IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jfamec/v44y2023i2d10.1007_s10834-022-09838-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Material Hardship and the Living Arrangements of Older Americans

Author

Listed:
  • Colleen Heflin

    (Syracuse University)

  • Hannah Patnaik

    (Syracuse University)

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which the household living arrangements of older adults influences their experiences of material hardship. Using data from the 2014 Panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we run linear probability models with individual fixed effects to estimate the likelihood that a change in living arrangements predicts a change in food insecurity, housing hardship and utility hardship. Although household living arrangements are associated with reports of material hardship for older adults, individual fixed effect models point to a reduced role for the change in living arrangements on the change in the probability of experiencing material hardship. For older adults, we find that moving into a non-family household increases the risk of housing hardship. This study illustrates how the risk of material hardship related to family living arrangements changes over the life course. We call for increased attention to the risk of material hardship for older adults living alone, those in multigenerational living arrangements, and non-family households.

Suggested Citation

  • Colleen Heflin & Hannah Patnaik, 2023. "Material Hardship and the Living Arrangements of Older Americans," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 267-284, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:44:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s10834-022-09838-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10834-022-09838-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10834-022-09838-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10834-022-09838-z?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. Manzoli, Lamberto & Villari, Paolo & M Pirone, Giovanni & Boccia, Antonio, 2007. "Marital status and mortality in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 77-94, January.
    2. Joan Kahn & Frances Goldscheider & Javier García-Manglano, 2013. "Growing Parental Economic Power in Parent–Adult Child Households: Coresidence and Financial Dependency in the United States, 1960–2010," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1449-1475, August.
    3. Kimberly Skobba & Edward G. Goetz, 2015. "Doubling up and the erosion of social capital among very low income households," European Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 127-147, April.
    4. McGarry, Kathleen, 2016. "Dynamic aspects of family transfers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 1-13.
    5. Kimberly Skobba & Edward G. Goetz, 2015. "Doubling up and the erosion of social capital among very low income households," International Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 127-147, April.
    6. Jennifer Hook & Jennifer Glick, 2007. "Immigration and living arrangements: Moving beyond economic need versus acculturation," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(2), pages 225-249, May.
    7. Kathleen Mcgarry & Robert Schoeni, 2000. "Social security, economic growth, and the rise in elderly widows’ independence in the twentieth century," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 37(2), pages 221-236, May.
    8. Sen, Amartya, 1983. "Development: Which Way Now?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 93(372), pages 742-762, December.
    9. Tsui-o Tai & Judith Treas, 2009. "Does Household Composition Explain Welfare Regime Poverty Risks for Older Adults and Other Household Members?," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(6), pages 777-787.
    10. Lau, D.T. & Kirby, J.B., 2009. "The relationship between living arrangement and preventive care use among community-dwelling elderly persons," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(7), pages 1315-1321.
    11. Gary V. Engelhardt & Jonathan Gruber & Cynthia D. Perry, 2005. "Social Security and Elderly Living Arrangements: Evidence from the Social Security Notch," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 40(2).
    12. Rodems, Richard & Shaefer, H. Luke, 2020. "Many of the kids are not alright: Material hardship among children in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    13. repec:wly:soecon:v:82:4:y:2016:p:1147-1166 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Michael Rendall & Margaret Weden & Melissa Favreault & Hilary Waldron, 2011. "The Protective Effect of Marriage for Survival: A Review and Update," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(2), pages 481-506, May.
    15. Janice Compton & Robert A. Pollak, 2015. "Proximity and Coresidence of Adult Children and their Parents in the United States : Description and Correlates," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 117-118, pages 91-114.
    16. Vicki A. Freedman & Jennifer C. Cornman & Deborah Carr, 2014. "Editor's choice Is Spousal Caregiving Associated With Enhanced Well-Being? New Evidence From the Panel Study of Income Dynamics," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(6), pages 861-869.
    17. Emily E. Wiemers, 2014. "The Effect of Unemployment on Household Composition and Doubling Up," Working Papers 2014_05, University of Massachusetts Boston, Economics Department.
    18. Deirdre Pfeiffer & Katrin B. Anacker & Brooks Louton, 2016. "What Are the Effects of Doubling Up on Retirement Income and Assets?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2016-10, Center for Retirement Research.
    19. James X. Sullivan & Lesley Turner & Sheldon Danziger, 2008. "The relationship between income and material hardship," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 63-81.
    20. Colleen Heflin, 2016. "Family Instability and Material Hardship: Results from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 359-372, September.
    21. Christine Schwartz & Robert Mare, 2012. "The Proximate Determinants of Educational Homogamy: The Effects of First Marriage, Marital Dissolution, Remarriage, and Educational Upgrading," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(2), pages 629-650, May.
    22. Jan Mutchier & Jeffrey Burr, 1991. "A longitudinal analysis of household and nonhousehold living arrangements in later life," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 28(3), pages 375-390, August.
    23. James P. Ziliak & Craig Gundersen, 2016. "Multigenerational Families and Food Insecurity," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(4), pages 1147-1166, April.
    24. Jeffrey Burr & Jan Mutchler, 2007. "Residential independence among older persons: community and individual factors," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 26(1), pages 85-101, February.
    25. Alicia H. Munnell, 2004. "Why Are So Many Older Women Poor?," Just the Facts jtf_10, Center for Retirement Research.
    26. Iceland, John & Bauman, Kurt J., 2007. "Income poverty and material hardship: How strong is the association?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 376-396, June.
    27. Yoo, J.P. & Slack, K.S. & Holl, J.L., 2009. "Material hardship and the physical health of school-aged children in low-income households," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(5), pages 829-836.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Destiny Treloar & Dorceta E. Taylor & Ashley Bell, 2024. "Understanding Food Insecurity and Participation in Food Assistance Programs among Hispanic/Latino Residents of Hialeah, Florida, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-52, September.

