scholarly journals Income-related inequalities in informal care: Evidence from the Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixiao Wang ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Mauricio Avendano
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Concentration Index ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Horizontal Inequity ◽  
Healthy Longevity ◽  
Lower Household Income

Abstract Objectives This report seeks to examine income-related inequalities in informal care among older people with functional limitations in China. Methods Data are drawn from the 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Erreygers Concentration Index, Concentration Index, and Horizontal Inequity Index are used to examine inequalities in informal care. Random effects model is then used to investigate the relationship between household income and informal care. Results There is no significant association between household income and the probability of receiving informal care. However, we observe a significantly positive association between household income and hours of informal care received, indicating that those with higher household income receive more hours of informal care compared to those with lower household income. The degree of this inequality increases as number of functional limitations increases. Discussion Lower household income is associated with lower intensity of informal care received, particularly for older people with more functional limitations. Policies are required to support low-income older people with more functional limitations.

scholarly journals Does Receiving Informal Care Lead to Better Health Outcomes? Evidence From China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110528
Author(s):  
Yixiao Wang ◽  
Wei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Older People ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Healthy Longevity

Population aging has become a global challenge. Drawing data from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2008, 2011, and 2014, this study examines the effect of informal care receipt on functional limitations and depressive symptoms among older people in China using lagged fixed effects model. Our findings suggest that receiving informal care is significantly associated with a slower functional decline. We also find that this effect varies across different income groups. The protective effect of informal care is more pronounced among older people with higher income compared to those with lower income. We do not observe any significant associations between receiving informal care and depressive symptoms of older people. This study highlights a pressing need for the Chinese government to establish a comprehensive long-term care system.

scholarly journals The Protective Effects of Informal Care Receipt Against the Progression of Functional Limitations Among Chinese Older People

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1030-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Hu ◽  
Lei Li
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Chinese Older People

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigates the impacts of receiving informal care on the progression of functional limitations among older people aged 60 and older in China.MethodsThe data come from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, which collected health- and aging-related information on a nationally representative sample of Chinese older people from 2011 to 2015. Multilevel regression models were used to analyze the data.ResultsThe protective effect of receiving informal care is stronger for the first 2 years after the baseline survey and tends to fade away or be reversed 4 years later. The protective effect is stronger among older people receiving low-intensity informal care and is gradually weakened with an increase in care intensity.DiscussionTrajectories of function capabilities are deeply embedded in social relationships. In the context of rapid population aging and increasing demand for informal care, government support for caregivers is needed to sustain the protective effects of informal care.

Help from spouse and from children among older people with functional limitations: comparison of England and Finland

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNI BLOMGREN ◽  
ELIZABETH BREEZE ◽  
SEPPO KOSKINEN ◽  
PEKKA MARTIKAINEN
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Low Education ◽  
Formal Services ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Generous Welfare

ABSTRACTFuture increases in need of old-age care warrant research on receipt of informal care among older people in different policy and cultural contexts. Separating informal care into help provided by spouse and by children may shed more light on dynamics of informal help, important in alleviating the demands on the formal sector. Using nationally representative data from England and Finland, we performed logistic regression analyses to study receipt of help from spouse and children among community-dwelling persons aged 70+ years with functional limitations. In both countries, women and those with more functional limitations had higher odds of receiving spousal and filial help. In England – but not in Finland – those receiving formal public help had lower odds of receiving spousal help than those with no formal help. Those with low education received more filial help in England, but no association was found between formal and filial help. In Finland, the effect of education was not significant but those receiving formal help had higher odds of also receiving filial help. The results suggest that in a liberal market-led state, the role of children may be to help their parents living alone and with low financial resources. In the context of a generous welfare state, children may function more as active agents bridging the gap between their parents and formal services.

scholarly journals Quality of Life, Health and the Great Recession in Spain: Why Older People Matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2028
Author(s):  
Carla Blázquez-Fernández ◽  
David Cantarero-Prieto ◽  
Marta Pascual-Sáez
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Macroeconomic Variables ◽  
Crisis Period ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Health Aging ◽  
Logistic Regressions

The financial crisis of 2008 precipitated the “Great Recession”. In this scenario, we took Spain as a country of study, because although it experienced significant negative shocks associated with macroeconomic variables (GDP or unemployment), its welfare indicators have been marked by limited changes. This study used data from waves 2 and 4 (years 2006–2007 and 2010–2012, respectively) of the Survey on Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Specifically, through logistic regressions we have analysed the effects of socioeconomic, demographic, health and “Great Recession” factors on the quality of life (QoL) of elders in Spain. Although QoL did not change too much during the “Great Recession”, the results confirmed the importance of several factors (such as chronicity) that affect the satisfaction with the QoL among the older people. In this regard, statistically significant effects were obtained for individual exposure to recession. Therefore, a decrease in household income in the crisis period with respect to the pre-crisis period would increase by 44% the probability of reporting a low QoL (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.00–2.07). Furthermore, gender differences were observed. Health and socioeconomic variables are the most significant when determining individual QoL. Therefore, when creating policies, establishing multidisciplinary collaborations is essential.

scholarly journals Maternal Sociodemographic Factors and Antenatal Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6812
Author(s):  
Maheshwari Andhavarapu ◽  
James Orwa ◽  
Marleen Temmerman ◽  
Joseph Wangira Musana
Keyword(s):  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
Biological Stress ◽  
Antenatal Stress

