals' lifelong socioeconomic success, extensive research has examined the impact of non-maternal childcare on children's development. This study aims to enhance the understanding of the relationship between grandparental involvement (defined as grandparent childcare, frequency of contact, and financial support) and grandchildren's school grades, exploring a mechanism of positive selection: children from extended families with specific socioeconomic characteristics are more likely to spend time with grandparents and benefit the most from this involvement.
We utilize data from the German Pairfam survey, which uniquely provides rich information on three family generations. By conducting a heterogeneous treatment effect analysis, we account for confounding factors associated with grandparental involvement and school performance that could bias our findings. For example, children from advantaged families could be more likely to spend time with grandparents and achieve better school grades. Additionally, this approach examines whether the effect of grandparental involvement systematically varies across children based on the extended family's characteristics. For example, children from advantaged families may benefit the most from spending time with grandparents who possess social, cultural, and cognitive resources conducive to their development.
After accounting for confounding factors and heterogeneity, our analyses do not reveal a statistically significant effect of grandparental investment on children's school grades. The study concludes by discussing possible reasons for this result and highlighting the implications for the intergenerational transmission of inequality
Extreme temperatures and morbidity in old age in Europe
No full textUnderstanding the relationship between extreme temperatures and health
among older adults is of paramount importance for public health in ageing societies. This
study aims to enhance our understanding of the impact of extreme temperatures on
morbidity, i.e. the risk of being hospitalised, using medications for heart conditions, and
experiencing the onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among older adults in Europe
(65 years old) using five waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in
Europe (SHARE, 2004–2015). It also explores heterogeneity in this impact depending
on an array of factors that affect exposure and vulnerability to climate, including geographical location, gender, age, educational level, having a partner/child and living in an urban or
a rural area. Results from individual fixed-effects models show that extremely cold temperatures increase the risk of being hospitalised and suffering from CVDs, while heat exposure
has no noteworthy effect. Broken down by geographical location, the results indicate that
one additional extremely cold day influences the risk of hospitalisation in the coldest and the
warmest European regions, while extreme heat influences this risk in the warmest European
regions. Finally, the oldest old and low educated individuals appear to be the most vulnerable social groups. The study concludes by discussing the advantages and the limitations of
using survey data to study climate and health, and the strategies suggested by the relevant literature to prevent temperature-related illness
THE SOCIAL STRATIFICATION OF INFORMAL CAREGIVING ARRANGEMENTS IN EUROPE
Full text linkIn ageing societies, the increasing quota of older and frail individuals creates unprecedented needs for care. As care is often costly and not adequately covered by the welfare state, care responsibilities for older individuals fall on the shoulders of family members. The study of informal care provision is acquiring centrality both in the social sciences and policy discourse, since the care load can bear negative consequences on a range of outcomes, from health (e.g., the “caregiver burden”) to employment. It is important to gain a better understanding of which individuals are the most likely to provide informal caregiving and face its consequences. In the present study, we explore the educational and income differences in the probability of providing informal caregiving to individuals living outside the household in Europe, using the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004-2020). As a contribution to the field, we aim at uncovering the mechanisms behind the socio-economic gradient in caregiving, such as differences in health and longevity and time constraints (due to employment and other care responsibilities) that are unequally distributed across social layers. Results show that individuals with tertiary education, and at the top of the income distribution, are more likely to provide care, net of several other factors. The study concludes with attempted explanations of the results, related to the fact that lower educated, and lower income individuals, can more often rely on publicly provided services and means-tested benefits
Crescere con un solo genitore: studenti nativi e immigrati a confronto.
No full textChi cresce con un solo genitore ha risultati scolastici peggiori, ma
ci sono differenze a seconda del background migratorio? In un recente studio su studenti di scuola media in Italia, Raffaele Guetto, Francesca Zanasi, e Maria Carella, mostrano come gli studenti italiani siano più svantaggiati dall’assenza di un genitore rispetto a quelli immigrati. Lo studio ricerca i motivi della differenza nelle risorse a disposizione delle famiglie e nel motivo di assenza genitoriale
The prevalence of grandparental childcare in Europe: a research update
Full text linkWe investigate (a) how the proportion of European grandparents providing childcare changed over a period of 15 years, (b) how these proportions differ by gender and education, and (c) how countries not covered in earlier analyses fit into previously identified regional patterns of grandparental childcare in Europe. Using data from Waves 1, 2, and 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), our descriptive analysis provides estimates of the prevalence and intensity of grandparental childcare in 26 European countries as well as of the changes therein over time and across socio-demographically defined groups. Overall, the prevalence and intensity of grandparental childcare in Europe has remained fairly stable over time, with minor increases. Proportions of grandparents providing any childcare strongly vary, however, across countries (from 24 to 60%). Grandmothers are generally more likely to provide childcare than grandfathers, while differences based on educational levels are less clear-cut. Central and southeastern Europe, representing the bulk of the 'new' countries in the analysis, exhibit patterns of grandparental childcare closely resembling those observed in Mediterranean countries. Our analysis revealed an overall stability over time rather than change in grandparents' provision of childcare in Europe, with substantial variations across welfare state regimes and within countries when accounting for grandparents' gender and educational levels. Including countries that had previously been excluded from other studies challenges the 'narrative' that has emerged around a negative macrolevel association between the provision of extensive and intensive grandparental childcare
Parental social class and home-leaving in Italy: A changing landscape with persistent inequalities
Full text linkObjective: This study explores the relationship between family background and home-leaving behaviour in Italy, focusing on how parental social class influences the timing and destinations (education, cohabitation, marriage, or autonomy) of home-leaving across three cohorts of women and men born between 1939 and 1998. Background: Italians tend to leave home late, and the age at which young adults leave their parental homes has been rising since the 1980s, raising concerns about shifting demographic patterns and broader societal impacts. Method: Using retrospective data from the ISTAT Multipurpose Survey on Families and Social Subjects (2009 and 2016), we apply event history analysis techniques. Results: The general delay in home-leaving has narrowed parental social class differences among women. However, for men, this delay is concentrated in higher social classes, leading to a widening class gap. Over time, parental social class differences in home-leaving destinations, particularly living with parents, marriage, and autonomy, have generally levelled out. Daughters from higher socioeconomic backgrounds increasingly leave home for education, while cohabitation remains uncommon. Similar trends are observed among men, though sons of agricultural workers have become less likely to stay with their parents and more likely to leave for marriage or autonomy. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the ongoing influence of parental social class on home-leaving destinations, highlighting its continued role in shaping the transition to adulthood in Italy
Post-Migration Fertility in Southern Europe: Romanian and Moroccan women in Italy and Spain
Full text linkThis paper seeks to analyse migrant women’s reproductive behaviour in two countries with the lowest fertility rates, namely, Italy and Spain. We assess differences in migrant fertility patterns according to country of origin by comparing the post-migration motherhood of Moroccan and Romanian women.
We have used data from the “2007 National Immigrant Survey” (INE) and the ”2011-2012 Survey on Social Integration and Condition among Foreign Citizens” (ISTAT) to adopt an event-history approach to the factors that affect the birth of the first child after migration. Specifically, we focus on marital status upon arrival and on the number of previous children, controlling in turn for the women’s socioeconomic circumstances.
The results show, firstly, that Moroccan women have a higher fertility rate than Romanians in both countries. Secondly, the risk of the first birth shortly after migration is higher among childless and married women, and this probability remain high even for women from Morocco with children. Thirdly a cross-country comparison reveals that the results related to childbearing patterns are similar
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