Family Demography and Migration: Consequences for Health and Well-being

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Family members are the most important source of support for Americans in need. Parents, adult children, and siblings often provide time assistance, financial transfers, and in-kind support to each other while coping with life-course challenges such as illness, loss of a spouse, or unemployment. One of the most significant facilitators of providing or receiving such support is an individual's spatial proximity to his or er extended family. At the same time, the need to be located near extended family members can impose significant restrictions on that individuals' residential mobility, which in turn may lead t more limited employment opportunities, choices of schools for children, and development of social networks. Despite the potential influence of spatial proximity to family members on health, caregiving, and socioeconomic status, few empirical reports exist regarding the dynamics of family spatial proximity over the life-course. This project will use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal survey containing prospective reports by individuals and their extended family members - e.g., parents, children, siblings, grandparents - for more than 45 years (1968 through 2015). For members of the same extended family, the PSID contains extensive information on numerous socioeconomic factors that influence mobility including health status, employment, income, wealth, and household composition, as well as very specific information on residential location down to the exact census block. Capitalizing on these unique features of the PSID, the proposed project will: a) construct and release a national dataset of family spatial proximity; b) for the first time thoroughly describe dynamic patterns of Americans' spatial proximity to parents, children, and siblings over the life-course; c) identify factors influencing spatial proximity; and d) assess individuals' longitudinal outcomes of health and health care utilization related to spatial proximity to family. The proposed empirical research will contribute profoundly to social science and public health research and public policy for improving individuals' health and socioeconomic status.