Socioeconomic resources and living arrangements of older adults in Lebanon: who chooses to live alone?

Living arrangement dynamics of older adults in Mexico: Latent class analysis in an accelerated longitudinal design

BACKGROUND

Because living arrangements have many implications for the well-being of older adults, knowledge regarding typical age-related developmental changes in living arrangements is of a major concern for public health policymakers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries dealing with growing aging populations. However, the much-needed empirical analysis of living arrangement dynamics is hindered by a lack of proper data.

OBJECTIVE

To exploit often-available short-term longitudinal data in the study of long-term phenomena, in this paper we accelerate the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) panel as a means to explore, over a broad age span, the household dynamics of Mexican older adults.

METHODS

Instead of working with a priori definitions of different household structures when analyzing transitions between them, we introduce a novel approach that estimates latent classes of developmental trends in the household composition of older people as they age.

RESULTS

We show how accelerated longitudinal designs, coupled with latent class analysis, can offer new insights into living arrangement dynamics. Our findings suggest that in Mexico the typical living arrangements at 50 years old serve as an important predictor of future living arrangements, and that typical living-arrangement trajectories are strongly gendered in Mexico. This new approach may prove to be indispensible when determining the social support needed by high-risk population groups and as a means to better anticipate the necessary financial resources to do so.

Population aging and long-term care policies in the Gulf region: a case study of Oman

Population aging is a phenomenon occurring across the globe including in countries traditionally exhibiting population dividends and "youth bulges." The Gulf Corporation Council countries are no exception as they currently experience a process of population aging, albeit at a different stage from many developed countries. However, due to historically high fertility rates and fast-paced epidemiological transition, some of these countries will experience population aging at a higher pace than what has been observed in Europe and the United States. This article reviews recent developments in long-term care policies in the Gulf region with a focus on Oman as an example of a high-income Arab country that is experiencing population aging while still being governed by traditional family aged-care norms. Utilizing existing data and published research complemented by policy analysis and field visits, we analyze the process of population aging in Oman and neighboring countries and its policy implications.

Care Needs and Caregivers: Associations and Effects of Living Arrangements on Caregiving to Older Adults in India

As the ageing phenomenon continues in India, we explore the care needs of older adults and identify caregivers for specific care needs across living arrangements. Using the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India (BKPAI 2011) data comprising 9850 older adults, we employed statistical methods to analyze the data, find associations and used binary logistic regression to model the adjusted and unadjusted effects of living arrangements on caregiving to older adults for specific care needs. Care-requiring situations considered were acute sickness, sickness requiring hospitalization, chronic morbidity, functional disability represented by ADL and IADL limitations, and locomotor disability. Results indicate that living arrangements of older adults were significantly associated with health, functional status and disability as well as caregiving patterns. Our results suggest that co-residence with children and all others was beneficial to older adults in obtaining care from a family caregiver for their hospitalization and chronic morbidity needs while living with spouse or living with a partner was advantageous for older adults in receiving care for their ADL limitations and during hospitalizations. Mean number of children was also significantly associated with the availability of a caregiver during hospitalization, locomotor disability, chronic morbidity and acute sickness. The study also highlights a little known phenomenon, that there was familial help available to older adults who lived alone. Notably, non-family sources of caregiving were steadily becoming visible (as high as 8–10 % of the caregiving component) especially among older adults living alone.

Aging in Lebanon: Challenges and Opportunities

This spotlight offers a unique window into factors affecting aging in Lebanon. As a bridge between east and west, both geographically and culturally, Lebanon has the fastest growing older adult population in the Arab region, but few societal resources to address its needs. In a country with a history of political instability and war, but also a culture with strong family values, aging adults in Lebanon are vulnerable in some ways and advantaged in others. Outmigration of youth is an important determinant of the wellbeing of the elderly. While often advantaged by remittances sent by their children, older Lebanese adults have less access to instrumental social and personal support previously provided by young adults in the family. How Lebanon manages these challenges is likely to foreshadow the future aging experience for much of the Arab region.

Social networks and health among older adults in Lebanon: the mediating role of support and trust

OBJECTIVES

Despite a growing body of literature documenting the influence of social networks on health, less is known in other parts of the world. The current study investigates this link by clustering characteristics of network members nominated by older adults in Lebanon. We then identify the degree to which various types of people exist within the networks. This study further examines how network composition as measured by the proportion of each type (i.e., type proportions) is related to health; and the mediating role of positive support and trust in this process.

METHOD

Data are from the Family Ties and Aging Study (2009). Respondents aged ≥60 were selected (N = 195) for analysis.

RESULTS

Three types of people within the networks were identified: Geographically Distant Male Youth, Geographically Close/Emotionally Distant Family, and Close Family. Having more Geographically Distant Male Youth in one's network was associated with health limitations, whereas more Close Family was associated with no health limitations. Positive support mediated the link between type proportions and health limitations, whereas trust mediated the link between type proportions and depressive symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Results document links between the social networks and health of older adults in Lebanon within the context of ongoing demographic transitions.

Pathways into living alone in mid-life: diversity and policy implications

This paper adopts a life course approach to investigate the pathways into living alone in mid-life in Britain and how these vary by gender and socio-economic status. The rise in the proportion of people living alone over the past three decades has been well documented. However, much of the focus of the existing literature has been on either people living solo in young adulthood or in later life. Mid-life has received surprising little scholarly attention, despite the fact that living arrangements in mid-life are changing rapidly, and that household composition and socio-economic circumstances in the period immediately prior to retirement are strongly associated with living arrangements and associated sources of support in later life. This paper therefore aims to fill this gap. We begin with a review of previous research on living alone and present a conceptual framework of the pathways into living alone in mid-life. Data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS) are used to analyse the partnership and parenthood histories and socio-economic characteristics of those currently living alone in mid-life. The findings indicate that the dissolution of a marriage with children is the dominant pathway into mid-life solo-living, but that there is also a substantial group of never partnered men living alone. These never partnered men are split between those with low and high socio-economic status. Distinguishing between different groups of individuals living alone in mid-life is important for policy as these groups of men and women will have different social and financial resources as they enter later life. Mid-life men living alone who have not had children, have no educational qualifications, are not economically active and who live in rented housing are likely to be most at risk of needing a social and economic 'safety net' in old age.