title: Keeping it in the family: the self-rated health of lone mothers in different European welfare regimes.
abstract: This study examines whether health inequalities exist between lone and cohabiting mothers across Europe, and how these may differ by welfare regime. Data from the European Social Survey were used to compare self-rated general health, limiting long-standing illness and depressive feelings by means of a multi-level logistic regression. The 27 countries included in the analyses are classified into six welfare regimes (Anglo-Saxon, Bismarckian, Southern, Nordic, Central East Europe (CEE) (new EU) and CEE (non-EU). Lone motherhood is defined as mothers not cohabiting with a partner, regardless of their legal marital status. The results indicate that lone mothers are more at risk of poor health than cohabiting mothers. This is most pronounced in the Anglo-Saxon regime for self-rated general health and limiting long-standing illness, while for depressive feelings it is most pronounced in the Bismarckian welfare regime. While the risk difference is smallest in the CEE regimes, both lone and cohabiting mothers also reported the highest levels of poor health compared with the other regimes. The results also show that a vulnerable socioeconomic position is associated with ill-health in lone mothers and that welfare regimes differ in the degree to which they moderate this association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van de Velde
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bambra
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van der Bracht
authors.forename: Terje Andreas
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Eikemo
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bracke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D015406:Single Parent / Q000523:psychology*; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Europe; depression; health; lone mothers; welfare regimes