Relative Well-Being Among Children and the Elderly: The Effects of Age Group Size and Family Structure

Abstract

While recent decades have witnessed sharply divergent trajectories in the well‐being of children and the elderly, little research explores the social‐structural forces behind these trends. This study examines several key elements of Preston's theory relating relative age group size to the well‐being of children and the elderly. First considered is the degree to which membership in a relatively large age group enhances well‐being; second, the role of family structure in promoting well‐being: third, differences between these processes for children and the elderly. An analysis of three indicators of group well‐being—poverty, mortality, and suicide rates—for U.S. states provides mixed support for Preston's theory. Among the elderly, group size is inversely related to suicide and mortality, but unrelated to poverty. Contrary to Preston's view, larger group size diminishes the well‐being of children. However. consistent with Preston's theory, family structure is substantially more important for the well‐being of children than for the elderly.