Leader: Marco Albertini (UNIBO); Other collaborator(s): Francesca Zanasi (UNIBO); Giorgio Piccitto (UNIBO); ISTAT
The challenge of providing care to an increasingly ageing population is not only connected with the total balance between (informal and formal) care availability and care needs, but also to their distribution in the society. This task aims at producing an updated comparative overview, i.e. looking at the national level data while comparing the Italian case with other countries – of how (i) long term care needs, (ii) informal care, (iii) formal private and (iv) public care are unequally distributed across different dimensions of social stratification: birth cohorts; occupational social classes; income and wealth quintiles; individuals with different educational levels. The overview will be based both on existing scientific, empirically based, studies and on original analyses of existing data sets.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
The task activities have proceded on two, complementary, lines:
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Policymakers and scholars should be informed of the stratification consequences of the specific policy design of policies devoted to supporting caregivers and not self-sufficient older people. The increasingly popular cash-for-care policies are likely to reinforce the diverging destinies of caregivers at the different ends of the income/wealth distribution, with more affluent families being able to add private resources to public transfers and thus outsource a significant part of caregiving, whereas women from lower class families are more likely to opt for (leaving the paid labour market and) engaging directly into care provision while considering cashfor-care amounts as an, insufficient, payment and social recognition for their (informal) care work. To put it in other words, cash-for-care policies are likely to increase option-out opportunities for more affluent women while leaving opting-out options out of reach for low-educated, low-income women – who then may feel even more pressure into their informal filial caregiving role.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2. has worked on: (1) finalizing the paper "The social stratification of informal caregiving: a focus on European mature women", a study with secondary data (SHARE survey) on the socio-economic characteristics of women taking care of their parents and parents-in-law. The study has been presented at the University of Vienna, Department of Sociology (internal seminars) in April 2024, and at the Age-it General Meeting (University Ca' Foscari, Venice), May 2024 (2) data management, analysis, and writing of a long abstract to be submitted to international conferences: "Social Heterogeneity in the time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals", a study with secondary data (SHARE survey) on the time expenditure of individuals when they become caregivers, i.e., following the onset of a health shock of the partner, and exploring differences by socio-economic status (3) organization and presentation of results during the Stakeholders meeting at the University La Sapienza, Rome, April 2024 (4) Finalization and publication of the paper: Albertini, M., & Piccitto, G. (2024). La stratificazione sociale nell’accesso alle cure di lungo termine in età anziana in Italia. Polis, 38(1), 131-146; (5) Finalization and publication of the book chapter: Albertini, M., Piccitto, G., & Zanasi, F. (2024). La prospettiva sociologica. La diseguaglianza socio-economica nella domanda di cura, in C. Tomassini, M. Albertini, e C. Lallo (eds.), Avanzare insieme nella società anziana, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Task 1.2. participated in a meeting with stakeholders in Rome in April (https://ageit.eu/wp/2024/05/04/spoke-5-grande-partecipazione-allevento-di-ascolto-e-confronto-con-stakeholders-a-roma/) and in the national Age-It project conference in Venice in May. On both occasions, the audience has shown much interest in the dimension of socio-economic inequality in the (consequences of) provision of care for dependent family members. The results, in fact, suggest a complex interplay of demographic, intergenerational, economic and normative factors in shaping such care relationships -- sometimes leading to unexpected evidence, e.g., tertiary educated individuals (usually considered the most resourceful) appear to be heavily involved in caring, cutting on paid work to free up time. Feedback has been highly benficial to improve the explanatory potential of the results from statistical analyses.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2. has worked on: (1) submitting to the international peer-reviewed journal Ageing & Society the paper "The social stratification of informal caregiving: a focus on European mature women", a study with secondary data (SHARE survey) on the socio-economic characteristics of women taking care of their parents and parents-in-law. The study has been presented during the conference "European Sociological Association" (ESA), University of Porto, September 2024 (2) Improving the analysis of the study "Social Heterogeneity in the time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals", a study with secondary data (SHARE survey) on the time expenditure of individuals when they become caregivers, i.e., following the onset of a health shock of the partner, and exploring differences by socio-economic status. The study has been presented during the conferences: American Sociological Association annual conference, (Montreal, CAN), August 2024; ISA-RC28 summer meeting (Providence, RI, USA), August 2024; European Sociological Association (ESA, University of Porto), September 2024; and European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR, University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona), September 2024.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
