Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A longitudinal analysis of household and nonhousehold living arrangements in later life

  • Households and Kin
  • Published:
Demography

Abstract

Most explanatory models of living arrangements in later life link the decision process surrounding choice of living arrangement to personal resources such as income and health. Applications of these models, however, are based for the most part on crosssectional rather than longitudinal data. In this paper we examine living arrangements in later life among the nonmarried population aged 55 and over, using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation. We observe individuals as they change living arrangements, die, or become institutionalized. Our results suggest that economic resources dominate the decision-making process in transitions across different household arrangements, whereas health is most important in explaining institutionalization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Avery, Roger, Alden Speare, and Leora Lawton. 1989. “Social Support, Disability and Independent Living of Elderly Persons in the United States.” Journal of Aging Studies 3: 279–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beland, Francois 1984. “The Decision of Elderly Persons to Leave Their Homes.” The Gerontologist 24: 179–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beresford, John C. and Alice M. Rivlin. 1966. “Privacy, Poverty and Old Age.” Demography 3: 247–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burch, Thomas K. and Beverly J. Matthews. 1987. “Household Formation in Developed Societies.” Population and Development Review 13: 495–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser, Richard V., J. S. Butler, and James T. Wilkinson. 1985. “Estimating Changes in Well-Being across Life: A Realized versus Comprehensive Income Approach.” Pp. 69–87 in Horizontal Equity, Uncertainty, and Economic Well-Being, edited by M. David and T. Smeeding. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burr, Jeffrey A. 1990. “Race/Sex Comparisons of Elderly Living Arrangements: Factors Influencing the Institutionalization of the Unmarried.” Research on Aging 12: 507–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coder. John, Dan Burkhead, Angela Feldman-Markins. and John McNeil. 1987. “Preliminary Data from the SIPP 1983-84: Longitudinal Research File.” Washington DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crystal, Stephen and Dennis Shea. 1990. “Cumulative Advantage, Cumulative Disadvantage, and Inequality among Elderly People.” The Gerontologist 30: 437–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, Martin. 1989. “Modeling 1984 SIPP Panel Attrition: Implications for Weights.” Pp. 356–62 in Proceedings of the Social Statistics Section of the Annual Meetings of the American Statistical Association, 1989. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, Kingsley and Pietronella van den Oever. 1981. “Age Relations and Public Policy in Advanced Industrial Societies.” Population and Development Review 7: 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolinsky, Arthur L. and Ira Rosenwaike. 1988. “The Role of Demographic Factors in the Institutionalization of the Elderly.” Research on Aging 10: 235–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elder, Glen. 1985. “Perspectives on the Life Course.” Pp. 23–49 in Life Course Dynamics, edited by G. Elder. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, Eric and John E. Jackson. 1977. Statistical Methods for Social Sciences. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasprzyk, Daniel, Patricia Doyle, Arthur Goldstein, and David B. McMillen. 1987. Survey of Income and Program Participation User’s Guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, Sidney, Amasa B. Ford, Roland W. Moskowitz, Beverly A. Jackson, and Marjorie W. Jaffe. 1962. “Studies of Illness in the Aged.” Journal of the American Medical Association 185(12): 914–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobrin, Frances E. 1981. “Family Extension and the Elderly: Economic, Demographic, and Family Cycle Factors.” Journal of Gerontology 36: 370–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur, Edith and Kathleen S. Short. 1985. “Characteristics of Sample Attrition in the SIPP.” Proceedings of the Survey Research Section of the American Statistical Association, 1989. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manton, Kenneth G., Clifford H. Patrick, and Katrina W. Johnson. 1987. “Health Differentials between Blacks and Whites: Recent Trends in Mortality and Morbidity.” Milbank Quarterly 65: 129–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manton, Kenneth G., Max A. Woodbury, and Korbin Liu. 1984. “Life Table Methods for Assessing the Dynamics of U.S. Nursing Home Utilization: 1976-1977.” Journal of Gerontology 39(1): 79–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, John L. and Beatrice E. Edwards. 1981. “Contextual and Sociodemographic Antecedents of Institutionalization among Aged Welfare Recipients.” Medical Care 19: 907–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen, David B. 1989. “The Measurement of Demographic Transitions in the Survey of Income and Program Participation.” Pp. 363–68 in Proceedings of the Social Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association, 1989. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael, Robert T., Victor R. Fuchs, and Sharon R. Scott. 