    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. Margaret M. C. Thomas, 2022. "Longitudinal Patterns of Material Hardship Among US Families," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 341-370, August.
    2. John Iceland & Arthur Sakamoto, 2022. "The Prevalence of Hardship by Race and Ethnicity in the USA, 1992–2019," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(5), pages 2001-2036, October.
    3. Adriana M. Reyes, 2022. "Race and Ethnic Differences in Financial Dependency of Coresident Young Adults During Economic Recessions and Over Time," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 51-65, March.
    4. Natasha Pilkauskas & Katherine Michelmore, 2019. "The Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Housing and Living Arrangements," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1303-1326, August.
    5. Lingguo Cheng & Hong Liu & Ye Zhang & Zhong Zhao, 2018. "The heterogeneous impact of pension income on elderly living arrangements: evidence from China’s new rural pension scheme," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(1), pages 155-192, January.
    6. Edmunds, Chrisse, 2020. "Academic failure and the role of early life course economic deprivation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    7. Kim, Jaeseung & Henly, Julia R., 2021. "Dynamics of child care subsidy use and material hardship," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    8. Jessica L. Arnup & Nicole Black & David W. Johnston, 2022. "Changes in children’s time use during periods of financial hardship," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 1133-1162, July.
    9. Inhoe Ku & Chang-O Kim & J Scott Brown, 2020. "Decomposition Analyses of the Trend in Poverty Among Older Adults: The Case of South Korea," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(3), pages 684-693.
    10. Feng, Lyubing & He, Yuxi & Zhan, Peng, 2023. "Economic independence and living arrangements of older women with agricultural Hukou in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    11. María Elena Martínez & Jonathan T Unkart & Li Tao & Candyce H Kroenke & Richard Schwab & Ian Komenaka & Scarlett Lin Gomez, 2017. "Prognostic significance of marital status in breast cancer survival: A population-based study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, May.
    12. repec:pri:crcwel:wp11-08-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Zhaohua Zhang & Yuxi Luo & Derrick Robinson, 2018. "Reducing Food Poverty and Vulnerability among the Rural Elderly with Chronic Diseases: The Role of the New Rural Pension Scheme in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, June.
    14. Grobon, Sébastien & Wolff, François-Charles, 2024. "Do public scholarships crowd out parental transfers? Evidence at the intensive margin from France," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    15. Arcaya, Mariana C. & Nidam, Yael & Binet, Andrew & Gibson, Reann & Gavin, Vedette, 2020. "Rising home values and Covid-19 case rates in Massachusetts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    16. Pilar Zueras & Roberta Rutigliano & Sergi Trias-Llimós, 0. "Marital status, living arrangements, and mortality in middle and older age in Europe," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 0, pages 1-10.
    17. Craig Gundersen & David R. Just & Judith Bartfeld & J. Michael Collins, 2017. "Food Insecurity, Financial Shocks, and Financial Coping Strategies among Households with Elementary School Children in Wisconsin," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 519-548, November.
    18. repec:pri:crcwel:wp09-10-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Wilson, Sven E., 2012. "Marriage, gender and obesity in later life," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 431-453.
    20. Berntsen, Kjersti Norgård & Kravdal, Øystein, 2012. "The relationship between mortality and time since divorce, widowhood or remarriage in Norway," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2267-2274.
    21. Jin Huang & Michael Sherraden & Margaret S. Sherraden & Lissa Johnson, 2022. "Effective finance to increase financial well‐being for low‐income families: Empirical examination and policy implications," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1638-1657, December.
    22. Gregg Colburn & Ryan Allen, 2018. "Rent burden and the Great Recession in the USA," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(1), pages 226-243, January.

    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:kap:jfamec:v:44:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s10834-022-09838-z. 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.