Population Research and Policy Review最新文献

Previous research on the relationship between geographical distance and the frequency of contact between family members has shown that the strength of family ties differs between Northern and Southern Europe. However, little is known about how family ties are reflected in peoples’ conversations on social media, despite research showing the relevance of social media data for understanding users’ daily expressions of emotions and thoughts based on their immediate experiences. This work investigates the question of whether Twitter use patterns in Europe mirror the North–South divide in the strength of family ties by analyzing potential differences in family-related tweets between users in Northern and Southern European countries. This study relies on a longitudinal database derived from Twitter collected between January 2012 and December 2016. We perform a comparative analysis of Southern and Northern European users’ tweets using Bayesian generalized multilevel models together with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software. We analyze the association between regional differences in the strength of family ties and patterns of tweeting about family. Results show that the North–South divide is reflected in the frequency of tweets that are about family, that refer to family in the past versus in the present tense, and that are about close versus extended family.

Research has linked individual estimations of the size of the foreign-born population to attitudes about immigration. However, most studies focus on the accuracy of estimations rather than on perceptions of group size, even though perceptions on their own are an important predictor of attitudes. Studies examining the determinants of the perceptions of foreign-born population size emphasize individual-level factors and overlook the role of national-level contexts, such as policy changes. Changes in multicultural policies may contribute to various cognitive biases that inform how individuals perceive the size of the foreign-born population. In this study, we examine the association between changes in multiculturalist policies and individuals’ quantitative perceptions of the foreign-born population size in 14 European countries, using the 2002 and 2014 waves of data from the European Social Survey (ESS). Results from fixed effects models show a positive association between multicultural policies and estimates of the foreign-born population, net of individual-level measures and the actual size of the foreign-born population.

While research has found that aggregate levels of family wealth grew during the COVID-19 pandemic across sociodemographic groups, we know less about heterogeneity in wealth accumulation during the pandemic within these groups. Using linked household data from the 2019 and 2021 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 6282), we examine a key measure of wealth accumulation: absolute upward wealth mobility, defined as having more wealth in 2021 than 2019. Conditional on other characteristics, we find that college-educated, homeowning, and younger families were substantially more likely to see increases in wealth between 2019 and 2021, while Black, lower-income, older, and cohabiting and single-female families were much less likely to experience upward wealth mobility. We also find that families with workers who were deemed essential or only worked from home during the pandemic were more likely to experience upward wealth mobility. Our findings reveal inequalities in whether families benefitted from the social and economic trends that boosted household wealth during the pandemic.

Demographic projections are important for Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (IAV) assessments around climate change. When linked with physical models that delineate alternative outcomes of climate hazards, they lead to enhanced understanding of the location and size of the most vulnerable populations, thereby improving hot-spot analysis for more targeted intervention planning. These demographic projections should be consistent with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) so their combination with climate projections offers a diverse set of perspectives for climate change risk assessments. Most SSP based projections have been developed at a national level, which mask local-scale heterogeneities. Mexico is a heterogeneous country in terms of climate hazards, demographic characteristics, aging population, and socioeconomic inequalities across regions and states. Thus, we translate the extended SSP scenarios to quantitative demographic assumptions based on regional distinct background conditions. We then use a multi-regional cohort component model to generate SSP-based demographic projections by gender and age for each Mexican state from 2020 to 2100. We also discuss several applications to highlight the added value of using spatially refined demographic projections for IAV analysis and targeted policymaking aimed at improving the resilience of Mexico’s population in relation to climate change. Our projections indicate that, under certain SSPs, domestic migration is a major driver of population change in some states. Our subnational SSP-based demographic projections are the first set of this type of projections for Mexico informed by regional differences in demographic processes, thereby enhancing the evaluation of medium-term and long-term effects of climate change in localized scales.

The number of return migrants from the U.S. to Mexico has swelled in recent years, yet we know little about the academic performance of the over 500,000 U.S.-born children who have accompanied them. This study compares Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores of U.S.-born children of return migrants in Mexico to two groups: Mexican-born students in Mexico and students in the U.S. born to Spanish-speaking immigrant parents. While previous work often highlights the struggles these children face in adapting to schools in Mexico, at age 15 they attain slightly higher PISA scores than their Mexican-born counterparts. However, these adolescents’ scores are much lower than similar youths’ in the U.S. Results for both comparisons change little in models controlling for variables related to immigrant selection and are consistent across possible individual moderators, including age at migration. This paper highlights the importance of a cross-border perspective and attention to institutional context in studies of immigrant education.

This paper investigates employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic for women and men in a country characterized by notoriously low female employment: Italy. The paper explores to what extent previously existing inequalities in employment were further exacerbated during the pandemic. Using data from the Italian Labor Force Surveys from 2018 to 2020, we find evidence of a limited decline in employment, but a steep increase in the number of individuals working zero hours during the lockdown periods. This result holds for both men and women. The pandemic highlighted how gender inequalities in employment intersect with other socioeconomic disadvantages: single mothers and lower-educated women were more affected than their male counterparts, while single men without children and foreign men were hit stronger than women with the same characteristics in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. The pandemic thus came with differentiated consequences, generally affecting those already in less advantaged situations harder. At the same time, the results support the idea that women’s employment was crucial to counteract job loss in the family, and some became the only breadwinner for their families. This also exposed them to risks by working during the pandemic. Overall, the pandemic greatly accentuated preexisting social inequalities in the Italian labor market, yet with an apparently transitory effect at least regarding employment participation.

