Well-being and living arrangement of elderly people from European comparative perspective

• Published in: The Social science journal (Fort Collins) 2019-06, Vol.56 (2), p.228-242
• Main Authors: Moreno Mínguez, Almudena, Vicente Vírseda, Juan Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Data quality; Elderly people; Families & family life; Family; Households; Methodological approaches; Older people; Population aging; Quality of life; Social development; Subjective well-being; Welfare system; Well being
• ISSN: 0362-3319; 1873-5355
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soscij.2018.11.007

•Family solidarity is determinant in the subjective well-being of elderly people in Mediterranean countries.•Loneliness is associated with a bad perception of the health in southern European countries.•Subjective well-being is associated with the economic standard of living in Northern European countries.•Social policies have a positive impact on the subjective well-being of elderly people in Northern and Central Europe. Recent decades have seen numerous changes in family structures and typologies in response to the progressive ageing of the population. The main aim of this analysis is to explore how the structure of the households where people live affects their quality of life and well-being. The analysis presented here is based on data from the countries participating in the third wave of the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) in 2012. The methodological approach is based on a combination of descriptive and explanatory analysis. The findings presented highlight the relevance of the family in the subjective well-being and quality of life of elderly people in European countries. The data analysed point to the conclusion that the intensity of the multigenerational households is inversely related with perceived well-being and quality of life. This inverse relationship may indirectly be explained by the degree of development of social policies, which is higher in countries with lower intensity of this type of household.