During the presentation of the studies of task 1.2. in Porto, Barcelona, Providence (RI, USA), Montreal (CAN), there has been a fruitful debate on the reconciliation between caregiving and other activities for individuals with dependent family members. Particularly interesting is the idea of different "currencies" used to free up time for caring: paid employment for tertiary educated individuals, and leisure time for primary educated individuals.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2. has worked on: (1) Finalising the draft of the study "Social Heterogeneity in the time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals", a secondary data study (SHARE survey) on the time spent by individuals when they become caregivers, i.e. after the onset of a partner's health shock, and examining differences by socio-economic status. The study was presented at the conference of the Gerontology Society of America (GSA) in Seattle (2024) (2) Finalisation of the draft of the study "Stratificazione sociale e Assistenza ai genitori anziani", a study on social inequalities in caregiving among Italian caregivers, with secondary data (EHIS survey 2019) (3) Preparation of the study "Care expectations in a stratification perspective: evidence from the US". Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the study will examine how expectations of future care are distributed across generational cohorts, income groups and education levels. To achieve these goals, we have completed the organisation and cleaning of the HRS data for the final analytical sample. Preliminary descriptive and explanatory analyses and preliminary multivariate analyses. Final model specifications for the multivariate analysis are underway, along with sensitivity and robustness checks for these models. In addition, work is underway to identify key literature and existing evidence to contextualise our findings.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Task 1.2. continued its research on social inequality and the reconciliation of care and other activities for people with dependents by preparing studies for publication and disseminating the results through participation in conferences.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2. has contributed to the research on social inequality and informal caregiving through the following activities: (1) Presentation of the study “Social Stratification in the Time-Use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals” at the panel “Family, Labour Market and Social” during the SISEC Conference in Pavia (2025); (2) Presentation of the paper “A Cross-country Qualitative Exploration of Caregivers' Needs and Preferences for Social Care and Support Services” within the panel “Così importante, eppure così invisibile. La cura degli anziani fragili e il rapporto con le politiche e il lavoro” at the same SISEC Conference; (3) Development of a symposium proposal for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2025 Annual Conference, in collaboration with University College London, focusing on caregiving and social isolation; (4) Development and presentation of a study on childlessness and informal care at the workshop “Navigating Aging and Health with Limited Family Ties: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Responses” held at the National University of Singapore; (5) Presentation of “Social Stratification in the Time-Use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals” at the RC28 Spring Meeting, held at the Università Statale di Milano (2025); (6) Dissemination of findings from Spoke 5 to students at the Collegio Ghislieri, University of Pavia.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Task 1.2. advanced its research on social inequality in the provision and expectations of informal care by developing and disseminating studies. Findings were presented at major academic conferences (SISEC, RC28, National University of Singapore) and contributed to international collaboration through a symposium proposal for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA 2025). Engagement with stakeholders and students supported broader dissemination and critical reflection on policy-relevant dimensions.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2. has contributed to the research on social inequality and informal caregiving through the following activities: (1) Finalization and preparation for submission of the study “Social Stratification in the Time-Use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals” and worked on the Revise and Resubmit by the journal Stato e Mercato of the paper "Stratificazione sociale e Assistenza ai genitori anziani", a study on social inequalities in caregiving among Italian caregivers, with secondary data (EHIS survey 2019) (2) Start of the project “Caregiver Biographies” (Storie di Cura): Definition of the research methodology (biographical interviews and structuring the outline on Qualtrics), recruitment of interviewers and training on caregiving, research methodology, and video and audio techniques, 2 pilot interviews, start of participant recruitment for the research, editorial plan for project communication (3) Start of the project "CaregivER" on older caregivers in the Emilia-Romagna region: review of existing surveys (e.g., HRS family of surveys) on informal care to pick questions to include in the questionnaire (4) Several updated results from Task 1.2. were presented at the 15th General Meeting of the Italian Association for Population Studies (AISP), which took place in Cagliari from 4 to 6 June.https://aisp-sis.com/popdays-2025/.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
At the present stage, Task 1.2. advanced its research on social inequality in the provision and expectations of informal care by developing tools to gather new data. It is in fact complicated to advance the social inequality aspect of caregiving given the scarcity of information included in existing surveys.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2 has contributed to research on social inequality and informal caregiving through the following activities:
(1) We have been investigating the social stratification gradient in the use of digital skills among older adults. The results of our research have been presented at three major international conferences. First, we presented the paper “The Struggle for Equal Digital Citizenship: Social Stratification and Ageing in E-Administration Use Across Europe” at the RC28 Summer Meeting of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility of the International Sociological Association (ISA), held at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from August 4–7, 2025. We subsequently presented the same paper in Chicago at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA), held from August 8–12, 2025. Finally, we presented the paper “When Social Stratification Meets Ageing: The Double Penalization in E-Administration Usage Among Older Users” at the First International Meeting of the Sustainable Ageing Working Group (EAPS), part of the European Association for Population Studies, held on September 11–12, 2025. The papers are currently under review in international peer-reviewed journals.
