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The influence of socio-economic and health differences on parents' provision of help to adult children: a British–United States comparison

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2002

JOHN C. HENRETTA
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
EMILY GRUNDY
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London
SUSAN HARRIS
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London
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Abstract

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Transfers of assistance from older to younger family members are an important, though often ignored, component of intergenerational exchanges. The ability to help younger family members, either financially or practically, may be influenced by the health and socio-economic status of older parents, but very little is known about these patterns. This article examines the effects of socio-economic and health status on the help that late mid-life parents in Britain and the United States give their children with money, domestic tasks, and grandchild care. Results for the different types of family support yield three main findings. First, there are relatively few differences between Britain and the USA in the factors affecting the provision of support. Secondly, socio-economic factors appear to be more important among married respondents while health is more important among the unmarried. Thirdly, children's co-residence has greater effects on the provision of domestic task help in Britain than in the United States.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press