Soong-Nang Jang1, Mauricio Avendano2, Ichiro Kawachi3. 1. Department of Nursing, Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea. 2. Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA; Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This ecological study examined demographic and institutional differences in informal caregiving. We conducted a cross-national study about the characteristics of informal caregivers in 12 European countries and Korea. METHODS: Data were collected from individuals aged 50 years and older participating in the 2004/2005 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We examined the associations between informal caregiving and macrolevel characteristics (gross domestic product, total fertility rates, labor force participation rates, level of women's empowerment, long-term care resources). RESULTS: Korea and some southern European countries, notably Spain and Italy, had high percentages of women, homemakers, coresidents, and spouses in informal caregiving roles. In contrast, Northern European countries such as Denmark and Sweden had high proportions of employed informal caregivers. Lower female labor force participation was associated with higher proportions of women caregivers. A higher proportion of women caregivers in the population were also associated with a lower national gross domestic product per capita. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that several contextual and institutional variables are associated with the proportion of women participating in caregiving.
PURPOSE: This ecological study examined demographic and institutional differences in informal caregiving. We conducted a cross-national study about the characteristics of informal caregivers in 12 European countries and Korea. METHODS: Data were collected from individuals aged 50 years and older participating in the 2004/2005 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We examined the associations between informal caregiving and macrolevel characteristics (gross domestic product, total fertility rates, labor force participation rates, level of women's empowerment, long-term care resources). RESULTS: Korea and some southern European countries, notably Spain and Italy, had high percentages of women, homemakers, coresidents, and spouses in informal caregiving roles. In contrast, Northern European countries such as Denmark and Sweden had high proportions of employed informal caregivers. Lower female labor force participation was associated with higher proportions of women caregivers. A higher proportion of women caregivers in the population were also associated with a lower national gross domestic product per capita. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that several contextual and institutional variables are associated with the proportion of women participating in caregiving.
Authors: Eyun Song; Jung A Kim; Eun Roh; Ji Hee Yu; Nam Hoon Kim; Hye Jin Yoo; Ji A Seo; Sin Gon Kim; Nan Hee Kim; Sei Hyun Baik; Kyung Mook Choi Journal: Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) Date: 2021-05-06 Impact factor: 5.555
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