(2) The topic is being further explored through a quantitative study on digital-technology use among older Swiss adults, using the eighth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the 2021 Swiss drop-off questionnaire, which investigates respondents’ digital habits. The central research question examines how participants’ educational background is associated with the frequency of their engagement with digital devices and online services. Importantly, we extended the analysis to include the education level of respondents’ children. The workflow began with data preparation: we merged the eighth wave and the drop-off module, and recoded education levels for both respondents and their children, as well as the control variables, into categories. We then estimated multinomial logistic regression models, where the dependent variable represents the categorical frequency of digital-technology use. The key predictors are respondents’ education and its interaction with their children’s education, while controlling for age, gender, language of questionnaire administration, and the age of children. We generated predicted probabilities to visualize how the frequency of digital-technology use varies across combinations of respondent–child education pairings. Future steps include extending the models to test alternative specifications.
(3) The Caregiver Biographies (Storie di Vita e di Cura) project has advanced considerably during this reporting period. Following the pilot phase, substantial adjustments were made to both the interview structure and the recruitment strategy, leading to the full launch of the study. The team of research fellows has been actively conducting full biographical interviews with informal caregivers of older adults with long-term care needs through in-person sessions. In parallel, the project was also fully launched for online participation via the Qualtrics platform, allowing caregivers to contribute through secure audio and video submissions. To strengthen recruitment efforts, contacts were established with local NGOs and community organizations, expanding access to a wide range of caregiving experiences. The research team also intensified outreach through targeted social media campaigns, which proved effective in increasing visibility and participation. In addition, the project was presented during the European Researchers’ Night in Bologna, offering an opportunity to engage directly with the public, disseminate information about the project’s aims, and foster dialogue on the social dimensions of informal caregiving in Italy and across Europe.
(4) For the caregivER survey, the company SWG is currently conducting interviews. The survey focuses on family and informal caregivers who assist older adults in the Emilia-Romagna Region. Its goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics, social and economic conditions, time use, and well-being of those who care for a dependent family member. The survey targets adults aged 50 and over residing in Emilia-Romagna, and the sample is representative by age, gender, and province. The total expected sample size is approximately 3,200 interviews, conducted both online (CAWI) and by telephone (CATI) by the survey company SWG. One of the main focuses of the survey is the exploration of public support policies for family caregivers, with particular reference to the 2024 regional law of Emilia-Romagna. This law officially recognizes family caregivers and provides various support measures, such as paid leave to assist a dependent family member; access to respite and home care services; training programs and recognition of acquired skills; and financial assistance, for example through the Assegno di Cura (Care Allowance). The data collected will contribute to a better understanding of caregivers’ roles, the challenges they face daily, and the effectiveness of existing support measures, providing valuable insights for research and for the development of targeted policies.
(5) Findings from European Social Survey on socioeconomic pathways to caregiver depression. Analyses using data from the European Social Survey (ESS) Rounds 7 and 11, have now been completed and were presented at two international conferences, the RC28 conference in Los Angeles, and the ECSR in Cologne, as oral presentations. The study explores how socioeconomic status - measured through education, income, and employment status - shapes patterns of informal caregiving intensity and its association with depressive symptomatology across European countries.
