Further interesting SHARE Findings
Selected findings from SHARE First Results Books:
- The importance of social ties in a disadvantaged area of living: Although most older Europeans live in environmentally satisfactory neighbourhoods and have socially cohesive relationships with their neighbours, there are within-country differences in social cohesion. Not surprisingly, residents of socially cohesive neighbourhoods are more satisfied with their lives. However, this is particularly true for those living in otherwise deprived neighbourhoods. In other words, social ties become even more important for subjective well-being of older people when they reside in otherwise deprived neighbourhoods.
- Identifying high-risk groups for being affected by social exclusion: SHARE data can be used to identify groups that are at particular risk of being affected by social exclusion. Examples are people with a migration background, caregivers and in particular daughters of people in need for care:
- Migration background: Despite some country differences the predominant pattern found in Europe is that migrants are significantly more often deprived materially in later life, and to a lesser extent socially, compared to natives. This deprivation risk is more pronounced for people who migrated themselves, compared to those whose parents had migrated. In fact, in terms of social deprivation the latter group does not differ from the native older population and differences in the level of material deprivation can be attributed to differences in basic socio-economic characteristics and citizenship status
- Informal caregivers: Caregivers aged 50 and older appear to feel lonelier than people who do not look after a dependent person. This is the case because family responsibilities are considered burdensome. Accordingly, loneliness among caregivers is reduced when care services are available, when a state provides more care services.
- Daughters: Having children, especially daughters, plays an important role in the supply of informal care as children serve as potential informal caregivers. At the same time, this availability of potential caregivers decreases the probability of purchasing private voluntary long-term care insurance. The burden of care can then have several adverse effects on, e.g., health or professional career of the caregivers, which are most often daughters. This finding calls for policies encouraging the availability and purchase of voluntary long-term care also for the benefit of family members otherwise negatively affected.
More SHARE Research Findings:
Are volunteers happier?
New SHARE study explores the effects of voluntary work on life satisfaction in midlife and old age
Educational inequalities and cognition in old age
New study with SHARE date explores the impact of educational inequalities on cognition in old age
Internet use among older Europeans
New SHARE-based study explores the drivers of Internet use among Europeans aged 50+
Do women in Europe live longer and happier lives than men?
New SHARE-based study is among the first to explore gender differences in happy life expectancy
Are immigrants healthier than natives?
New study with SHARE data compares the health effects of different immigration policies in Europe and Israel
Women in gender-equal countries perform better in cognitive tests
Cognitive abilities of women after midlife may be affected by the gender-role attitudes in their countries of residence, indicates this new study based on SHARE data.
Life History and the Risk of Death
New study discusses how an individual's past influences their risk of an untimely death.
The taller, the happier?
International study analyses the link between body height and well-being among people 50+