Leader: Eleonora Meli (Istat); Other collaborator(s): UNIMOL
Inner areas are defined as those at an intermediate, peripheral or ultra-peripheral distance from large and medium-sized urban centers, and from their associated infrastructures (hospitals and public transportation). Around 13.5 million people live there (22% of the Italian population) and the proportion of older people is higher compared to the rest of the country since they are characterized by scarce migrants inflows and younger people emigration to urban areas. The combination of high presence of older people and isolation makes planning efficient care services particularly hard. This task aims to build up from previous data from qualitative studies run in Molise a comprehensive model of care for older people with disabilities living in inner areas with innovative solutions to keep people in place such as care homes in the town center and shared carers.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
The information content of the new survey 'Families and Social Subjects' has been defined, and the activity will be conducted from May 2024. The research activity ensured that the questions regarding the perception of functional limitations, social isolation, and psychological well-being were harmonised with those of other ISTAT surveys, allowing for comparison and validation of the produced estimates. Functionality and comprehension tests on the new electronic questionnaire were also conducted. This questionnaire will be administered to a representative sample of the population residing in Italy, allowing us to capture care needs as well as the availability of informal caregivers for age-related issues. As ageing is a complex phenomenon with varied characteristics, the likelihood of receiving assistance, considering both individual traits (such as age, gender, marital status, parenthood, etc.) and municipal characteristics (inner or central location, geographical area, etc.), was also examined. To disentangle the factors associated with receiving or not receiving assistance, all forms of aid (informal, formal, and paid) using data from the Families and Social Subjects surveys conducted in 1998, 2003, 2009, and 2016 were also analysed. This approach provides a temporal perspective on the phenomenon. The results will be presented at the Age-It General Assembly in Venice on May 22. A joint paper with Prof. Marco Albertini and Prof. Cecilia Tomassini entitled "Living in the Italian Inner Areas: the support network of childless older people will be presented.
The information content of the new survey 'Families and Social Subjects' has been continued, and the activity has been regarded the study of the perception of functional limitations, social isolation, and psychological well-being. They have been harmonised with ISTAT surveys, in order to compèare and validate of the produced estimates. Functionality and comprehension tests on the new electronic questionnaire have been also continued. The results have been presented at the Age-It General Assembly in Venice on May 22. A joint paper with Prof. Marco Albertini and Prof. Cecilia Tomassini entitled "Living in the Italian Inner Areas: the support network of childless older people” is in press.
To highlight the most significant factors influencing the living conditions of people over 65 based on the territory where they reside, we developed a study titled "The Support Network for People Aged 65 and Over Who Have No Children. " This research analyzes, for the first time, whether and to what extent help exchanges are influenced by the urban or rural character of the Italian municipalities in which individuals live. The analysis focuses on trends over time regarding the availability of a support network and the urban or rural characteristics of municipalities. These factors are considered along with other individual socio-economic and demographic variables to provide a comprehensive view of family and territorial dynamics.
As part of the data collection activities for new and more up-to-date datasets on ageing and care relationships, starting in May 2024, Istat conducted a new edition of the Families and Social Subjects sample survey. This edition included a dual sample component: more than 44,000 individuals were selected for the cross-sectional survey, while over 16,000 individuals who had participated in the 2016 edition were involved in the longitudinal component.
In September 2024, the Families and Social Subjects survey was concluded. More than 60% of the individuals sampled for the cross-sectional component were reached. For the longitudinal component, almost 40% of the individuals who participated in the 2016 survey responded to the Panel survey. To ensure robust and comparable estimates, we are working on calibrating the carry-over coefficients to align with the target population. We calculate benchmark totals based on gender, age group, citizenship, educational qualification, and employment status.
Coming soon