(6) Qualitative study on care support policies in Italy. A total of 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews have been conducted with informal caregivers, providing rich insights into their experiences and the support systems available to them. A thematic analysis has been completed identifying main themes and subthemes related to the types of support informal caregivers receive and the challenges they face, undertaking the caring role in Italy.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The research activities carried out under Task 1.2. offer important implications for society and policymakers. Findings on digital inequality among older adults highlight the need for policies that promote digital inclusion, lifelong learning, and intergenerational support in technology use. The studies on informal caregiving provide evidence to inform regional and national strategies that recognize and support family caregivers through targeted social, economic, and training measures. Moreover, the results suggest opportunities for collaboration with welfare institutions and technology providers to develop user-friendly digital tools and services for older people and caregivers. Dissemination activities have also been undertaken, including participation in the public event “AGE-IT – IAMOCI. Invecchiare bene in Italia” (University of Bologna, 2025) and in the European Researchers’ Night – “Partecipazione e inclusione: la ricerca al servizio della comunità” held in Piazza Scaravilli (Bologna). During these events, the team engaged citizens through interactive activities, tests, and games to raise awareness of caregiving and ageing issues. Overall, the project contributes to designing more inclusive and sustainable welfare systems in an ageing society.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 1.2 has contributed to research on social inequality and informal caregiving through the following activities:
(1) During this period, we revised and resubmitted the manuscript “Digital Citizens or Digital Outcasts? On the Evolving Relation Between Social Stratification and Utilization of E-Administration” following a Revise and Resubmit decision from European Societies. We also worked on a draft of the paper “Digital Stratification Across Generations: Linking Children’s Education and Spatial Proximity to Internet Use Among Switzerland’s Elderly”, which was presented at the X Convegno SISEC 2026, held in Florence from January 28 to 31, 2026, by one of the co-authors. https://sisec.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026.01.28-Programma-SISEC-2026.pdf . In parallel, we prepared the manuscript “An Unequal Grey Divide? The Intersection of Age and Social Stratification in E-Administration and the Left Behind” for submission to The Journals of Gerontology, Series B. https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/issue/80/Supplement_2 ;
(2) “Education, Beliefs, and Digital Behaviour: Structural Equation Modeling of the 2021 SHARE Drop-off Questionnaire”: building on the data preparation and preliminary analyses conducted in the previous months, we sought to analyze more deeply the psychological mechanisms that drive digital technology use among older Swiss adults. Using the eighth wave of SHARE together with the 2021 Swiss drop-off questionnaire, we constructed a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)-inspired framework that isolates three core determinants: attitude toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. To capture the multifaceted nature of digital engagement, we specified three separate behavioural components—communication, consumption, and online banking/searching for health-related information. In the communication model, attitudes emerged as the strongest predictor, whereas for online banking and health information seeking, perceived behavioural control exerted the greatest influence. The consumption model showed a more evenly distributed set of effects across the three TPB constructs. Across all specifications, higher levels of respondents’ education were associated with stronger attitudes, more supportive subjective norms, and greater perceived behavioural control. Looking ahead, we plan to extend the analysis by incorporating a social stratification dimension that includes the education level of participants’ children, and by expanding the dataset to cover all SHARE waves rather than limiting ourselves to wave 8 and the drop-off module;
(3) The Caregiver Biographies (Storie di Vita e di Cura) project has reached a significant milestone, successfully collecting more than 150 interviews in total through a combination of in-person sessions and online submissions via the Qualtrics platform. Building on the previous pilot phase, the research team has continued to refine and implement diverse recruitment strategies to ensure a broad representation of caregiving experiences. The team has also worked on the preparation of the first pilot/prototype videos and audios to be disseminated and to generate the first products of the video/audio archive. To further the impact of the project, our preliminary findings and objectives are being actively presented across various NGOs and caregiver organizations, engaging directly with key stakeholders in the field. These outreach efforts, combined with our ongoing presence in community networks, continue to strengthen the study’s visibility and facilitate deeper dialogue regarding the essential societal role of informal caregivers in Italy. A major dissemination event for the project Storie di Vita e di Cura is planned for February to present preliminary results and stimulate further enrolment;
(4) The CaregivER survey, finally called ERAS (Emilia-Romagna Aging Survey): interviews have been completed and the final data submitted by the company SWG. We have cleaned and prepared the data for descriptive analysis and future release to the academic community. Preliminary descriptive statistics have been performed to ensure data quality;
