In Estonia, the Generations and Gender Survey 2020 (GGS-II) is the third large-scale demographic survey that collects data on family and fertility dynamics. As the country participates in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, the GGS-II opted for a shorter age range of the sample (18–59). The questionnaire in the GGS-II in Estonia follows the GGS-II wave 1 baseline questionnaire. The questionnaire also includes the Global Uncertainties’ module developed by the Nordic countries, a battery of questions on the perceived impact of COVID-19, and several country-specific items. The GGS-II in Estonia was implemented using only computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI). In this article, we present a concise overview of the sampling and data collection process, analyse representativeness and response rates, and briefly assess the data quality. We conclude that despite low response rates, the GGS-II provides a good basis for the analysis of fertility and family dynamics.
The Swedish Generations and Gender Survey 2021 (GGS2021) was the second GGS that Sweden carried out. It was a web-based survey with a paper-based option. Like the first GGS in Sweden (GGS2012) it was linked to register data that cover key dimensions of respondents’ life courses. The Swedish GGS2021 contains two new modules implemented to further research on the link between subjective perceptions and fertility. Both modules will be part of the second wave of the international GGS standard questionnaire. In this contribution, we first describe our motivation to carry out the Swedish GGS2021. We then present our two new modules and sketch their theoretical underpinnings. This is followed by a summary of the data collection process and an assessment of data quality. We conclude with some reflections on the implementation of new modules in future international GGSs and on our experience with register-linked surveys.
Seasonal birth weight has been identified across different climate zones. Finland has wide seasonal and regional variation in climate within the country. We explore the potential seasonality of birth weight in singleton full-term births in Finland, and its variations across time and within the country. We apply descriptive time-series graphs, linear regression across regions, and linear regression with mother fixed effects using Finnish register data consisting of more than 1,800,000 infants born from 1987 to 2021. The descriptive findings indicate a decline in birth weight from 1987 to 2021. A monthly seasonal trend with peaks in spring and autumn and troughs in summer and winter is observed. The pattern gets less distinct with time and shows within-country variations. The seasonal pattern is also present when applying mother fixed effects. We suggest that the seasonal variation is more related to variations in climate than stable characteristics at the family level.
This study examines how attitudes towards filial responsibility (AFR) have changed in 11 European countries between 2001 and 2017, based on data from the International Social Survey Programme. These countries include various types of welfare states and family traditions. The study also analyses the change in AFR according to the respondents’ gender and age. The findings indicate that in 2017, individuals reported lower filial responsibility than in 2001, with the exception of Great Britain, where the AFR increased. The most substantial decreases in AFR were observed in Hungary, France, Denmark, and Finland. This negative shift is visible in both genders and all age groups, particularly late middle-aged women. However, despite the varying intensity of AFR change, it was challenging to identify clear patterns in the variations between countries. These results highlight potential negative effects on political proposals for long-term care for older adults supported by younger generations.
Namibia is the only country in Africa for which historical data is available to describe the change in marriage behavior since the 1920s. The aim of this article is to describe and to understand how the age at first marriage changed and how it was related to cohabitation since the 1920s in Namibia. The description of changes is based on parish register material and the family reconstitution method. The mean age at first marriage was over 20 for both sexes as early as the 1920s. In 1945–49, the mean age at first marriage started to increase, reaching about 29 for men and 24 for women at the end of the 1950s. The explanation for the increase was labor migration. The new cohabitation model was introduced from the end of the 1970s to the 1980s. Features of this model were cohabitation before marriage, late marriage age, a low married proportion of the population and high proportion of premarital births.
