A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Who Bears the Burden? The Risk of Material Deprivation Among Adults Aged 50 and Older With Varying Caring Roles in Europe
Authors: Savela, Roosa-Maria; McKenzie, John
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Journal of Applied Gerontology
ISSN: 0733-4648
eISSN: 1552-4523
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648261446037
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648261446037
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523016034
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Europe has experienced multiple crises, including inflation, rising food and living costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2007–2009 financial crisis, which have contributed to widening social inequalities. These economic pressures may threaten the material well-being of adults aged 50 and older, yet little is known about how they affect those who provide care. This study examined the risk of material deprivation among those with different caring roles in 2021–2022 using the SHARE data. The findings show that co-resident family caregivers, those experiencing financial strain, and individuals with a migrant background are particularly vulnerable to material deprivation. Women carry a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities and face higher deprivation risks than men. In contrast, individuals who provide care outside their households or care for grandchildren tend to exhibit better material well-being than those without these roles. Targeted policy measures that both alleviate energy poverty and financial strain are needed.
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Funding information in the publication:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: INVEST Research Flagship Centre is funded by the Research Council of Finland (decision number: 345546). The SHARE data collection has been funded by the European Commission, DG RTD through FP5 (QLK6-CT-2001-00360), FP6 (SHARE-I3: RII-CT-2006-062193, COMPARE: CIT5-CT-2005-028857, SHARELIFE: CIT4-CT-2006-028812), FP7 (SHARE-PREP: GA N°211909, SHARE-LEAP: GA N°227822, SHARE M4: GA N°261982, DASISH: GA N°283646) and Horizon 2020 (SHARE-DEV3: GA N°676536, SHARE-COHESION: GA N°870628, SERISS: GA N°654221, SSHOC: GA N°823782, SHARE-COVID19: GA N°101015924) and by DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion through VS 2015/0195, VS 2016/0135, VS 2018/0285, VS 2019/0332, VS 2020/0313 and SHARE-EUCOV: GA N°101052589 and EUCOVII: GA N°101102412. Additional funding from the German Ministry of Education and Research, the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. National Institute on Aging (U01_AG09740-13S2, P01_AG005842, P01_AG08291, P30_AG12815, R21_AG025169, Y1-AG-4553-01, IAG_BSR06-11, OGHA_04-064, BSR12-04, R01_AG052527-02, HHSN271201300071 C, RAG052527 A) and from various national funding sources is gratefully acknowledged (see https://www.share-eric.eu).