(5) The article: “The Social Stratification of Informal Caregiving: A Focus on European Older Women” has received a Revise and Resubmit decision from the journal Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, and we are currently implementing the required revisions;
(6) Preparation of the study (data management, preliminary analysis, data visualization, first draft of extended abstract) “Quando la cura riorganizza le giornate: Uso del tempo e disuguaglianze sociali tra caregiver informali in Italia” based on Italian time-use data (ISTAT Multiscopo sulle famiglie: Uso del tempo, 2013), which was presented during the conference Fare ricerca sociologica sulle famiglie: Sfide e prospettive held at the University of Turin, December 11–12, 2025. https://centridiateneo.unicatt.it/studi-famiglia-notizie-convegno-fare-ricerca-sociologica-sulle-famiglie-sfide-e-prospettive . The final paper has been proposed for a special issue of the journal Autonomie Locali;
(7) Contribution to the e-book (Neodemos) Age-It e la promessa di una demografia positiva: Ripensare l’invecchiamento con politiche sostenibili, with Chapter 8: Curarsi di chi cura: le sfide per i caregiver informali in una società che invecchia (Caring for carers: the challenges facing informal carers in an ageing society). https://www.neodemos.info/2025/10/29/age-it-e-la-promessa-di-una-demografia-positiva-ripensare-linvecchiamento-con-politiche-sostenibili/ ;
(8) Qualitative study on care support policies in Italy: following the completion of the thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with informal caregivers, we have now finished the synthesis and analysis phase. We are currently finalizing the work in the form of a peer-reviewed article, structuring the insights on caregiver support systems, challenges, and the impact of Italian care policies into a comprehensive narrative;
(9) The systematic review on informal care policies across the EU has been officially accepted for publication in the European Journal of Ageing. Synthesizing evidence from 35 studies published between 2011 and 2025, the review highlights significant policy divergence across the EU. While Nordic countries favor defamilialisation and Continental Europe focuses on supported familialism, Southern and Eastern Europe often rely on familialism by default. Despite the prevalence of cash-for-care and respite services, more integrated supports, such as training and flexible work guarantees, remain underdeveloped. The findings specifically emphasize that regional disparities and decentralization create heterogeneities even within established welfare regimes, while also identifying a critical need for more research in understudied Southern and Eastern European regions to better inform future policymaking;
(10) Research project “Geografie del welfare: diseguaglianze territoriali nelle politiche per i caregiver in Italia” assessing formal support services for informal caregivers across diverse municipalities in Italy. The scientific article examining municipal variations in caregiver support policies has reached an advanced stage of the publication process. Following the initial submission to a top-tier Italian journal, the manuscript received a "minor revisions" decision; these updates have been successfully implemented, and the paper has now been resubmitted for final review. Utilizing a multidimensional analytical framework, the study details significant territorial disparities and situates these findings within the broader academic debate regarding the re-scaling of long-term care (LTC) policies and their impact on social citizenship.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The research conducted under Task 1.2 offers important implications for society and policymakers:
(1) Studies on digital inequalities among older adults highlight the need for policies promoting digital inclusion, lifelong learning, and intergenerational support in technology use, while evidence from peer-reviewed papers and international conferences provides guidance for targeted interventions;
(2) Ongoing data collection through the ERAS (Emilia-Romagna Aging Survey) and the Caregiver Biographies (SVC) projects generates new qualitative and quantitative insights into informal caregiving practices. This data is intended to be made publicly available to scientists, policymakers, and institutions, providing an evidence base to design user-centered support services and training programs, particularly at the regional level;
(3) Systematic reviews of European care policies and analyses of Italian municipalities reveal policy gaps and territorial disparities, offering actionable recommendations to strengthen national and local welfare systems;
(4) As part of our dissemination activities, we organised an event in Bologna on 25 November 2025, “Il progetto ‘Sostenibilità dei sistemi di cura all’anziano’ presenta i suoi risultati,” where the WP leaders of SPOKE 5 presented their main results to key stakeholders (more than 50 people), facilitating dialogue with the objective of translating scientific findings into concrete policy strategies. https://ageit.eu/wp/2025/11/17/spoke-5-di-age-it-a-bologna-il-25-novembre-levento-conclusivo-dedicato-alla-sostenibilita-dellassistenza-in-una-societa-che-invecchia/ .
(5) On behalf of task 1.2, M. Albertini participated in several events presenting evidence from Task 1.2: (I) Forum della Non Autosufficienza (November 26, 2025); (II) the “Healthy Aging Week” organized by Fondazione Ferrero, Alba (November 15, 2025), https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/ferrero-kube-stack-prod-static/globalcms-ferrero-com/documenti/5044.pdf ; https://www.fondazioneferrero.it/healthy-aging/ ; (III) workshop “La persona anziana allo specchio dei media”, University of Milan (October 2025) , https://fondazioneravasi-garzanti.org/la-persona-anziana-allo-specchio-dei-media/ ; and was also invited by the TV morning show Elisir for an interview to present results from the Age-It program.
