IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eujoag/v21y2024i1d10.1007_s10433-024-00831-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cohort and gender differences in the association between childlessness and social exclusion in old age

Author

Listed:
  • Julia Sauter

    (University of Lausanne)

  • Iuliana Precupetu

    (Romanian Academy
    University of Bucharest)

  • Marja Aartsen

    (Oslo Metropolitan University)

Abstract

Social exclusion (SE) and its detrimental health outcomes are a key concern in European policies. This study investigates whether childless older adults face a higher risk of SE compared to those with children, how these potential differences have evolved, and whether SE among childless older men differs from that experienced by childless older women. Children are perceived in most cultures as an insurance of social integration in old age. Delayed childbearing and falling birth rates in Western countries have raised concerns about the old age of those who remain childless and reach the last decades of their lives more socially excluded. The exclusionary risks of not having children may be gendered and different across time, but research on this topic is underdeveloped. The analysis utilizes data from the first (2002) and ninth (2018) rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS), focusing on participants aged between 65 and 74. The study reveals that childless older adults have fewer social meetings and engage in fewer social activities than parents. Findings are robust concerning time and gender, as the disadvantage of not having children compared to those with children is similar over time and for men and women. The results highlight that childless older adults face an elevated risk of SE.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Sauter & Iuliana Precupetu & Marja Aartsen, 2024. "Cohort and gender differences in the association between childlessness and social exclusion in old age," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:21:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10433-024-00831-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-024-00831-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-024-00831-z
    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/s10433-024-00831-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.

    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:eujoag:v:21:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10433-024-00831-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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.