Table 1.
Demographic Characteristics of Parents and Offspring
| Variable | Parent (n = 633) |
Offspring (n = 1,384) |
|---|---|---|
| M(SD) or proportion | M(SD) or proportion | |
| Age | 50.60(4.99) | 25.19(5.80) |
| Household incomea | 4.40(1.45) | 3.77(1.61) |
| Years of educationb | 14.18(2.02) | 13.73(1.92) |
| Healthc | 3.48(1.07) | 4.26(0.93) |
| Miles from parent | 188.66(613.36) | |
| Life problems | 0.91(1.20) | |
| Number of children | 2.82(1.46) | |
| Number of working hours | 44.98(14.41) | |
| Age of the youngest offspring | 22.32(4.49) | |
| Total support to all childrend | 158.62(147.24) | |
| Average support to each childe | 4.32/1.56 | |
| Male | .48 | .52 |
| Racial minority | .37 | |
| Coresides with parent | .23 | |
| Coresides with any offspring | .37 | |
| Has financial problem | .15 | |
| Has children under age 18 | .40 | .27 |
| Caregiving for aging parent | .24 | |
| Work status | ||
| Employed full time | .65 | .51 |
| Employed part time | .11 | .18 |
| Student | .19 | |
| Otherf | .24 | .12 |
| Marital status | ||
| Married for the first time | .63 | .17 |
| Remarried | .07 | .01 |
| Single/never married | .07 | .71 |
| Unmarried/otherg | .22 | .11 |
Household income in 2007: 1 = less than $10,000, 2 = $10,001–$25,000, 3 = $25,001–$40,000, 4 = $40,001–$75,000, 5 = $75,001–$100,000, and 6 = more than $100,000; numbers are based on reports from 592 offspring participants for offspring household income.
Because 19% of young adults were students at the time of the study, their ultimate educational attainment may be higher than reported here.
1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent.
Number of days out of 365 provided support to each child, summed across all children in the family.
1 = less than once a year or not at all, 2 = once a year, 3 = a few times a year, 4 = monthly, 5 = a few times a month, 6 = weekly, 7 = a few times a week, 8 = daily.
Retired, disabled, unemployed, or homemaker.
Widowed, divorced or separated, and cohabiting.