(6) The SVC team has put great effort into dissemination activities to make stakeholders aware of the project and to reach out to caregivers to participate in the study, for example during the so-called “Palestra della Mente” in the province of Modena;
In conclusion, by integrating evidence from research, policy reviews, and stakeholder engagement, these activities provide a strong foundation for informed, sustainable, and regionally responsive policy design to support caregivers and address the challenges of an ageing society.
Scientific Outputs
1) Tomassini, C., Albertini, M. & Lamura, G. (2024). Considerazioni multidisciplinari sulla domanda di assistenza agli anziani in Italia, in in C. Tomassini, M. Albertini, e C. Lallo (eds.), Avanzare insieme nella società anziana, Bologna, Il Mulino. https://www.darwinbooks.it/doi/10.978.8815/413086/_13_34 ;
2) Albertini, M., Piccitto, G. & Zanasi, F. (2024). La prospettiva sociologica. La disuguaglianza socio-economica nella domanda di cura, in in C. Tomassini, M. Albertini, e C. Lallo (eds.), Avanzare insieme nella società anziana, Bologna, Il Mulino. https://www.darwinbooks.it/doi/10.978.8815/413086/_22_180 ;
3) Zanasi, F., Bei, E., Graziosi, R. and Lallo, C. (2025). Curarsi di chi cura: le sfide per i caregiver informali in una società che invecchia. In D. Vignoli and G. De Santis (Eds.), Age-It e la promessa di una demografia positiva, Associazione Neodemos 2025. ISBN: 978-88-32003-15-4. https://www.neodemos.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/E-book_ageit_definitivo-1.pdf .
1) Albertini M., & Piccitto G. (2024). The social stratification of access to long-term care in later life. The Italian case|La stratificazione sociale nell'accesso alle cure di lungo termine in età anziana in Italia, POLIS, 2024, 38, 131-146. https://rivisteweb.it/doi/10.1424/113058 ;
2) Albertini, M., Tomassini, C., Bandini, S., Chattat, R., Domenicali, M., Lamura, G., Meli, E., Testa, G., & Zanasi, F. (2025). Caring in the XXI century: The sustainability of long-term care in aging societies—Mapping challenges and developing solutions within the Age-It Research Program. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 80 (Suppl. 2), S158–S168. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf193 ;
3) Zanasi, F., & Albertini, M. (2025). Il peso della cura: Disuguaglianze sociali nel caregiving informale in Italia. Stato e mercato, 2, 179–212. https://doi.org/10.1425/118439 ;
4) Albertini, M., & Vignoli, D. (2025). Aging in aging societies: The transformation of life courses and how we study them. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 80(Suppl. 2), S233–S243. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf215 ;
5) Vignoli, D., Albertini, M., Chiatti, C., Aimaretti, G., Boccuzzo, G., Boffo, V., Brugiavini, A., Cavallo, F., Cenci, S., Cherubini, A., Cincotti, F., d’Adda di Fagagna, F., Ferrarese, C., Galasso, V., Galeotti, E., Graziani, A., Iaccarino, G., Lattanzio, F., Lucifora, C., Mezzanzanica, M., Passarino, G., Paterno, A., Prati, S., Rumiati, R. I., Sandri, M., Tomassini, C., Torbica, A., Ungar, A., & Petrucci, A. (2025). Aging well in an aging society: Italy at the forefront of global aging and the Age-It Research Program. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 80(Suppl. 2), S99–S109. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf219 .
