Gender differences in the relationship between household position and health in twelve European countries: are they associated with the value climate?

Abstract

This study extends the institutionalization hypothesis which proposes that in societies with a more flexible value climate, well-being is less influenced by living in a non-traditional family form. Using data from the EU-SILC 2012 about self-rated health at ages 30–59 we explore twelve European countries representing different welfare state regimes. We characterize household arrangements by an individual’s position within the household which is defined by whether the person shares a household with a partner, children, or another person outside the family nucleus. In addition, we distinguish whether partners live in a consensual union or in a marriage. We test whether self-rated health is associated with the frequency of a certain household arrangement in a given country and hypothesize that higher frequencies of non-traditional household arrangements should go hand in hand with better health.