Coresidence with a child and happiness among older widows in Europe: Does gender of the child matter?

Abstract

Both coresidence patterns and the reported well‐being of older people vary widely across Europe for a variety of economic, cultural, and historical factors. We investigate how far 2 indicators of well‐being, happiness and life satisfaction, vary according to whether or not older women live with their children and, in particular, with son(s) or daughter(s). We compare outcomes for women who are unpartnered widows, the great majority of whom will have had children, so those with and without coresident children may be compared. We use data for 34 countries in Europe by combining 7 waves of the European Social Survey for the period 2002–2014 (N = 18,500). We control for a range of other variables known to be associated with well‐being including health status, socioeconomic position, and social support. Results show that widows living with a child were happier than those living without a child (generally alone) but that in Eastern and Southern Europe it was only living with a daughter that had this positive effect. Older age was associated with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Other associations, and regional differences, were as expected with lower levels of happiness in Eastern Europe and for those with poorer health and fewer social resources. These findings indicate the important influence of contextual factors on associations between living arrangements and the well‐being of older people and a need for further work on possible negative impacts of living alone on the well‐being of older Europeans.

Association of Family Type with Happiness Attributes Among Older Adults

“…Further, the present results were similar to the findings of Robins et al [25], who reported that happiness was significantly associated with lower social isolation, and that participants living with their spouse exhibited better general health, higher levels of household-based physical activity, and lower levels of depression as compared to their counterparts. Grundy and Murphy [8] also reported lower levels of happiness among those with poorer health and fewer social resources. Together, these studies suggest that having a spouse could be one of the most important factors influencing happiness in old age.…”

“…In general, social support or social resources are necessary to lead a happy and healthy life. Social support is an important component of older adults' happiness and health [6,7,8,9]. Among the sources of social support, the family is considered as the most important factor that influences older adults' happiness [3,6,7,8,9,10].…”

“…Social support is an important component of older adults' happiness and health [6,7,8,9]. Among the sources of social support, the family is considered as the most important factor that influences older adults' happiness [3,6,7,8,9,10]. The previous studies report the important influence of contextual factors on associations between living arrangements and the happiness [3,8], between living arrangements and health status [3,10] of older individuals.…”

“…Among the sources of social support, the family is considered as the most important factor that influences older adults' happiness [3,6,7,8,9,10]. The previous studies report the important influence of contextual factors on associations between living arrangements and the happiness [3,8], between living arrangements and health status [3,10] of older individuals. Bai, Yang, and Knapp [6] found that the formal support system for solitary older adults without family support did not contribute to their life satisfaction.…”

Offspring and later-life loneliness in Eastern and Western Europe

“…However, in more 'family orientated' societies (Reher 1998), such as those of Southern and Eastern Europe (Daatland/Herlofson/Lima 2011), individuals who lack important family resources may have fewer alternative sources of support and social interaction. Sparse family links may therefore be a stronger risk factor for loneliness in Eastern-European than in Western-European countries, especially as in Eastern Europe levels of interaction with friends are rather low in comparison with other European regions (Grundy/Murphy 2018). It has been argued that the erosion of care systems and the value of pensions has further reinforced familialism and the reliance on family supports in Eastern Europe (Castiglioni/Hărăguş/Faludi/Hărăguş 2016; Moor/Komter 2012; Saraceno/Keck 2010).…”