1980. “Changes in the Propensity to Live Alone: 1950-1976.” Demography 17: 39–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, Jim and Jasper C. Register. 1984. “An Exploration of Family Interaction with the Elderly by Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Residence.” The Gerontologist 24: 48–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon, Marilyn and Timothy Smeeding. 1989. “Can the Elderly Afford Long-Term Care?” Pp. 137–60 in The Care of Tomorrow’s Elderly, edited by M. Lewin and S. Sullivan. Washington DC: American Enterprise Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mutchler, Jan E. 1990. “Household Composition among the Nonmarried Elderly: A Comparison of Black and White Women.” Research on Aging 12: 487–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mutchler, Jan E. and Jeffrey A. Burr. 1989. “A Resource-Based Model of Living Arrangements among the Unmarried Elderly.” Washington DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmore, Erdman. 1976. “Total Chance of Institutionalization among the Aged.” The Gerontologist 16: 504–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pampel, Fred C. 1983. “Changes in the Propensity to Live Alone: Evidence from Consecutive Cross-Sectional Surveys, 1960-1976.” Demography 20: 433–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, Trond. 1985. “A Comment on Presenting Results from Logit and Probit Models.” American Sociological Review 50: 130–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, Toni, Michael J. White, and Amy O. Tsui. 1987. “Changing Living Arrangements: A Hazard Model of Transitions among Household Types.” Demography 24: 77–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santi, Lawrence L. 1988. “The Demographic Context of Recent Change in the Structure of American Households.” Demography 25: 509–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, Saul, Sheldon Danziger, and Eugene Smolensky. 1984. “The Choice of Living Arrangements by the Elderly.” Pp. 229–50 in Retirement and Economic Behavior, edited by H. Aaron and G. Burtless. Washington DC: Brookings Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shanas, Ethel. 1980. “Older People and Their Families: The New Pioneers.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 42: 9–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soldo, Beth J. 1980. “America’s Elderly in the 1980s.” Population Bulletin 35(4): 1–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soldo, Beth J. and Emily M. Agree. 1988. “America’s Elderly.” Population Bulletin 43(3): 1–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soldo, Beth J. and Kenneth Manton. 1985. “Changes in the Health Status and Service Needs of the Oldest Old: Current Patterns and Future Trends.” Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly 63: 286–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speare, Alden and Roger Avery. 1989. “Measuring Exits and Entries of Young Adults from Their Parents’ Households.” Pp. 369–74 in Proceedings of the Social Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association, 1989. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troll, Lillian. 1971. “The Family of Later Life: A Decade Review.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 33: 263–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verbrugge, Lois M. 1983. “Women and Men: Mortality and Health of Older People.” Pp. 139–74 in Aging in Society: Selected Reviews of Recent Research, edited by M. Riley, B. Hess, and K. Bond. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weicher, John C. 1989. “Wealth and Poverty among the Elderly.” Pp. 11–28 in The Care of Tomorrow’s Elderly, edited by M. Lewin and S. Sullivan. Washington DC: American Enterprise Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, Michael J. and Amy O. Tsui. 1986. “A Panel Study of Family-Level Structural Change.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 48: 435–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, Douglas A. 1984. “Kin Availability and the Living Arrangements of Older Women.” Social Science Research 13: 72–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, Douglas A. and Beth J. Soldo. 1988. “Household Composition Choices of Older Unmarried Women.” Demography 25: 387–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worobey, Jacqueline L. and Ronald J. Angel. 1990. “Functional Capacity and Living Arrangements of Unmarried Elderly Persons.” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 45: S95–101.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 14260, Buffalo, NY

    Jan E. Mutchier & Jeffrey A. Burr

Authors
  1. Jan E. Mutchier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeffrey A. Burr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The research reported in this paper is partially supported by National Institute on Aging Grant R01AG07405. The authors thank the editors and reviewers for helpful suggestions on the paper, Clifford Clogg for statistical consultation, David Lesmond for research assistance, and David McMillen for consultation on the data.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mutchier, J.E., Burr, J.A. A longitudinal analysis of household and nonhousehold living arrangements in later life. Demography 28, 375–390 (1991). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061463

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2061463

Keywords

Search

Navigation