Dissemination events and other (conference papers and proceedings, seminars, schools)
1) Albertini M., & Bei, E. (2024). The potential for AI to the monitoring and support for caregivers: an urgent tech-social challenge, in: Proceedings of the 4th Italian Wokshop on Artificial Intelligence for an Ageing Society co-located with 22nd International Conference of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence, «CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS», 2024, 1-4. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3623/AIxAS_2023_invited.pdf;
2) Albertini, M., Zanasi, F., & Piccitto, G. (2023). The Social stratification of informal careiving arrangements in Europe, Innovation in Aging, 2023, 7, 1141-1142 [abstract]. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10736336/;
3) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2023). Multidimensional stratification of informal caregiving arrangements, VII South Tyrol Workshop on Intergenerational Relationship, University of Cologne, Cologne, June 2023;
4) Albertini, M., Zanasi, F., & Piccitto, G. (2023). The Social Stratification of Informal Caregiving Arrangements in Europe. Gerontology Society of America (GSA) conference, Tampa (FL, USA) November 8-12, 2023. https://gsa2023.eventscribe.net/index.asp;
5) Zanasi, F. (2024). The social stratification of informal caregiving, University of Vienna, Invited Seminar, Vienna, April 9, 2024. https://www.soz.univie.ac.at/veranstaltungen/archiv-veranstaltungen/detailansicht-archiv/news/multidimensional-stratification-of-informal-caregiving-toward-older-parents/;
6) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2024). Social Stratification in the time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals. American Sociological Association annual conference, Montreal (CAN), August 9-13, 2024. https://www.asanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ASA-2024-Final.pdf;
7) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2024). Social Heterogeneity in the Time-Use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals. ISA-RC28 summer meeting, Providence, RI (USA), August 6-8, 2024. https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.brown.edu/dist/9/567/files/2024/08/RC28-2024-Summer-Meeting_FinalProgram.pdf;
8) Zanasi, F., & Albertini, M. (2024). Social Heterogeneity in the time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals, European Consortium for Sociological Research, Barcelona (ES), September 12-14, 2024;
9) Bei, E., Toth, F., & Albertini, M. (2024). European policies for supporting caregivers of older adults with long term care needs: A mixed-methods systematic review, Age-It General Meeting, Venice, Italy, 20-22 May 2024. https://ageit.eu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Programma-Age-It-20-22-Maggio-2024-online.pdf;
10) Task 1.2., (2024). Summer school on ageing - Venice International University, Venice (IT), 3-7 June 2024 (Partecipation). https://www.univiu.org/images/aauniviu2017/AGEING/Summer_Institute_On_Ageing_2024_Brochure.pdf;
11) Bei, E., Albertini, M., & Toth, F. (2024). European policies for supporting caregivers of older adults with long term care needs: a mixed-methods systematic review. Nordic Conference of Gerontology, Stockholm (Sweden) 12-14 June. https://www.nkg2024.se/wp-content/uploads/sites/133/2024/06/Schedule-export-2024-06-13_16-31-16.pdf;
12) Bei, E., Albertini, M., & Zarzycki, M. (2024). Caregivers' needs and preferences for care and support services: a cross-national qualitative study, Age-it Spoke5 Conference, Termoli (CB, Italy), 11-13 September 2024. https://age-it.github.io/spoke5.github.io/#venue;
13) Zanasi, F & Albertini, M. (2024). Social Stratification in the Time-Use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals, GSA conference, Seattle, November 13-16, 2024. https://gsa2024.eventscribe.net/;
14) Albertini, M. (2024). The social stratification and consequences of intergenerational caregiving in European families, ISAR - Interdisciplinary Seminars on Ageing Research at Linköping University, October 2, 2024. https://liu.se/en/article/isar;
15) Task 1.2., (2024). "I SERVIZI" Dalla longevità alla non autosufficienza. Scenari e prospettive, Fondazione Del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Centro Studi Invecchiamento Università di Bologna, Bologna, September 26, 2024. https://site.unibo.it/alma-aging/it/eventi/i-servizi-dalla-longevita-alla-non-autosufficienza-scenari-e-prospettive;
16) Albertini, M. (2025). Dissemination of research findings from Spoke 5 on informal caregiving and social inequality. Presentation to students at Collegio Ghislieri, University of Pavia, Italy;
17) Albertini, M. (2025). Mining Time to Care for a Partner in Later Life: Differences Between Childless Individuals and Parents in Europe. Paper presented at National University of Singapore. https://fass.nus.edu.sg/cfpr/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2025/01/0-Navigating-Aging-Health-With-Limited-Family-Ties-Program-2025.01.24.pdf;
18) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2025). Social Stratification in the Time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals. Paper presented at RC28 Spring Meeting, Milan, Italy. https://rc28milan2025.com/;
19) Bei, E., Albertini M., & Zarzycki, M. (2025). A Cross-country Qualitative Exploration of Caregivers' Needs and Preferences for Social Care and Support Services. Paper presented at SISEC Conference, Pavia, Italy. https://sisec.it/convegni/ix-convegno-sisec-pavia-2025/;
20) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2025). Social Stratification in the Time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals. Paper presented at SISEC Conference, Pavia Italy. https://sisec.it/convegni/ix-convegno-sisec-pavia-2025/;
21) Albertini, M., & Zanasi, F. (2025). Social Stratification in the Time-use of Informal Caregivers for Older Individuals. Paper presented at Giornate di Studio della Popolazione, 15th General Meeting AISP, Cagliari, June 4-6, 2025. https://www.conftool.pro/popdays2025/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=48#paperID144.
