Intergenerational family relations and subjective well-being in old age: a cross-national study

This study addresses the links between different dimensions of intergenerational family relations (solidarity, conflict, and ambivalence) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, and positive and negative affects) of older people (aged 75+) using a comparative perspective from a random urban sample in five countries (Norway, England, Germany, Spain, and Israel). Comparative descriptive analyses and multivariate models are presented. Three general conclusions can be drawn. First, the country variables contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, where Israel was most different from the other four countries, except for positive affects, for which Spain and Israel differed from Norway, England, and Germany. However, the countries explained more of the variance for positive and negative affects compared with life satisfaction. Second, the intergenerational family solidarity dimensions contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, although they were differentially related to the different aspects of subjective well-being. Third, personal resources, mainly physical functioning and financial adequacy, were related to all of the well-being variables, although their relative contribution was much stronger for life satisfaction. The importance of intergenerational family relations and personal resources for the subjective well-being of older people and the importance of using multiple measures for outcome variables of well-being are discussed.