Summary and Research Implications

Abstract

Despite considerable changes in family forms during the past decades, the influence of family on health is strong and persistent. All over Europe the elderly still live in more traditional family forms related to marriage and their family biographies are closely tied to the civil status of their partnership. On the other hand, new family forms have been emerging among the young, yet the prevalence and acceptance of these forms differs widely between societies. At a young age, the distribution of paid and unpaid work within the household is largely gendered, and in the case of families with children it is centred around the care provision for children; at old age, when paid work has ceased and income is secured by pension systems, the distribution of unpaid work is less of an issue, while the care provision for partners is at the heart of gendered family responsibilities. Among the young and middle aged adults, where variability in health is low, little is known about new family and partnership forms, their relationship with health, and the pathways through which they act. The young population is heterogonous in terms of their ethnic background, and little is known whether the relationship between family forms and health is universal in a society or dependent on migration background and the respective values and norms. And little is known to what extent advantaged and disadvantaged family forms are universal in different welfare state regimes or whether they depend on the social and cultural context of a society. Among the old, when different ageing trajectories result in an increasing variability in individual health, the health of the partner becomes even more important; in combination with an individual's own health there might be strong mutual

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“…Family is one of the most important socio-demographic factors when it comes to understanding health differences between individuals 1 . Despite significant changes in family structure in recent decades, the influence of family as a social determinant of health on health outcomes remains strong and consistent 2 .…”

“…Despite significant changes in family structure in recent decades, the influence of family as a social determinant of health on health outcomes remains strong and consistent 2 . Throughout Europe, people still live in traditional family forms such as the nuclear family associated with marriage, and their family life is closely linked to the civil status of their partnership 1 . On the other hand, nontraditional or new family structures are emerging among young people, but their influence and acceptance vary greatly from society to society 3 .…”