This study explores linkages between various living arrangements with and without grandparents and children’s socioemotional functioning in kindergarten. Changing family patterns and increases in longevity have resulted in increasing numbers of American children coresiding with grandparents. Despite these trends, little scholarly attention has been given to associations between grandparental coresidence and children’s socioemotional health. Data comes from the second wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 2010–2011 kindergarten cohort. Using a sample of 11,486 eligible children, associations between various living arrangements, with and without grandparents, and four measures of socioemotional health (interpersonal skills, self-control, and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors) are explored. Multiple linear regression models are weighted to produce nationally representative estimates. Findings indicate that children in one-parent multigenerational households (MGHs) and grandfamilies (with grandparent(s) as the primary caregiver and no parents) have less favorable teacher-reported socioemotional health outcomes compared to those in two-parent households without grandparents. However, between-group comparisons of children in similar living arrangements in terms of the number of parents (two, one, none), with and without grandparents, suggest the addition of a grandparent to a household is a net neutral for children’s social and emotional well-being. Having more favorable economic and primary caregiver resources may help mitigate adverse socioemotional outcomes for children in non-nuclear families, including those with grandparents. Efforts to strengthen the resource portfolios of such families should be prioritized in order to reduce observed socioemotional disadvantages for coresident children.

Most health disparities and population health scholarship homogenizes Black women, masking within-group distinctions in their lived experience and health. Moreover, the stress literature tends to focus on the health consequences of one stressor (e.g., financial strain) or a single domain from which stressors emanate (e.g., family relationships). Filling these literature gaps, this study integrates stress theory and the intersectionality framework to investigate ethnicity and nativity status heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease risk factors (i.e., hypertension and obesity) and stress profiles of US Black women while also testing for interrelationships among social status, stress exposure, and health. Drawing from the National Survey of American Life (N = 2872), the analysis proceeded with binary logistic regression models to ascertain the associations among ethnic-nativity status, stress, and cardiovascular disease risk. Study results revealed higher rates of obesity for US-born Afro-Caribbean women, followed by US-born African American and foreign-born Afro-Caribbean women. US-born African American women, however, were at greatest risk for hypertension. Differential exposure to stressors inclusive of everyday discrimination, stressful life events, financial strain, and negative interactions with family members did not explain ethnic-nativity differences in hypertension and obesity. Nonetheless, the association between specific stressors and health differed by ethnic-nativity status. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study examines excess mortality patterns in 32 European countries during the first three years of the pandemic, offering insights into the pandemic’s toll on each country. Using data from national statistical offices, we calculated monthly excess mortality for 2020–2022. Time series decomposition was employed for trend analysis, followed by clustering countries based on their mortality trends. Then we compared total excess mortality among different clusters. We found that neighboring countries with similar characteristics experienced comparable levels of excess mortality, regardless of the differences in their pandemic trajectories identified by cluster analysis. Other factors, such as healthcare infrastructure and pre-existing health risks, appear to have had a more significant impact on total excess mortality, with various pre-existing regional factors playing significant roles in shaping the pandemic’s final toll. While the timing of peak excess mortality may have been a factor, it was not the primary driver of the overall toll. This study highlights the critical need for comprehensive public health strategies that focus on reinforcing healthcare infrastructure and mitigating pre-existing health risks, essential for effective pandemic preparedness and response. These findings suggest the need for reevaluating current approaches and exploring alternative strategies for managing future health emergencies.

This study employs insights from food justice scholarship to develop a theoretical framework aimed at comprehending the intersections of food insecurity and mental health disparities within LGBTQ + populations. The framework is empirically tested and refined, drawing upon data from a nationally representative sample of 63,190 respondents from the 2022 Household Pulse Survey. This sample includes 40% cisgender men, 58% cisgender women, and 2% transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals, with 10% identifying as non-heterosexual and 90% as heterosexual. Two distinct pathways are proposed and examined through data analysis. The first pathway reveals that LGBTQ + populations exhibit a higher prevalence of mental health challenges compared to their non-LGBTQ + counterparts. The findings also unveil nuanced mental health dynamics within LGBTQ + communities, with TGNC individuals and bisexual people demonstrating a higher susceptibility to mental health challenges. The second pathway underscores that food injustice amplifies pre-existing mental health disparities within LGBTQ + communities, particularly evident in TGNC individuals who exhibit the most significant rise in depression and anxiety disorders when facing food insecurity. Findings from this study underscore the urgent need for further research and proactive responses to comprehensively address the food inequities experienced by LGBTQ + communities. It is imperative to address the underlying discrimination and stigma that perpetuate these disparities through targeted efforts, including policy initiatives, community action initiatives, and educational programs.