22) Lopez Blanco, J. D., & Albertini, M. (2025). The Struggle for Equal Digital Citizenship: Social Stratification and Ageing in E-Administration Use Across Europe. Paper presented at the RC28 Summer Meeting of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility of the International Sociological Association (ISA), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), August 4–7, 2025;
23) Lopez Blanco, J. D., & Albertini, M. (2025). The Struggle for Equal Digital Citizenship: Social Stratification and Ageing in E-Administration Use Across Europe. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA), Chicago, August 8–12, 2025. https://www.asanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ASA-2025.pdf;
24) Lopez Blanco, J. D., & Albertini, M. (2025). When Social Stratification Meets Ageing: The Double Penalization in E-Administration Usage Among Older Users. Paper presented at the First International Meeting of the Sustainable Ageing Working Group (EAPS), European Association for Population Studies, September 11–12, 2025. https://www.eaps.nl/files/1756980891_1st-conference-EAPS-sept-25-updated.pdf; https://www.eaps.nl/page/sustainable-ageing.
25) Bei, E. and Albertini, M. The hidden costs of caring: mapping pathways to depression among informal caregivers in Europe. Paper presented at the RC28 Summer Meeting of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility of the International Sociological Association (ISA), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), August 4–7, 2025. https://rc28.soc.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/rc28ucla_program_2025.pdf;
26) Bei, E. and Albertini, M. The hidden costs of caring: mapping pathways to depression among informal caregivers in Europe. Paper presented at ECSR, Cologne, Germany, 3-5 September, 2025;
27) Bei, E., Albertini M., & Zarzycki, M. (2025). A Cross-country Qualitative Exploration of Caregivers' Needs and Preferences for Social Care and Support Services. Paper presented at the RC28 Summer Meeting of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility of the International Sociological Association (ISA), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), August 4–7, 2025;
28) Bei, E., Albertini M., & Zarzycki, M. (2025). A Cross-country Qualitative Exploration of Caregivers' Needs and Preferences for Social Care and Support Services. Paper presented at 5th ISA Forum of Sociology, Rabat, Morocco, July 6-11, 2025. https://isaconf.confex.com/isaconf/forum2025/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/162055 ;
29) Giuliani, G. A., Albertini, M., Toth, F., De Santis, L., & Bei, E. (2025). An actor-centered theoretical tool for caregiver policy analysis: Comparative evidence from Italian metropolitan cities. Paper presented at 2nd Age-It General Meeting, Naples, Italy, October 29–31, 2025. https://www.conftool.pro/age-it-2025/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=33#paperID146 ;
30) Albertini, M. (2025). Aging in aging societies: The transformation of individuals’ life courses and how we study them. Presentation for special session, 2nd Age-It General Meeting, Naples, Italy, October 29–31, 2025. https://www.conftool.pro/age-it-2025/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=53#paperID505 ;
31) Zanasi, F., Berardi, A., Di Florio, P., Druda, Y., Sicbaldi, M., Albertini, M., Domenicali, M., & Silvani, A. (2025). ICare.IT: A longitudinal study using wearable sensors to monitor informal caregivers of people with dementia. Paper presented at Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA, November 12–15, 2025;
32) Albertini, M., & Vignoli, D. (2025). Aging in aging societies: The transformation of life courses and how we study them. Paper presented at Life Course in Italy Conference, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, November 28, 2025;
33) Zanasi, F., & Albertini, M. (2025). Quando la cura riorganizza le giornate: Uso del tempo e disuguaglianze sociali tra caregiver informali in Italia. Paper presented at Fare ricerca sociologica sulle famiglie. Sfide e prospettive, University of Torino, Torino, Italy, December 11–12, 2025. https://centridiateneo.unicatt.it/studi-famiglia-notizie-convegno-fare-ricerca-sociologica-sulle-famiglie-sfide-e-prospettive .