Antenatal stress has been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, and preterm birth. Understanding key determinants of stress in a vulnerable pregnant population has the potential of informing development of targeted cost-effective interventions to mitigate against these adverse birth outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 150 pregnant women attending antenatal care services at a rural referral hospital in Kenya. The participants completed a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and gave a hair sample for cortisol and cortisone analysis. The association between selected sociodemographic predictors (age, parity, marital status, maternal education, household income, polygyny, and intimate partner violence) and outcomes (hair cortisol, hair cortisone, and PSS score) was examined using univariate, bivariate and multivariate models. We found a negative association between PSS scores and household income (β = −2.40, p = 0.016, 95% CI = −4.36, −0.45). There was a positive association of the ratio of hair cortisone to cortisol with Adolescent age group (β = 0.64, p = 0.031, 95% CI = 0.06, 1.22), and a negative association with Cohabitation (β = −1.21, p = 0.009, 95% CI = −2.11, −0.31). We conclude that household income influenced psychological stress in pregnancy. Adolescence and cohabitation may have an influence on biological stress, but the nature of this effect is unclear.

scholarly journals Sugar sweetened beverage consumption is positively associated with Klotho levels at two years of age in LatinX youth

BMC Nutrition ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Villagomez ◽  
Dena B. Dubal ◽  
Jessica Hawkins ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Janet M. Wojcicki
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Klotho Protein

Abstract Background Klotho is an anti-aging protein mainly expressed in the kidneys with a smaller amount expressed in adipose tissue. Klotho effects include roles in reducing oxidative stress, insulin signaling, adipogenesis and glucose metabolism. Few studies have investigated the role of dietary factors such as sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) on serum α-klotho levels in young children. Methods Data was collected from 60 low-income Latina pregnant women and their infants in San Francisco from birth until 2 years of life and examined for associations between dietary factors and child secreted α-klotho protein levels at 2 years. Results Mean α-klotho levels were 1782.96 ± 874.56 pg/mL at 2 years of age. Any consumption of SSBs was independently associated with increased α-klotho levels (Beta = 682.79, 95%CI 67.50, 1298.09; p = 0.03). Household income ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 was also correlated to higher levels of α-klotho in children compared with lower income levels (<$25,000) (Beta = 1613.35, 95%CI 527.37, 2699.33; p = 0.005). Conclusions The positive association between SSB intake and α-klotho levels at 2 years may reflect higher phosphate levels consistent with SSB intake. Higher socioeconomic status may be a proxy for reduced stress exposure in children, also associated with higher α-klotho levels. Future studies should evaluate the early impact of exposures to SSBs, stress and accelerated aging in children.

scholarly journals The Treatment of Informal Care-Related Risks as Social Risks: An Analysis of the English Care Policy System

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-196
Author(s):  
FIONA MORGAN
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Care Policy ◽  
Policy System ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Statutory Protection ◽  
Care Relationships ◽  
Post War

AbstractThe social risk literature examines the extent to which states have provided social protection against the ‘old’ social risks of the post-war era and the ‘new’ social risks affecting post-industrial capitalist states. In this paper the contingency of the provision of informal care to people aged 65 and over is discussed. The paper deconstructs the concept of social risk to determine the characteristics and processes which contribute to states recognising specific contingencies as social risks which require social protection. This conceptualisation is applied to make the case that care-related risks associated with the informal care of older people should be recognised and treated as social risks by states. Data from a qualitative study of the English care policy system provide empirical evidence that informal care-related risks are recognised, but not treated, as social risks in England. The findings reveal informal carers, and the older people they care for, receive inadequate and inconsistent statutory protection against the poverty and welfare risks they face. Furthermore the design and operationalisation of the English care policy system generates risks for care relationships.

Does Investing in Rail Transit Benefit the Poor? A Comparative Study of Rail and Bus Travel by Low-Income Households in the California Household Travel Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (6) ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Ryland Lu
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Bus Rapid Transit ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Rapid Transit ◽  
Travel Survey ◽  
Household Travel Survey ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Household Travel ◽  
Low Income Households

This paper addresses academic discourse that critiques urban rail transit projects for their regressive impacts on the poor and proposes bus funding as a more equitable investment for urban transit agencies. The author analyzed data from the 2012 California Household Travel Survey on transit trips in Los Angeles County. The author cross-tabulated data on the modal breakdown of transit trips by household income category and on the breakdown of household income associated with trips by bus and rail transit modes. The author also comparatively evaluated the speed of trips (as a ratio of miles per hour) taken by rail and by bus by low-income households in the county. The author found convincing evidence that, on average, trips low-income households made by rail transit covered a greater distance per hour than trips taken by bus transit, but that trips made on the county’s bus rapid transit services with dedicated rights-of-way had a higher mean speed than those taken by rail. Moreover, the mode and income cross-tabulations indicate that rail transit projects only partially serve low-income households’ travel needs. To the extent that equitable transit planning entails minimizing the disparities in access, both rail and bus rapid transit projects can advance social justice if they are targeted at corridors where they can serve travel demand by low-income, transit dependent households.

The Impact of Modernisation and Social Policy on Family Care for Older People in Japan

2000 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAKOTO KONO
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Older People ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Family Values ◽  
Patriarchal Family ◽  
Care Services ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Welfare Model

In Japan the ideology of familism has reproduced patriarchal family values. It successfully retained family centred welfare provision and gender inequality in informal care work, and ensured formal care services were residual. However, the advancement of modernisation has weakened the effectiveness of the informal care sector, and the demand for care has increased steadily along with the ageing of the population. Moreover, informal care based on the self-sacrifice of family carers tends to be less popular. This tendency is especially evident in the opinions of the younger generation and females. Furthermore, structural shifts in their working circumstances, particularly of females, makes the continuation of the patriarchal approach to informal care more difficult. In the field of the care of older people, as part of the strategy for restructuring the Japanese welfare system, the emphasis is now more on market activities, which is in accord with the assumptions underlying ‘the residual welfare model of social policy’ (Titmuss, 1974).

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