IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v162y2022i3d10.1007_s11205-022-02885-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Life-Course Approach to the Relationship Between Education, Family Trajectory and Late-Life Loneliness Among Older Women in Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Celia Fernández-Carro

    (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED))

  • Jordi Gumà Lao

    (Universitat Pompeu i Fabra)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to expand our knowledge about the factors that condition late-life loneliness from a longitudinal perspective. We assess the long-term relationship between education, late-life loneliness and family trajectories in terms of the role of partnership and motherhood, as well as their timing for older women. We set two initial hypotheses: (1) family trajectory has a mediating effect and (2) education has a selection effect. Cross-sectional and retrospective data are drawn from the three waves of the SHARE survey (3rd, 5th and 7th waves), selecting a subsample of women aged 65 and over from 11 European countries (N = 10,615). After distinguishing eight different family trajectories by carrying out a Sequence Analysis, the Karlson-Holm-Breen method is used to assess the mediator effect of family trajectory on the relationship between education and loneliness. Multinomial analysis is used to explore whether the probability of different family trajectories of older European women is defined by their level of education. Our results show that education has a selection effect on family trajectories: a higher educational level increases the probability of a non-standardised family trajectory. Significant results of the mediator effect of family trajectory are however only observed for women with medium-level education, as being single and childless at older ages increases the probability of loneliness among these women. Adopting a life-course perspective has permitted us to introduce the longitudinal dimensions of life events, education and family trajectories to the study of feelings of loneliness among women in old age.

Suggested Citation

  • Celia Fernández-Carro & Jordi Gumà Lao, 2022. "A Life-Course Approach to the Relationship Between Education, Family Trajectory and Late-Life Loneliness Among Older Women in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1345-1363, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:162:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-022-02885-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-022-02885-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-022-02885-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-022-02885-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Hansen & Britt Slagsvold, 2016. "Late-Life Loneliness in 11 European Countries: Results from the Generations and Gender Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 445-464, October.
    2. Zachary Winkle, 2018. "Family Trajectories Across Time and Space: Increasing Complexity in Family Life Courses in Europe?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(1), pages 135-164, February.
    3. Aart C. Liefbroer & Martine Corijn, 1999. "Who, What, Where, and When? Specifying the Impact of Educational Attainment and Labour Force Participation on Family Formation," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 45-75, March.
    4. Louise C. Hawkley & Mary Elizabeth Hughes & Linda J. Waite & Christopher M. Masi & Ronald A. Thisted & John T. Cacioppo, 2008. "From Social Structural Factors to Perceptions of Relationship Quality and Loneliness: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 63(6), pages 375-384.
    5. Van Winkle, Zachary, 2018. "Family Trajectories Across Time and Space: Increasing Complexity in Family Life Courses in Europe?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 55(1), pages 135-164.
    6. Luo, Ye & Hawkley, Louise C. & Waite, Linda J. & Cacioppo, John T., 2012. "Loneliness, health, and mortality in old age: A national longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 907-914.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zachary Van Winkle & Anette Fasang, 2021. "The complexity of employment and family life courses across 20th century Europe: More evidence for larger cross-national differences but little change across 1916‒1966 birth cohorts," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(32), pages 775-810.
    2. Michaël Boissonneault, 2021. "Period measures of life course complexity," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(47), pages 1133-1148.
    3. Puxiang Ren & Jakob Emiliussen & Regina Christiansen & Søren Engelsen & Søren Harnow Klausen, 2022. "Filial Piety, Generativity and Older Adults’ Wellbeing and Loneliness in Denmark and China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3069-3090, October.
    4. Luca Maria Pesando & Nicola Barban & Maria Sironi & Frank F. Furstenberg, 2021. "A Sequence‐Analysis Approach to the Study of the Transition to Adulthood in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(3), pages 719-747, September.
    5. Bruno Arpino & Jordi Gumà & Albert JuliÃ, 2021. "Deviations From Standard Family Histories and Subjective Wellbeing at Older Ages," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2021_16, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    6. Ariane Bertogg & Anja K. Leist, 2023. "Gendered life courses and cognitive functioning in later life: the role of context-specific gender norms and lifetime employment," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Christiansen, Julie & Larsen, Finn Breinholt & Lasgaard, Mathias, 2016. "Do stress, health behavior, and sleep mediate the association between loneliness and adverse health conditions among older people?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 80-86.
    8. David Pelletier & Simona Bignami-Van Assche & Anaïs Simard-Gendron, 2020. "Measuring Life Course Complexity with Dynamic Sequence Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 1127-1151, December.
    9. Hawkley, Louise C. & Zheng, Boyan & Song, Xi, 2020. "Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults, 2006–2016: Reduced effect during the Great Recession (2008–2010)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    10. Janosch Schobin, 2022. "Loneliness and Emancipation: A Multilevel Analysis of the Connection between Gender Inequality, Loneliness, and Social Isolation in the ISSP 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-23, June.
    11. Marcelo Parreira do Amaral & Jenni Tikkanen, 2022. "Governing the Life Course through Lifelong Learning: A Multilevel and Multidimensional View," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-13, May.
    12. Liao, Tim F. & Bolano, Danilo & Brzinsky-Fay, Christian & Cornwell, Benjamin & Fasang, Anette Eva & Helske, Satu & Piccarreta, Raffaella & Raab, Marcel & Ritschard, Gilbert & Struffolino, Emanuela & S, 2022. "Sequence analysis: Its past, present, and future," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 107, pages 1-1.
    13. Livia Sz. Oláh & Rudolf Richter & Irena Kotowska, 2023. "Introduction to the Special Collection on The new roles of women and men and implications for families and societies," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(29), pages 849-866.
    14. Zagel, Hannah & Van Winkle, Zachary, 2022. "Women’s Family and Employment Life Courses Across Twentieth-Century Europe: The Role of Policies and Norms," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 29(2), pages 446-476.
    15. Barjaková, Martina & Garnero, Andrea & d’Hombres, Béatrice, 2023. "Risk factors for loneliness: A literature review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    16. N. Keating, 2022. "A research framework for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 775-787, September.
    17. Jennifer L. Hook & Eunjeong Paek, 2020. "A Stalled Revolution? Change in Women's Labor Force Participation during Child‐Rearing Years, Europe and the United States 1996–2016," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 46(4), pages 677-708, December.
    18. Hawkley, Louise C. & Steptoe, Andrew & Schumm, L. Philip & Wroblewski, Kristen, 2020. "Comparing loneliness in England and the United States, 2014–2016: Differential item functioning and risk factor prevalence and impact," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    19. Zachary Van Winkle, 2020. "Early Family Life Course Standardization in Sweden: The Role of Compositional Change," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 36(4), pages 765-798, September.
    20. Lara, Elvira & Moreno-Agostino, Darío & Martín-María, Natalia & Miret, Marta & Rico-Uribe, Laura Alejandra & Olaya, Beatriz & Cabello, María & Haro, Josep Maria & Ayuso-Mateos, José Luis, 2020. "Exploring the effect of loneliness on all-cause mortality: Are there differences between older adults and younger and middle-aged adults?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:162:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-022-02885-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.